Page 56 of Fierce Hearts

"Please, Sofia. I love you. It wasn't what you think."

My father's fingers dug into my shoulder. "He betrayed you. Used you. Fed information to the Malatestas. About us. About you."

My hand trembled and the gun wavered, emotions rolling through me like a storm.

"I trusted you," I whispered to Bryce.

"Sofia, baby, please?—"

"Do it," my father commanded. "Protect this family."

I squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath as I pulled the trigger.

The gunshot cracked through the basement, making my heart lurch in my chest.

When I forced my eyes open, Bryce's body was slumped forward, blood pooling beneath him. I dropped to my knees, reaching for him and turning him over.

But it wasn't Bryce anymore.

Gray's green eyes stared up at me, empty and unseeing. His handsome face was slack, a bullet hole centered in his forehead. Blood trickled down his temple.

I screamed, clutching his lifeless body as pain and despair tore through me.

"Well done, daughter." My father's voice came from behind me. "You're living up to your name. Wisdom through bloodshed."

I turned to look at him, and to my horror, my lips curled with a mind of their own, until I was grinning. Pride swelled in my chest at his approval despite the screaming in my mind.

But my father's face shifted, morphing into Uncle Ernesto's weathered features.

"The Savoca way," he said, stepping closer.

I held Gray's head in my lap, feeling his dead weight there as I stared up at Ernesto.

I couldn't move as my uncle pulled a knife from his jacket, frozen as I held Gray, shielding him with my body.

The breath left my body as Ernesto plunged the blade into my back, the pain a blend of fire and ice as he buried it deep, twisting it as a sob escaped my lips.

"For the family," he whispered as he knelt down. "Always for the family."

I jolted awake with a gasp, jerking as someone held me.

Ernesto.

"No!" I cried out, sweat beading on my forehead as I flailed.

"Sof! It's me, you're okay!"

Gray's voice pierced through my confused mind, and I ceased my fighting, drawing in steadying breaths as his arms tightened around me, solid and warm and alive. His breath tickled my neck as he pulled me closer against his chest.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked, stroking my hair soothingly as I focused on where I was.

The nightmare receded, leaving me trembling in his embrace. The weight of his arms around me, the steady beat of his heart against my back—it grounded me. I was safe. We were safe. For now.

A small smile touched my lips despite the lingering horror of the dream. He was still here. He hadn't left me in the night.

Gray pressed a gentle kiss to my shoulder. "Sof? Talk to me."

I exhaled slowly, trying to push away the image of his lifeless eyes. "Just a nightmare."

---