Page 35 of Leaving Lando

It sucks, but it’s for the best in the long run. At least, that’s what I tell myself. Only Lando knows that sometimes I have dreams where I kill Santiago in numerous gruesome ways.

He understands. After that night, when I was released from the hospital, he talked me into seeing a therapist to work through everything that had happened. I’m glad he did. I don’t have any regrets, but I would much rather shoot paper targets than human beings.

* * *

Kosta and Erin’shome is sleek and modern, but still manages to be warm and welcoming. All the cousins who were at the diner that night are here, plus Kosta’s parents, and his brother Carmen, and sister Dani, and her husband, a man called Wolf Calhoun.

Now that we’re here, everyone laughing and talking and eating, it’s easy to relax and forget about everything that’s happened, and might yet happen. Until Kosta’s mother, Paola, suggests that everyone say what they’re thankful for. That turns the mood, not dark, but definitely serious. Some of the responses are lighthearted; most of them are poignant.

Then it’s Lando’s turn.

He puts his arm around me. “I don’t think I need to say a lot about what I’m thankful for this year. I count myself the luckiest man on the planet, in every way imaginable.”

I blink back tears as everyone murmurs their approval and he slides his nose against mine. “Since your and Quinn’s birthday party was interrupted, I didn’t get to finish giving you your present.” He hands me an envelope.

Inside is a card decorated with every kind of transportation imaginable. The inside reads simply, in Lando’s distinctive writing, “Wherever your heart desires.”

“I don’t want you to give up your dreams, Brianna,” he says. “I want to help you make them come true.”

There’s no holding back the flood of tears. I fling my arms around him and blubber, “I’d go anywhere with you.”

“Thank you, babe. How about church?”

I draw back to stare at him, baffled. “Church?” Then I see the velvet box in his hand, and the diamond ring nestled inside. “Oh my god. Oh my god oh my god oh my god!”

“Is that a yes?”

Overcome, I stick my hand out, and Lando takes the ring and poises it next to my finger. “Brianna Rose Callahan, will you be my wife?”

“What’s your middle name, dammit?” I cry.

A gentle ripple of laughter flows around the table. Lando smiles his beautiful smile. “Andino.”

“Lando Andino Adamo, I will be your wife. And I will love you for all the days to come, forever and ever. Amen.”

His eyes stormy with emotion, he slides the ring on, then crushes me to him in a kiss that turns me inside out. Dimly, I hear the others applauding, cheering, whistling.

I open my eyes in time to see Quinn slip quietly away from the table, a plate heaped with Thanksgiving dinner in her hand. Intuition makes me look away as she sneaks out the back of the house. I don’t know if he’s out there, or she just hopes he is, but I’ll protect her privacy as far as I can.

I’ve yet to lay eyes on him, this Adamo who seems, from what Quinn tells me, far more wild than tame, even compared to his alpha male cousins. Quinn has almost mystical powers of tranquility, but I don’t know if that’s enough. I hope she isn’t heading for heartache.

Still, I just got engaged to the world’s best fuck buddy. Anything is possible.

* * *

When Brianna’ssister goes outside with her plate of food, I check my phones — both of them — just to be sure.

No messages.

If Matteo wants me, he knows how to reach me. I’m not sure there’s anything left to say at this point anyway. The battle lines have been drawn; Santiago’s going down, one way or another.

But none of us wants to take him out in a way that will leave Matteo exposed.

After Bree’s abduction, Romero and I met with a very small group of our cousins and filled them in on Matteo’s clandestine visits. All we know for sure is that he’s mixed up with Santiago somehow … but still trying to do the right thing. So far.

Like I said to Matteo at Tonio’s house, he’s family, and he always will be. So we have twin priorities: finish Santiago in a way that ensures he won’t ever threaten us again, and bring Matteo in out of the cold.

Even if he doesn’t want to come.

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