KillianThree days passed. There was a notable shift in Sera after Mikey’s funeral and what I’d said to her on the front steps. My words had been harsh, but she needed to hear them. None of this was ever a stupid, fruitless game despite her opinions on the mafia as a whole. Maybe Mikey’s death had brought that truth out into the light for her. Maybe she saw things as they were and not as a veiled game of divide and conquer.This lifestyle was a constant game of life and death. If we wanted to live, if I wanted my men and their families to live, I had to continue to protect them by any and all means necessary.This had nothing to do with ego or my moniker. I was the Hand of the Death because I had to be.Sera understood that now.Finally.So, I let it rest and gave Sera space to take care of Penelope. I hung back as she catered to the comfort of the young widow and her baby and oversaw the comings and goings of Penelope and Mikey’s parents to visit and grieve together. Sera probably ha
SeraHow long had I been here? How many months? I’d lost track. But I knew my way around the mansion now to the point the winding, seemingly unending hallways no longer felt like a maze of shadows and black marble.I also spent a great deal of time watching the nurses who tended to Killian’s mother. I found where her rooms were and avoided the area. I never traveled to that wing of the house or put myself in the position to run into the maids and nurses whose loyalties lie with Mrs. Ricci.It had been weeks since I’d had an encounter with that witch of a woman. I only went into the atrium if Mrs. Ricci wasn’t home, or if I was with Killian, Tommaso, or Adrian, who’d been hanging around the mansion a lot more. I didn’t mind Adrian’s company, even if he was quiet and somewhat skeptical of me still.I missed Mikey.My routine since that awful night was simple. I woke up, ate breakfast with Olivia, and spent a few hours with Penelope every morning. I took Michael on walks around the mansi
KillianThe atrium was quiet as I sat on a bench near the indoor pool. Outside, freshly falling snow blanketed the ground, gathering on the tree limbs. The wet snow hung from the glass ceiling outside, sliding down the panes as I toyed with the phone in my hand.I’d needed a change of scenery. I’d spent the last week holed up in my office making calls, making plans, and making deals.I half expected Sera to be here and felt slightly disappointed she wasn’t. She’d gotten into the habit of bringing books and magazines down from the library and reading on the lounge chair near the wall of tropical plants that snaked up the stone façade of the house. I got the impression that was her chosen spot because the plants kept her hidden from my mother’s view.I glanced up at the rooms my mother occupied, finding them dark and the curtains drawn on the windows overlooking the atrium. She wasn’t here today. Mother wasn’t in good health right now. I felt a pang of guilt at the fact that I never re
Sera“Where are you taking me?” My voice cracked as I asked the question yet again. “Where are we going?” It felt like we’d been driving for hours, but maybe it was just my total exhaustion heightened by the gentle hum of the engine lulling me to sleep that made everything about this very abrupt, middle of the night trip feel hazy.“You’ll see.” That was all he ever said in response to my inquiries, and it was getting old. Why couldn’t he give me any indication as to what was going on? If I wasn’t so sleepy, I’d be more demanding, but I’d been preparing for bed when my presence had been requested, and I hadn’t had much of a choice but to put my shoes on and go.Blinking several times to clear my vision, I stared out the window and gazed out over the bleak, empty landscape. Philadelphia was a bright speck on the horizon, but I had no idea where I was—or why. We were on some kind of long, winding back road that never ended.I shifted in my seat, doing my best to stay awake. “Ouch, Tomma
KillianI leaned my head against the headrest as the world sped past through the windshield. It would take us a few hours to get back home from the designated meeting spot, but when we did, Francesco would be there waiting for me.Then, he’d spill his guts to me about why he was so willing to stab the family in the back. While I was sure he’d be full of excuses, eventually, he’d break. He’d talk. Nothing he could say could possibly save his ass now.I’d decided to drive Sera and me home and let the others catch a ride with Patrick so I could have a few moments alone with her. Elation still coursed through my veins, and she looked delicious even in a pair of jeans, a sweater, and an overcoat. Thoughts of pulling over somewhere on one of these slushy backroads and celebrating with her came to mind.Reaching over, I grabbed her thigh, squeezing it lightly. “You did good tonight.” I glanced at Sera, who continued looking out the window. She didn’t reply or meet my eyes. “Tired?”She shrug
SeraLying on my back, staring up at the ceiling, I pictured what Killian and the others were doing a few floors below me in the basement. A smile threatened to curl the corners of my mouth. I wasn’t proud of that. I didn’t like the notion that knowing a man was being beaten to death could make me happy.But this was different. Francesco had always been a prick to me. He’d tried to kidnap me, after all.And then there was the way he’d treated Killian. No one stabbed their boss in the back and lived to tell about it. No one.I’d changed. That was shockingly clear. But I was still pissed that Killian had used Delaney as a decoy. I needed to have a conversation with him about that. If he’d wanted to put someone in danger, it should’ve been me, not her. She had nothing to do with any of this.Early morning sunlight drifted through the hallways as I lay there letting my mind wander. I wasn’t able to sleep despite how fatigued I was. I had training with Tommaso in twenty minutes, if he even
