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“Please, Tino. Let me be there for her, not for me, but for her sake. My sister needs me.”
“She has the best medical team and midwives at her disposal. She’s more than fine. I made sure of it.”
“She needs a female family member with her through this. Someone who has been through the same thing. Our mother is dead. I’m her only sister. Even if it is for emotional support. You don’t know how scary these things are.”
I grunted. “She was the one there for you during your pregnancy, birth and entry to motherhood.”
“Yes, Tino, which means I should be there for her, too. She needs me. Don’t punish her for my mistakes.”
I leaned forward, cupped her chin and smirked. “You should have thought about that when you stabbed us both in the back, my little Angel. I’m not punishing Nicole. It’s the consequences of your betrayal that are.”
She shut her eyes with a whimper and looked away, hiding her tears from me. I forced her face back to mine, and she flinched. “Don’t. Hide. Your. Tears. From. Me. Ever.” I caressed her wet cheek. “I love to see you cry.”
Her lips trembled as more tears stained her face. “How much more?”
“Scusi?”
“How much more do I need to cry for you?” she whispered. “How much longer? You can’t keep me here forever. You’re not gonna divorce me either. You’re never gonna let me go. You’re too possessive to do so. Sooner or later, you’re gonna have to make a choice. To let me out of here when you’ve had enough, as your wife, your queen…or as your late one.”
I kept stroking her face. “I’m not gonna kill you, Angel. That’s not an option. You were right about my being too possessive to let you go. You’re mine.”
“Then how much longer do I have to cry before you let me walk by your side again?”
I leaned back in my seat and crossed my legs. “That has always depended on you. Depended on when you’d finally apologize.”
“Apologize?” she asked incredulously. “I’ve said I was sorry a million times.”
“Yes, but for what?”
“For hurting you. For lying to you.”
“That’s not what you need to apologize for.”
“Then tell me. Guide me. Save me like you always do.”
“That’s the only lesson you need to learn by yourself, my sweet Angel. You have to figure it out on your own.”
She searched for the answer on my face, but when she didn’t find it, she glowered down, puckering her lips. “Until then, can you please let me see my sister, even for once before she gives birth?”
“I’ll think about it. I’ll also consider taking you out of here every now and then to allow you more time with Nicco. This room isn’t healthy for babies to stay in for a long time.”
Her gaze wandered to the lonely crib, but she didn’t mention it. We never talked about Leo’s mamma or the murder or my unborn baby girl. “Thank you, Tino. That’s very generous.”
“There’s something I want to talk to you about. I won’t be visiting as regularly as I’d like in the coming weeks.”
She blanched. “Why?”
“A cold war has started, but soon it will be blazing. I need to take care of business.”
“A war with the Lanzas? Because of what happened?”
“It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it?”
She stared at me like I’d just stabbed her. “You blame me for this war, don’t you? All I wanted to do was save you from a man who tried to kill you right in front of me, but you don’t see that. You twist things in the name of retaliation, to have your revenge on them and on me, to end up in a war where you’d be in danger the whole time to torture me, to kill me a hundred times every second you’re out there and I don’t know if you’re gonna come back alive. Why else would you tell me about that war now when you never talked to me about business before?”
I just gazed back at her.
Anger crossed her expression. “I get it now.”
