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My heart feels like it’s been dunked in a bucket of ice. “What about my wife?”
“I was supposed to call him when I had her.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
I slam my fist into his nose. “I don’t know, I swear!”
I slice his cheek open with the knife and he roars with pain. “The truth,” I say. “Or I make you beg for death.”
A flicker of uncertainty crossing his bleeding face. “I’m telling you the truth. I told him you were here alone. He expected her to come with you. Said her dad called her to stay away, that she’d be sure to come after that, hide under your wing.”
“What did he say when you told him she wasn’t with me?”
“He’s sent someone else to France to bring her back. Please, I’ve told you everything. I need a doctor. I’m dying here.”
“Wrong,” I reply, pulling out my gun. “You’re already dead.” I pull the trigger, the sound making my ears ring. I turn to face Tony. “Deal with that. I need to get back to Jess.”
He nods, understanding flashing in his eyes.
I look down at the gun in my hand. If Jess were here, would she understand why I did this? Would she see that this is for her protection? Or would she only see a killer with a gun in his hand?
"What about Garibaldi?" Tony asks, bringing me out of my thoughts.
I wash my hands in the sink in the corner, the water running crimson, each drop a reminder of the cost of this war. I used to think I could compartmentalize, keep my hands clean when I came home to Jess.
But now, I see there’s no escaping the stain of my actions. How do I hold her, knowing these hands bring more destruction than safety?
I pause, the weight of my next order heavy on my tongue. “Burn his house down. Leave nothing standing. Burn everything that fucker owns. Sending the man who killed Catherine to kill me and take my wife? He’ll suffer for that.”
The urgency to protect Jess, to ensure her safety, overrides everything else. I pull out my phone, attempting to reach her, only to find it switched off. A knot of fear tightens in my stomach.
Without hesitation, I arrange for my private jet to be ready, each second away from Jess now more agonizing than the last. I call Matteo and Lucas. No answer. I check the GPS tracker. Not activated. Fuck, I should have switched it on, not left the decision up to her.
I’ve fought battles, brokered peace, and navigated betrayals, but nothing compares to the fear of losing her.
Garibaldi has crossed a line, and in doing so, he’s unleashed a fury he can’t comprehend. I’m not just a man with an empire to protect; I’m a husband, and I’ll burn the world down to keep my wife safe.
* * *
The private jet’s engines hum steadily, a soothing backdrop to the maelstrom of thoughts swirling in my head as we slice through the night sky.
My fingers tap an impatient rhythm on the armrest, the only outward sign of the tension gripping me. The staff are nowhere to be seen. I’ve snapped at them enough for them to keep their distance.
I’ve tried calling Jess several times, to no avail. Her phone remains off, a fact that sends waves of worry crashing over me.
The possibility that Garibaldi’s man might have already reached her sends a chill through my veins, the kind of fear I’ve never known before Jess entered my life. She’s changed everything, and the thought of her in danger, because of me, is unbearable.
The quiet of the cabin is shattered when my phone rings, Tony’s name flashing on the screen. I answer immediately, hoping for an update that might ease my mind.
“Tell me you have news,” I say, my voice tight with anticipation.
“Garibaldi’s place is ashes,” he reports, his tone grim. “They’re still pulling out bodies as we speak.”
“Is that fucker one of them?”
“Can’t tell yet but we’ll know soon enough. If he was home, he’s toast.”
