Chapter 31

Unspoken Desires - Chapter 31

Vincent

Lessia lay heavy in my arms. Two bullets lodged in her chest; bullets that were meant for me. How fucking stupid had I been? I let jealousy cloud my head, and I got drunk.

I barely registered Cesare’s gun still trained on me until he barked, “Benedetti, let Karen go and face me!”

I heard the police sirens wailing in the distance and noticed the restaurant had emptied fast, the patrons scattering.

“I said let her go!” Cesare thundered again.

My vision blurred, so I closed my eyes, as Lessia’s blood started to soak my shirt.

“Fuck, Benedetti’s in shock,” someone hissed behind Cesare.

I watched as Cesare turned to see who it was. One of his Camorra brothers stepped forward, gun leveled at his temple.

“For betraying our capo and his wife,” the man snarled, pulling the trigger.

Cesare jerked once, then slumped.

“We’ve got to move,” someone shouted, but I barely heard them. I refused to let Lessia go.

Two hulking men grabbed my arms, but I twisted free, desperate to stay with her.

One hauled me upright. The other swung, connecting with my jaw. Stars erupted behind my eyes; and then darkness swallowed me.

———————-

Sareena

I told Damian to run back to the safe house and find me something: isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, anything I could use to clean the wound. If he couldn’t, the clearest, highest-proof alcohol they had would do.

By the time he returned, I’d already boiled the tools in my trauma kit. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but it would have to do.

Damian sat down beside me, as I leaned over Matteo. As gently as I could, I began wiping away the blood from his shoulder.

“The bullet went in just above the scapula; right where the trapezius meets the posterior shoulder. It’s lodged in the muscle, but…”

“Sareena,” he groaned. “Spare me the anatomy lecture. Just pull it out and stitch me up. I’ve got to get back to my mom and Sophia… and deal with those two bitches.”

I had just removed the bullet when Gabriella burst in, breathless and pale.

“Lessia’s dead,” she gasped. “She jumped in front of the bullets meant for Vin.”

Everyone took off running, leaving me alone with the man who had once kidnapped and tortured me.

Matteo let his head fall back against the ground and muttered, “You know, this would be the perfect chance for you to get rid of me.”

I paused, stunned by the words. But still, I said nothing.

“I am sorry,” he continued. “For what I did to you. But like I told Gabby earlier… it brought Sophia into my life. I can’t regret that.”

“Do you love her?” I asked quietly as I finished the last of his stitches. “Or is she just… your sick, twisted way of holding on to Marcella?”

“Sareena.” His tone snapped my attention to him. “Look at me.”

I did.

“I didn’t know what love was until Sophia. We’re both messed up; maybe a match made in hell, but it’s a hell I’d choose every time.”

He exhaled, gaze softening. “And you’re wrong if you think she had it easy. After you left, she went through hell. Torture. Abuse. Violence. The kind that twists your mind into something else.”

My hands froze. I’d never really thought about what she was dealing with after I left.

I swallowed, then asked, “Is it okay if she sees a counselor? I know in our world, therapy’s treated like weakness, but it helped me.”

“She’s in counseling. We both are.” He gave a slight nod. “She’s trying to unpack everything she’s kept buried, and I know she wants to fix things with you.”

He tried to sit up. “Now enough of the emotional drama. Are you gonna let me up, or are you plotting something sinister?”

I smirked, awkwardly trying for humor. “Be good to her… or I swear I’ll use dirty surgical scissors next time.”

———————-

Sophia

Gabriella and I stayed behind to care for both Grandpa and Grandma Alexandra while the guys went to rescue Sareena and Connie.

Damian had settled both my grandparents into one of the guest room earlier, so I headed upstairs to check on them. Sareena had given me clear instructions on how to care for them when I dragged them out. I fully intended to follow them exactly.

The IVs she had placed in their arms were nearly finished, so I grabbed some wet wipes from the first aid kit, sterilized the injection sites, then carefully removed the needles and applied pressure before bandaging their hands.

Next, I checked their blood pressure.

Grandma Alexandra’s was holding steady, still fragile but stable. But Grandpa’s was still too high.

“I’m so proud of you, princess,” he whispered. His voice was so faint, I had to lean in to hear him. “This is what I always wanted for you… to find love, to be happy. To be back with your sister. After I’m gone, you’ll need each other.”

Tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them. He was right. I did need my sister, but I still needed him too.

“You can’t go anywhere, Grandpa,” I whispered, squeezing his hand. “We both need you.”

He just smiled and closed his eyes.

I let them rest and stepped quietly out of the room, wiping my face before heading back to the command center.

Gabby was already there, fiddling with the buttons and dials on the comms system. I stood in the doorway for a moment, watching her.

“So… how does all this work?” I asked, making her jump.

“No clue,” she laughed, pressing a hand to her chest. “They just told me to wear the headset and listen. If someone needs something, they’ll speak into comms and we’ll hear it.”

I sat beside her and slipped on a headset. “Anything good?”

“They took down Lana and Maria. I heard the gunfire, but the comms went dead right after. No updates since; just silence.”

The back door slammed open and Demetrius barreled in, carrying Connie in his arms. Her face was flushed with fever, her breathing shallow.

“Girls, a little help here,” he called, already moving toward the hall. “Dr. Feel Good wants a lukewarm bath with Epsom salts for Mrs. Cattaneo. I’ll get her to the bathroom, but after that, she’s all yours. You know how Miguel gets about her.”

“I’ve got it,” I said, jumping up. “You stay and listen to the static.”

————-

I got Connie settled into the bath and sat beside her, gently holding the hand with the IV still taped in place. Whatever Sareena had given her was finally starting to help. Her fever had dropped a little, and her breathing had eased.

After a few minutes, her eyes fluttered open, focus slowly returning. “Sophia,” she rasped. “Sophia, are we finally free?”

I smiled through the lump in my throat. “Yeah, Mom. We’re safe now.”

Her eyes widened. “Mom? You called me Mom?”

Tears welled up in her eyes, fragile and full of emotion. “I’m so happy you’re accepting me as your mother.”

I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You’re going to be my mother-in-law; it’s basically the same thing. But ‘Mom’ just sounds better.” We both laughed softly, but she knew the truth. So did I.

A commotion echoed from down the hall, and Connie gave me a slight nod when I asked if she was okay for a minute. I slipped out and made my way toward the command center.

Damian, Maximus, Demetrius, and Davide were huddled around the comms, heads bowed and expressions grim. Something was wrong. And then I saw Gabby; curled up on the couch, sobbing uncontrollably.

My heart dropped. The only people still out there were Matteo, Sareena, Vincent… and Lessia.

“What happened?” I asked, already rushing toward Gabby.

She looked up, her face streaked with tears. “Lessia. Vincent’s jealous stupidity got her killed.” She could barely get the words out.

“Matteo’s men got Vincent out safely, but they couldn’t save her. She… she jumped in front of him. Took the two bullets that were meant for him.”

My knees buckled slightly, but I held myself upright. Lessia. Oh God.

She didn’t deserve that kind of ending. She didn’t deserve to die in someone else’s war. Not like that.

She deserved more from this life, and we let her down.