Page 110 of His Dark Vendetta

I nodded.

He stared at our joined hands and ran his thumb across the backs of my fingers. “I relive the weeks after Vesuvio. The night Marco disowned me. My father’s funeral. The images fade in and out of my mind. They string themselves together like scenes from some fucked-up movie.”

He stopped and pressed his lips together, and his grip on my hands tightened.

“But the one that always wakes me up…” His eyebrows drew together. “The one that makes me scream…” He shook his head. “It’s not even a real memory. At least, not one of mine. My mother—” His voice cracked, and his lips twisted into a frown. “She’s laying on a bed covered in blood, and she’s dying. And I know”—his voice wavered—“I know it’s my fault.”

“Oh, God. Luca?—”

“My father is holding me. I’d just been born. He’s crying. He loved her so much. And I—I killed her.”

“No. Luca, no.” I shook my head and squeezed his hands. “You didn’t kill her. Mia told me what happened. It was a—a blood incompatibility. I’ve heard of that. You can’t blame yourself.”

“It’s not that simple. You need to know the truth.”

“Then tell me. Because I don’t understand, and I want to understand.”

Luca’s thumb moved back and forth at a frantic pace.

The restaurant door opened with a chime and a swoosh. I glanced over my shoulder, rattled by the interruption.

Marco stepped inside. Vito, Vinnie Valenzano, and an older gentleman I’d never seen before filed in after him, sparing us surprised glances as they moved toward the back.

“Goddammit,” Luca growled.

Marco released the door and rested his hand on my shoulder. “Ciao, Luca. Siobhán. Didn’t expect to find you here.”

“I wanted a safe andprivateplace to talk,” Luca shot back.

Marco’s lips quirked. “Same, nipote, same. Mikey’s arraignment is next week, non ricordi? We have business to discuss.” He quirked an apologetic smile. “And Vinnie was hungry.”

Luca shoved a hand in his hair.

“È tutto a posto, no?” Marco said. “Plenty of space.”

Luca waved him off and looked out the window.

Marco looked down at me and winked. “Listen to what he has to say, capisce?”

The warmth in Marco’s eyes put me at ease. “Capisce.”

“Bene.” He patted me on the shoulder and walked to the back of the restaurant. He sat across from Vinnie, already deep in conversation with the other two men.

“This is not how I wanted to have this conversation,” Luca grumbled.

His fists were balled on the table, his jaw tight and angry.

“It’s fine.” I wiggled my fingers into his fists, forcing them to relax. “Ignore them.”

“Right. Okay.” He nodded and leaned in, pulling me toward him. “It’s not that simple. We didn’t have a blood incompatibility. I mean, we did, but—” He shook his head. “It’s why I freaked out when you told me we”—he swallowed—“we’re going to have a baby. I kept seeing you covered in blood just like my mother. I—I freaked out.”

“Oh, Luca, I?—”

“I’m sorry this is what it took for me to realize what I had and how I feel about you, but I’m here now. I get it. Nothing else matters if you’re not in my life. Not the past, not the future, not this vendetta. Nothing. Losing you is a nightmare I never want to face, and I regret every day I wasted not making you mine.” His voice shook, the intensity of his words reflected in the crimson specks of fire shining in his eyes.

“I—I don’t know what to say.” My mind raced trying to process his heartfelt admission and whether it changed anything. “I’ve given you so many chances. Every time I think things have changed and I let you back in, it hurts that much more when you break my heart.” My voice cracked. I didn’t want to go down this road; I didn’t know if I could survive losing him again.

“You called me a coward that night I took you home, and you were right. I was a coward. I was a coward that night you caught me feeding at Vesuvio. I was a coward hiding behind my anger toward your family. I’ve held on to this vendetta for so long, the thought of letting it go scared the hell out of me. But the only thing that scares me now is living one more day without you.”

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