KillianThe blood around Francesco’s lips was already starting to dry. As he spoke, it cracked and flaked off. If he wasn’t telling me the truth he’d be bleeding again soon.Pondering the information he’d just disclosed to me, I rolled it over in my mind. If what he was saying was true, I had an opportunity to make Sera very happy.I studied him. “You’re certain?”“I’m not lying to you.” His eyes never wavered from mine. Lately, whenever Francesco spoke to me, he had always been doing something else so he didn’t have to meet my gaze. Until today. Now, his broken body language told me he was telling me the truth.But it didn’t make any sense. “Why would Andre be so careless with that sort of information that it would leak through to you?”“He doesn’t know that I know.” Francesco’s voice was so hoarse, I could barely understand him. His jaw and right cheek were swollen and deformed, his splintered flesh a deep shade of red. “Everyone who knows ends up dead except one person who managed
SeraCold air cut through the blood coating my hands as I dropped the knife I held and backed away from my father’s body. The plastic-lined room was stained crimson, the coppery tang of blood stinging my nose as I blinked to clear my vision.A dream. Just another dream. Right?“You little bitch,” Giuliana Ricci laughed from the chair she was now tied to, her frail form replacing my father’s limp body. “You think killing me is enough to get rid of me? Whose house do you think this is?”She lunged toward me, the ropes around her wrists dissolving into dust as the room shifted and swirled. I flinched, blinking into pale gray light, and felt the weight of baby Michael in my arms as I watched a priest preside over Mikey’s funeral.“Wake up,” I begged myself. “Please, wake up!”The weight in my arms disappeared, replaced by a heavy sense of nothingness. I looked around at the shadowy figures who’d replaced the family and friends gathered for Mikey’s funeral. Red roses were scattered at my f
PaigeI stood in the vestibule outside of the chapel, clutching my flowers, my heart hammering in my chest. Organ music belted through the doors, and I was just waiting for my cue.We all were. My two bridesmaids, in simple maroon dresses, stood ahead of me. Like she could feel my eyes, Lauren turned back and winked. I smiled. The dress looked spectacular on her, and I’d promised up and down that Tom would invite enough handsome men for her to go home with a date. This, of course, had been complicated by Tom choosing Killian and Stan as his two groomsmen. While I liked the older man, and he kept Lauren laughing, I didn’t exactly see the two of them as a couple.Mom stepped up next to me with a smile. Her mother-of-the-bride dress, a deep burgundy gown with gold accents, caught the light and sent it dancing. “Are you excited?”I inhaled sharply. “I kind of can’t stop thinking about the seating chart for the reception. Who have I become?”She laughed. “Your father.”Tears beaded in my e
KillianI sat behind my desk and looked out over my men. Tommaso took his usual seat. Adrian hovered in the corner like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself yet, just like he had at the beginning. Patrick was still laughing about spilling his wine. Just like old times. I stood and started pouring everyone drinks.“So,” I said, “do you have an update on the warehouses, Adrian?”He started toward my desk, then paused. An odd moment passed. It wasn’t really my desk anymore. I’d left the hunk of wood behind because I had no need for it on the island, and he’d loaded it down with computers in my absence. Despite that, I’d never seen anyone sit behind it but my father besides me.I offered Adrian a drink. “Sit.”He nodded. “Didn’t want to step on your toes. The situation is pretty simple, all told, but I can tell there’s a certain amount of grace I’m supposed to be handling this foreman with, and I don’t—”Tommaso joined me at the bar to pour. “Do you remember that foreman in the so
PaigeI tucked my arm through Tom’s and straightened my long, floral romper. He kissed me on the cheek, then knocked on the door. Joyce swung it open.“Hello!” She welcomed us both in with hugs. “Mr. and Mrs. Ricci are in the drawing room. Please, come in.”We let ourselves be bustled through the door, the wine we’d brought carried off to the kitchen, and our coats taken to some closet somewhere in the mansion. Adrian used it as a base of operations when Killian and Sera weren’t home, so I’d been here a few times since the wedding, but I’d never felt comfortable here. Finally, we were led to the closed doors of the drawing room, and Tom opened them with a smile.Inside, we found not only “Mr. and Mrs. Ricci,” but also Olivia and Patrick, Adrian and Penny—who still wouldn’t even talk about their dance at the wedding—and Sera’s mother and brother, as well as Lauren. Sera leapt up to greet us, and Killian followed a few paces behind. I threw myself into the hug just as much as Sera did—I
