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"Revenge is one thing, but this… I understand how you think, but Jesus, she’s someone's daughter, not just a pawn."
My humor fades. "Everyone's a pawn in this world, Liam. If you don’t think she was a pawn in that wedding, then you’re naïve.”
“I think she was relieved,” Donovan quips from the couch.
“What?” Liam turns to him. “You should be helping me here. You know this is foolish.”
“I’m just saying, she didn’t try to fight him. Didn’t cry or beg. She asked a bunch of questions, but… I don’t know, I think she’s glad not to be Mrs. Romeo Abate.”
I nodded. “No one wants to be Mrs. Romeo Abate.”
"Christ, Niko. What's the endgame here?" Liam is like a dog with a bone sometimes.
I shrug. "Justice has many faces."
"Justice or vendetta?"
"Sometimes, there's no difference."
"God help us all, then."
"Let's leave God out of this. He turned a blind eye a long time ago. He definitely wasn’t in that church or I’d have been smote down." I frown. “Smited? What’s the word?”
“Fuck the word. I can’t help you. Not when you go this far." Liam downs his drink and pours another.
I glare at him. "Then why are you here?”
"Someone's got to keep you from crossing lines even you can't come back from."
"Lines? There are no lines. You know that.”
He lets out an exasperated sigh as he shakes head. "Is she here… the bride?"
"Yes. She’s safe and well-taken care of.” I don’t care about the opinion of many people. For a long time, it was just my mother. I don’t consider Liam’s opinion, but I can’t deny that sometimes, it matters. I try not to look too closely at what that means. I’ve taken on the persona ofIl Soldato Della Morte. I like it. Except at times when Liam looks at me like I’m a monster.
“Well-taken care of? God, is that innuendo for you’ve taken advantage of her?”
“I didn’t have to take advantage of her.”
His eyes narrow. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“He hasn’t been back long enough to do anything,” Donovan adds.
“Please don’t tell me you’re going to, though. God… I’ve accepted that you’re a lot of things, Niko, but that poor woman?—”
“She’s Fiori’s daughter.” My jaw tightens, but my issue is inside myself because that protective, compassionate feeling for the woman is trying to take root again.
“And you know she has no power.”
“She has value.”
“And so you’re going to fuck her and ruin her life? God, why didn’t you just kill them when you had the chance? Surely, that was your plan.”
Liam is right. I should have. I didn’t. Because of her.
Liam’s expression softens, turns more understanding. "Look, I know what they did to your family?—"
"Then you know why I’m doing what I’m doing. My mother was innocent. They didn’t flinch to kill her. Fiori and Abate are lucky I didn’t kill Fiori’s daughter on the altar today.”
