—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
—Ellie— I sat in front of my vanity and brushed my hair, stroke after stroke, trying to find calm. I could hear the first guests downstairs, could hear laughter and music. I needed to go down. Taking a deep breath, I stood. I’d chosen a floor-length form-fitting dark blue dress matching the color of Mateo’s shirt. I touched my stomach, still flat, but I knew in a few months I couldn’t wear dresses like this anymore. Tristan’s baby. I closed my eyes. I was happy and sad, terrified and hopeful. What would Tristan say if he knew? Would he care at all? I had been a means to an end, a queen in his chess game, and he’d won. He had let me go as if I was nothing. I’d heard the rumors of his cage fights. He was back to fighting, back to living his life. I wondered if he’d already moved on to one of the many whores at his disposal? Probably. I had been stupid. Mateo was right. Remo had twisted my mind so he could control me, a
—Ellie— The next morning, Dad, Mateo, and Salvador wanted to talk to me. When I walked into Dad’s office, I knew from their expressions that it wouldn’t be an easy conversation and definitely not one I’d like. Dad sat behind his desk, Mateo perched on its edge, and my uncle stood with his hands in his slacks beside the window. I made a beeline for the sofa and sank down. My brain felt sluggish from lack of sleep. I’d spent all night trying to come to terms with the fact that I was carrying a baby, Tristan’s baby. “What do you want to talk about?” Three sets of eyes darted to my belly, and my hand automatically—protectively—pressed to the spot. “If you keep this child,” my uncle began. “I will keep the child.” Dad looked away and then at the picture frame on his desk. A photo of our family taken shortly before I’d been kidnapped. “You will have to keep it hidden,” Dad said. I blinked at them. “What?” “Once
—Ellie— I loved my family with all my heart. And they loved me. But the moment I held my children in my arms, I knew I could not stay with them forever, knew it with soul-crushing certainty. My children whom I had named Samuel and Isabella were Tristan through and through. Dark eyes, thick black hair. For everyone in my family they’d always be Russo's, always the result of something horrid, born out of something shameful, something dark. But for me they were the most beautiful creation I could imagine. They were utter perfection. They would lift each other up, make each other stronger like Mateo and I had done when we were younger and still did. It would be us against the world. It couldn’t be any other way. Mateo stayed with me in the hospital after the birth while Mom went home for a few hours of sleep after twenty hours at my side during labor. Mateo’s eyes were kind and loving as they looked down at me, but these ten
—Ellie— A high pitched wail sounded. Mateo and I jerked up at the same time from where we’d fallen asleep on the sofa in the nursery. We didn’t bother going into our beds most of the time because Samuel and Isabella woke every two hours. He and Mom took turns helping me, and during the day Arianna changed diapers and helped feed them as well. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept more than two hours in the last six months. Mateo rubbed his face. I knew he didn’t sleep much on the nights he wasn’t helping either. The Family was planning something. He had only hinted to it, but it could only be an attack on the Russo's. It scared me, terrified me because I wasn’t only scared for Mateo and Dad but also for the man I couldn’t forget. I stood and so did Mateo. He reached for Isabella like usual and I took Samuel. This was our routine, one I didn’t question anymore. I was glad for Mateo’s support, even if he coul
—Tristan— Kate was in full-blown Christmas mode. She’d decorated every area of the house she was allowed into. I knew she would have loved to wield her magic in my wing as well, but she wasn’t that daring yet. Good for her, because I was in a fucking foul mood, had been for days, and today was the worst of all. The scent of freshly baked cookies wafted through the house as I read the email from Max, the organizer of our races. Everything had been set up for the biggest race we’d ever held. Damian wasn’t happy I decided to end it in Kansas City after the last incident, but I wanted to make a fucking point. The Cavelleros had been surprisingly careful in their attacks. An ambush here and there, a few dismembered soldiers, but nothing major. Until three days ago when they killed my fucking Underboss in Kansas City. A warning not to get so close to their territory. Maybe the beginning of more. Ending the race anywhere else would have s
—Ellie— Dad was antsy. He kept checking his phone, which rested beside his plate. He usually didn’t have his phone on display when we had dinner. It was our family time. Mom brought a spoon with pureed sweet potato in an arch to Isabella’s waiting mouth; she smacked her lips happily around the food. I, on the other hand, tried to stop Samuel from throwing his food around. He didn’t like being fed and preferred to shove food into his mouth by himself, but he was still too small for that and made too much of a mess. I held his small hands so he couldn’t grab the spoon and brought it to his mouth. It took three attempts before he accepted the food. “They are cute but watching them eat is a bit disgusting,” Arianna said, her nose wrinkled. “And since they started eating normal food as well, their diapers stink.” Dad frowned, obviously unhappy about the topic. He could eat dinner while someone was tortured right in front of hi
—Ellie— The house they took me to was a shabby three-story building close to the tracks, located in the industrial part of New York. When we stepped inside, my eyes registered Drake first. He had his arms crossed and was staring at a screen on a table against one wall. Beside him stood my uncle Salvador, as usual dressed in a suit, but his jacket was already slung over a chair that sat in front of the screen, and he had rolled up his sleeves. My stomach turned. I’d never seen him with rolled up sleeves, and I knew why. I had never been around when he’d tortured someone. There was another man, one of Dad’s soldiers, who was working at a laptop, probably establishing the Darknet connection. They turned when we entered, and all eyes zeroed in on me. I wasn’t supposed to be here. My uncle frowned and came toward us. Drake stayed where he was, but he, too, watched me. I wasn’t his fiancé anymore. I was nothing to him. My sister was p
—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