SeraI folded a T-shirt and put it into Killian’s suitcase. “Are you sure we need to leave so soon?”He chuckled and took the T-shirt back out, then replaced it with a suit shirt. “Very, unfortunately. Adrian is in the middle of a difficult situation with one of the warehouses, and he needs a steady hand to guide him through.”My stomach churned at the thought of leaving the villa. We’d only been here for a couple of months, and we’d promised everyone we’d return, but dammit, I wasn’t ready yet. Lazing around the villa and having sex whenever the mood took us was way too fun to stop after only a few months.“But we’ll be back soon, right?” I asked like I didn’t already know.“Cara mia.” Killian took my hands. “What is happening in that head of yours?”I sighed. “I don’t know. The thought of leaving just make me kind of sick. We just got away from all that. I don’t want to be scared again.”He studied me for a long moment. “You do look a little pale. How sick is this making you exactly
PaigeI squeezed Tom’s hand in the car on the way to the airport.“Sad to be leaving?” he asked.I smiled. “Always. It’s so magical here.”He laughed. “Not just saying that because we’ve spent most of the vacation in bed?”I ran my free hand up his leg. “No, we have weekends for that at home.”“Fair enough.” He kissed the back of my hand. “I do like going on these little vacations, though. It’s a nice escape for a few days.”I nodded. I really was going to miss Paris, but I wouldn’t have wanted to stay much longer anyway. Lauren had been texting me updates about the shelter, especially the new one as women settled in. I kept thinking about how much I was missing, how much they needed me there. And I knew Tom was feeling the same. Apparently, Lyle had his sights set on someone new, and Tom was itching to pull the trigger. Anybody else would probably think we were freaks, desperate to leave a luxury vacation to get back to our grueling jobs. But those people didn’t realize just how much
TommasoWhen I told Paige I’d set everything up for another two days in Paris, she’d immediately insisted we spend a day shopping. I put up a cursory front of complaints, but in truth, I was perfectly happy following her from store to store and carrying her bags. Even better, she loved it when I made jokes about some of the worst, frilliest, most French things we came across. She laughed and joined in. For years, I’d heard men complaining about shopping with their girlfriends—fiancées—saying it was the most boring thing in the world, but even if we weren’t laughing up a storm as we paid our way through the most expensive boutiques in Paris, I still would’ve been having a ball. The sun was shining, she kept looking at the ring I’d put on her finger with a soft wonderment I’d never seen in her eyes anymore, and my face hurt from smiling. Paige and I could’ve made a hell of an afternoon out of reading the phone book.“Stop!” she said.I froze, my free hand twitching toward the gun I’d hi
PaigeI didn’t know how long Tom and I lay there, listening to the fireworks and seeing the very top of their arcs through the sliver of windows accessible from the floor. I pillowed my head on his chest and enjoyed the steady beat of his heart. Engaged. The last time I was here, I’d been on the cusp of recovery, just starting to make strides toward the person I was today. Now, I wasn’t done—I didn’t know if there was a done for traumatized people or people in general—but I was so much better, stronger, happier than I had been.The last time Tom and I were in Paris, I’d thrown myself at him and chickened out. As much as I could stay at a private view of the Eiffel Tower, I wanted to show him just how much had changed. Just how much I meant the “yes” that had fallen so easily from my lips. I rolled on top of him.“What do you say we take this back to that hotel room you picked out?”Tom grinned and pulled me down for a kiss. I pressed myself against him, feeling every line of his body.
PaigeI sat across from Tom in an empty, stunning restaurant in the middle of the Eiffel Tower with my head spinning like the three sips of wine I’d had with the appetizer were enough to make me drunk. He’d really rented out the Eiffel Tower. And not one floor, the whole thing. We’d ridden an empty elevator, the two-Michelin-star chef kept coming out to tell us why he’d selected particular dishes based on the information Tom had given him about our preferences, and I couldn’t hear anything but the soft classical music over the speakers. It felt like a dream.Tom took my hand. “So?”“So what?” I asked.“Was the surprise worth it?” He grinned.I looked over his suit, a forest green that brought out his eyes, worn without a tie. His dark curls tumbled into his face. I’d never seen him look so perfectly put together and so casual. He looked…well, he looked exactly like the man I’d fallen in love with. Nothing like the one who’d scared me so badly all those months ago in Cairo.“I get the
TommasoDespite how much I wanted Paige to keep that little black dress on, we had a few hours before the Tower officially emptied out for our use. I talked her into putting on something a little more walkable and keeping the lingerie on. As if to punish me for my restraint, she picked a pair of tiny, wide-legged shorts that showed the tops of the garters attached to her stockings every time she moved and a fitted blouse. I changed and somehow convinced myself to leave the hotel room instead of stripping everything off her and spending the hours in bed.She took my hand as we stepped into the lobby. “I should’ve known. When you plan a surprise, it’s never just one thing. Where are we off to first?”“So nosy.” I smiled.“You’re right, I’ll stop asking.” She slid the room key out of her pocket and fiddled with it for a second, then dropped it. With a small smile, she bent at the waist to pick it up, exposing those garter straps again.I grabbed her waist and hurried her the final few st