Page 338 of Rosetti Family New York
When Connor's body goes limp, Emilio lets it drop with casual indifference. Connor and his men are eliminated in less than three minutes by Emilio Rosetti.
He turns to me then, leaving death behind, his silver eyes searching my face for any sign of fear or disgust.
I move closer, drawn by the same magnetic pull that has defined us from the start. Desire floods my system as I take in the sight of him, shirt stained with red, dark hair tousled from violence, eyes glowing with satisfaction. This is who he truly is beneath his tailored clothes and calm exterior. Not just the Ghost, but something far more dangerous. A man who turns violence into worship when it serves love.
"You chose me," he breathes, his voice rough as his stained fingers gently touch my cheek. "Over everything else. You chose me."
The wonder in his voice fills my chest with emotion until it's hard to contain. "Always," I whisper, leaning into his touch despite the metallic scent of death on his skin. "I'll always choose you."
26
Emilio
As we cross the Williamsburg Bridge, with the bright lights of Manhattan ahead, I get a text. My phone vibrates on the dashboard, signaling something important from my family. Three words that make my heart stop.
Kill order active.
Matteo, my twin, warns me efficiently, as he always has, keeping the Rosetti family safe for years. No need for explanation—the family has judged Mara's actions at the Plaza. Domenico has given an order based on the outcome of the gala
Next to me, Mara goes still. Her breathing remains steady, but I can sense the change. Years of surviving have taught her to handle death sentences like weather forecasts, but she tenses up.
"How long?" she asks, her voice steady with only a hint of tremor.
"Hours, maybe less," I reply calmly, taking the next exit. "Dom doesn’t believe in dragging things out."
The family's betrayal is a knife in my guts. Dom might have to die for this. I turn off the headlights and drive into an industrialarea with abandoned warehouses, the kind of place where secrets stay hidden and cars vanish into shadow.
"Here," I say, stopping between two rundown buildings where loading docks shield us from view. The engine stops, and we sit in the silence that makes our heartbeats thunderous.
For a moment, we sit in the darkness, thinking about what's changed. Just hours ago, Mara was seeking acceptance. Now she's marked for death by the very people she wanted approval from.
"I failed," she whispers, her words rough. "I had Chase right there. Perfect chance. But I chose to save you from Connor's attack instead."
"You made the right choice." I turn to look at her, city lights casting gold shadows on her face. "You chose love over duty, protection over politics, me over everything else they could have offered."
"And now they want me dead for it."
"They want you dead because they don't understand real loyalty." I find her hand in the darkness. "They think you could have killed Callahan, and that I would have taken care of myself."
"And would you have? Taken care of yourself, I mean? Even a Rosetti can't see behind him. You didn't know he was coming. You would have died, right?"
I shrug. "Guess we'll never know."
Her laugh holds no humor, just bitter acceptance. "Your family will never accept me now. The woman who chose feelings over mission success."
"When they realize you saved my life, they'll come around," he says.
"If I'm not already dead.
The words hang between us. Outside, the warehouse district is quiet. Inside the car, tension builds like a furnace.
"We can't stay here," Mara says, but she doesn't move. "They'll widen the search, use traffic cameras."
"No," I agree, my thumb tracing circles on her palm, changing her breathing. "But we have a few minutes before they close in. And there's something I need you to know."
"What is it?"
"That I don't regret any of it." My free hand cups her face, feeling warmth beneath fingers that still remember Connor's blood. "Running from my family, burning every bridge, none of it matters compared to keeping you alive."
