Chapter 2

His frown didn't stop me. “My family has shed enough blood for you. I'm not asking you to pay us back. I'm only asking you to let me go.”

He pressed a hand to my forehead, his voice impatient. “You're still running a fever. You're talking nonsense. Get some rest!”

His voice softened. “Julia, you're the woman I love. I hate seeing you suffer. But Mia is part of this family too, and I care about her.

“She had the same symptoms you did. That's the only reason I gave her the antiserum.

“She isn't as strong as you. You can endure more than she can.”

I looked at him. “And because I'm the Donna, I'm supposed to graciously hand the antiserum that could save my life to your lover?”

He didn't say anything. He just put the wedding ring back on my finger.

“Don't take it off, Julia.

“Tomorrow, I'm hosting a dinner to welcome Mia.

“At dinner, I'm going to announce that she's now part of the family and that she'll serve as my underboss.

“And you're going to host it, as the Donna.”

I was the one who took a bullet and got poisoned for him.

And he wanted me to host a dinner celebrating his lover.

“Nick, what if I don't make it to tomorrow?”

Nick's smile vanished. “Julia, you have changed.

“You've taken bullets for me for years and pulled through every time.

“Do you really hate Mia so much that you'd threaten me with your own death?”

With that, he turned and walked out, telling Luca to take good care of me.

In the middle of the night, Luca got a message from Bruno.

Nick's made men had taken the only dose of antidote Bruno had prepared, claiming they were acting on the Don's orders.

They'd brought it to Mia's room.

Luca told me. I said nothing. I just pushed myself up and got out of bed. “Help me get to Mia's bedroom.”

Seeing how hard it was for me to walk, Luca carried me on his back.

Before we even reached her room, I could hear her and Nick talking.

“You've been so good to me, Don. I'll thank God every day for your kindness.

“This antidote means everything to Julia, but you still brought it to me to clear the last of the poison from my body.”

Nick sounded sincere. “Mia, you know I swore to God that even though I couldn't marry you, I'd treat you better than my wife.”

Mia's voice was choked with tears. “When my father died, he left me in your father's care.”

Nick didn't say anything.

Mia looked at him. “Your father promised mine that he'd take care of me because our families had always been close.

“Before he died, you promised him that you'd take his place and look after me for the rest of my life.

“We grew up together. You said I was your first love. But then you married Julia.”

Nick squeezed her hand. “Mia, I didn't have a choice.

“To secure my position as Don, I needed the Ferraro family's support.

“But you're different from them.”

Their shameless declarations made my stomach turn.

The moment Luca helped me into the room, Mia set down the antidote she had been holding.

“Julia, you're so weak. You shouldn't have come all this way yourself.

“You're the Donna, so the antidote belongs to you. But if you want it, you have to promise me one thing.”

I gave her a cold smile. “Let me guess. You want me to host tomorrow night's dinner?”

Mia gave a soft laugh. “Yes. A dinner to welcome me into the family can't happen without the Donna.

“As long as you do that, I can endure the pain of the poison that's still in me.”

Nick gave me a cool look. “Hear that? Mia is willing to trade the antidote for your blessing. What more do you want from her?”

I looked at her. “I'll go. But give me the antidote first.”

Mia refused, saying she was afraid I'd back out at the last minute. I said nothing and had Luca carry me out.