—Tristan— Fabian kept tossing glances at his father resting on the backrest of the car, looking fucking eager to tear into the man. “Your plan really worked. You crushed the fucking Outfit,” Fabian said, turning to me. I stared at the road. The triumph I’d been working toward, destroying the Outfit from within, I held it in my hands. I’d seen it on the faces of my enemies. I knew they’d keep suffering. Fabian shifted in his seat. “Tristan, you realize we won, right? We got my father. Your insane plan worked.” “Yeah, my plan worked ...” “Then why—” Fabian’s eyes widened. My grip on the steering wheel tightened. “We can try kidnapping her again. It worked once, who’s to say it won’t work again,” he said almost incredulously. “No,” I said harshly. “Eleanor doesn’t belong in captivity.” Fabian shook his head. “They will marry her off to Drake. Even if you spoiled the goods, she’s still Salvador’s niece, and Drake
—Ellie— Outside of Mexico we traded in the car for the private jet belonging to the Outfit. I huddled in my seat, my cheek pressed to the window, watching the city grow smaller in the distance. Dad sat across from me, looking and not looking at me, caught somewhere between utter relief and hopeless despair. I knew what a pitiful sight I was. Bloody and torn dress. Bite marks all over my throat. My uncle was talking quietly on the phone, but he, too, slanted the occasional look at me. The only one who hadn’t looked at me after I flinched from his touch was Drake. He leaned forward, forearms braced on his knees, staring blankly at the floor. Guilt and a flicker of sadness washed over me. For him. For us. For what could have been and never would. I swallowed and looked away. I met Dad’s gaze. He forced a small smile and reached for me as if to touch my legs over the tulle of my dress, but then he hesitated as if he was worri
—Ellie— “Where’s Arianna?” I asked. “She’s with Renya and the kids in a safe house close by. They’ll come over soon,” My uncle explained from behind me. I nodded. “I need to shower,” I said and regretted my words when I saw the look my family exchanged. I quickly moved away and headed upstairs into my room, starting to tear at my dress, but the thing clung to me. Angry, desperate tears gathered in my eyes. “Teo!” I called, and in a blink he was there. “Can you ... can you help me with the dress?” He nodded and pushed my hair to the side to reach the zipper. He froze, releasing a shuddering breath. I knew what he saw: the bite mark on the nape of my neck. He leaned forward, burying his face in my hair. I allowed him a moment to gather himself even as my own heart broke and broke and broke. “I will kill him.” A threat. A promise. Not my salvation as he hoped it could be. He pulled down the zipper. I stumbled into the
—Ellie— After covering the bite marks with concealer, I left my room with Mateo at my side. Mom was in the dining room, setting plates up for dinner. Usually the maids did it, but I got the impression she needed to keep busy. She’d lost weight. She had always been tall and thin, but now she was willowy. Mateo’s words flashed through my mind, that she’d fallen to her knees and begged Salvador to save me. My mother was a proud woman. I don’t think she’d ever begged for anything in her life nor knelt. But kneeling for the ones we loved ... that was something she and I would always do. I walked over to her. She smiled but her eyes held questions and fears. “Can I help you?” Her eyes flitted down to my throat. “No, Ellie. Just rest.” I didn’t feel like resting. “Where are the others?” “Your father and uncle are talking to Drake in the office. Arianna will be here soon. She’ll be so happy to see you again.” I smiled but m
—Ellie— My uncle stepped in a moment later, tall and controlled as always. He closed the door then paused, his cool blue eyes flickering to my throat where Tristan’s marks had been—no longer visible, covered by layers of concealer, just like my traitorous feelings for him were covered up by stacks of lies. I flushed and touched my skin in shame. “Don’t,” he said firmly. I frowned. He moved toward me slowly, cautiously, as if he thought I might bolt. I lowered my hand from my throat when he came to a stop in front of me. “Don’t be ashamed for something forced upon you,” He said quietly, but his voice was off. It had a note to it I had never heard before. I searched my uncle’s eyes, but it was difficult to read him. He exuded control and power. But there was a flicker of regret and sadness in his gaze. “I don’t want to open up painful wounds, Eleanor, but as the Capo of the Outfit, I need to know everything you know ab
—Ellie— Mateo was already gone when I woke the next morning. He’d always been a late riser, but that, too, seemed to have changed. I slipped out of bed and dressed before I left my room. Instead of heading downstairs, I moved down the hallway to Arianna’s room and knocked. My stomach tightened painfully. “Come in!” she called. Frowning at her chipper tone, I slipped in. She lay on her stomach, her ankles crossed. She was drawing. When she spotted me, she flushed. I walked toward her and perched on the edge of the bed. Her arms covered her drawing, and I tilted my head. “I wanted to talk to you about Drake. I assume Dad already talked to you?” She gave a tentative nod, biting her lip. “Are you mad at me?” “Mad?” I echoed, confused. “Because Drake wants to marry me now and not you.” The tightness left my chest. That was what they told her. Good. I regarded her closely. “No. I’m not. I want you to be
