Zandra Franco POV“We’ll get him. And then we can put this all behind us.”My throat closes, my stomach flipping. Us. I both love and hate it when he uses that word. “And then what?” I ask. “After we’ve dealt with him, what happens next?”Xander is silent. Contemplative. I don’t think either of us has an answer.No matter how hard I try, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t thinking about him. It’s so weird how he’s managed to occupy every crevice of my brain. Day and night, I can’t escape him. I don’t want to escape him. Our time apart has only proven to me just how much I need him.And that, in and of itself, is a frightening thought.“Is the grounds keeper in?” he asks instead, just as unwilling to sit in the uncomfortable air as I am.“I’m not sure yet.”“Should we head over together, or is your dog going to bite me in the ass?”For the first time in what feels like forever, I manage a genuine smile. “He’ll behave as long as you do.”Xander snorts, but there’s no denying the grin
“Oh, definitely. I got all dressed up. Took you somewhere fancy as best as I could afford on a taxi driver’s salary, anyway. And by the end of the night, I’d already be asking you about a second date. And then a third, and then…”His smile is so sweet and hopeful it tears my heart in two. A sob bubbles past my lips. Before I know it, I’m sniffling softly against his shoulder as he holds me tight, hushing me gently while brushing his fingers through my hair. I don’t understand why I’m so emotional. I don’t get why the thought of a normal dinner date in an alternate reality makes me want to bawl my eyes out, yet here we are.“Don’t cry, sweetheart,” he murmurs against my cheek, kissing me sweetly. “Don’t cry.”I wipe my eyes and take a deep breath. “We should really keep searching.”“Right,” he mumbles, eyes flicking up to the shelf. He reaches out and pulls out a file. The file. “I found it five minutes ago.”I gasp. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”Xander shrugs. “I wanted a bit more t
Logic tells me it’s a bad idea. The current situation is too precarious. But I can’t seem to bring myself to say no. Xander helps me step out of the window and onto the roof. The evening air is a little chilly, but altogether endurable. I take care with my footing, determined not to slip on the roof shingles as we use the branch of a nearby tree in the backyard to climb down.“You’re right,” I whisper with barely contained glee. “All this sneaking around does make me feel like a teenager.”“Told you.” He takes my hand, our fingers locking together with ease. “Come on. We’ll slip through here. I’ve got a taxi parked about two blocks away.”“You drove here in a taxi?”“It’s smart. Nobody ever bats an eye.”Slipping past the patrol guards is a far easier feat than I expected—which, I’ll admit, is both alarming and a relief. I’ll have to sit down with Dad first thing in the morning to come up with a better perimeter strategy, but for tonight, I’m going to use it to my advantage.When we
Zandra Franco POVHe moves slowly, rolling his hips with the utmost care. Once again, Xander is all things gentle and patient—and it feels utterly divine. Where once we were feral and desperate, we’re now connected and unhurried. This isn’t sex—it’s lovemaking.When I moan his name, he whispers mine. I meet him movement for movement, spending every available second touching, tasting, and adoring. I have never felt more connected to another human being in my entire life. This man understands me in more ways than one. The fact that I won’t get to lie in his arms tonight kills me.“Fuck, I’m close,” he murmurs against my ear. “Can I come inside you?”“Yes!” I rasp. “Yes, come inside me, Xander. Give me everything!”He kisses me through my second climax, spilling inside me with a passionate grunt. We hold onto each other like something might tear us apart, our hearts and breathing match in intensity and rhythm.“Xander,” I murmur. “Be careful tomorrow.”He claims my lips like a promise. “
One look into his eyes and I can see just how deranged the detective has become. There’s no light behind his irises, no hope. This is a man who is ready and waiting for death, not an ounce of fear or regret to be found.I grant him the courtesy of allowing him to polish off the remainder of his drink. He stands slowly, turns around, and puts his hands behind his back. I nod at Damien, who steps forward to bind his wrists together with a pair of thick black zip ties.“Throw him in the trunk,” I instruct. “I’ll call the Franco Family. It’s time to bring this war to an end.”Alexander Mancini POVI don’t need to be an expert in reading body language to know tensions are running high. This is a public meeting—as is the tradition—hosted in a restaurant that’s been completely booked out.The lighting is dim. Armed men are everywhere. They don’t just belong to the Franco, but to the other families I’ve managed to piss off, as well. Why couldn’t we have done this in the back of some dingy roo
Xander Mancini POVIt happens too quickly for my mind to comprehend. One second, Zandra is struggling to stay awake. The next, her eyes flutter closed and she doesn’t open them again.“Zandra?” I rasp. “Zandra, please—”“Get the fuck away from my daughter!”Leonardo Franco shoves me away with so much force it winds me. He pries Zandra from my arms and lifts her, his face etched with pure hatred. There’s no time to plead with him. No time to get one last look at her. Her father spirits Zandra away, her uncles following closely in tow as they climb into their car. They speed off, tires screeching, clipping an officer or two foolish enough to stand in the way.Roman pulls me to my feet. Damien’s pulled our vehicle around. The sides and roof are riddled full of holes. We climb in quickly, the car already in motion before we even have a chance to close the door.My brothers are shouting at me, but I can’t understand the words coming out of their mouths. All I can focus on is the blood stai
“I’m coming out of retirement,” Dad says, “to fix this mess you’ve made. Reports have been coming in. All our allies are either dead at the scene or arrested. We’re vulnerable right now, and you’re in no position to lead.”“But Dad—”“Was he worth it?”His question cuts through me sharper than any knife. It’s accusatory. It’s bitter. And it amplifies the agony I’m in. Mom puts her hands on her hips. “Princess! Don’t be an ass.”Without another word, he leaves with my uncles in tow.Exhaustion bears down on me. Between my injury and my sorrow, I can barely find the will to keep my eyes open. There’s a hole where my heart should be. It’s uncomfortable, cold, and I feel incomplete.Even as Mom and Cassandra rush over to tell me everything’s going to be okay… Even as Aunt Natalia says she’ll put me on painkillers to manage the pain… Even as I lie down and let the world crumble around me… I suddenly realize nothing matters if I can’t have him.Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to drown out my
Xander Mancini POVI have no memory of sliding into the back seat, wedged between Samuel and Damien. I don’t recall the drive back into Rome. The police are everywhere, but they pay us no mind, our taxi camouflage working its usual magic. I have no memory of stepping into my cold, dark apartment, nor do I remember getting into the shower to wash off all the blood and grime.There’s no telling how long I remain under the shower’s spray. I crank up the temperature until the water’s borderline scalding in the hopes it’ll help me feel something. It doesn’t.My brothers are still here by the time I finally find the strength to dry off and dress. They mill about my kitchen, talking quietly amongst themselves. All traces of conversation cease the second I step into view. Leo, Samuel, Roman, and Damien watch me, good little soldiers waiting for orders that won’t come.“Tell us what to do,” Damien says. “What do we do now?”“This is a grand opportunity for us,” Leo replies. “With most of our e