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"Shut up," I snarl, taking a step forward. Nico's hand tightens on mine, a silent plea for restraint, but I ignore it. I can't, not when this bastard is hurting the man I love with every poisonous word.
"You don't know a damn thing about love," I say, my voice shaking with rage. "You don't know a thing about Nico, about the kind of man he is. He's not weak, he's the strongest fucking person I've ever met. Strong enough to break free of your toxic bullshit, to choose his own path. And I'll be damned if I let you shame him for it."
Salvatore's eyes flash, his hand twitching towards the gun I know is holstered beneath his jacket. But I don't flinch, don't back down. I'm done letting this man terrorize the person I love most in this world.
"Nico is a good man," I continue, my voice ringing with conviction. "A kind man, a brave man. A man who loves with his whole fucking heart, who would move heaven and earth for the people he cares about. And that's not weakness, Salvatore. That's strength, the kind of strength you can't even begin to understand."
A muscle tics in Salvatore's jaw, his face flushing an ugly, mottled red. For a moment, I think he's going to lunge across the desk and strangle me with his bare hands. But then, to my shock...he slumps back in his chair, all the fight draining out of him like water from a cracked vessel.
"You really love him, don't you?" he asks, his voice tired and old. "You'd stand against me, against the whole fucking world, to be with him."
"Yes," I say simply, without hesitation. "I would. I will. Always and forever, no matter what."
Salvatore is silent for a long moment, his gaze distant and unfocused. When he speaks again, his voice is quiet and heavy with an emotion I can't name.
"I never understood it," he says, almost to himself. "The way she looked at me, the way she loved me. Like I was the center of her whole goddamn universe, even when I didn't deserve it. Even when I broke her heart again and again with my coldness, my cruelty."
He looks up, his eyes meeting Nico's. "I loved her," he rasps, the words a confession and a plea. "Your mother. I loved her more than my own life, more than anything in this world or the next. But I was a coward, too afraid to choose her over the family, over the only life I'd ever known. And it destroyed her, Nico. It destroyed us both."
Nico makes a soft, wounded sound, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "Papa," he whispers, the old childhood endearment slipping out unbidden. "I...I didn't know. I'm so sorry."
Salvatore shakes his head, a bitter twist to his lips. "Don't be sorry," he says gruffly. "Be better. Be braver than I was, Nico. Don't make my mistakes."
He takes a deep breath, his shoulders squaring as he meets Nico's gaze head-on. "If this is what you want, if he is what you want...then go. Leave this life behind and never look back. Build something real, something worth fighting for. And know that...that I'm proud of you, son. For having the courage to do what I couldn't."
Nico makes a choked sound, a tear slipping down his cheek. He lunges forward, pulling his father into a crushing embrace. Salvatore stiffens for a moment, his arms hanging awkwardly at his sides. But then, slowly, he brings them up to wrap around Nico's shoulders, his eyes squeezing shut as he holds his son close.
"Thank you," Nico rasps, his voice muffled against Salvatore's shoulder. "Thank you, Papa. I...I love you."
Salvatore clears his throat, pulling back to clasp Nico's face in his hands. "I love you too, my boy. More than you'll ever know." His gaze flicks to me, something like grudging respect in his eyes. "Take care of him, Eli. Love him like he deserves to be loved. And never, ever let him go."
I nod, my throat too tight for words. I reach out, tangling my fingers with Nico's, our hands fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle.
"I won't," I vow, my voice ringing with certainty. "I swear it on my life, on everything I hold dear. He's my heart, my home, my forever. And I'll spend every day for the rest of my life proving it to him."
Nico makes a soft, wondering sound, his eyes locking with mine. The love I see there, the pure, unbridled joy...it takes my breath away, makes my knees go weak with the force of it.
We bid Salvatore a murmured farewell, walking out of that gloomy, oppressive house with our heads held high and our hearts soaring with hope. As we climb into Nico's car, as we peel out of the long, winding driveway...I feel lighter than I have in years, the weight of secrecy and fear lifting from my shoulders like a physical thing.
We did it. Against all odds, against every force that sought to tear us apart...we fucking did it. We chose each other, chose love, chose a future beyond the darkness and despair.
CHAPTER 10
(ELI'S POV)
Sunlight streams through the stained glass windows of the quaint little chapel, painting the aisle in a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors. The air is thick with the heady scent of flowers - roses and lilies and dahlias, a riotous explosion of petals and greenery. It's like standing in the heart of a garden, lush and verdant and bursting with life.
But none of it compares to the sight of Nico waiting for me at the altar, his dark eyes shining with love and wonder as he watches me walk towards him. He's breathtaking in his tailored black suit, a single red rose pinned to his lapel. A symbol of our love, of the passion and devotion that brought us to this perfect, shining moment.
Luca stands at Nico's side, his ever-present smirk softened into a genuine smile. Tommy is next to him, his eyes suspiciously bright as he winks at me. And in the front row, Sophia beams at me through her tears, her hand clutched in her wife Alana's.
My found family, the people who stood by us through every trial and tribulation. The ones who believed in our love even when the world sought to tear us apart. My heart swells with gratitude, with a joy so fierce it steals my breath.
At last, I reach Nico's side, my hands immediately seeking his. His fingers lace with mine, his calluses rasping against my skin in a way that feels like home. Like forever, like eternity stretching out before us in an endless golden road.
"Hi," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. "Fancy meeting you here, stranger."
Nico's lips quirk, his thumb stroking over my knuckles. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, sunshine. You ready to make an honest man out of me?"