—Tristan— The Arena was packed for my fight as I strode in. Damian followed close behind as we walked toward the booth where Adam, Savio, Kate, Anna, and Fabian were waiting. I was already in my fight shorts, and my body thrummed with barely contained bloodlust. Roger helped behind the bar for once and gave me a nod in greeting, which I returned. The audience was throwing glances my way, eager, curious, terrified. My fights were always particularly popular—for those who could stomach them. Greg looked fucking ecstatic as he noted the bets down. “Who are the unlucky souls you’ll fight?” Savio asked curiously. “Ask Damian.” I didn’t care who they were. I’d rip them to shreds either way. “Two ex-cons. Both on the run. Both in desperate need of money and new identities. Out of options,” Damian said matter-of-factly. “One of them kicked his pregnant wife half to death and she lost the baby. Already served a sentence because of
—Ellie— Mom and I sat in the garden on a swing, enjoying a warm fall day. I’d been back for only three days, and it was the first time Mom and I were really alone. Our feet gently kicked the ground to keep the swing in motion. Mom held my hand, peering up at the sky. I knew she had questions but couldn’t ask them, and I wasn’t sure if I could give her answers. “Why did you give Arianna to Drake?” I asked eventually to say something. “It’s not what we wanted, not what Drake wanted, but we need to bind our families. It’s what’s expected,” Mom said. “And he’s a decent man.” “You said the same words to me on the day we were bethrothed.” Mom paled but managed a small nod. “I wanted to take away your fears.” “I know.” Her blue eyes held mine, filling with anguish. She touched my cheek. “I wanted only the best for you. I wanted happiness. I wanted a man who would carry you on his hands, who showed you kindness like
—Kate— Seeing his cousins run around, Alexei at only ten months, has been trying to walk. I was on the sofa in the game room laying down while he was on his play mat. He was currently on his hands and knees with with his little butt in the air, then he looked up at me not sure what time do next, not knowing how to stand straight. “Damian!” I called out, I was a three days past my due date and I couldn't do much of anything except lie down and rest and pray that this little boy is ready to make his debut soon. So I.couldn't carry Alexei, I needed help. Damian ran into the game room, panic and worry written all over his face. “Is it the baby? Is it time? Are you having contractions?” He asked me. “Calm down Damian, it's none of that. Your son is still very comfortable in my womb. But I really hope he comes soon because it's starting to get really uncomfortable.” I tell Damian. He walks over to me and then sees Alexei who is still in his awkward position and
—Damian— Months later, we were all gathered by the pool, Samuel and Isa ran around the garden, but Samuel was faster than his sister but that didn't stop her from doing her best to catch up. Me, Kate and Alexei were in the pool, Alexei was in his shark floaty what his uncle Savio got for him, it was his size but at the same time it looked like it could swallow him whole. “Soon you're going to be able to run around with your cousins.” Kate said to him and he just laughed and smiled at her. I swam and pushed him through the water, Kate was a few days away from her due date and she wasn't able to do much. She just leaned at the edge of the pool and watched everything with a smile on her face. I didn't think it was possible but pregnancy made her even more beautiful. She says she looks and feels like a beached whale so I spend every single free moment of my time in bed reminding her that she's not. Tristan and Ellie were on the lounge chairs as they kept an eye o
—Kate— It's been a week since that horrible day, and today is also a sad day in the house, Adam is leaving to New York today. I completely understand his reasoning behind his decision, but my cousin and Tristan are on the same level, Luca might even be worse, but if Adam survives a year under him, he'll he a better man for it. We were all gathered in the living room, saying goodbye to Adam. “You be good in New York ok.” I tell him and then I hug him, I'm really going to miss him, the house won't be the same without him. Adam nodded his head and then pulled back. “It's ok Katie, there's no need to worry, I'll be good, and I'll come back home for Fabian and Anna's wedding and also when you give birth to your little guy.” He tells me. I raised my eyebrows at him. “Little guy?” I ask him. “Yea, you're going to have a boy, I just know it.” He tells me with a little smile on his face. I just laughed. “Alright, we'll see if you're right when we check. But wil
