LUNA
My head feels like it’s been run over by a semitruck.
I open my eyes, my blurry vision slowly focusing. That’s when realization strikes.
One of Amedeo’s guys knocked me out. Clubbed me with the butt of his gun. They must have taken me from Priest’s penthouse while I was out. And from the wooziness and brain fog, I’m guessing they gave me something to keep me passed out a little while longer.
I’m sitting on a hard, cold concrete floor, zip ties binding my ankles and wrists together. It looks like a warehouse of some sort. Men with guns are stationed all around the periphery, some of whom I recognize vaguely from family events in the past.
Fucking traitors, all of them. Disgraces to the Revello name. How dare they take Tomasso Revello’s daughter hostage? Don’t they know who made them wealthy and powerful all those years? What he sacrificed and did to make the Revello family strong? It sure as hell wasn’t Amedeo.
“Look who’s with us again.”
I look up to see blood-spattered Italian leather loafers sauntering toward me. If I had to guess, I’d say there is blood on his slacks too, but they’re black. It’s impossible to tell.
My stomach churns, and I snap my gaze up to my cousin’s face. The affable mask he wore at my wedding is gone. He’s letting me see the monster within.
“What do you want from me?” I demand, determined not to let him see even a hint of fear.
I might be about to die by his hand, but I’ll die without him having the satisfaction of knowing I was terrified.
“I don’t want anything from you,” he says coldly. “But it just so happens that I can use you to get what I’m really after.”
“And what is it that you’re really after?”
I ask him, but I already know the answer. He wants to take my father’s place. To keep the families from unifying. He wants to be don of the Revello family, and he had my brother and my father both murdered in cold blood to make it happen.
He hunkers down, one of his knees cracking as he peers into my face. “I’m after what is rightfully mine. What should have been mine all along.”
“You don’t deserve to be the don,” I spit at him. “Everyone knows my father didn’t choose you. He never would have chosen you. Leo was his son, his heir. He should have been the don.”
He would have been, if Amedeo hadn’t ordered the hit on him. I don’t say this aloud, though. The less Amedeo thinks I know, the better for me.
“Don’t get mouthy, or I’ll have to do something about it,” he snarls. “And last time I checked, you have to be alive to be don. Bad fucking luck for Leo.”
My reaction is instant. I spit in Amedeo’s face. He turns purple with rage and backhands me hard. Pain explodes in my head for the second time today.
“I told you to watch your fucking mouth, you little whore. The only thing you’re good at is spreading your legs for Andriani scum.”
His insult doesn’t hurt me. Nothing this man can say will cut me any deeper than what he’s already done to my family.
I know I should hold my tongue, but hatred is seething inside me.
I’m trembling with rage. And I may as well say whatever the hell I want.
There’s no way I’m walking away from this alive.
Even if Priest finds out what happened and comes looking for me, Amedeo’s armed guards are crawling around this space like ants.
It will be impossible for him to get me out.
Will he try? I’ve been his wife for barely any time at all, and he was willing enough to dangle me before my homicidal cousin like a carrot. It would be beyond reckless for him to attempt to rescue me, especially when he’s finally on the brink of getting what he wants—the two families as one.
“Nothing to say now, cousin?” Amedeo sneers, wiping my spit from his cheek with his sleeve.
A gold-and-diamond cuff link dazzles from the white linen. I recognize those cuff links. They belonged to my grandfather and were passed down to my father, then Leo.
“My brother was wearing those cuff links when he was buried,” I say, stunned.
Amedeo somehow stole them from Leo’s coffin.
“Just another way for your asshole of a father to fuck me over.” He sniffs. “What good were those cuff links going to do a dead kid?”
“Yeah, he was a kid, wasn’t he?” I hold my cousin’s stare, hoping he can see the hatred glimmering in my eyes.
How can someone be so evil? What the hell did Leo ever do to him?
Leo was good, so much better than my father.
I’ll never get to know what he would have done with his life, never see the man he would have become.
And it’s all because of this vile man before me, who was born of our own flesh and blood.
“He was a stupid kid,” Amedeo says dismissively.
“Always thinking he knew better than men who have been running these streets since he was still shitting in a diaper and sucking on his mama’s tit.
He never could have run this family. My father was invaluable to yours.
He was consigliere. He was next in fucking line, and I was behind him.
What the fuck did Leo ever do other than sell a little bit of coke and piss off the Bratva? ”
It’s like he’s justifying his actions.
I wonder if he believes what he’s saying or if he just needs me to believe it. Or maybe, in some kind of messed-up way, he just needs to get it off his chest.
Whatever the reason, the more time he spends talking, the less time Amedeo has to prepare for whatever comes next.
I want to keep him distracted, keep him off guard.
I don’t know how long I was passed out, but it was long enough for Amedeo and his men to get me to this warehouse.
Hopefully Priest knows what happened to me by now.
“Leo was my father’s son, and my father became the don of this family by earning it.”
Amedeo barks out a harsh laugh. “Is that what he told you? If he did, he was fucking lying. Tomasso Revello became the don of this family by clipping the boss before him. And who the fuck do you think helped him do that? My father . That’s who.
He needed my old man to make this family work.
He owed it to us. And then he starts running around with your slut of a mother.
Knocked her up, and suddenly, he’s got his golden child to run the empire.
Fuck that. It wasn’t his empire to throw away. ”
It all clicks into place in my brain. Amedeo isn’t just a greedy traitor.
He feels like he’s entitled to become the next don because of what his father did, like he deserves the role more than anyone else because he’s older and has been in this world longer.
He must have been stewing with resentment for the last twenty years.
It was like a wound inside him, festering more each day.
