He started to moan, so I launched my fist into his face. Unemotional. Purposeful.
“You might be interested to know that Stefano Mariano is dead,” I offered in an even, matter-of-fact manner. “You’ve situated yourself in a very dark, very lonely little corner, Sal Amato. There’s not a single soul out there willing to come to your aid. You’ve stolen from, lied to, cheated, and betrayed everyone you’ve ever known. And now, you’ve dug your own grave.” I stepped over to the duffle I had set on the floor when I entered the room. Matteo stood next to it but made no move to interrupt. This was my dog and pony show, and he wasn’t about to take that from me.
I pulled out a black metallic case, using a code to open the lid. “I thought about dragging this out,” I continued as I lifted a gun from the case, then slowly began to screw on the silencer to the barrel. “But after thinking about it the entire flight here, I’ve decided you’re not worth it. You’re not worth my time or my anger.” I stood, flipping the safety mechanism off the gun. “You’re no more than a rabid dog, and it’s time to put you out of your misery.”
I lifted the gun, my gaze glacial and detached. Then I pulled the trigger, watching as his right kneecap exploded with a pop from my gun. Sal wailed into the filthy rag, squirming and panting past his obstructed airway.
“Okay, so maybe I lied. I’m going to drag it out just a little.” My lips twisted up in a vindictive smirk. “That was for my sister, Alessia, who you kidnapped and allowed to be tortured.” I took aim again, this time shooting a single shot in his left knee. “That’s for Sofia, who you left for dead in a fucking meat locker.” Another shot, this time in his right shoulder. “For my father, who you betrayed at every opportunity.” Another shot, another shoulder. “For me. You know exactly what you did to me.”
Sal’s head lolled from side to side, his mind swimming in a sea of pain as his body hemorrhaged blood.
I stepped forward until we were inches apart, then smacked his face to bring his attention back to me, leaning in to speak softly. “And this is for Marco. May your soul rot in hell.” I stepped back and raised my gun, blasting one final bullet between his eyes. His head ricocheted back, then drooped to the side as his body gave up the fight for life.
I stared at the broken corpse of the man I used to call Uncle, and warmth filled my chest.
They say a man who wants revenge should dig two graves—that the harm to your soul isn’t worth the final outcome. I called bullshit. I hadn’t experienced a more rewarding, euphoric high in my life than seeing Sal’s lifeless body bound to that chair.
Yes, some of my retribution was in moving on with my life and not allowing his actions to continue harming me, but there was a lot to be said for good old-fashioned revenge.
Karma was a bitch, and her name was Maria De Luca.
Epilogue
Matteo
“Babe, you ready to go?” I’d been waiting for Maria for over an hour. If we didn’t hurry, we were going to be seriously late.
“What kind of heartless cow plans her wedding two weeks before her sister’s due date?” She hissed as she waddled into the kitchen. “Between her timing and this circus tent of a bridesmaid dress, I’m pretty sure Alessia hates me. Look at this—it’s only April, and I can’t stop sweating. I’ve tried to smooth out my hair three times, used those little cloths to get moisture off my face twice, and I’ve given up wearing dry underwear.”
I couldn’t help the grin that formed on my face. “You got wet panties?” I asked suggestively.
“Sweat, Matteo. Panties soaked in so much sweat they’ll be stiff with salt if and when they ever dry.”
I shook my head. She was so fucking adorable and sexy as hell, no matter how huge she thought she was. I couldn’t imagine anything more beautiful than her round belly full of our growing baby and her gorgeous, swollen tits.
I pulled her closer, taking her face in my hands. “Then we’ll just have to get you naked as soon as we get home. Wouldn’t want you in any sweaty panties.”
“How can you even think about sex when I’m as big as an elephant?”
“Oh…” I mused. “I’m pretty sure when it comes to you, I could always think about sex.”
Who was I kidding? Pregnant sex had been incredible. Maria had been unable to do as much at the gym as she preferred, so she’d used me and my dick as a source of stress relief. I hadn’t complained. In fact, I would miss our extracurricular time when she started back at the gym. I had even contemplated going with her and training with Tamir, had he not taken a leave of absence from the studio. Aside from being an excellent instructor, he’d earned my respect when he’d given me a subtle threat at our first meeting. He genuinely feared very little in life, and Maria thought the world of him—both reasons to regard him with esteem. I wasn’t sure where he’d disappeared to or what had taken him from the city, but I hoped he wasn’t in trouble. Although, I doubted there was much trouble he couldn’t handle.
Maria gave way to a breathy chuckle and started to shake her head when her eyes suddenly became big as saucers. “Oh, fuck.” She looked down, pulling up the floor-length skirt of her dress and staring at the rapidly growing puddle at her feet.
“Oh, fuck,” I chimed in chorus.
Our eyes locked, mirrored expressions of shock and awe on our faces.
“That’s your water, right?” I asked.
“No, Matteo, I’m just pissing myself,” she shot back.
