Julia nods. “I believe it, too,” she whispers with a loud sniffle. “I know she’ll always be with me, just like the people you’ve loved and lost are with you, too.”
“I’ve never had this kind of conversation with anyone before.”
“Because of your control thing?” she asks, letting out a tiny giggle.
“Who says I have a control thing?” I say, recoiling with a mock look of surprise on my face.
She swipes away a few tears and rolls her eyes. “Oh, come on. You know you’re going to have to ease up on those reins, right? If you pull too hard, they’ll just snap.”
“I’m not usually afraid of snapping.” I grin. “That’s for other people to worry about.”
“Well, now you have someone else to consider.” She cocks her head to the side. “Are you okay with that?”
“As long as that someone else is you, yeah. I’m great with it,” I breathe against her lips, wrapping my arms around her.
I dip my tongue through her salty-sweetness, her mouth a flavorful mixture of bacon and maple syrup. My fingers tangle in her soft hair as I drink in her desire, melting into her.
Minutes pass.
Maybe hours.
Could be days for all I care.
I want to do this forever.
But the universe has other plans.
As usual.
A loud banging sound is immediately followed by the sound of a door slamming open.
I crack open one eye and swallow a groan.
Fuck me.
Alek, Tommy, and Diego are standing in the doorway, smug-ass grins on their faces.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Diego waggles his eyebrows at us.
“No, you’re not,” I grumble.
“You’re right,” Alek says, holding up his phone. “He’s not. Because it’s time, Ant. My wifi connection has been messed up all morning, but a message finally came through from my guys. Elia is online right now.” Alek’s eyes dart between mine and Julia’s. “And from the images they sent, he’s got Nic.”
“We’re going to his place right now,” Diego says. “That means you guys need to move out. Get to that safehouse. We’re gonna take care of those asshole Fortunatos and then we’ll meet you there.”
Julia’s eyes open wide. “If you take care of Elia and Nic, if they’re not a threat to us anymore, then I don’t have to leave my father.” She looks at me. “Right? I don’t have to hide anymore. Neither does he.”
I nod. “That’s the plan.”
I almost choke on the word.
Goddamn plans.
When do they ever really work out for the people who make them?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Elia
Sunlight streams through the trees at the cemetery where Giacomo Graziani is surrounded by his faithful minions. No wonder he hates me. I did the same thing to his daughter that my father did to me.
I killed her mother…his wife…in cold blood.
I didn’t want to. I would have been fine with her locking herself in that safe room, anything that could have cleared the path for me and Julia to escape their home.
But then Julia rejected me, like so many others before her. She tried to hurt me, to get away from me when all I wanted was for her to be by my side forever.
So I snapped.
I really need to get that under control before I have my first real conversation with my future father-in-law. I need to make him see that Julia will be happy with me. Safe. Protected.
Especially now that Nic is no longer.
That cocky asshole.
How dare he set foot into my house and treat me like I’m no better than dog shit on the street?
He turned me into this monster, and now that he’s gone, I can finally break free and take my rightful place…
With my bride.
I tap my fingers against the steering wheel, my gaze dropping to the original driver lying on the seat next to me. I bet he’s sorry he came to work today. Killing him was almost too easy thanks to whatever bullshit video game he’d been glued to on his phone when I slid into the car next to him.
Now that his throat has been sliced ear to ear, I don’t think he’ll be doing any driving today.
Or ever again, for that matter.
He’ll just be along for the ride.
It’s a little surprising that Giacomo didn’t have more security guarding his motorcade. It was almost too easy to command control of the head car. A quick glimpse out the window tells me they think the threats are outside when I am very clearly not.
Moments later, the crowds dissipate and Giacomo walks toward the sidewalk, flanked on all sides with guys twice his size with probably a shred of his intelligence. One of them opens the back door and waits for him to slide into the backseat before shutting the door.
I knew Giacomo would ride alone.
He’s grieving.
But just in case, I flip the locks.
I don’t want to take any unnecessary chances, today of all days.
I watch as people file into their cars, probably anticipating a feast of epic proportions hosted by Graziani himself.
They don’t know he won’t be joining them.
“We didn’t get a chance to talk last time I saw you.” I turn around in the driver’s seat and Giacomo looks up, startled for the slightest of seconds before some mix of recognition and horror seeps into his worn, drawn face. “And I know you probably hate me right now and don’t want to listen to a single thing I say. But I want to change that.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” he croaks, immediately grabbing the door handle and shaking it.
“I thought it would make more of an impression if I actually showed up in person to give you my condolences,” I say, putting the car in gear and pulling away from the curb.
Giacomo bangs on the windows when his attempt to escape turns futile, but there are too many distractions. Nobody notices.
Exactly what I’d anticipated.
“I really don’t want to start off on the wrong foot, Giacomo.” I look over my shoulder and press my foot on the gas, catching a glimpse of him dialing a number on his phone.
“You killed my wife! Kidnapped my daughter!” he shouts, launching a punch at the side of my head.