“But there’s no more Don Revello,” I point out, trying to keep calm. “The capos voted to align the families. Now there’s only one don. My husband.”
Amedeo grins. “Damn right, there’s only one. Your stupid husband fell right into my trap. That’s the thing about outsmarting your enemies. Time is on your side. You wait until the moment is right, and then you fucking strike. They never know what hit them.”
I don’t understand his logic. My head is pounding and my stomach is beginning to cramp up. I’m afraid I might be sick. But I need to see this through. Need to keep him occupied. Any chance I have depends on it.
“What do you mean, Priest fell into your trap?”
He grins. “He married you and tried to unite the families, just like I knew he would. But then, he held you against your will. I couldn’t allow my cousin to be imprisoned by the Andrianis.
I found you and brought you to safety. But then Andriani came after me in a rage, and I had to clip him.
” He shakes his head with mock sadness. “Too bad you got caught in the crossfire. The families will be thrown into turmoil, and they’ll need sound leadership under a proven don, one they can trust. One who’s a fucking hero. ”
My blood turns to ice. “You’re luring Priest here so that you can kill him. This is all a trap so that you can take over the families.”
“All that power, all that fucking money.” Amedeo laughs again, the sound vicious. “All mine. In my defense, I’m not a greedy man. All I wanted was to be Don Revello, but your husband took that from me. Now, it’s time to take it back. So sit tight, cousin. Because the show’s about to begin.”
“No!” I start thrashing on the concrete, trying to escape my bonds.
But it’s no use. The zip ties dig into my skin, too strong and too tight. Tears burn my eyes, but I refuse to allow them to fall.
“You’re not going to get away with this,” I tell him defiantly.
“Poor, sweet Luna.” He gives me an ugly smile. “I always get away with it.”
I’m about to tell him to go straight to hell where he belongs, but before I can say a word, Amedeo’s cell chirps. He whips it out and looks at the screen, grinning.
“Looks like your husband has just arrived,” he says cheerfully, and then he drags me to my feet.
Priest
I can barely restrain myself when that piece of shit Amedeo the Animal comes into the room, holding Luna in front of him like a human shield. She’s got a bruise on her cheek, and she’s pale. There’s fire and fear in her eyes. I allow myself a second of eye contact, trying to let her know.
I’ve got this. Trust me.
We have a plan. Since I got the call from Bruno earlier, my brothers and our men have gone into battle mode. We’re going to get us all out of here alive or die trying.
Luna blinks, and I think—fucking hope—she understands.
But in the next second, she elbows Amedeo in the ribs as hard as she can. He doubles over, not expecting the blow.
“It’s a trap!” she cries out. “He’s going to kill you!”
“You fucking bitch!” Amedeo roars, straightening as he lifts his gun, pointing it at Luna’s head.
My protective fury ignites. I’m not armed because that was the deal for getting into the warehouse to see Luna, and I know I’m taking a risk I wasn’t meant to be taking as I charge the bastard. But I can’t let him hurt her.
Guns go off almost instantly. Pain radiates through my shoulder, but I’m a machine and I don’t give a fuck.
Riding high on adrenaline, I slam my fist into Amedeo’s nose, and it explodes, blood going everywhere.
Thank fuck I’m not alone. I’m here with some of my most fearless soldiers.
And outside, my men are in position to help us, including all of my brothers and Roc.
But I still need a gun.
I get Amedeo’s from him, stripping it with ease, and point it between his eyes.
He snarls. “You fucking Andriani scum?—”
I pull the trigger, and he goes silent.
Then I’m on Luna. I put her behind me and edge us to the wall, shielding her from the hail of bullets that’s erupted.
Everything is a blur. I take aim and get off a few rounds, dropping some of Amedeo’s goons to the floor.
My men are spilling into the warehouse. I catch sight of Saint and Scorpion, Lucky hot on their heels.
Nothing is going according to plan, but somehow, we have the upper hand.
“When I say run, you need to get out of here,” I tell Luna above the din of battle.
She doesn’t answer, so I take the risk of a quick look over my shoulder.
She’s glassy-eyed, in shock.
Fuck.
Another bullet whizzes past me. I find the bastard responsible and end him before looking back to her.
“Look at me, baby. You’ve got to get out of here. It’s not safe.”
“I…I… You’re bleeding.”
I probably am, but that’s not what matters now. I need to get her out of this hellhole so that I can finish what we started.
Around us, bullets keep going off, men dropping. A Revello soldier is lying on his back, choking on his own blood, grabbing for a pistol with bloodied fingers. I shoot him without a second thought.
A strangled sound emerges from Luna, and I know she’s not going to be able to move out of here. Not without someone taking her. Someone I trust with my life.
“Saint!” I call out to my brother. “I need you to get Luna out. She’s in shock.”
He’s on us in seconds. “Done.”
The gunfire has thinned, and Amedeo’s men are retreating deeper into the warehouse. They’re outnumbered, outgunned, and their leader is lying dead on the floor in a pool of blood.
I turn back to her. “Go with Saint. He’ll get you to Rocco. Wait for me in the G.”
“Matteo,” she protests on a sob, tears shimmering in her eyes.
I kiss her, swift and hard. “Listen to me. You need to go. Now. They could be doubling back, getting more firepower. I need to know you’re safe.”
She nods, and Saint wraps an arm around her, using his larger form as a shield. He nods to me, they disappear out the door into the night, and I go back to what I’ve always done best.
Killing.
But this time, it’s for her. It’s vengeance for what was taken from her, for what was done to her.
And this time, I have something to live for other than power and money.
I have Luna.
It’s only after the last bullet flies and the final body drops that realization hits me hard.
If I want her to be happy, I’ll have to let Luna go.