Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 43928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
And even though part of me fucking hates them in this moment for standing between me and what belongs to me, the other part is proud as hell of them for standing between her and the man they believe is a danger to her. She deserves that loyalty.
I hope she sees it and she understands that she has family now. Vincent may have delayed the inevitable when he abandoned her, but her brothers aren't Vincent. They're men worthy of her.
"Move!" I growl at Rafe, my eyes locking on his in a silent battle of wills. I don't care if he's the Capo dei Capi. Right now, he's standing between me and my wife.
"You aren't touching my fucking sister, Agostino," Rafe snarls at me. "You're lucky you're still breathing right now."
Aurelia whimpers at his words, the sound pained.
"Get out of the fucking way, Rafe," I growl, my patience wearing thin as he and his brothers continue to block my path to Aurelia.
"No," Rafe replies, his voice cold and flat. "You've done enough damage to last a lifetime."
I can see the disappointment in Luca's eyes as he looks at me. "We trusted you, Mattia."
"None of this has anything to do with you," I snap, looking at Gabe and Nico, too. "It has nothing to do with any of you."
"It has everything to do with us!" Rafe roars, yelling in a way he hasn't in years. "She's our fucking sister, a fact you didn't feel relevant to tell us before you married her!"
"I did what I had to do to protect her."
"No, you did what you wanted to do," he snaps. "You could have come to me. You should have come to me. You chose to hide her from us instead."
"I won't apologize, Rafe. If that's what you're after, it's not going to happen. I made the choice I made for a reason."
"You made the choice you made because you're a fucking lying prick," he growls. "We trusted you, and the entire fucking time, you were playing us for fools."
The entire time? Is he kidding me right now? I'll take the lumps I deserve, but this isn't one of them. I've spent every goddamn waking moment of my life keeping him, his brothers, and this family safe. I've done everything in my power to protect them, even when they were incapable of doing it themselves. I fought and bled for them. I killed for them. And I never fucking complained.
But I won't stand here now and let them come between me and Aurelia. That's where I draw the line.
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."