Oh, God. Is this my fault?
As the car pulls away, my mind is a kaleidoscope of images, all replaying Cristian entering the room, his crazed, unhinged rant, killing Maksim, and then falling, Alessandro's cold expression as he pulled the trigger.
Adriano is quiet but watching me, like he’s afraid I might open the door and jump out of the moving vehicle.
His phone beeps, and he checks the messages.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Like I said. You’re free. Or nearly.”
When we arrive home, Adriano escorts me to my room. "Pack. Only essentials."
"What?" I stare at him, uncomprehending.
"You need to leave. Now." His voice is tight with urgency. "The Bratva will retaliate. You're not safe here."
“Alessandro already retaliated for them.”
“You think that will be enough? No. You’re going to Chicago with Luca. You always liked him best, so you should be happy.”
I stare at him. “That’s unfair.”
“Jesus fucking Christ, Valentina. We’ve saved you. Would you rather have been married to Maksim?”
If it meant Cristian could live, then yes. But I don’t say that.
Adriano's expression hardens. "Pack. Luca's waiting."
Suddenly, everything is too much.
I sink to my knees and weep.
I got what I wanted, but the price was too much.
Adriano grabs my arm, his fingers digging in as he lifts me up. "Listen to me. You can fall apart later. Right now, you need to focus on staying alive. Isn't that what Cristian would want?"
I realize he’s right.
Cristian gave his life for me and the baby.
Who knows, maybe he asked Luca to take me in, knowing I’d be safer away from New York.
Did he know what Cristian planned to do?
"Give me five minutes." I wipe my tears and suck in a breath. I’ll be strong for Cristian and our baby.
First, I strip off my wedding dress.
I hope the staff burns it.
I change into jeans and a shirt and then mechanically throw clothes into a bag.
As I do, something inside me hardens. I suppose it’s what made my brothers hard too.
The cold, hard fact of life. The ugliness of our world.
I'll go with Luca. I'll protect our baby. But this isn't over. Alessandro will answer for this.