I nodded, completely unfazed by her sarcasm. “Okay, shit. We’re having a baby.” I turned to get the keys, then ran for the bag we had packed for this very occasion. When I returned, Maria was still standing in the same place. “Can you walk?”
“Uh … I think so.” She started to take a step, then retracted. “Shit, where is it all coming from? There’s so much fluid. I need a towel or maybe a shower curtain and we can rig up some kind of giant diaper.”
Towel. Got it. I hurried to the linen closet, grabbing every towel I could reach.
She took one of the beach towels and shoved it between her legs, bunching her gown up around her knees. When she looked at me for reassurance, I lost it. I couldn’t help myself. It was the funniest fucking thing I’d ever seen.
At first her eyes bulged with outrage, but then she glanced down at herself, and her own hysterical laughter bubbled up from deep in her belly. “Oh God, don’t make me laugh—it just pushes more fluid out,” she said between fits of giggles.
I finally calmed down, freeing one of my hands to clasp her behind the neck and pull her face to mine. “Fuck, I love you.”
She grinned, eyes alight with excitement. “We’re gonna have a baby,” she whispered.
I brought her lips to mine, kissing her with unbridled adoration, before slowly pulling away and smiling. “You did this just to get out of going to the wedding, didn’t you?”
“I guess labor does have its perks.”
Two hours later, and I was pretty sure Maria would have gladly traded places with anyone at the wedding. After a long waddle to the car, we checked in at the hospital. She was confirmed to be in labor but wasn’t feeling any contractions. Thirty minutes later, she was nearly fully dilated and screaming in pain. The nurse informed us that we’d missed the window for an epidural. She would be having the baby without any pain meds. The entire family was at the wedding, all with their phones on silent and unaware that Maria’s labor had progressed so quickly.
We were having a baby, and we were doing it on our own.
My beautiful wife pushed for a whopping twenty minutes before the baby was born, screaming at the top of its strong lungs. I’d never heard a more beautiful sound in my life, except for perhaps when the doctor called out, “It’s a girl.”
We had decided not to find out the gender. Maria wanted a boy, but I couldn’t imagine anything more perfect than a daughter. Her hair was thick and dark, the spitting image of her mama. And even more telling, she came out with the umbilical cord clenched angrily in her fist—she was a fierce li
ttle warrior, just like Maria.
My love for her was instantaneous and absolute.
Once the nurses had taken all her measurements and vitals, they cleaned her up, wrapped her in a towel, and handed the tiny bundle over to me. I took her to Maria, and we both stared in awe at the miracle we’d created.
“I know what I’d like to name her, if it’s okay with you,” said Maria, not taking her eyes from our daughter.
“I thought you’d only planned for a boy.”
She shrugged. “I’d been mulling around a contingency plan.” She lifted her eyes to me, the blue of her irises a warm summer sky full of hope and love. “Gabriella Angelina De Luca. Gabriella after Marco, and Angelina for your mom.”
I smiled, my vision blurring with moisture. “It’s fucking perfect. You’re perfect. Thank you for giving us this precious gift. I’ll protect you both with my life. I swear it.”
I kissed little Gabby and then her mother, confident I was the happiest man alive.
The end … for now.
A NOTE FROM JILL
I know this was a match that many of you have been looking forward to for quite some time. I adored writing about Maria and Matteo and hope their story lived up to your expectations! It was also a relief to put an end to Sal after he’d caused so much trauma to the Genovese family. My plan is to write three more books in this world telling the stories of Giada and her two sisters. However, before I dive into those books, I’m going to take a short break and put out a standalone romantic suspense. One of the main characters will be pulled from The Five Families novels, but the book will not technically be a part of the series. The book, dubbed “FOC” for now, is up on Goodreads so head over and add it to your TBR list!
I’d like to offer a sincere thank you for reading Blood Always. If you enjoyed reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it, please take a moment to leave a review. Leaving a review is the easiest way to say Thank You to an author. Reviews do not need to be long or involved, just a sentence or two that tells people what you liked about the book in order to help readers know why they might like it too.
In The Five Families Series
Forever Lies
Five minutes in a stalled elevator was all it took to turn Alessia Genovese’s world upside down. She was just one among millions of New Yorkers, but now, she’s landed on Luca Romano’s radar, and he isn’t about to let her walk away. Dragging her into his world of lies and deceit, Luca’s secret agenda shatters Alessia’s perfectly crafted life. Sometimes lies are easier than the truth …
Learn More about Forever Lies
Never Truth
Throughout my childhood, Nico Conti was the center of my universe. He was the air I breathed and the reason for each of my smiles—until he shattered my heart, leaving me broken and alone. For ten years, I had to find my way in the dark. Now he’s come back, trying to explain away his absence and pick up where we left off, but I’m not the same girl he abandoned. I have enough secrets to rival his own, and if I’m not careful, he’s going to unravel every one of them.
Learn More about Never Truth
Blood Always
It was an arranged marriage—something that should have been a simple business transaction—but nothing is ever as easy as it seems. He saw her untamed independence as a challenge. She saw his alluring authority as a threat. The moment their paths collided, their lives were altered irrevocably—from enemies allied by a strategic marriage to something dark and consuming.
