Page 109 of Hidden Echoes

He doesn't like surprises. He doesn't like losing control of the situation.

But he likes me more than any power play.

With a heavy sigh, he gives in.

"All good."

Before I can respond, he pulls me firmly against him, his hands gripping my waist as if to anchor me in place. He lowers his head until his forehead rests against mine, his lips brushing a protective kiss against my skin, warm and solid.

“But you’re wrong,” he murmurs, his voice low and thick against me. “I can never be ten steps ahead of you.” He pauses, his fingers tightening against my waist. “It’s too far.”

I smile slightly, feeling the familiarity of his presence, the weight of his protection. Pietro can command the Cosa Nostra with an iron fist, he can manipulate opponents and engineer scenarios like no one else, but with me…

With me, he always gives in.

Because, at the end of the day, I'm the only person in the world who can change his mind.

MIA

Traveling the world has been an incredible adventure, filled with new places, people, and experiences. I’ll miss Aimée, the French girl who showed me the perfect way to eat a baguette, and I’ll miss speaking Spanish in Madrid—even if my accent was a little off. But while it taught me so much about the world, there’s one thing this year of travel didn’t prepare me for: how to fix a marriage after accidentally killing your husband's mother.

I don’t regret it. But… Zane? He’s been so different since then.

He’s careful around me now, almost as if he’s waiting for me to slip up again.

It’s like we’re back in that phase where he thinks I’m going to hurt him.

We weren’t always this tight-knit; sure, sometimes we were inseparable, but other times I’d be off exploring new countries on my own.

Honestly, I didn’t mind that. I love meeting new people, diving into different cultures, having those spontaneous conversations that seem to connect you to a whole new world.

But lately, it feels like I’m missing a piece.

Zane feels distant now, like he’s shutting me out. Or worse, like he’s pretending what happened didn’t happen.

Texas feels smaller than I remember. After a year of traveling, any permanent place feels small, but here... here feels strange. Like I'm trying to fit into something I'm no longer part of.

And when I say I traveled the world, I'm not exaggerating. Zane made sure to take me to every corner possible, as if he was making up for the years I spent locked. London, Tokyo, Marrakech, Rome, Buenos Aires... the list goes on. I learned so much. I changed so much. Sometimes, I catch myself wondering if I'm really the same Mia who left this place.

The only thing Zane ever said about what I’ve come to call the “Mother Incident” was that the police didn’t care much about his mother’s death. He mentioned, almost offhandedly, that his sister was suspicious—like it was just some random fact he could toss aside.

But that’s why it wasn’t safe for me to stay in the United States anymore, he said. That was the reason. And just like that, our life here got put on pause, like everything suddenly had to be put on hold for my protection.

He didn’t tell Charlie what happened, which means he really wants to protect me. Because he always calls Charlie when I accidentally do something.

But that night…

“I killed your mother.”

Silence.

“Are you hurt?”

“No.”

“Come home. I miss you.”

That’s all he said. No yelling, no anger, no judgment. He just packed up our things and got me out of the United States for a year.

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