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I’m biting the inside of my cheek, trying to stop myself from tearing his head off with my teeth. But deep down, really fucking deep down, I know what he’s saying is the truth.
Maximo steps up, placing a hand on my shoulder. “It seems like, once again, we’ve underestimated my sister. It’s not her who needs to deal with this shit, Nicoli. It’s us. We need to deal with it and move the fuck on. Otherwise, we’re both going to lose her.” He leans his head to the side, eyebrows arched. “For real this time.”
ChapterFour
NICOLI
The door slams behind me, and I stand there, bloodied and frustrated. My hands are cold and coated in the remnants of a man’s life, my clothes soaked in his agony. Mayhem echoes through my thoughts, the violent craze pounding in my head and thumping through my heart. And while my knuckles ache and the cuts bleed, I’m painfully aware that it’s all for nothing. Nunzio remains hidden, like a ghost haunting every inch of my mind.
“Nicoli?” Mira’s voice is hesitant as she slowly walks down the stairs, her green eyes widening at the sight of me. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” I snarl, frustration boiling within me.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.” I glance at the blood on my hands, how it started to crust in the corners of my fingernails. “It’s not mine.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“Well, some of it might be,” I say, opening and closing my fist, the flesh burning as the movement irritates the cuts. Mira’s heels click across the lacquered floor as she closes the distance between us, and she reaches out cautiously, her fingers skimming the edge of my blood-stained sleeve. “Did he survive?”
“No.” My answer is as final as Ben’s last fucking breath.
She flinches, but I see the understanding that flickers across her face. She knows what I’ve done, what I’m willing to do for her. For us. And yet, I can’t help but feel like I’m failing her because no matter how many men I kill, it’s not him.
“I will find him, Mira. I swear to God.”
“I know.”
“But every time I think I’m close, he slips through my fingers,” I confess, my voice raw with frustration. “It’s like he’s a fucking ghost.”
“Nicoli, you will find him,” Mira insists, her grip on my hand tightening. “I believe in you.”
I want to believe her, but with each passing day, the weight of our vendetta grows heavier. As much as I crave retribution for Mira, I can’t help but wonder if I’m strong enough to see it through.
“Come on,” she murmurs, taking my hand and leading me up the stairs to our room. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
As we move through the darkened halls, I can’t shake the weight of my failures. The image of the man’s lifeless body and his screams echoing in my ears—my efforts have yielded nothing. No closer to our vengeance, no closer to making Nunzio pay for what he did to Mira.
Mira closes the bedroom door behind us, circles me, and unbuttons my bloodstained shirt in silence.
I just look at her for a few moments, wishing I had a direct line to her thoughts. Maybe then I’d have a clearer picture of what she needs from me, her husband. Perhaps I’ll understand why she hasn’t shared her secret with me.
“You remember.”
Mira freezes, her fingers still clutching the white button, and she stares at it instead of looking up at me.
“You remember that night in the mausoleum,” I press, but it’s not a question.
Without saying a word, she continues to unbutton my shirt, only faster now, like she’s trying to distract herself from the conversation. I let her for a moment, taking in the sight of her. Mira’s always been beautiful, but in this moment, with her hair falling around her face and the light on her skin casting her in a warm glow, I’m struck by how much I love her.
Finally, when she’s done, she meets my gaze. “I do remember,” she says softly. “I remember everything.”
My heart constricts as I witness the pain of her memories settle on her brow. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She takes a step back, and I instantly hate the distance she’s putting between us. “I can ask you the same question.” The way her green eyes study me is almost unnerving. “Is that why you kept your distance from me all those years?”
“I was trying to protect you.”
