Page 135 of Coerced Queen

“The cops will be here soon,” Dante says, starting the engine.“I’ll take a backroad.”

I wince as Saverio pushes the coat over my shoulder to expose my upper arm.“Claire.”

“Livy and Claire are home safely.”Saverio’s voice is terse.“Nicole just sent me a text message.”

I sink back against the seat with a sigh.

“Here.”Dante grabs a jacket from the passenger seat that he throws over his shoulder.“To stop the bleeding.I’ll let Nicole know we’re on our way.”

Saverio neatly tears off the sleeve and ties it like a bandage around my arm.“Hold on, treasure.I’ve got you.”

I utter a painful chuckle.“Now I really wish you robbed an ambulance.I won’t say no to a little anesthetic before Nicole takes this bullet out of my arm.”

Saverio’s features set into hard lines.“When this is over, we’re going to have a serious talk about the risks you took tonight.”

“Cut her some slack.”Dante glances in the rearview mirror.“This isn’t the moment for a lecture.”

“If you know what’s good for you—” Saverio starts.

“Guys.”Ouch.Even raising my voice hurts.“Can we not fight until we’re home?Please?”

“Just relax, my love.”Saverio pulls me against the side of his body, sheltering me with his strength and warmth.“I’ll take care of you.”A short hesitation follows before he says, “There’s something you should know.”

“My mom?”

He exhales.“She’s dead.”

I take a moment to process that.Instead of sadness, all I find in my heart is relief.“Raphael?”

Saverio holds my gaze.“He started it.”His tone hardens.“I finished it.”

I nod, accepting that fact.She did the unthinkable by taking my baby.If I’d gotten to her before Saverio, I wouldn’t have shown her mercy either.

“It’s ugly,” he warns.

I let out a tremulous breath.“What did she do?”

“She sold Claire to Raphael for a million dollars.”Hatred fills his words.“She was stupid enough to believe he’d give her the money.”

I digest that while he tells me what my mom confessed—that Raphael bribed her to spy on us but that he had to change tactics when I turned her away.And that he paid her bills while they bided their time until the right moment presented itself to put his new plan into action.

“Raphael knew about the party because he had your house watched,” I muse.“He chose the moment to send my mom after Claire well.She didn’t care what he was going to do to my baby.Like always, she only cared about feeding her addictions.”

“That’s over.”He kisses the top of my head.“You can put it behind you now.”

Something like this you never put behind you, but I’m only grateful to have my daughter back unharmed.I’m alive, which is more than I bargained for when I set out on this mission.That’s a lot to be thankful for.I’m not going to waste the chance I was given by dwelling in the past.I’m going to live every second like it matters.I’m going to be the best mother for Claire I can be.The days of settling for second best are over.I came close to death twice, the first time at our wedding, and the second time, tonight.

But tonight was different.Tonight, the gun was inmyhand.My relationship with death is different, more intimate, and my life will never be the same again.I’m acutely aware of both my strength and my vulnerability.I know how fragile life is and how short the time we have can be.If the experience made me realize one thing, it’s this…

Saverio deserves better, and so do I.

Shit, that thought hurts.

I blink away the tears that burn at the back of my eyes.

Just as he’s always there for me, I’ll be there for him too.I told Nicole I won’t give up on him, but I don’t have to do it as his wife.I can stand by him as a friend.I owe it to both of us to give us a chance at the happiness we couldn’t find together.We tried.God knows, I did.But it’s time to admit that maybe I’m not what Saverio needs.He told me so on several occasions, but I didn’t want to listen because I didn’t want to leave.

This obsession we have with one another isn’t healthy.It’s nothing but lust, and lust hasn’t been enough for a while now.As long as Saverio is saddled with me, he’ll never have the opportunity to find therightwoman, a woman who’ll free him from the invisible chains his love of Rachele put on him.

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