“Don’t call me baby!” My scream is deafening, and my voice cracks with the force as everyone in the room stills. My brothers share a loaded look, then stop their abuse, backing away from Teddy as I slowly approach with shaking hands. The confusion in his gazecan’t hide the love in his eyes, and my eyelid twitches. I want to believe him. This is my Teddy. But then…
“I’ve wanted to come to you. I just wasn’t allowed—”
Oh. Right.
“You weren’t allowed? Because you’re in the fuckingBratva,right? You have to do whatever the Pakhan says. Is that your excuse?”
“Well, actually, I’m technically the—”
“Or was it yourpreciousMila who kept you away? I can’t believe you thought you could keep me on the side! I deserve better than that, and you made me think…I really thought that you—”
“How do you know about Mila? You have to let me start from the beginning and explain. I don’t deny that I’ve kept things from you—”
“I don’t want to hear it. I really don’t.” The cavern inside my chest still contains my heart, and I can feel it beating a mile a minute, but hearing him saythatname again has iced over what the love in his eyes had started to thaw.
Nikki sees me collapse in on myself and hustles to push a chair behind me so that I don’t crumple to the floor. Even now, Teddy is trying to get out of his binds and get to me. I can’t look at the pain in his eyes, but I can’t help myself as my brothers untie him enough to move him to the basement.
“You don’t need to be involved in any of the rest of this,” Gabri mumbles. “Go find Nonna and take your medicine. See if Mama will let you sit and read to her for a little while.”
“Medicine? Baby, are you sick?” He’s no match for both my brothers as they drag him, kicking and crying toward the basement. “Whatever you think, it’s not true. I love you! I love you I love you I love—”
The slam of the basement door shuts outhis declaration, words I had longed to hear and fully believed to be true, even before they ever passed his lips. The ice around my heart shatters as I feel deep in my bones that I love him too. There must be some explanation for what I heard…
Yeah, he was trying to tell you, and you wouldn’t give him a chance.
Racing for the door to the basement, it opens for me easily, but Nikki is immediately there, shutting it behind him with finality.
“You have no business down there, Elia. Let Gabri do his work.”
“No!” I scream, and he runs a hand down his face. I notice for the first time how haggard he looks, and realize that even with their thirst for revenge, Leo’s loss is still weighing on him. “No,” I continue quietly. “I think we need to hear him out. I was wrong to ignore him and interrupt him while he was trying to explain, and just because we think we have all the evidence we need doesn’t mean anything. You know how important context is, Nikki. Maybe we have all the pieces, but we’re putting them together all wrong! Please, let me talk to him—”
A wail from the basement pulls a sob from my gut, and Nikki leads me gently to the empty kitchen, once the soul of this house, now as quiet as a tomb. “You have no business down there. Gabri and Papa have made their minds up. Take your medicine and try to rest.” With that, he’s gone, and I’m left shaking like a leaf and dreading the consequences of what I’m sure now was a grave mistake.
Sinking to the floor, I pull my phone from the pocket of my sweatpants and dial the only number I have who isn’t connected to my family and who I know will drop everything and come for Teddy. My tears flow freely, and my voice shakes when he finally answers.
“Hi. I hope you’re still in town. It’s a long story, but Teddy’s in trouble, it’s at least partially my fault, and I’m going to need your help to get him out.”
“Are you sure nobody saw us coming out of the basement?”
“Eventually, someone will check the interior cameras, but not until they’ve figured out that Nonna isn’t actually having a heart attack. How in the hell did you manage to be so sneaky?”
Thatcher smirks, but it’s short-lived as a groan from the back seat draws our attention. By the time we got our distraction in place and managed to access the basement, it was the middle of the night, Teddy was unconscious, and Thatch had to carry him out across his shoulders. Now, it seems like he’s finally coming around, and I need to see his beautiful eyes to know he’s okay. He gives me his gaze for a couple of seconds max, then turns away.
“Teddy, I—”
“Thatch, man. Thanks for getting me out of there. Where are we going?”
“Well, I’m takingyouback to your family’s compound. Your sister, who isscarybut also scary hot, by the way, has been up my ass since the moment you went offline. Then I’m takingthisone back home toherfamily’s compound. Then I’m either getting on a plane back to fucking New York,orI’ll come back here if I’m allowed, and you can tell me more about what the hell is going on.”
Teddy grunts and leans back against theheadrest before looking out the window away from me. He must be in so much pain.
“I’ll stay with you two. I’m not going back to my house until I know you’re okay.” I reach for Teddy’s hand, bruised and resting on his knee. Before I can make gentle contact, he rips it away and rests it on his stomach, out of my reach. “Teddy, I—”
“You’ll go back to your family, where you’ve made it clear your loyalties lie.”
His flat tone is measured, but the hatred in his eyes when he finally turns to me pushes me back.
“I was wrong, and I’m sorry, but I heard you—”
