I sit in the darkness, listening to the dual rhythm of her heartbeat and our baby’s, and I’m faced with the most terrifying realization of my life.
I love them both more than I’ve ever loved anything.
More than my empire, more than my revenge, more than my own life. And there’s absolutely nothing I can do to guarantee their safety.
No amount of money or power or violence can protect them from this.
For the first time in twenty years, my complete my adult life, I’m completely, utterly helpless.
49
SOPHIA
The hospital room feels smaller when Tony walks through the door.
His green eyes scan the monitors and IV lines before landing on my face.
I see the fear there, the same terror that’s been clawing at my chest since the bleeding started.
“Soph.” His voice cracks on my name, and suddenly we’re not adults anymore. We’re kids again, and he’s my big brother who used to chase away my nightmares.
“Hey.” I try to smile, but another contraction hits, stealing my breath. Mikhail’s hand tightens on mine, and I squeeze back, riding out the wave of pain.
Tony moves to the other side of the bed, his hand hovering uncertainly before settling on my shoulder. “The baby?”
“Heartbeat is strong,” Mikhail says, his voice rough. “But the placenta is partially detached. They’re monitoring both of them.”
My brother nods, his jaw clenching in that way that means he’s fighting to keep his emotions in check. I know that look. I’ve seen it before, in the hospital after he was shot, when he thought he might lose me too.
“Can you give us a minute?” I ask Mikhail softly.
He hesitates, his green eyes searching my face.
I see the reluctance there, the fear of leaving me even for a moment. But he nods and presses a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll be right outside.”
After the door closes, Tony sinks into the chair Mikhail vacated. He looks exhausted, his dark hair disheveled, his shirt wrinkled like he threw it on in a hurry.
“You scared the hell out of me,” he says quietly. “When Mikhail called, when he said you were bleeding again…”
“I know.” I reach for his hand, and he takes it, his grip gentle despite the calluses I feel there. Evidence of his new life, his new role. “I’m scared too.”
We sit in silence for a moment, just holding hands like we used to when we were kids and Dad was on one of his rampages.
Tony was always my protector then, the one who stood between me and the worst of our father’s anger.
“I missed so much,” he says suddenly. “Six years, Sophia. Six years of your life that I can never get back.”
“That wasn’t your fault.” I squeeze his hand. “Lorenzo took that from both of us.”
“I should have fought harder. Shouldn’t have let myself get brainwashed. You’re my family.” His voice is thick with guilt.“Instead, I let you think I was dead. Let you grieve for me while I was living a lie.”
“You were brainwashed. Conditioned. You can’t blame yourself for that.”
He looks at me, and I see tears gathering in his eyes. “When I heard you were in the hospital, all I could think was that I might lose you again. For real this time. And I haven’t even told you how proud I am of you.”
The words catch me off guard. “Proud?”
“You survived being kidnapped by a mafia boss. You turned that situation into something real, something good. You’re helping Mikhail go legitimate, using your brain to solve problems that used to be solved with bullets.” He shakes his head, a small smile playing at his lips. “You’re incredible, little sister. And I’m sorry I wasn’t there to see you become this strong.”
