Page 84 of Unforgivable Ties

But I did know one thing: I wanted to stay with Vincenzo. When I saw my future, I couldn’t imagine it without him. I wanted everything that came with him, including his mafia lifestyle, the allure of danger, and an unorthodox sense of purpose.

“No, sorry,” I said. I tried to stand up and leave, but the guard in front of me pushed me back on my seat.

“Unfortunately, you’ll be staying until I’ve convinced you,” The Surgeon said, his voice taking on a dark tone. “By any means necessary.”

The guard next to me pulled out his gun and aimed it towards the floor, an implicit threat that made my skin crawl.

“I...” Tears threated to spill from the corner of my eyes. There was no winning in this situation.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Vincenzo stormed in with his gun drawn and a wild look in his eyes. With precision that came from years of practice, he took aim and shot at the guard next to me, the bullet piercing his skull.

He had already taken aim at the second guard before he could draw his gun. With a similar brutality, Vincenzo shot the second guard who collapsed onto the chilly marble floor, his blood pooling around him.

Before he could shoot The Surgeon, I jumped in front of him. Cesare would kill Vincenzo if he knew he was responsible for The Surgeon’s murder.

“Please don’t,” I said to him firmly. Then, I spun around to face The Surgeon. “I’m afraid I can’t accept your offer. But, please don’t let this affect your current relationship with the mafia.”

The Surgeon’s cold, hard eyes met mine. It was such a different look than when he had stared at me as Dr. Malden, the friendly organ transplant surgeon.

The Surgeon’s face didn’t betray any fear or apprehension. This man was used to death, to violence; it was part of his everyday life. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, a picture of nonchalance amidst the carnage.

“The deal stands,” he said, waving his hand. “Although I do think you’re making the wrong decision.”

“I appreciate your feedback, but I disagree,” I said, walking to the door. “Have a good night.”

I ushered Vincenzo out first to make sure he wouldn’t turn around and kill The Surgeon. He grabbed my hand with his large one as he led me up the stairs, squeezing it tightly as if to reassure himself of my safety.

We walked in silence until we reached the car parked haphazardly at the end of the dark alley. The night was quiet now; the previous commotion seemed almost like a surreal dream.

“I missed you,” I blurted out.

“I’m sorry,” he said at the same time.

Sobs threatened to overwhelm me, but I pushed them back.

“I missed you, too,” he said, pulling me into him and pressing his lips against mine.

And in that moment, I felt like I was whole again.

Vincenzo

It had felt like a part of me was missing these past few days. The minute Stephanie was back in my arms, everything clicked back into place; there was an easing, a settling of a weight inside me that had been churning away in her absence.

I held her hand in the car, squeezing it a bit too tightly, but I didn’t want to let her go.

“How did you know where I was?” she asked curiously, tilting her head.

“I put your information into FindMy on my iPhone,” I responded. “Sorry, I should’ve told you.”

“Well, I went through your wallet, so I guess that makes us even,” she said, a soft smile forming on her face. “And you saved my butt in there.”

Thank Christ. When I saw she had ended up at The Gilded Garden, a restaurant known for illicit activity, I had stopped what I was doing and ran to my car. I was just grateful I got there on time.

But I had no idea how she got there. When I busted down the door, I didn’t recognize the older man sitting at the table, and I knew most people in the underworld.

“Who was the man you were with?” I asked, my left hand tightening on the steering wheel.

“Dr. Malden. Well,” she said, her mouth turning down into a frown. “You’d know him as ‘The Surgeon.’”

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