I catch it before it makes contact.
And I’m still able to drive.
“Please don’t do that,” I say in a calm voice, palming a gun and holding it up to his face as I slow for a stop sign at the cemetery entrance. “I’d like to have a good relationship with my father-in-law. That’s why I came here today, for your blessing.” I turn back around. “I’m going to bring you to Julia now. My future bride needs her father, today of all days. And if you cooperate, I won’t hurt her.” I smile at him in the rearview mirror. “Or you.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Antonio
I squint through the trees lining the road, the bright sun making me blink. “Wow, your dad really went for seclusion with this place, huh?”
“Well, that is the point, right?” Julia says in a small voice, toying with the door lock.
“Yeah,” I grunt, slowing to a crawl as we reach a narrow driveway that leads underground. If you didn’t know what you were looking for, you’d drive right past the non-descript entrance in the middle of the lush green foliage.
“So I like the setup,” Tommy muses. “But what the hell happens if you’re invaded? How do you escape? Seems like you’re kinda fucked, yeah?”
“There are lockdown areas that are impenetrable and fire-proof,” Julia replies, tugging at her hair, her sweat pant-clad leg bouncing on the floor. “Help would arrive before anyone could hurt us.”
Tommy nods. “Okay, great. I feel better now. Because, you know, last night? I got shot and we weren’t underground and I almost bled out while we escaped a gas explosion. So, I just wanted to make sure none of that shit is gonna happen today. I don’t know how many lives I have left.”
“With my luck, ple
nty,” I grouse, flipping on my brights and following the winding path down to what feels like the center of the Earth.
“Question,” Tommy says, holding up his phone. “How the fuck is anyone gonna be able to call or text us when there’s no service?”
“We have landlines and a whole computing setup inside,” Julia says.
“I guess that makes sense. I mean, governments have bunkers and shit underground in case of attacks. I guess if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for Graziani.” Tommy settles back against the seat. He can be a real pain in the ass, but right about now, I’m glad he won’t shut the fuck up. Julia needs the distraction.
At least we know for sure that Nic and Elia are far away from here.
If all goes according to plan, Alek and Diego will take care of the Fortunatos, and Julia and her father can finally start the healing process together.
Together.
As in, the two of them.
She never promised me anything.
And she never told me she loves me back.
Not that I’d want her to. I mean, with all of the trauma she’s suffered, it wouldn’t be real, anyway.
Would it?
Jesus Christ.
I need to get my head in the game.
Making sure Julia has a future is what’s important right now.
What it holds?
That’s not up to me to decide.
I did my job.
I got her here safely.
And if it’s time for me to walk away, so be it.
“There,” Julia points at a door in a far, darkened corner. “We can go in through there.”
“How many more levels are there?” I ask.
“A few, but we don’t need to go all the way down. This is far enough. Especially since we know there won’t be any surprise guests waiting for us.” She drops her hand in mine, giving it a little squeeze. “Thank you for everything you’ve done…for taking care of me, for getting me here, for…” She shakes her head, her voice cracking. “Just… everything.”
Sure as hell sounds like goodbye to me.
I force a tight smile. “Come on, your father is expecting us.”
We walk over to the door and the hidden keypad to the right slides open when Julia looks into a camera. Retinal display.
“Jesus, Fort Knox has nothing on this place,” I mutter.
“No expense spared for safety,” Julia says, pressing numbers into the pad and confirming the code. The door slides open, and a blast of cold hits us like we’ve just entered the tundra.
“The air is always frigid on this level because all of the computing equipment needs to be cooled to a certain temperature.”
“Air conditioning bill must be fucking nuts,” Tommy quips as we follow Julia inside.
“Hey, aren’t there supposed to be security guys here, watching over the place? I mean, I know nobody is just gonna stumble on the place, but I figured—” My words are swallowed by a bloodcurdling shriek.
Julia’s hand flies up to her mouth. “Papa!” she screams, running down a hallway. We follow, guns drawn. She stops short in a doorway. “No!”
My breath hitches when Elia comes into view. How the fuck is he here? Why isn’t he at his house?
Julia rushes into the room, falling to her knees beside her father. Graziani is tied to a chair, blood spurting from his left hand. Elia hovers over him, holding a machete in one hand and a gun to his temple in the other. “I told him not to try anything funny. He promised me he would be good.” Elia waves the machete in front of Julia. “Just like you did, remember? Before I shot your mother.” He tosses the machete onto the floor, his face relaxing into a smile. There’s a thick patch over one of his eyes…the eye I gouged out only hours earlier. The guy is relentless. He will not fucking stop unless we stop him.
Elia looks at me and Tommy and the smile fades. “You can leave now. They will be fine. We will be fine.”
Giacomo’s pained gaze lands on me. He shakes his head, teeth chattering as he rocks back and forth. Julia’s head falls into his lap, her shoulders quaking with choked sobs.
“I think we’ll stay,” I say, inching forward, my arm extended.
