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My father found his courage and stood, kicking at Denis’ body below him. “Darya, get away from that monster.”
Fury beat through me, and I reached for the gun, the weight of it now familiar in my hands. If this wasn’t an initiation into the fucking cartel, I didn’t know what else was.
I pointed the gun at my father and his eyes widened in shock. “This isn’t over for you. You will hold up your end of the bargain or I will personally see to it that my stepbrothers are groomed into the Zaragoza family.”
His mouth dropped open but I fired a warning shot at the ceiling, shutting him up before he got the smart idea to mouth off again. He nodded, his face paler than a ghost and I turned back to Yuri, cradling his head in my hands.
“Darya, baby. I’m yours.” He coughed and my stomach lurched. “I’ll always be yours.” His eyes fluttered shut and I screamed, hoping that the universe would hear my anguish and deliver the doctor as fast as it could. I needed Yuri to pull through. I needed him with me. I wanted to be his strength, for as long as he’d let me stay by his side.
I sat like that for what felt like hours until the front door busted down and men surrounded us. Yuri’s body was plucked from my arms and I ran alongside them until he was delivered into Gerardo’s makeshift ambulance.
“Save him!” I begged.
He nodded. “I’ll do everything I can.”
???
As it turned out, Gerardo was a damn good doctor and Yuri was lucky that the bullet didn’t hit any major organs. After about two days of rest, he was back to his old self, and by old self, I meant trying to fuck me on the bed while his IV was still attached to the vein.
We’d pulled it off. After everyone vacated my father’s home and the threat against his two perfect children was left heavy in the air, he did exactly what he was told—even going so far as to offer up some of his rental properties to the local McAllen smugglers that needed a place to store product. It seemed, with the proper leverage, my father was extremely pliable and the Zaragoza’s benefited ten-fold.
I stayed by Yuri’s side every second he was in bed. I’d been so blinded with worry for him, I didn’t even notice that Matteo left me alone. He never questioned my devotion to his brother or my genuine concern. Not until Yuri was awake and stable did Matteo ask to speak to the both of us and through clenched teeth, Yuri agreed.
“Is this what you want brother?” His eyes were darkened like he already knew the answer but wanted to hear it for himself. They were a band of single brothers, solely devoted to their family, and the prospect of the newcaposettling down was sending waves through the family.
Yuri put his hand on mine and squeezed, his lips pulling up at the corners while my stomach fluttered at the sight. He was so damn handsome when he smiled, and he’d been smiling more since he woke. “She’s mine. And she’s going to stay with me ‘till the end.Familia sobre todo."
Matteo nodded.
With his support, I earned the respect of the rest of the family or at least the rest of the family that I had met.
I made the decision to stick around and see where my place was in Yuri’s life. I couldn’t imagine returning to my old life—nothing existed for me there. The only thing that made sense was my feelings for him and how deeply I cared for those he cared about. Things with Matteo were day by day, considering he’d wanted to kill me mere days ago, but everything else fit surprisingly easily.
Denis’ prediction turned out to be correct. I was, in fact, carrying Yuri’s “bastard child”—a secret we decided to keep between the two of us until I was far enough along, and Yuri was out of the woods for good. Gerardo told us about the good news in secret and with a murderous look in his eye, Yuri swore him to secrecy. As the newcapo, he was already under heavy scrutiny and danger and a pregnancy announcement would only have amplified that threat.
Yuri’s arms cuddled around me as if he would never grow tired of it, and I reveled in the feeling of finally being chosen. He’d wanted me since the start and with him, I finally found the home and family I’d always yearned for. I ran my fingers along the tattoo that wrapped around his side as he hissed. “That tickles.”
I giggled and went to pull my hand away, but he stopped me and pressed my palm flat against the skin.
“We’ll have to go back there once we figure out a name.”
My heart swelled and then his hands moved to my still-flat belly. I smiled at the sweetness and snuggled closer to him. “What do you think about Mariona for a girl?” I asked.
He pulled back, his lips parted like he was at a loss for words.
“She will be strong like her grandmother.”
He smiled. “Strong like you.”
Epilogue
Three Weeks Later
Denis
Iwalked up to the main house where I knew the leaders of the Desalmados were waiting for me. After the hell I’d been through to get their numbers and stay out of sight in Tamaulipas, our short phone call had been intense and if I wasn’t so dead set on bringing down my former family, I’d probably have walked. But I had nothing to lose, Yuri had stripped me of everything himself, and I would get my revenge if it was the last thing I fucking did. I limped up the soft incline, the bullet wounds still tender with each step and was welcomed in by an entourage of soldiers that rivaled our own.
Their own now. I wasn’t a part of the Zaragozas.
