Page 106 of Sinful Bride

"Yeah," I say finally, my voice rough. "I love her."

Lachlan nods like he expected that answer. "Then you need to listen to me very carefully." He leans forward, his elbows on his knees, his expression serious. “I understand love. You know I do. But I’ve done some stupid things because of it, and I want you to be sure you aren’t going to do the same. You need to think about how you’re going to do this before you go storming wherever she is. She’s probably back at the Capettis, right?”

I frown at him, and he shrugs. “I did this for ten years, Declan.”

“Do you have any idea why she’d leave? Or did they take her back?”

My shoulders sagging, I fill him in on the rest. To his credit, Lachlan doesn’t look shocked when I tell him what Elena did. In fact, he doesn’t even look upset.

“You look like you think I should have forgiven her.” I stare at him, and he sighs.

"Family can make you do terrible things, Declan. They can force you into corners where there are no good options. Where every choice is a betrayal of someone you love. I saw what Adriana’s family did to her, the way they twisted her head. It wasn’t easy getting past all of that. They can fuck you up. Elena lived her whole life with them, and she’s been with you for what… a couple of months? Declan, that’s not enough time to undo everything they’ve done to her head over the years."

I think about Elena standing over me with that gun. "She tried to kill me.”

"Did she?" Lachlan raises an eyebrow. "Or did she stand there with a gun in her hand, unable to pull the trigger, until you woke up?"

I don't answer. The truth is, I don’t know. But she got far enough to have it in her hand, pointed at me, and right up until this second, that was enough.

"You told me once that you wanted to do things differently," Lachlan says. "That you wanted to build something based on respect and partnership, not fear and violence. So here's your chance. Elena made a choice—maybe the wrong choice, maybe the only choice she thought she had. But she didn't go through with it."

He stands, moving toward the door. "If you love her, you give her a chance to explain. After you save her. But bring all your men with you, because you’re going to need them. I can’t go with you, or I would. Adriana would have my head on a plate. But you’re going to need all the firepower you have. And you don’t have much time.”

I look up sharply. "She went to her father. She's fine until I⁠—"

"She's probably exactly where he wants her." Lachlan's expression hardens. "You think Enzo Capetti is going to let his daughter walk away after she failed to kill you? You think he's going to forgive her for falling in love with the man she was supposed to murder?"

The words land like ice water down my spine.

"He's using her as bait," Lachlan says quietly. "And if you don't go after her, she's dead."

—

I gather my men by the evening, the best I have, armed with rifles, handguns, and body armor. We load into three vehicles and go over the plan one more time.

The Capetti estate is a fortress with high walls, security cameras, and armed guards. But I've been there before. I know the layout. And more importantly, I know Enzo won't expect me to come tonight. He'll think I need time to plan, to strategize.

He's wrong.

"We go in fast and hard," I tell them. "Two teams. Finn, you take five men and hit the east entrance. Draw their attention. I'll take the rest and go through the west side, straight to the main house."

"What about Mrs. Murphy?" Cormac asks.

"I'll get her." My voice is flat. Final. "You focus on keeping us alive long enough to get out."

They nod. No one questions me. No one asks if this is worth it, if one woman is worth risking all our lives. They trust me.

I just hope I'm not about to get them all killed.

The sun is setting when we reach the spot where we’ll go on foot, and we wait for it to be full dark. When the Capetti estate looms ahead of us, I signal Finn. He nods and peels off with his team, heading east. I lead the rest toward the west wall.

The first guard doesn't see us coming. Cormac takes him down with a knife, quick and silent. We drag the body into the bushes and keep moving. The west entrance is a service gate, usually locked but accessible if you know how. The lock clicks open, and we slip through.

The grounds are massive. Lights glow in the windows of the main house, and I can see movement inside. Shadows passing back and forth.

Then the shooting starts.

Finn's team hits the east entrance right on schedule. The sound of gunfire erupts, sharp and loud in the quiet evening. I hear shouts and running footsteps.