He drew back and brushed my cheeks with his thumbs. “Don’t worry about a thing, baby girl. I swear I’ll fix everything.”
“Did something else happen? Did you talk to the Bellomos?”
He ran a hand through his hair and nodded. “Sebastiano Bellomo agreed to take the Lanzas’ place.”
“That’s good news.”
A bitter snort erupted out of his mouth. “They have a fucking condition to make the deal.”
“Which is?”
“They want me to go to the Lanzas and screw them over, using you as fucking bait.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Tino Bellomo won’t step in unless I go to the Lanzas and strike a deal with them, giving you up like they always wanted in exchange for avoiding war. A fake peace fucking offering. Then at the exchange, the Bellomos will have arranged for a surprise attack where I can get you back and the Larvins, and they can get the Lanzas.”
“Okay. That doesn’t sound like a bad thing. Why are you upset? I don’t mind doing it if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I do. I won’t use my wife as bait. The mob can never be trusted. If something happens to you, do you think they’ll bat a fucking eye? They only care about getting what they want. It doesn’t matter who gets squashed in the middle. They can all go fuck themselves.”
“Did Michele think it was a good plan?”
“Who gives a shit?”
“If he thinks it is, then I trust him, and so should you. He’ll never put me in danger.”
“He works for Tino. His loyalty is for his boss, Jo. He’d say anything if Tino ordered him to, and Tino Bellomo doesn’t give a shit about you or even Michele. Right now, he cares about nothing but hitting the Lanzas where it hurts.”
“You’re stressed out, Laius. How about you let things rest a little and then rethink their offer?”
“I made up my mind, Jo. You’re my wife. The decisions about your safety are mine to make, not Michele’s. You belong tome. You havemyname. Even he understands the rules.” He squeezed my hands gently. “I’ll take care of the Larvins my way, and I’ll take care of Tirone. No one will ever hurt you again.”
An ominous feeling invaded me. “What are you going to do to Tirone?”
“He’ll never come near you again. You’ll never see him again. I’m sending him away.”
“He’s your son.”
“Not anymore. Not after what he’s done.”
“You can’t abandon him. He needs your help.”
“I don’t know how to fucking help him!” He let out a suffering groan. “I wish I knew how before all was fucking lost, but I don’t.” Tears revisited his eyes. “I lost my son, Jo, and I’m about to lose the MC if I don’t act fast. You’re the only thing I have left. I won’t lose you, too.”
He was wrong. Tirone wasn’t a lost cause. Laius hadn’t lost his son yet, and he wouldn’t have to lose the MC. I wasn’t the one thing he needed to save. I was the only thing he should lose.
CHAPTER 46
Furore
“There is a slight damage to the ocular surface of his left eye and mild bleeding that we’ve already stopped, but there’s no nerve or retinal damage,” the doctor said.
I didn’t need a pompous ass medical explanation. “Does that mean he can see? With both eyes?”
“The electro-diagnostic tests confirm he hasn’t lost either eye sight. There are no orbital injuries either. You’ve been very lucky.”
Lucky? My own son scratched his eyeballs until they bled after he’d raped my wife, giving her a nervous breakdown. And it wasn’t the first time.
