Page 18 of Fractured Devotion

“Yeah. Fuck is right.” I sighed. “And I just pushed her into his arms faster.” Nodding toward the ring, “We need to stop Ryker from fighting. Andrei was in with Kronos. I can’t imagine it was a pep talk—at least not the kind Ryker is probably getting about now.”

Nodding his agreement, Vincenzo and I headed toward Ryker. I wasn’t sure how I was going to stop a fight from happening, but I damn sure wasn’t going to risk his wife winding up a widow. I might have completely fucked my chances with the woman I loved, but I wasn’t going to stand by and watch someone else lose the love of their life.

“Whatever it is, you did,”—Vincenzo gripped my shoulder—“it isn’t the end of the world. Carmela may have given up on hope, but you have enough for both of you. Don’t give up now, not when you’re this close to having your heart back.”

He was right. She might have given up on hope, but I hadn’t. I loved her enough for the both of us. Carmela might believe she had no heart, but she was wrong.

She had mine.

ten

CARMELA

I wanted to drive my knife into the disgusting flesh beneath Andrei’s belt. The knife was like a heavy secret against my leg, reminding me that I was still in control. The thinly veiled threat he had made for my disappearing act was meant to intimidate, and it did. His disbelief over my feeble excuse of an extended bathroom break due to a long line barely masked his suspicion. If he got even a whiff of my meeting with Alex, it wouldn’t just be a quick end to our newly reunited relationship but quite possibly our lives.

The quiet exchange between Alex and Massimo was laden with gravity. Massimo’s face was an open book of emotions—shock from recognition, a brief glimmer of relief that quickly darkened into anger, and a poignant sadness that seemed to weigh down his gaze. His subtle nod to Alex was like the silent drop of a pin in the chaos around us, but his eyes stayed locked with mine, communicating a world of emotions and unsaid words. Alex whispered in his ear again, causing Massimo’s gaze to land on Andrei… then me.

Andrei’s voice cut through the silent communication like a blunt blade. “What the fuck is he looking at?” His head snapped in my direction, eyes narrowed with a hint of danger.

“How would I know?” I flipped the end of my hair over my shoulder and shifted toward him. “It looks like he knows you… a friend?” I arched a brow in question.

Andrei wrapped his meaty fingers around my arm. “Did you forget who you’re talking to?”

“Andrei—” I began to act as if I was frightened by his show of dominance, but the unmistakable voice of my brother… a voice that was doing its best not to sound murderous.

“You might manhandle your women where you’re from, but you’re in my town, Andrei. And I don’t care if you work for Aleski Lipovsky or not—I’ll kill you myself.”

The air around us charged with tension, thick with the kind of unease that whispers of approaching storms. Andrei’s grip on my arm slackened, his attention snapping to the man who hadn’t graced my proximity in what felt like eons.

“Massimo Anastasi,” he said, the name rolling off his tongue like a warning. His next words dripped with disdain, an insult meant to provoke. “You couldn’t squash a bug if it was beneath your foot.”

Massimo was no man to be trifled with. His response was swift and fierce, his hand shooting out to encircle Andrei’s neck with a grip that proved he was exactly the formidable opponent he promised.

“What I don’t squash… my brother's gut. You remember La Lama, don’t you?” Vincenzo’s name, once whispered with reverence and fear, now spoken aloud, seemed to stiffen Andrei’s spine. Massimo’s eyes then turned to me, his words laden with a mixture of pride and warning. “And apparently, genetics provide more than looks. My sister is nearly as skilled with a blade as he is—maybe better based on what I’ve seen.”

I shot Massimo a look, my eyes silently screaming for him to hold back, to keep my secret just that—a secret. Andrei, oblivious to the silent exchange, bragged with a bravado that made my skin crawl.

“A woman won’t best me, I can promise that. Now… why are you really here interrupting my time with my woman?” His arm coiled around my shoulder, yanking me against his thick frame.

“I’ve just been informed there will be no fight with Ryker. It would appear that the ‘Saint’ tripped over a pair of gloves left on the floor of his room and took a rather hard fall. His left arm is broken.”

The revelation left me feigning shock, my hand flying to my mouth in a well-practiced gesture of surprise. The idea of Ryker, nimble and sure-footed as a cat, being felled by something as trivial as gloves scattered on the floor was absurd. Too absurd. As my eyes found Massimo’s, the unspoken understanding between us confirmed my suspicions. This was a charade, a clever ploy devised by my family to shield Ryker from whatever insidious plot Aleski had concocted. My facade of dismay was nothing more than a mask, cleverly hiding the smirk tugging on the corners of my lips. In the grand scheme of things, where every move was part of a larger, more dangerous game, it seemed my family had just made a cunning countermove.

Andrei’s sudden rise sent a jolt through me, my chair teetering precariously. His command was sharp, a no-nonsense bark that left no room for protest. “Stay here.” He didn’t wait for my acknowledgment, already turning away, intent on his next task.

“Excuse me, I need to let my boss know.”

Alone with Massimo, the air between us was thick with tension. “Were you going to stay hidden forever?” His voice held a tinge of frustration, maybe a bit of concern.

I faced my brother and sighed. “I don’t know, Massimo.”

“We’re your God damn family, Carmela. We can help you with this…” His gesture was dismissive of the danger. “This is a dangerous game you’re playing.”

“It’s not a game.” I crossed my hands over my chest, my eyes narrowing into thin slits. “He destroyed me.”

The intake of Massimo’s breath was sharp, a physical reaction to my bitter truth. “How can you say that? Alex nearly died—hell, I think a part of him did die when he thought he’d lost you forever. As much as it pisses me off to say it, that man loves you.”

“He is no better than the men I’ve killed.”

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