Page 170 of The One
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
We’re hours away from Sicily.
My hands tighten around the phone, my knuckles turning white.
“Find me a helicopter or a private jet in Grosseto. We’ll be there within the hour. Call me with updates the second you get them.” I don’t wait for a response before ending the call.
Mari doesn’t say a word. She throws her arms around me, holding on tight. And God, I need it.
Because within seconds, my life has spun out of control.
Tiero has been shot.
He’s fighting for his life.
One of my worst nightmares has just become reality.
“I’m so sorry,mi amore.” Mari’s voice is full of aching sympathy. “Your brother is strong. If anyone can pull through this, it’s him. Especially with his love for Ella pulling him through. She’s with him, right? He found her?”
“I don’t know. I forgot to ask.”
I rake a hand through my hair, frustration and fear tangling in my chest.
“God, I hope she’s with him. That alone would give him reason to fight.”
What a cruel twist of fate it would be if he just got the love of his life back, only to be shot.
I let myself soak in Mari’s warmth for a few more precious seconds before pulling away and pulling her back toward the car.
“We need to get to Sicily. I’m sorry,dolcezza, but our wedding has to wait.”
She shakes her head firmly. “Of course. Your brother is the priority.” Her fingers tighten around mine. “Our wedding can wait until he’s fully recovered. I think you’d prefer for him to be there anyway.”
God, I love this woman.
Three agonizingly long hours later, we pull up at the hospital in Palermo. The moment the jet’s wheels touch the tarmac, reality comes crashing down around us. The world I pushed aside for just a few precious days is thrust back in my face.
We’re met by a wall of soldiers, ushering us straight into waiting cars. All morning I was floating in a bubble of bliss, thinking only of Mari, of the life we were about to start together. Now, that world seems impossibly far away.
Santino has been feeding me updates throughout the flight, but none of them brought relief. Tiero is still in surgery. I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or a terrible one.
Inside, I’m spiraling. My thoughts are a chaotic storm, but I force myself to breathe. To focus.
And I manage to, because Mari’s hand is still in mine, her touch the anchor keeping me steady. I squeeze it gently, her warmth seeping through the panic and grounding me.
Her presence calms me and keeps me from losing myself completely. She’s my tether, holding me back from the edge.
I take another slow breath, my eyes flicking to her face for the briefest moment. She’s watching me, concern etched into her features, but there’s strength in her gaze, strength I can lean on when I need it most.
The moment I step out of this car, I have to be the man they expect me to be. Strong. In control.
With Tiero incapacitated, I’m in charge now.
No weakness. No hesitation.
But for now, as the car rolls to a stop, I hold on to her hand just a little longer. Because with her by my side, even this nightmare is more bearable.
What’s coming will test me. I can feel it.
