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“What!” Franco hisses.
“If it means ensuring peace, then I’m for it. But, Gemma, can you promise me that your marriage to him will help with that?”
“I can. Trust me.” I meet Marco’s gaze, and he slowly nods, seeing whatever he needed to see in my gaze.
Marco walks over to Viktor and bends down. “Viktor, can you promise me you’ll keep yourself in control? No more killing anyone I care about. No more shooting anyone I care about. Is that understood?”
Viktor smiles, his teeth bloody. “Understood. If you’d made a deal with me before like I asked, then you’d never have worried about that in the first place.”
Marco grunts. “Fine. But this all hinges on your marriage to Gemma. If you mess up again, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”
“Roger that. And believe me, big guy, I wouldn’t risk Gemma’s safety for my own gain.” He pauses. “I mean, I did at one point, but then I fell in love with her. And now, I can’t even fathom putting her in danger. Huh. Who knew I could change so much?”
I want to both kiss him and swat at him. Marco looks annoyed but resigned to his fate. And Franco …
Well, he just looks pissed.
“Well, I’m not making a deal. If Gemma insists on remaining married to this monster, then she’ll be an enemy to her own family.”
Before I can say anything, Marco walks over to Franco. “If you threaten any of Emilia’s family, you’re going to regret it. Gemma is not an enemy to her family. In fact, Franco, I’d consider you to be an enemy more than anything. If Viktor and I join forces, then where does that leave you? Without power. So, I suggest you make a deal with us, so we can put everything behind us.”
Franco looks Marco over. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I want peace,” Marco explains. “I was willing to kill Viktor because I thought he’d wronged my sister-in-law, but now, I see the two love each other. So, if Gemma feels like she wasn’t wronged, then …” He shrugs. “There’s nothing I can do about that. And if it means making an ally out of Viktor and using him for good, I’ll do it. Especially if it also means I can protect my wife even more. So, what are you going to do, Franco? Because I can make it so you don’t leave this basement, either.”
Franco looks back and forth between Viktor, Marco, and me. There’s a war going on behind his eyes, but he finally relents. It’s hard to stand up to the full might of my brother-in-law. “Fine,” he growls. “If only because Viktor can bring us more influence.” He points at me. “But you must ensure he’s kept in line.”
“I will.” I crouch down by Viktor. “I promise.”
Viktor gives me a smile before he spasms and starts coughing. Soon, he starts coughing up blood.
“Oh my god! Viktor.”
His head drops to his chest and his breathing becomes ragged before it stops altogether.
“He’s not breathing!” I turn to Marco. “Save him. Please.”
Marco nods swiftly and pulls out his phone. “We have to get him to the hospital. I’m calling for an ambulance.”
“Viktor, stay with me.” I cup his face, trying to make him wake up, but he doesn’t. Once Marco’s done calling 9-1-1, he uncuffs Viktor from the pole and lays him on his back and starts doing chest compressions.
I watch in horror as my husband refuses to start breathing again. Franco steps up beside me, a smirk on his face. “You did this!” I hiss at him, smacking his chest. Franco just gives me a satisfied look.
Soon, voices upstairs draw my attention, and two paramedics come running down the stairs. They take over chest compressions from Marco and get to work on bringing Viktor back. They don’t even question the scene. The blood. The handcuffs. Their job is to save lives.
After a heart pounding few seconds, one of the paramedics, a younger woman, says she has a pulse. Which means Viktor’s alive.
I slump in relief. They lift Viktor onto a backboard and carry him out of the basement. I follow, letting them know I’m his wife.
“Do you want to ride with us to the hospital?” the female paramedic asks.
Without hesitation, I know my answer. “Yes.”
CHAPTER20
Gemma
It’s been hours, and Viktor still hasn’t woken up. I’ve been sitting at his bedside, waiting, looking into his beat-up face. He’s alive, at least. That’s what’s important. I’m getting a little tired being inside the hospital. The last time I was here, Emilia had just been shot. By Viktor, ironically enough. I remember anxiously sitting in the waiting room for her to get out of surgery, surrounded by my mom and siblings. Now, I’m on my own. I don’t think anyone will come to check in on Viktor and me.