—Damian— I walked into the game room the next day and all traces of the previous day were all gone. The blood, bullets and glass, they were all cleared and the whole room was back to normal. I looked up and the glass doors that led into the garden were open, Adam sat on the ground, his back to me. I went over to the garden and sat down next to him. I looked at him and he had bags and shadows under his eyes, it was clear he hadn't slept, then I looked at his hands and they were red. “Did you stay awake and clean the game room?” I ask him, because that had to be the only explanation, both Ellie and Kate were asleep and the cleaners had not come in. “Yea, I did, it was the least I could do.” He said but he didn't look at me, he was still staring at the grass. “You didn't need to do that Adam, you should've slept. Yesterday was hard on all of us, plus you're in withdrawal so you're tired that the rest of us.” I tell him, I know he feels guilty but this isn't
—Damian— Adam looked at me hoping that I would be the clear headed one and understand where he's coming from. “It's not forever, just for a year. If I'm under Luca's rule I know that there will be no mercy for me, he'll treat me like one if his soldiers, he won't care that I'm a Russo. Especially if you tell him not to be lenient to me, Luca is as cold and violent as you, he'd relish at the opportunity.” Adam explained. “There is a fragile peace between us Adam and Luca knows that if anything happens to you Tristan will rain hell down on New York to avenge you.” I tell him. “Yes but that's only if he kills me which he won't do. If I make a mistake he'll punish me and get me back in line because I'll be his soldier but here I'll always be your little brother.” Adam said. “If Luca catches you using drugs, he won't just punish you, he'll torture you and this time Ellie won't be there to save you. He'll do whatever he wants to you and you cannot object.” Trist
—Damian— As I walked down the stairs to the basement, I had to admit to myself that I wasn't at my full strength, the blood loss had taken enough from me, but I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. And just because I wasn't at my full strength did not mean that I wouldn't be able to do what needed to be done. I walked into the corridor of the basement and Tristan was standing there. “You're joining me?” He asked me. “Yea I am.” I tell him. He looked at me, scanning my face like he was looking for something but I had no idea what he was looking for. “Fabian has gone to pick up Anna from campus and Saviour can't join us because he has a concussion and needs to lay down. So it's just me and you.” He tells me. “No it's not.” A voice says from behind, both Tristan and I turn around and see Adam coming down the stairs. With everything that happened we haven't even been able to handle his matter, he's the cause of everything, I don't know if I can even fully bla
—Kate— “I don't think so, but it's better to be safe than sorry.” Fabian tells me and I nod my head, he's right. I walked over to where Tristan was and Ellie came around and hugged me. “I'm so happy that you and Alexei are okay.” She tells me and I hug her back. This woman that crashed into our lives has become like a sister to me and she almost lost her husband today because Tristan was ready to lay down his life for me and Alexei and even my unborn child. “What about Samuel and Isabella, are they okay?” I ask her. “Yea they're up in their room playing, I have their monitor here with me. They don't know that anything went wrong, they saw Tristan and thought it was paint on his body.” She tells me. “That's good.” I say then pull back, none of the kids will remember this day, they won't be scarred by it. I turned to Tristan and tears welled up in my eyes, this man that acts so cold, like he doesn't have a heart, but out of all the brothers, I think he
—Kate— Damian let go of my hands and walked towards his brothers, all of them except for Adam, were covered in blood and were still bleeding from their cuts but these stubborn men wouldn't do anything about it until they end their mother. Fabian gets up and walks towards me, he has a cut on his head that's bleeding. “Come on Katie, you and Alexei need to get out of your clothes, take a shower and put on fresh clothes.” He tells me. I nodded my head at him but still I didn't move, my eyes were fixed on the brothers kneeled around their mother, this moment here had been years in the making and I'm just happy that finally they'll be able to put the past behind them. Tristan and Damian both put one hand on the hilt of the knife. They looked to Savio and Adam who nodded their heads, giving their concent and then they changed the angle of the knife and plunged the knife deeper into her stomach. She gasped and then she released a breath and stopped moving, she was dead, final
—Kate— I watched as the man I love and his brothers that I cared about, bleed out to save me and my baby. I looked down as their blood pooled on the floor beneath them and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't let this happen, they couldn't die just like that. Alexei and I needed Damian, Ellie and the twins needed Tristan and Savio, sweet Saviour he hadn't even had the chance to find love or happiness in this life, I couldn't let it end like this. Their mother gestured at one of her men. “You, get me that knife, we don't want them doing anything stupid with it.” She said. “I'm not your dog that you can order around, remember we're just helping you and we've done everything you've asked so give us the rest of our money.” The man told her. The smile on her face got wider, she wasn't phased at all. “I know what I promised you and there's plenty of money in the backseat of the car, it's under the arm rest, now get me that knife.” She ordered them again, I looked at her an