Page 101 of Claiming the Mafia Queen

“I’m not going to let you burn up in here!” I adamantly squall at her, refusing to leave her behind.

I crowd close to her and yank her roughly to me, throwing her over my shoulder. “Hold pressure on it, dammit!” I command. She’s light as she veils over me. That’s a plus. I hold her steady with one arm while the other arm hooks around Aria’s side, hoisting her up to stand.

“I’m fine!” Aria shouts, pulling away from me. “I can do this…” her voice is breathy and I’m not convinced, but she looks into my eyes, her own glistening. “Worry about your mother…”

I can see her in that moment. Her image blinks across my face. Madam Rosa…she’s in a red jumpsuit, her hair down and straight, make up on, high heels clanking against concrete. Her scowl is permanent. Her eyes are slitted. She looks at me with bitter anger…

And then I see the red jumpsuit fade…

The crevices of the wrinkles fill as her face is made young again. And instead of her hair being down, it’s pulled up, loosely in a ponytail. She’s not wearing makeup. She’s wearing sneakers…and an old t-shirt…

Her smile is permanent.

Her eyes are welcoming…

And she looks at me with nothing but adoration and love..

She’s holding a mixing bowl and asking me if I want to lick the remnants from it. Brownie batter…my favorite.

She’s no longer Madam Rosa…

She’s my mom…And I’m seven years old again.

I see Aria… after what feels like a lifetime of searching. She’s transfixed on me, and my eyes are shining with nothing but pure joy.

“Tony…” she whispers. “Tony…”

“Tony!” A scream pulls me back and the light disappears. I’m surrounded by nothing but fire. “Get the fuck up!” Aria demands, pulling and tugging on me.

Chapter 21

Aria

Wemadeitoutside,but only just barely.

Tony blacked out as soon as he lifted Madam Rosa up onto his shoulders. When I finally got him up, he was able to carry her, but the window he’d sent Alessandro through just moments before had become inaccessible. Luckily we were able to get through the door I’d wanted to leave thirty minutes before…

Before the chaos dragged us in separate directions.

He looked like shit as soon as we shoved ourselves out the door. He collapsed again, and both of them dropped to gravel below, gasping and retching in the crisp air.

There’s no way to know how many men are still inside.

I can only just hope that mine had the smarts to get the hell out of dodge.

“Why the hell was Detroit not enough!?” He jerks her up to his lap and holds her closely. She laughs, holding her side. He pushes her hand away and cries out a pained and anguished sob as he jerks his shirt off and crumples it to her wound.

“You know I hold a grudge…” she whispers, her eyes glistening with a tear.

I cough myself, and clutch my throbbing head.

“What a grudge?!” He demands, his spit flying from his mouth. “Aria hasn’t done anything to you!”

She laughs again and wheezes

“I’ve been angry for almost a half century now….” Her voice is faint.

“What the hell are you talking about?!”

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