Page 182 of Vega

Cedric finally raised his head. Sweat covered his forehead despite the cool air in the room.

I looked directly at him. “There is one more thing.”

Staring at him, I pulled my gun from my waist and then everyone froze.

“You knew he killed Donovan,” I seethed at Cedric.

“Your father made the decision. I couldn’t stop him.”

His eyes moved toward the men around him, searching for help that wasn’t coming.

“I can’t trust you,” I told him.

“Promise—”

I fired once, and the bullet struck him in the head. The men on either side of Cedric jerked away from the table. One shoved his chair back so hard it scraped across the floor, while the other threw an arm up to block the blood that sprayed across his shirt. Cedric folded and hit the floor.

I lowered my gun and looked around the table.

My father had killed my brother. That truth had ruined every memory I had of both of them. I didn’t know if I would ever stop hearing Donovan’s voice. But grief couldn’t swallow me. I had an organization to run, enemies watching for weakness, and a mother who had already lost too much.

My father had ruled through fear, lies, and the belief that everybody around him was replaceable.

I would do it differently, and I would do it better.

“Now,” I said, placing the gun on the table, “let’s discuss business.”

VEGARRO “VEGA” MORETTI

Saint’s bakery, The Sainted Oven, smelled too damn good the second Sonnet and I walked in. She’d been craving sweets all day, and I’d heard Saint finally opened. I had to see this shit for myself before she and I headed to my parents’ house.

We had gotten word that morning that Lowe was finally getting released from the hospital, so we were all getting together to celebrate that.

Saint stood behind the counter in a black apron, looking prouder than I’d ever seen him. Zahra sat near the register with their baby boy in her arms.

Saint looked up. “About time you came through.”

I grinned as I looked around the spot. “You know I was coming to check this motherfucka out for myself. You wild for this.”

When my eyes finally returned to Saint and Zahra, I noticed them watching me hold Sonnet’s hand.

“This is my woman, Sonnet,” I told them.

Though Saint had heard of her and saw her at the hospital, she deserved an official introduction.

Saint came from behind the counter and hugged her. “Good to finally meet you.”

Zahra smiled. “I’m Zahra, and this is Czar.”

Sonnet’s attention went straight to the baby. “Oh my Gooood.”

Czar had round cheeks, wide brown eyes, and enough hair to make Sonnet softly run her fingers through it.

“He is so cute,” she cooed. “Can I hold him?”

“Of course.”

Zahra handed him over, and Sonnet adjusted him against her body, then smiled down at him with so much softness that I forgot where we were. Knowing Sonnet was carrying our baby turned every future I’d never allowed myself to imagine into something I wanted with everything in me. She wasn’t only the woman I loved. She was home, family, and the beginning of a life I’d protect until my last breath.