Something that tasted like obsession.
Learn more about Blood Always
In The Fae Games Series
Shadow Play
Alluring strangers and deadly secrets make the streets of Belfast a living nightmare. Newly arrived from America, Rebecca Peterson must stay alive long enough to learn about this deadly Fae world and discover why she’s been drawn into its clutches.
Learn More about Shadow Play
Twilight Siege
After her carefree world is ripped apart, Rebecca must accept her new life and the dark powers that come with it. She looks to Lochlan for help, but the sweltering tension between them is a dangerous distraction. Deep into the treacherous Shadow Lands, both her knowledge and courage will be tested. To keep those she loves safe, Becca is willing to risk it all.
Learn More about Twilight Siege
Shades of Betrayal
Ashley’s out to stop a monster from killing young women in the heart of Belfast. Michael will do anything it takes to stop her from getting the answers she seeks. Together, their explosive chemistry laced with deadly Fae secrets may be a recipe for disaster. Can they unite to find a killer, or will their fiery passion blaze out of control?
Learn More about Shades of Betrayal
Born of Nothing
A druid woman and a Fae man—Cat and Fenodree are two people from different worlds—only by chance do their paths happen to cross. What develops between them is tender and intimate … and totally forbidden. Cat’s Druid family fear and hate the Fae. Running becomes her only choice, but what will happen if she doesn’t make it out in time?
Learn More about Born of Nothing
Midnight’s End
Villainess, Morgan Le Fay, teams up with a sworn enemy to help her acquire the illusive Cauldron of Dagda. In this thrilling finale to The Fae Games Series, Jill Ramsower ties together the four previous books in a romantic adventure full of jaw-dropping twists and heart-stopping heroics you won’t want to miss!
Learn More about Midnight’s End
Acknowledgements
This book is being sent off into the world during an extremely tumultuous time. As I write this, we are weeks into the coronavirus quarantine. My heart breaks for those who have lost loved ones to the virus, for the massive number of people who are suddenly unemployed, for the small business owners who are unsure of their futures, and for the healthcare professionals who are on the front lines fighting the virus.
I want to give my love and thanks to everyone who has sacrificed during this pandemic. To our teachers who are tirelessly working to keep our children educated. To grocery stores who work endlessly on restocking and sanitizing in order to provide for us in a healthy environment. To our politicians who are coming together to provide economic aid to those impacted by the financial crisis. And even to those who make funny memes to keep our spirits light.
It has been miraculous to bear witness to the generosity and kindness that has emerged during these uncertain times. This acknowledgment isn’t about me or my books, but my gratitude to everyone out there who brings goodness into this world. Thank you for shining your light on us and banishing the darkness that can feel so overwhelming during this time of chaos.
About the Author
Jill Ramsower is a life-long Texan—born in Houston, raised in Austin, and currently residing in West Texas. She attended Baylor University and subsequently Baylor Law School to obtain her BA and JD degrees. She spent the next fourteen years practicing law and raising her three children until one fateful day, she strayed from the well-trod path she had been walking and sat down to write a book. An addict with a pen, she set to writing like a woman possessed and discovered that telling stories is her passion in life.
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SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE
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Interested in exploring more of Jill’s work? Check out the steamy urban fantasy readers are calling “…dark, somewhat disturbing, but utterly enjoyable.” (Booklife Prize)
Shadow Play
By
Jill Ra
msower
Available on all platforms, here’s a taste of Rebecca and her harrowing adventure …
Preface
I was going to kill him, and I didn’t care if I died in the process.
It would be worth it.
In that moment, standing naked across the room from the only person I’d ever hated in my entire life, I didn’t care about anything but his death.
The word ‘hate’ wasn’t even sufficient to encompass my feelings toward the man. What I felt was pure, unadulterated loathing. There was no question or uncertainty—no conditions or exceptions. I abhorred everything about him.
I never would have thought myself capable of hatred or murder, but that was before him. Before his lies and deceit. Before he took everything from me. Life could never go back to the way it was. I could never go back to the way I was.
Before Ireland.
Before him.
The act of killing would cause irreparable damage to my soul, but if ever there was someone worth the trauma, it was him. He needed to die, and it was only right that it be done by my hands. My chances of succeeding were slim to none. The most likely outcome would be my own death, but I couldn’t imagine a more worthy way of dying—attempting to rid the world of his toxic existence.
His back turned to me, and my muscles coiled with resolve, I launched my attack.
Chapter 1
“Rebecca, order's up!” Joe hollered from the kitchen behind me.
I flashed my gritted teeth in a look that was probably more creepy-carnie than patient waitress, as my customer changed his mind for the third time. I wanted to scream at him that it was lunch, not solving the national debt. I had started my day by opening a letter from my landlord announcing a rent increase, and things had only gotten worse from there. I dropped my phone on the way to work and shattered the screen, and as if that hadn’t been enough, I was currently in the middle of waiting tables during a particularly busy lunch rush.
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