"For this. For loving me like this. For making me feel like I matter beyond just being useful or protected. For seeing me completely and choosing me anyway."
"Always. I'll always choose you. Always love you. Always see you exactly as you are and be grateful for it."
We lay in the quiet darkness. Both content. Both grateful. Both knowing that tomorrow would bring challenges and dangers.
But tonight we had this. This peace. This love. This perfect moment of connection.
I'd gone from trapped in an arranged marriage to running across states to finding sanctuary with the Vitales to falling in love with Elio to becoming an actual contributing member of their organization.
From fragile mafia prince to dangerous partner.
From performing a role to living authentically.
From surviving to actually being happy.
The next morning I woke to Elio already up, reviewing notes at the small desk in the bedroom.
"Morning," I said, sitting up. "What time is it?"
"Seven. Partners meeting is at nine. I wanted to review everything one more time."
I got up and moved behind him. Read over his shoulder. "It's good. Solid. They'll see what we see."
"I hope so. If we're wrong about Jake—"
"We're not wrong. The evidence is too consistent. The patterns too clear." I kissed the top of his head. "Trust the work we did. Trust the data."
"I trust you."
Those three words meant everything. He trusted my judgment. My analysis. My conclusions. Not just protecting me anymore. Partnering with me.
We got ready together. Reviewed the presentation one more time. Made final adjustments. By 8:45 we were walking into Sandro's office where Matteo and Luca were already waiting.
"This better be good," Luca said. But his tone was light. Interested.
"We believe we've identified the mole," Elio said. Pulled up our evidence on the screen. "Jake Byrne. Senior accountant. Five years with the organization. Works closely with Stefan. Has access to financial systems, schedules, protocols."
He walked them through everything. The financial irregularities I'd found. The suspicious access patterns. The correlation with FBI actions. The shell companies matching the structure used for the three low-level moles.
Sandro studied the data. "This is circumstantial but compelling. What's your recommendation?"
"Increased surveillance. Monitor his communications. Watch for contact with FBI handlers. Document everything until we have concrete proof of betrayal. Then we move."
"How long?" Matteo asked.
"Days. Maybe a week. If he's active, he'll make contact soon. The FBI's regrouping for another push. They'll want intelligence. He'll provide it."
Sandro nodded. "Do it. Round-the-clock surveillance. I want to know everyone Jake talks to, everywhere he goes, everything he does. The moment we have proof, we handle it."
"Agreed," Matteo said.
"One more thing," Luca added. "The Valentino situation is resolved. The journalist won't be publishing the raid footage. He's agreed to destroy it."
"How did you convince him?" I asked.
"I made him understand his options. He saw reason." Luca's expression was carefully neutral. "It's handled. We don't need to worry about that footage surfacing."
Something about his tone made me uneasy. But Elio didn't push. Just nodded. "Good. One less problem."
