Page 119 of Deception

“She’s not some broad. She’s?—”

“We know. Adri told us how you were with her. We’ve seen you since you got back. You’re different.”

“Isabella is …”

“We know. She’s the one. And she’s carrying your kid.”

It hits me, really hits me as I stare down at my hands on the table.

Me. A father.

“I have to go.”

“Not alone you don’t.”

“You’re all pains in my ass.”

Three sets of eyes lock onto me, waiting. That deadly calm is settling in, the facts and surprises falling into the background. The three of them know what it means when I get like this.

“I will not order you to come. As your boss, I shouldn’t, not with everything going on. I can’t do that.”

“Then don’t order us to do shit, so we won’t have to disobey you.” Adriano crosses his arms.

“Then I’ll ask. As my blood, as my brothers. Help me save her.”

“There he is.” Ciro grins.

“And I know where she is,” Ero offers, cold as ever.

“I knew I could count on you to find her.” I meet each of their eyes. “Are you with me?”

There's a moment of silence.

“We’re with you till the end of time, brother,” Adriano growls.

“To the blood.”

“To the blood!”

We ride out to slaughter.

26

ISABELLA

Ishake myself from a light sleep.

Footsteps echo in the hallway, dragging my groggy mind back to my aching body. They put me in a chair earlier, fed me some awful stew. I may have gotten a little feisty, so they tied my ankles to the legs of the chair.

I couldn’t have hoped for a better result. The knot was too tight for me to untie, but now my legs are apart, and a few hours of working the ropes have my feet ready to slip out.

I’m a filthy, sore mess.

This dungeon, over the past twenty-four hours, has dragged out the version of myself that Alessandro let loose. The fierce creature that will do anything necessary to protect her child and get back to her den.

These men are crude, vicious. They left me for so long that I thought I was safe, trying to wait it out. I was wrong.

Dissension in their ranks led to a fight, then I heard a gunshot.

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