Elia lifts an eyebrow. “You know, my father wanted you dead. Wanted all of the Marcones dead for what you did to our livelihoods. And to my half-sister, Via.” He rolls his eyes. “That part doesn’t really break me up, though. She deserved to die, the miserable cunt that she was.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Tommy mutters.
“But I don’t care about what your family did. I don’t give a shit about the money, the murders, none of it matters to me except Julia. And now that I have her back, I no longer care about you. So I’m giving you a chance to walk away,” Elia continues.
“I think we’re going to stay right here,” I say. “And I believe you’ll be the one leaving. Whether you walk out the door or get carried out in a body bag is irrelevant to me. But make no mistake, Julia won’t be with you.”
Elia snickers. “Don’t make the same mistake Julia did. I think we all know I will blow her father’s brains out right here and now if you push me too far.” His voice catches, venom spilling from his lips. “I finally have a chance to be happy after all this time. To be part of a real family. And you’re not going to take that away from me, do you understand?”
“I understand that you are a crazy motherfucker who doesn’t know the real meaning of happiness,” I seethe, my arm unwavering.
Elia lets out a sinister chuckle. “Here’s how it’s going to work. You walk away, and I let you live. I would like to avoid more bloodshed today since I’ve already started out on the wrong foot with my future father-in-law. If you are as stupid as dear old dad here and try to challenge me, you will suffer a horribly painful end, just like Nic did not long ago. He didn’t think I’d actually have the balls, but I proved him wrong.” He shrugs. “It’s a pretty easy choice for you, if you ask me. And if you’re smart…when you walk away…the game will be over. I will rule the Fortunato empire with Julia at my side. And the whole world will watch me take my throne and marry the woman of my dreams, the one with the power to make me whole again.” He waves his hands around the room and my jaw drops.
Cameras.
Everywhere.
Capturing every angle.
Hooked into Graziani’s security infrastructure since there’s no cell signal in the pits of hell.
Talk about being a fucking exhibitionist. I search for any possible way to make this next part work in our favor. I need to take Elia by surprise so that he gets distracted and drops his weapon. Tommy is standing right behind me so there’s no chance he can rush Elia without one of us getting shot.
If I shoot Elia, he’ll kill Graziani and shatter what’s left of Julia’s heart and sanity. He may also squeeze off a shot at me.
Not ideal.
There is one option.
It’s risky but it’s also the only chance we have to survive.
Because I know how this plays out.
I have to shoot Julia.
“Tell me, Antonio.” Elia smirks at me. “Do you know what the literal translation of Fortunato is?”
“Lunatic?” Tommy pipes in.
“Wrong. It means ‘lucky’,” Elia says in a smooth voice. “And I am finally about to cash in. I have the woman of my dreams, the future I’ve always wanted, and a fresh start. There’s nothing you can do to take that away from me.”
I nod, my lips tight. “There may be one thing.” I pull my gun away from Elia and with one quick blast, Julia crumbles to the hard cement floor.
“No! Julia!” Elia shrieks, forgetting the gun in his hand and leaping on top of Julia. Tommy shoves Graziani out of the line of fire as he howls for his daughter. I don’t think. I don’t breathe. I just pull the trigger.
Once, twice, three times…I plug Elia’s body with as many bullets as I have left in my clip until he crashes to the ground next to Julia in a heap. I hold up a hand to Tommy. “J
ust wait,” I mouth, tiptoeing toward him.
Sure enough, Elia pulls himself to a sitting position and points the gun at me. “You can’t have her! This is my life, not yours!”
But before he can pull the trigger, Tommy plugs him twice in the temple.
He goes back down like a bag of wet cement.
Short, sharp gasps slice at my lungs as I stagger toward Julia, collapsing to one knee next to her. Her eyes flutter open. “Antonio,” she whispers.
“Yeah?” I pant, checking the superficial shoulder wound. It was a clean shot, thank fuck. Exit wound and all.
“You’ve got some real issues, you know that?” she says, her voice thick. “You can’t go around shooting people you love because one day you may not get to hear them say it back to you.”
I dip my head close to hers, our foreheads touching. “Well, then maybe now’s a good time to say it since I don’t know what the hell to expect now that you’ve invaded my life,” I whisper.
“You’re freaking insane, but…”
Her voice trails off, but not before I hear the three words that bring me peace.
Peace I never knew I was even missing.
“I love you.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Antonio
“He fucking shot Julia!” Tommy exclaims, fisting his hair as he paces the kitchen at Doc Milo’s house. “One minute, he’s banging her, the next, bam! She’s got a hole in her shoulder.”
“I didn’t see you come up with a better escape plan,” I grunt.
“Well, maybe I would have if I knew you were gonna shoot her!”
I grit my teeth. “Shooting her was our best bet. It gave us the best chance to save everyone else. And I knew what I was doing, dipshit. It wasn’t a kill shot! Besides, I didn’t really have time to come up with a better plan since the last we’d heard from Alek before leaving for the safehouse was that Elia was back at his place with Nic.”
Coveted: Men of Mayhem: Book Two Page 19