Page 104 of Phantom Mine

I whip around. Rocco is sitting up, adrenaline having given him a final burst of superhuman strength. His fingers close around a gun at his ankle.

I’m precious and costly seconds behind—Rocco is already turning the gun towards me, a twisted expression of triumph on his face. There isn’t time for me to react except to spread my arms and shield Valentina behind me.

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die. That doesn’t happen to me. There’s no fear for myself, there never has been. Only for Valentina and what will happen to her once I’m dead.

Something sharp flies past my ear, piercing the air with an ominouswhoosh. At first I think it’s a bullet before I realize it’s traveling in the wrong direction. Away from us instead of towards us.

The object spins through the air in a blur of silver before burying itself deep in the center of Rocco’s throat.

The force of it counters the momentum he had sitting up, keeping him momentarily frozen. His eyes go wide with shock, his mouth opens, and an obscene choking noise rips from his lips as the knife goes through the front of his windpipe.

Finally, he falls backwards to the ground. His fingers slacken and the gun skitters off to the side. He gurgles grotesquely one final time before the noises abruptly stop and unearthly silence falls over us.

Just like that, with as little impact in death as he had in life, my older brother and the heir to the Italian Mafia, dies.

When I turn, I find Valentina to the left of me, having chosen to step out from behind the protective cover my body offered her. She’s frozen in motion, her arm extended in front of her, herfingers spread as if searching for the weight of the deadly knife that was once held between her thumb and forefinger.

The raw panic that made her act is still clear on her face. She must have reacted immediately, without taking the time to think, without hesitating, a split second decision made to beat Rocco who had a head start on the both of us.

She looks magnificent, forged by her bravery and fearlessness into a warrior queen. My equal in every way, one I’m not sure I’d be worthy of keeping by my side even if I had the choice to.

Her gaze shifts to me, her expression melting into one of immense relief when she finds me unharmed. A smile starts to appear.

It’s only there for a second before her features falter. Her brows pinch together, her eyes widening in horror. Behind her relief, the realization of the decision she was forced to make slowly creeps in.

Her hand lowers slowly down to her side. Her head tilts downward and her other palm opens. She stares quietly at the photo of Adriana, smoothing the crinkled edges with absentminded but gentle fingers.

She killed Rocco to save me.

She killed him to save me, and ended any chance she had at ever getting answers only he could provide.

Her chin wobbles slightly, and then indescribable pain fractures her features. Her shoulders curve inwards and she drops into her haunches, burying her face in her hands with a loud, pained cry.

My heart jerks into my throat.

Somehow, her cry hurts me more than any bullet ever could. I crouch next to her and pull her into me, letting her sob freely into my chest, realizing that there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to stop her pain.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Valentina

Matteo’s arms wrap around me, strong and steady, and he holds me as sobs I can’t control shake my whole body. I bury my face in his chest, seeking comfort as much as cover for my shame at how I fall apart. My tears soak through his shirt but he says nothing and he doesn’t pull away. He simply holds me even tighter and lets me cry.

Eventually, a roughly promised vow escapes him. “We’ll find Adriana another way,cara.”

His warm voice cuts through the numbness in my mind.

“We?” I question, my voice hollow.

His face falls when he sees the tears on my cheeks.

“Yes,we.” His hands close around my forearms and he pulls me to my feet, steadying me when I stumble. His voice is firm, tight with controlled emotion. “You’re still hiding things from me, Leni, and that’s fine, you’ll tell me when you’re ready,but you’re not doing this rogue investigative shit by yourself anymore.”

Something about his tone stiffens my spine.

He’sangrywith me.

The thought is strangely hurtful.

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