Page 81 of Taming a Ruthless Heart

“Dave, I don’t need you to leave everything behind.”She reaches for my hand, her voice catching.After a shaky breath, she continues, “I just need you to be here.With me.With Rose.”

I swallow hard, my chest tightening.I pull her close, feeling her warmth seep into me.“I don’t deserve you.”

Despite the glimmer of hope, the fragile flame igniting in my heart, I consider the truthfulness in my words.Maybe we can have a future like Alexia’s answer implies.I want to believe I can be the man she deserves.Maybe we can build something out of the ashes of our past.It’ll have to be strong to withstand the darkness that will continue to follow us.

That thought makes my heart lurch.What if I’m the one who will doom them?What if my existence will bring Alexia and Rose misery and pain?My enemies will put a target on Alexia and Rose.I know fucking well how ruthless these Mafia men are.

Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, I observe the city.From up here, Boston looks serene—a stark contrast to the chaos I carry inside.I cross the plush expanse of the living room, the sound of my footsteps swallowed by the thick, patterned rug beneath.The space is immaculate, modern, yet cold, reflecting the life I’ve built.Money, power, influence—all of it means nothing tonight.

Tommy stands by the doorway, his dark suit sharply tailored, every inch of him exuding that controlled intensity that’s as much a part of him as breathing.He’s been my right hand, my confidant, my brother through the bloody darkness of this life.And yet, tonight, even with him here, I feel that familiar chill—an emptiness that Alexia’s presence had somehow managed to keep at bay.

“Thanks for coming,” I say.I don’t invite him in because he doesn’t need an invitation.

Tommy nods, stepping further into the room.His eyes scan the space, a habit ingrained from years of survival in our world.His gaze lingers on the panoramic view of the city, stretching out beneath us.

For all the power I’ve amassed, I know there’s no way to guarantee any protection for Alexia and Rose, and that knowledge burns inside me like a relentless thorn in my side.

“Always, brother,” Tommy replies.

I shove my hands in my pockets, forcing myself to breathe, to control the storm raging beneath the surface.

We walk together toward the terrace.The glass doors slide open smoothly, letting in the cool night air that’s thick with the scent of the city—smoke, asphalt, and the faint hint of the nearby harbor.The terrace sprawls before us, lined with elegant lanterns and lush greenery, a space that should feel peaceful but only reminds me of the isolation closing in around me.

Tommy leans against the railing, his hands gripping the metal as he stares out over the city.“What’s eating you, Dave?”His voice is steady, but there’s an edge to it, a flicker of worry that only I would recognize.“I haven’t seen you this twisted up since… since Mom.”

The mention of our mother sends a jolt through me, a raw, unhealed wound buried deep.But tonight isn’t about her.It’s about Alexia and Rose, the only things that matter to me now.

“I don’t think I can keep them.In fact, I don’t think I should keep them,” I admit, my heart splintering as I do.“Alexia and Rose deserve a good life, you know.One that isn’t tainted by violence.One where they don’t have to look over their shoulders every damn day.Or worry if I’m coming home at the end of the day.”

Tommy doesn’t respond.He stands there, silent, the city lights casting shadows across his smooth cheeks, making him look harder.“You think letting them go will keep them safe?”

I clench my jaw, the muscles in my face tight as I force myself to meet his gaze.“I don’t know.But staying with me… it feels like a death sentence.I won’t be the reason they live in fear.”

Tommy’s eyes flash with a spark of emotion that he usually keeps buried.“You think you’re the reason they’re in danger?You think walking away will magically make danger disappear?Alexia has seen too much.Igor’s dead, but his allies are out there.”

I bristle, my hands balling into fists as I turn back to the city, the lights blurring in my vision.“Tommy, I can’t keep putting them in the line of fire just because I’m selfish enough to want them close.They’ve already suffered enough.There are ways I can protect them even from afar.You know how these things work.”

For a moment, there’s silence, heavy and suffocating.Then, Tommy steps closer, his hand gripping my shoulder.“Listen to me, Dave.You think you’re doing the right thing by sending them away?”He shakes his head, his grip tightening.“Alexia’s strong, yeah, but she’ll be on her own.And Rose is your daughter, man.She deserves to know that her father fought for her, that he did whatever it took to keep her safe.”

His words hit me, each one like a punch to the gut, stripping away the layers of doubt I’ve wrapped around myself.

“You’re right, Tommy.But not in the way you think.They deserve a chance at happiness.A real life.Not one tainted by who I am, what I do.”Alexia and Rose deserve better.And fear gnaws at me, insidious, whispering that I’m not good enough.I add, “I can’t protect them from the darkness that follows me, that surrounds us, Tommy.”

He sighs, releasing my shoulder, and steps back, crossing his arms as he studies me with an intense gaze.“And you don’t think you can protect them here?You’ve built this empire, Dave.You’ve protected our family, kept us safe.You think you can’t do that for them?”

“It’s not the same,” I bite back, frustration flaring.“You and I, we were born into this.We knew the cost from day one.Alexia and Rose deserve more than what I can give them.”

Tommy shakes his head, a faint smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth, though there’s no humor in his eyes.“Maybe they do.But have you asked Alexia what she wants?”

I freeze, his words cutting deeper than I’d like to admit.The image of Rose’s tiny hand clutching Doggy, of Alexia’s fierce determination, flashes through my mind.They’re not helpless, not by a long shot.But I’ve treated them like fragile things that need to be locked away, protected from the world.

“Damn it, Tommy,” I mutter, rubbing a hand over my face.“Why does it have to be so complicated?”

He lets out a low chuckle, a sound that’s both familiar and comforting.“Because you love them, Dave.And love’s a complicated thing, especially for men like us.”

I let it sink in, the truth settling over me like a weighted blanket.At the same time, it somehow eases my burden.Love isn’t simple, isn’t clean.It’s messy, brutal, and painful, but it’s also the one thing that makes life worth living.

“Look, whatever decision you make, I’ll back you, brother.But I’ll say this—Alexia and Rose make you a better man.Hell, they make all of us better.And that’s something worth fighting for.”

---