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I lean in and brush a soft kiss against her forehead, my heart swelling with love for her. “My pleasure, my tesoro. My pleasure.”
* * *
I’m woken in the middle of the night by the insistent buzz of my cellphone.
Jess stirs, a soft frown marring her sleep-softened features.
My gesture for silence is met with a nod, an unspoken understanding passing between us as I slip from the bed’s sanctuary to take the call.
“Tony,” I answer, my voice a low murmur. “Tell me they’ve identified that fucker’s body in the ashes of his house.”
“Son of a bitch is still alive.” Tony’s voice is muffled.
I tense, a cold dread settling in my stomach. “What happened?”
“He wasn’t there. He guessed you’d do it so he went into hiding.”
“You sound fucked. What’s with your voice?”
“This asshole nearly broke my jaw,” Tony says, and his voice cracks, a sound that sends a chill down my spine. “There were ten of them. Came in strong. They took Emma. I tried to stop them, but there were too many. They overpowered me.”
His confession is a mix of guilt and defiance, a soldier reporting a lost battle. “I’m sorry, boss. I failed you.”
A moment of silence stretches between us, heavy with unspoken recriminations and the ghost of my former self, who would’ve seen Tony’s failure as a betrayal to be punished.
The old me would have killed him for this. But the man I’ve become, the man Jess helped shape, knows better.
“Tony, listen to me,” I say, my voice firmer, steadier. “This isn’t on you. We’re going to get her back. Bring in everyone. I’ll be in as soon as the jet’s fueled.”
I end the call and turn to face Jess, now wide awake, her eyes wide with a fear that mirrors my own. She’s wrapped tightly in the sheets, a pale contrast to the darkness threatening to engulf us.
“What’s happening?” she asks, sounding worried.
“He’s got Emma,” I say.
Her reaction is immediate, a fiery determination lighting her eyes. She starts getting dressed. “We have to get her back.”
Her strength bolsters me, a reminder of how far we’ve come. “I know, and we will. Tony’s already mobilizing everyone we can trust.” I take her hand in mine. “We play this smart. We leverage every resource, every ally. We make him regret ever starting this.”
Jess nods, her resolve hardening. “And Tony? After what happened?”
“His loyalty isn’t in question. Right now, we need him.”
“You’ve changed,” she says. Her hand squeezes mine, a silent acknowledgment of the path we’ve chosen. “I hate this, Alessandro. The violence, the constant danger. But Emma, she’s like family. We do whatever it takes.”
I wrap an arm around her, pulling her close. “Yes, we do. And if your father is involved?”
I watch as determination lights her up from within, a fierce protector emerging from the woman I love. Her voice trembles, not with fear, but with a raw, seething anger. “If he hurts Emma, I’ll kill him myself.”
TWENTY-ONE
Jess
Two days later…
I’m stuck in Alessandro’s mansion in New York while his men search the city. The walls of the living room feel like they’re closing in on me, each second ticking by is another second Emma’s in danger, all because of my association with Alessandro.
Is she alive? I pray she is but there’s been no news at all. Alessandro tells me she must be alive. She’s no use to Garibaldi dead. She’s a bargaining chip, a way for him to come out of this on top.
