Page 77 of Fierce Secrets

"He didn't have one." Leo's voice was careful. "I disarmed him earlier. He ran and I had to deal with some other guys."

"But I felt it. The muzzle?—"

"Probably this." Gray picked up a metal lighter on the floor, grimacing as the movement pulled at his wound. "Old trick. Make someone think you're armed." He dropped it and covered his bloody shoulder once more.

I shook my head, the adrenaline making everything fuzzy.

It took me a moment to realize the gunshots inside the house had fallen silent, and that it was quiet outside as well. Sofia appeared, medical kit in hand.

"Holy shit, Mer!" She was beside me in an instant, Leo's arm still wrapped arm me protectively. "I saw everything through the cameras. You're officially a badass."

The praise felt hollow as I looked at the bodies surrounding us. Several littered the living area that I could see now, along with the hall.

I'd killed tonight. To protect my family.

And despite knowing murder was wrong, I didn't regret it. Not for this.

"I was just protecting Gray," I said quietly, still processing what I'd done. The weight of taking lives should have felt heavier, but all I felt was relief that my family was safe.

My brother, my best friend, and the man I loved.

Looking between Leo and Gray, understanding truly dawned on me. This was how it had started for Leo – the instinct to protect those you love, to eliminate threats without hesitation. The violence wasn't separate from the love; it was born from it. He'd always spoken fondly of his family whenever he had spoken about them, which was rare. Now I understood.

Roman appeared, his usually pristine suit spattered with blood. "Place is clear. The Malatesta crew has been handled."

"This is going to be one hell of a mess to deal with in regards to Fiorenzo." Leo muttered, his own shirt stained crimson, not that I cared. "But I'll handle it."

"Will you be in danger?" The thought made my stomach clench as I pressed a hand to his chest, not caring about the sticky blood on his shirt.

"I'll arrange a meeting. Fiorenzo will likely try to keep our alliance strong. These men likely didn't act on his behalf considering there was a clash between him and his brother." His jaw ticked as he narrowed his eyes at the bodies around us. "What concerns me is how they found this place. This safe-house wasn't supposed to be on anyone's radar. Hence it being a safe-house. And I really don't think any of us were followed despite how that makes the most sense."

"We'll get to the bottom of it. For now, let's get this place cleaned up," Roman said before he barked orders into his earpiece.

"Sounds like the rest of cavalry arrived then," Sof mused as she inspected Gray's injury.

"Not a second too soon," Leo said with a heavy sigh. "What a damn mess."

"At least we're all alive," I stated the main fact, and he nodded.

Sofia had already started working on Gray's wound, muttering in Italian as she examined the damage. I watched them all – my brother wincing under Sofia's care, Roman speaking through his earpiece, Leo holding me close as we surveyed the carnage left from this fight.

My family. Complicated, dangerous, but mine.

And I'd kill for them again if I had to.

CHAPTER 28

MEREDITH

'Iregret to inform you...'I typed, then deleted the line. Nothing about this resignation felt like regret. After everything that had happened, pretending to be normal felt more exhausting than embracing the truth.

Sofia lounged on her couch beside me, while Gray sat in the armchair, arm still in a sling. The normality of the scene – writing emails in Sofia's living room – felt almost surreal after the violence of last night.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard as thoughts of Leo's meeting with the head of the Malatesta family played on my mind. He'd been gone for hours now, and the tension was eating at me.

"More coffee?" Sofia stood, gathering our empty mugs.

"Sure," I mumbled as I typed in the final few lines of my resignation.

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