"Correct,” I nodded.
"In front of the Five Families.” He was groaning now. “Everybody’s heard about it now.”
"Also correct."
"You kidnapped Leonardo Moretti's sister-in-law,” he kept going.
"Still correct."
"You started a war,” Marco hissed.
I pushed open my office door. "Probably."
Marco stopped walking. I kept going. Then realized he wasn't following. I turned. He was pointing at me. Accusingly. "You keep saying probably."
I shrugged. "Nothing's official yet."
His expression suggested he'd genuinely reached the end of his patience.
The office overlooked the ocean. Dark wood. Black leather. Floor-to-ceiling glass. Moonlight spilling across polished floors.
The room Angelo would sit in with muddy boots despite knowing it pissed me off. The room where we'd spent years planning futures neither of us would ever get. The room that still felt wrong without him. The memory hit harder than expected. I ignored it.
Marco was still talking. "...Leo is going to come for you, for fuck's sake."
"He'll definitely come." Marco froze at my words. "But I don't know if he'll kill me."
Silence. Then Marco laughed. A short ugly sound. The kind people made when reality became too absurd to process. "You think there's uncertainty?"
"There's always uncertainty,” I shrugged. “He’s an old family man now. You really think he’ll want to kill me now he’s settled down with kids? I’m the last bit of family he has.”
"Santino." Something in his voice made me look up. The anger was gone. Worse. Concern had replaced it. And Marco never worried. That got my attention. "Sergio mattered to Leo."
Silence settled heavily between us. Because that part was true. Leo didn't have many people. Not really. Chiara. The twins. A handful of blood relatives. A handful of trusted men. Sergio had been one of them. And I'd put a bullet through his skull.
The realization sat quietly between us. Heavy. Ugly. Unavoidable. I leaned back slowly. "She's worth it."
Marco laughed again. This time there was genuine disbelief in it. "That might be the stupidest thing you've ever said."
Considering my history? That was impressive.
A phone buzzed on my desk. Then another. The city was exploding. Captains. Council members. Allies. Enemies pretending to be allies. Everyone wanted answers. Everyone wanted reassurance. Everyone wanted confirmation their boss hadn't completely lost his fucking mind. Unfortunately for them... I absolutely had.
Eventually Marco left. Not because he was satisfied. Because he realized the conversation was pointless. The second the door closed, the silence swallowed the room. I sat alone. The ocean crashed against cliffs below. Moonlight glittered across dark water. For a moment, I reached automatically toward my wrist.
Toward the watch. Angelo's watch. Still too big. Still hanging loose after four years.
I thought about the girl who'd noticed. The only person who ever had.
A strange ache settled low in my chest. Then I reached for the security tablet.
Thirty-two camera feeds appeared. Gates. Driveways. Perimeter walls. Gardens. Hallways. Roofs. Security checkpoints. The guest house.
My thumb stopped moving. Feed Twelve. Aurora.
The guest house glowed softly against the darkness. A beautiful glass cage. And inside it… There she was. Still wearing pieces of the wedding dress. Barefoot. Furious. Alive.
She was pacing. Back and forth. Like a tiger trapped inside a zoo enclosure. Dark hair wild from the motorcycle ride. White fabric trailing behind her. Tiny. Angry. Absolutely fucking beautiful.
