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Carter pulled his gaze away from Egor. “He found out that I had Mia. He called me and said he wanted her back. When I refused, he said he would take my sister instead. He didn’t tell me that he was right behind her until a second before he hung up.”
Bosco stared at Carter for a few seconds before he turned his gaze back on my father. He stared at him like he hated him as much as Egor. There was nothing but bloodshed in his eyes, like killing Egor once wasn’t enough. “You never would have made it on time.”
My father said nothing, but he held Bosco’s gaze.
Bosco stepped closer to him. “You wouldn’t have fucking made it on time.” He slammed his hand into his own chest. “I did. I’m here. I protect her. I slit his goddamn throat, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. She’s not in danger because of me—but because of you.” He pointed right at my father’s chest.
My father had just broken down right in front of me. I couldn’t let him be yelled at right now. “Bosco, that’s enough.” I walked up to him and gently guided him back.
Bosco wouldn’t look at me. “This was your fault. You fucked up—”
“Enough.” I yanked on his arm. “I said, enough.”
Bosco kept staring at my father, but he didn’t disobey me.
My father spoke. “Carmen, he’s right. He’s absolutely right.” He came closer to Bosco, all his hostility and anger gone. Now there was just a broken man left behind, a man crushed by what had just happened to his daughter. The thought of losing me was enough to humble him into silence. “I wouldn’t have made it quickly enough. I wouldn’t have had enough men. I wouldn’t have saved my daughter…if it weren’t for you.” He took a deep breath, stilling the tears that wanted to emerge in his eyes again. “I owe you my life. I owe you everything. And…you’ve proven that you’re right. And I’m wrong.”
Bosco’s face finally softened, his furor slowly disappearing like smoke from a dying fire.
“You can protect my daughter. I feel better knowing that she has you, that you can save her better than I ever could. I would have hunted Egor down and never stopped until I found him…but she would have already been captured, and that would have been enough to haunt me.” He extended his hand. “Thank you, Bosco. I mean that…”
I waited for Bosco to reciprocate, hoping he wasn’t too high on blood lust to be reasonable.
But he wasn’t. He shook my father’s hand. “You’re welcome, sir.”
My father nodded before he dropped his hand. “A good man wouldn’t have been able to stop that from happening…”
“No, he wouldn’t,” Bosco said in agreement. “A Barsetti woman doesn’t need a good man. She needs a powerful man, the kind of man who can move mountains and planets. That’s me.”
Father nodded again. “I think you’re right.” He stepped away and walked to Carter, placing his hand on his shoulder as they both stared at Egor’s body. My father spat on him too.
Bosco turned to me, his eyes smoldering the second he looked at the puffiness of my cheek.
“It doesn’t hurt,” I said. “It felt so good to punch him in the face. It felt so good to watch him die. I’m glad all of this happened…because he didn’t deserve to take another breath. It’s a gift you’ve given to my family. Thank you.”
“I didn’t do it for them. I did it for you.”
“I know…”
He moved into me and cupped my cheeks, his hands soft and comforting against my skin. He kissed the corner of my eye where the bruising started. “I’m glad you’re okay. I’m sorry I didn’t get here quicker.”
“You were right on time.”
He pulled away and gave me a sad look. “I want to be more affectionate with you.” He pulled his hands away. “But I’m just so angry right now.” He lowered his hands to his sides again. “I need some time.” He stepped back, like he was afraid to touch me.
I remembered the way he was after he killed The Butcher. It took him the rest of the next day to get back to normal. There was still so much carnal rage in his veins. He wasn’t the same. He turned into an animal. “I understand, babe.” I touched his shoulder gently before I walked to my uncle.
He still stood back, giving my father and brother a moment alone with Egor’s corpse. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and held me like I was his daughter. “When I got Vanessa back in Morocco, I cried. She’s a grown woman, but she’ll always be my little girl. I remember the first time I held her. Just the thought of something terrible hurting something so beautiful…is enough to break the strongest man. Your father loves you the same way. And I love you too.” He kissed my temple.
