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I quirk a deadly smile, pushing away his words. There will always be an enemy, it comes with the territory of being who I am. Stepping toward Vadim, I bend, getting in his face. “Let him. He will only end up the same way as his predecessor. Dead. At my hands.”
He shakes his head. “You can’t beat us, Nico. The war is bigger than you know. You think Giuseppe is the only one to come to me? You’re wrong. And soon you will see just how wrong you are. You have enemies buried deep inside your organization, but they present themselves as your allies. They are ready and waiting for the moment to take you down. To kill you. They will strike and when they do? The Marchetti name will no longer exist.”
A chill runs down my spine with every word out of his dirty mouth, but I don’t show him any sign that he is affecting me. Instead, I pull my knife from my pants pocket, running it down the side of his face. He winces when I pierce his skin but shows no other sign of fear. I watch as blood trickles down his face with a sadistic smirk. Adrenaline pumps in my veins and it’s time for these motherfuckers to die.
Leaning in, my voice turns deadly as I grit my next words.
“Let them all come. I will be ready.”
Chapter45
Ocean
Nico didn’t come home last night.
Me, Allegra, Valentina, and Romeo stayed in the den the whole night. I didn’t sleep though, too worried about where Nico was, if he was okay and whether he had found Dante. The questions played on a loop in my mind, begging to be asked, but I kept them locked up tightly inside, not wanting to fuel Allegra’s apprehension or Valentina’s anxiety, which she is trying hard to keep hidden from her daughter.
It was the longest night of my life. We were all scared, the unknown making us on edge, but not one of us voiced our concerns. Instead, we held each other in silent support, praying for the best but ready for the worst. It was pure torture – even worse than enduring those hours with my father and Vadim – the not knowing. The waiting…
The sound of a helicopter has my ears straining. Pushing out of the Chesterfield chair, I carry Romeo to the window, my heart lurching when I see it landing on the helipad located on the Marchetti estate grounds.
Nico.
Spinning, I keep my son cradled in my arms as I hurry out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Allegra and Valentina are already in the big foyer, with the door pulled open, ready and waiting for my husband. My heart pounds in my chest, the only sound in the spacious entrance is our collective heavy breathing, as if we know this is the moment that is going to change our lives forever.
Within minutes, Nico appears, two men and Christopher behind him. My pulse spikes, tears pricking my eyes when I meet his gaze. It tells me everything and is not the outcome I had hoped for. I know Allegra witnesses the look, too, when a choked sob rips from her mouth and she collapses to the floor. Valentina lowers herself beside her, tears streaming down her face, in silent grief as she tries to comfort her daughter.
“No. No. No. No. No,” she repeats brokenly, her face now buried in her mamma’s neck. I want to go to her, console her in any way I can, but I stay rooted to the spot, breaking a little more with everynoout of her mouth.
“Nico?” I whisper, when he closes the distance between us.
He shakes his head dismissively, his silent way of telling me he is not ready for any questions right now. He presses a kiss to my head, then Romeo’s, breathing him in as if he is drawing strength from our son, before he goes to Allegra. Blowing out a breath, he drops to his haunches, bundling his sister into his arms.
“I’m so sorry, Allegra. So, so, sorry,” he murmurs, carrying her limp body down the hall and in the direction of the media room.
Holding my son in one arm, I reach down with my free hand and help Valentina to her feet. She sobs freely now that her daughter is out of sight.
“I can’t believe it. Dante…” she cries, trailing off before sucking in a breath. “He was like a son to me. I have known him since he was just a little baby. Allegra, she loved him. He can’t be dead.” She shakes her head in disbelief. “She won’t survive this. Like you are to Nico, Dante was her other half. Her soulmate.” Her whispered words are haunted, almost as if she didn’t want me to hear them.
“Come on. Allegra needs us.” My voice is strong, despite me feeling otherwise. Squeezing her hand, I lead Valentina toward the media room. We all need to be there for Allegra in any and every way possible. Try to help her through this, though I’m not certain anything will make this better. Something tells me this is only the beginning. That harder times are ahead, and things will never be the same. But as Nico’s wife, I will be strong. Be the woman he expects me to be. I will be a pillar of strength and comfort, a shoulder to cry on, because they need me, all three of them. Even if my husband won’t admit it.
Despite the things I kept hidden and the way I came to be part of their family, both Valentina and Allegra have been there for me since the moment I set foot in this place. And now I intend to be there for all of them, helping in any way I can.
***
Instead of staying in the den, tonight we stay in the media room.
Romeo sleeps in his travel crib again, which Nico had one of the staff bring over from the den. It’s clear he wants his whole family together and after everything that’s happened, I can’t deny him that. My husband looks tired, grief stricken, and I can tell he is only just holding it together. If only to be strong for his sister and mother.
Allegra cries, the tears falling from her eyes like a waterfall as she stares off at nothing. My heart aches for her. For the love she has lost and the one she never really got a chance to explore. Her grief is a living, breathing thing, sucking all the air from the room and so heartbreaking I can’t stop my own tears from falling. This is all my fault. I don’t voice my thoughts but deep down I know it’s because of me that Allegra has lost her soul mate and Nico his best friend. I swallow, stifling the guilty sob that wants to break free. This isn’t about me. It’s about my grieving family.
Just before 7.30 a.m. Romeo stirs, breaking the silence in the room. Jumping off the couch, I lift him from his crib and turn to my husband whose eyes are already on us.
“I’m going to feed and change him, then I will make everyone coffee and something to eat.”
Nico scrubs a palm down his weary face, nodding. “Thank you, baby.”
With a smile, I leave the room. Heading up the stairs, my legs feel like they are full of lead with each step heavier than the one before. Only when I’m in our bedroom do I let the sorrow take over and the tears fall.
