Page 105 of Brutal Heir
“Hey, Rory, look at me.” Alessandro’s hoarse whisper forces my gaze to meet his. “I’m so sorry I put you through that.” He pauses, snagging his bottom lip between his teeth. “Growing up in this family, shoot outs aren’t exactly unusual for me. But I hate that you were dragged into the crossfire. That I risked your life?—”
“No,” I cut him off. I hate that he feels guilty over this. Brigid O’Shea has been in her own fair share of shady situations. “There’s something I need to tell you…”
He presses a finger to my lips, silencing me. “Please, let me go first.” His voice cracks just slightly, but his eyes are steady like he’s finally done running from what’s inside him. He takes my free hand, lacing our fingers together, then presses our joined palms to his heart.
“I meant every word I said in that alley,” he murmurs, his thumb sweeping across my knuckles. “Every single one. I love you, Rory Delaney. I didn’t say it because I thought I was going to die. I said it because it’s the truth. Because I’ve been carrying it around for weeks, scared that if I spoke it out loud, you’d disappear.”
Tears sting my eyes, but I don’t look away. I couldn’t if I tried.
“I just…” he exhales slowly, like the words cost him. “I wish I’d told you for the first time in a way that didn’t involve bullets and blood, and you forced into my fucked-up world. You deserve better than that. You deserve a rooftop and champagne. A string quartet or whatever the hell women dream about when someone tells them they’re loved.”
I lift our joined hands to my lips and kiss the back of his.
“Alessandro…” My voice wavers, but I push through. “You don’t get to decide what I deserve. And you don’t have to wish for a better moment, because this, you, are exactly what I want.”
He stares at me, something raw and wrecked in those eyes, like he can’t quite believe it.
“I love you,” I say again, firmer now. “Not because you saved me or because you almost died. But because when I’m with you, I remember who I really am. And more importantly, who I want to be.”
His throat works as he swallows, and then he drags me into him, wrapping me so tight I can barely breathe. I don’t care. I burrow into his warmth like it’s the only shelter from the storm.
“I’ve never said those words to anyone and really meant them.” His warm breath rushes through my hair. “Not like this. Not when it really mattered.”
“Me neither,” I whisper. I was a young eejit when I first met Conall, and I thought I knew what love was.
We stay like that for a long time, hearts still pounding from the aftermath. But now, they beat in sync.
Together.
CHAPTER 41
LA SPADA NERA
Alessandro
“I want every motherfucker from La Spada Nera rounded up,” I shout into the phone. The new stitches on my shoulder pull as I pace the length of my office, fury pounding through my veins. “Kill the foot soldiers and bring the leaders to me. I’ll handle Jace Morello myself.”
How dare that piece of shit shoot at my little leprechaun? Atme? On Christmas Day, no less! No one touches what’s mine and lives. And if Rory wasn’t mine before, those three little words from her lips sealed it.
“But Alessandro, your father…”
“I don’t give a fuck, Jimmy.” The man on the other line has been working for the Geminis long before I was born. While my father and uncle handle the legitimate business, Jimmy handles all that dark shit. The stuff my family no longer wants to deal with.
He works for my father, his loyalty belongs to him. This is the first time I’ve approached the fixer myself.
“Look, kid, you’re crossing a line, one you’ve never even treaded close to. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t warn you. This move could plunge the Geminis back into war. You know things have been pretty peaceful in the last few years, and your father wants to keep it that way. This will change everything?—”
“If you’re not up for the task, Jimmy, I’ll callMa’s men. I’m sure the Four Seas will have no issue taking care of La Spada Nera.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. I just want you to think on this for a minute. You’re calling for the death of dozens of men, some boys even younger than you.”
I draw in a breath, attempting to still the pounding of my pulse. “This is what my father has wanted for years, Jimmy,” I growl. “For me to take my place as the Gemini heir. So this is me taking it.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I’m positive. Now make the call and exterminate those Spada scum. And while you’re at it, bring me Sienna Cruz. I need to question her myself.”
“Will do,capo. See you at the Vault in an hour.”
