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My chest is a cauldron of boiling rage and guilt, emotions churning so violently I can barely breathe. Emma, sweet, loyal Emma, caught in the crossfire of a war she never signed up for. And it’s all because of me.
I believed Alessandro when he said she’d be safe with Tony. That was my mistake. I watch him as he ends another call.
He shakes his head. “Nothing.” He goes to make another call.
“Why haven’t we heard anything yet?” My voice breaks the silence, sounding more fragile than I intend.
Alessandro, phone in hand, looks up. “These things, they take time, Jess. We’re doing everything we can.”
I pace, the sense of helplessness threatening to engulf me. “But time is something Emma might not have. What if?—”
He cuts me off, standing to intercept my path, his hands gripping my arms gently. “Jess, listen to me. Panicking won’t help Emma. We need to be strategic, not reckless.”
I shake my head, trying to pull away, frustration mounting. “Strategic? Alessandro, my best friend is out there, with them. How can you expect me to just wait? You promised me Tony would keep her safe.”
He sighs, a sound heavy with unspoken fears. “I’m not asking you to ignore what you’re feeling. I’m just asking you to trust me, trust that I’m doing everything to bring her back safely. Garibaldi is letting us stew. Then he’s going to offer her in exchange for me. It’s me he wants dead. That way he gets to rule the city. He’ll call sooner or later..”
He turns back to his phone. A minute later, he nods my way. “I got a lead. I’m going to check it out. One of Garibaldi’s men is willing to talk.”
“And what am I supposed to do? Just sit here and twiddle my thumbs?” My voice cracks, frustration bleeding into despair. “I’m coming with you.”
“You need to stay safe, Jess. For me,” he pleads, his eyes searching mine for understanding.
His insistence feels like a straitjacket, restraining and suffocating. “Safe? There’s no safety in this, not for any of us. If Emma gets hurt, Alessandro, if you let anything happen to her?—”
“I won’t,” he cuts in, firm and resolute. “I promise you, Jess. Once I have real news, we do this together but for now, these leads could be anything or nothing. It’s not worth exposing yourself in the open. You have to trust me. Please.”
I nod. “I’m not happy about this. You could get hurt, couldn’t you? I can’t imagine life without you in it. Please, let your men do this. Stay here with me.”
“They’re all hunting for her. The only ones left here are guarding you and I won’t send them.” His face turns cold. “It has to be me. Trust me, I’ve been doing this for years. I know how to negotiate.”
“What if you die?”
“You take over everything. I’ve already run it through with my lawyer. Everything I own becomes yours. Now I need to move. I’ll be in touch as soon as I can.”
“I’m not the same woman who walked into your world. I can handle this.”
He watches me, a mix of pride and concern in his eyes. “Jess, I know. That doesn’t mean I can stop worrying about you, about keeping you safe. As soon as I know anything, I’ll call you. Just don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”
He kisses me goodbye before walking away. His promise echoes in the empty room, a fragile thread of hope in the darkness. I cling to it, even as I struggle against the constraints he’s placed on me. I’m not the woman I was when this all started; that Jess would have waited, scared and uncertain.
But now, I’m filled with a fierce need to act, to fight back against those who threaten the people I love. Emma’s in danger because of me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to save her, Alessandro’s pleas for caution be damned.
I think of Emma. The thought of her in danger, her fear, her pain, becomes a tangible thing, a serrated blade twisting in my chest. It’s a sharp, visceral fear, one that eclipses everything else, focusing my entire being on the singular goal of her safety.
A tear escapes, tracing a hot path down my cheek. I’m not just fighting for Emma; I’m fighting against the very essence of my newfound life—a life intertwined with power and danger, where every decision carries weight, every action ripples through the lives of those I hold dear.
I wipe the tear away, a defiant gesture against the despair threatening to consume me. I
t’s in this moment, alone and unguarded, that I allow myself to truly feel the depth of my fear, not just for Emma, but for Alessandro, for myself, for the fragile life we’re trying to build amidst the chaos.
I rise, the decision made. I can’t sit idly by, a passive player in my own life. Emma’s safety, our future, demands action.
With each step I take towards the door, towards the unknown, I feel the layers of fear and doubt shedding from me, revealing the core of resolve that Alessandro’s love has helped me discover within myself.
I’m not the woman I was when I entered this world of shadows.
I’ve learned to fight, to stand up for those I love, to navigate the perilous balance between strength and vulnerability. And as I step out into the chill of the early morning, ready to face whatever comes.
