Page 60 of Vicious Redemption

And what would be far worse than having my husband kill my father, is wrongfully executing him for a crime he didn’t commit.

How could we come so close to peace once again, to have it snatched away at the last minute?

It feels as though this tug-of-war between my love and my loyalty just might rip me in two before the fight is over.

29

LEO

Tia stands before me in a modest black dress, her makeup soft and minimal—likely to avoid smudging during the challenging and probably tearful day ahead. Her onyx eyes focus intently on the knot of my tie—black like the rest of my suit to match the solemn occasion.

It’s not the funeral, not yet. That won’t come until after the morgue has released my father’s body. Which they won’t do until the autopsy is complete.

No, today is a time-honored Piovosa tradition in which any mourning friends and family will stop by the house of the grieving family to pay their respects. I fucking hate it.

I’m dreading the hours of tears—crocodile and genuine—that will come flooding through my front doors, invading my privacy as they assess my own level of pain and grief.

So, rather than dressing myself today, which I’m perfectly capable of, I let Tia do the finishing touches for me. Her fingers are soft yet confident as they straighten her perfect Windsor knot. Then she smooths the soft fabric with her palm and peers up at me through thick lashes.

“I love you,” she murmurs, her voice and expression demure.

My fingers tighten reflexively around her hips, and I lean in to press a kiss to her forehead. These last two days have been nothing shy of torture. And her presence is the only thing that has kept me together, kept me grounded.

“Ready?” I ask, my voice rough with strain.

She nods, looping her arm with mine and keeping pace with me as we exit our private room. The halls are empty until we reach the main foyer. There, servants bustle to get ready in time. There’s much to be done—food to prepare and set out, cleaning, appropriate mourning decor to be hung.

Tia and I reach the drawing room, where guests will filter in and out before gathering in the ballroom for refreshments. Rasco is already there with several of my best men. But not Johnny. Because I refuse to release the Guerra men until I find the culprit, and I want my right-hand man to have his eyes on them until that time.

My men stand protectively behind us, ready to mow down anyone who thinks they might use this sacred rite to target me. The mourning service is a time when everyone is supposed to set aside their conflicts, lay down their weapons, and honor the dead. But considering my father’s murderer is a sneaky coward that would kill him in his hospital bed, I’m not taking any chances.

Not with my pregnant wife by my side.

Taking up our post in front of the mantel, Tia and I face the door. Without a word, she laces our fingers together, lending me silent comfort in our final moments of peace.

Then, the mourners start to arrive. Each household bears gifts of consolation—enough bottles of wine to drown our sorrows and drive us into an early grave, countless tokens of affection, homemade cookies, pies, and sugary treats.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” they say.

“What a terrible tragedy.”

“He died before his time.”

“What an influence your father had on this community.”

“He will be missed.”

Countless words meant to honor the dead and soothe my grief. Time and again, I shake hands and say thank you. And when my voice fails me, Tia does it instead, offering gratitude for people’s heartfelt words and kind gifts.

But subtly, I’m studying their faces.

Rather than allowing the hollow pit in my stomach to consume me, I’m secretly hunting for the one responsible.

And the truth is, any one of the people who filter through my home could have had reason to want my father dead. The dons who have all bent their knee to my family each make their appearance.

None seem to hold genuine remorse about my father’s passing.

Not a surprise, considering they chose to give up their power and higher station as a last resort.

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