Page 133 of Deception

“Where are Alessandro, and Adriano…”

“They still aren’t back. Tomas said he got a message from them a little while ago. That they handled everything and we need to be ready to go soon.”

“I need to get up…”

“Take it slow,” she warns.

Patting her knee, I ease up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I feel like I ran a marathon. Every muscle protests.

“I guess I should get used to body aches,” I mutter, rubbing my lower abdomen.

Angelica laughs, a twinkling, musical sound to my ears.

“It getssomuch worse, I promise. I was bedridden for days when I was pregnant with Gigi.”

“Oh, thanks for the reassurance.” I scoff, swatting her thigh.

“It gets better, too. So much better. You’re going to miss every second of it when it’s over.”

“All I know is, I’ll feel much better once Aless is back. I need a glass of water.” I stand, shuffling slowly out into the living room toward the kitchen.

Tomas glances up from his post by the door, nodding solemnly. Another man sits in the recliner, napping. It must be the doctor.

“Thank you for getting them out. Are you okay?”

“Fine. My sister and her kids got out of the city before they hit the compound again.”

Sipping a cold glass of water, I’m heading back to my room when the door bursts open, loud and in a hurry, spinning me around. Tomas raises his gun, waving me back.

Panic tears at me for a second, gripping my chest.

“Tomas, move!” A gruff voice hollers.

Then I see them: Ciro, Adriano, Ero.

Relief washes through me.

Until I see the body slung between the twins, Ero holding his legs and Ciro’s hands under his armpits. Alessandro’s completely limp.

And soaked in blood.

“No!” I scream, rushing toward them.

The twins set his body in the middle of the floor, his head lolling to the side. I’m racing for his side, on my knees, clutching his face, running my hands over him, tears rushing to my eyes. I can’t breathe. I can’t think.

His sandy hair falls over his forehead, over his eyes. He always complained about the length, but never let me trim it.

“How could you let this happen?” I sob, looking up at the brothers, standing in a half circle around us. They all look at me, uncomfortable. Unreadable.

The doctor is up, moving around to inspect him across from me. “Please, let me look at him…”

“Answer me!” My fury skyrockets as I scream up at Adriano. He reaches for me and I slap his hand away. “Don’t touch me! How could you?”

“Isabella.” That tone in his voice, the calm in his stance, makes me pause.

One by one I meet the brothers’ stares. Ending on Ciro, who is trying not to smile, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

Ero won’t meet my gaze.

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