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Fuck my oath.
Fuck the rules.
She's mine.
I shove Rafe, attempting to push my way past him to get to her. She's the one I should be talking to right now, not her hardheaded, infuriating brother.
Rafe retaliates, driving his fist into my ribs in a powerful blow that sends me crashing to my knees. Pain rips through my side, immediate and intense.
Fucking hell. That hurts.
"Mattia!" Aurelia screams, her voice filled with pain and terror.
Pain courses through my body, but I refuse to stay down. Gritting my teeth, I rise to my feet and lunge toward her again.
Rafe hits me again, driving me right back to my knees. "This is my family, Agostino," he says. "I'm the Capo. I make the rules, not you. Perhaps it's time you remembered that."
I say nothing. He won't hear a goddamn word I would say anyway, so what's the point? Instead, I muster every ounce of strength I have, and haul myself back to my feet.
This time, Rafe's fist connects with my jaw, snapping my head back so hard my fucking brain rattles in my skull. I land on my knees at his feet, swaying dangerously.
"Stop it!" Aurelia screams, pushing her way through her brothers. "Just stop it!" She stands in front of me like an angel in the middle of chaos, her arms outstretched as if to protect me. Her eyes are red-rimmed from tears, her expression a mixture of fear and sorrow. She's still the most beautiful fucking thing I've ever seen.
"It's okay, topolina," I murmur, trying to soothe her. "If death is the price I have to pay for my sins, you were worth it."
"Mattia…no," she sobs, shaking her head, refusing to accept my words. "You don't mean that."
"I do, little mouse. Because whether you believe me or not, I love you."
"Jesus Christ," Rafe mutters.
"Let it ride, Rafe," Nico says, his voice soft.
"You don't," she snaps back, fire mingling with the tears in her eyes. "I heard you, Mattia. You only married me to protect my brothers. You said you regret it." Pain washes through her expression before she battles it back, lifting her head to pin me with a hard glare. She can't hide the misery in her expression, though. Hearing me say that, even if she didn't have the full context of the conversation, broke her fucking heart. "Well, maybe I regret it too."
Fuck, that hurts.
"You only heard part of that conversation, cara mia," I insist, desperation clawing at my insides. I can't lose her now, not when I've finally found something worth living for.
She stares at me, her blue eyes clouded with fear and uncertainty. But a tiny flame of hope flickers to life. She desperately wants to believe me, but she's afraid to let herself.
I could call Coda, and ask him to vouch for me, but I don't want her to believe me because he clears my name. I need her to believe me because deep down, she knows that I'd never do anything to hurt her. I need her to trust me with every little piece of herself. Without that, we're doomed, and I won't allow that. I can't because I fucking need her the same way she needs me.
"It's me and you against the world, little mouse, remember?" I remind her softly, trying to reach the connection we shared before I gave her a reason to doubt it. Trying to remind her why she put her trust in me in the first place. "That wasn't a lie. Nothing I've ever said to you was a lie. I love you."
She shakes her head, trying to deny me.
"I do. I belong to you, Aurelia. The same way you belong to me. If you want to fight, you fight me. If you want to run, you run to me. You're the light to my dark, just like I told you." I exhale a breath. "It doesn't matter what your brothers to do me because if I don't have you, I've got nothing. You're every dream I've ever had. Sei la ragione per cui vivo."
"Mattia." She sinks to her knees beside me, sobs wracking her body as she cracks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Shh, topolina. You don't apologize to me. You don't ever apologize to me." I pull her close to my chest, feeling like I can finally fucking breathe again.
Until I glance up and see all four of her brothers watching us. Cazzo. My arms tighten around her. Hell will freeze over before I allow them to take her from me.
"She's mine," I say quietly, my eyes locked on Rafe. "I don't regret a single choice I've made to protect her, and I won't apologize for them. Punish me however you see fit for the choices I've made, but you aren't taking her from me."
"Jesus Christ," he growls, his obsidian eyes blazing with anger as he looks between us.
