Page 111 of Fierce Hearts

Dr. Gatlin had been called in by Gray and Leo to check me over at home once more, along with a brief check on Gray, and he had just left. His kind eyes had crinkled at the corners when he told me both the pregnancy and I were stable despite all the stress. Small mercies.

"You need to rest," he'd said, packing his stethoscope into his bag. "No more family drama for at least a week."

I'd laughed at that. No more family drama. If only it were that simple.

Gray sat beside me now, his arm draped protectively around my shoulders. Leo stood by the fireplace, his posture still rigid even though the immediate danger had passed.

"I still wish you'd told me everything," I said, looking between them. "I felt completely blindsided in there."

Gray's fingers traced gentle circles on my shoulder. "We couldn't risk it. We weren't sure who we could trust, and your shock at Leo's apparent betrayal needed to be genuine."

"We knew you'd argue about having me there," Leo added. "And if you told Meredith?—"

"Which I would have," I admitted.

"Exactly. It would have made everything harder." Leo's expression softened slightly. "I needed to be there to protect you for Gray."

Gray shifted beside me, wincing slightly from his still-healing wounds. "I was worried about the risk to your pregnancy with your stress levels through the roof with not knowing, but considering the other options..." He shook his head. "We had to go with the plan that gave us the best chance. Leo didn't even want to tell me for fear I'd alert you."

Leo crossed his arms, his eyes meeting mine. "I hoped you trusted me enough to go along with it all, which it seemed like you did."

I set my mug down on the coffee table. "I did worry for a few moments there."

Leo's lips quirked up in an almost-smile, taking me by surprise. "That kinda hurts."

"Sorry," I said with a sheepish smile, not feeling particularly sorry. "You were convincing."

I frowned, then looked to Leo again. “What about the knife? How did that end up in my handbag?”

“Caterina contacted me, told me that getting her own gun into the meeting was going to be hard enough, let alone something for Julia. So I organized with your mom to have her slip it in. She was not happy about it at all,” Leo said, smirking and shaking his head. “She didn’t want tot hide anything from you, and threatened to… well, let’s just say, if I’d let anything happen to you, there’d be no chance at any children from Meredith and I.”

I snorted as Gray laughed. My mother certainly had balls, threatening Leo Donati of all people. At least he appeared to be finding it oddly comical as well, cracking a smile.

The weight of everything that had happened settled over me again. Ernesto was dead. Marco was avenged. And I'd ended up at the head of the Savoca family.

"I'm not sure how I feel about leading the Savoca family," I admitted, voicing the thought that had been circling in my mind since we'd left the restaurant, since I'd made the decision to take my place there. "I spent years running from that life."

Gray's arm tightened around me. "You're not alone in it. You have me and the backing of the Donati." His voice was steady, reassuring. "Caterina and Julia will help you as well. You have people and support all around. Everything will be fine."

I leaned into him, drawing strength from his belief in me. "The talks with the Savoca family after Ernesto's death were difficult."

"But few opposed your leadership," Gray reminded me. "Especially after learning the truth about what Ernesto had done."

I nodded. "Caterina found the marriage terms on Ernesto's body after the Ference family left. She shared them with everyone present."

The memory of those documents made my stomach turn. Caterina had been pale with rage as she'd read them aloud to the assembled family members.

"It disgusted even those who were uneasy about shifting loyalties," I continued. "He'd agreed for the Ferences to eventually take me out, and then his own sister would need to die as well. He'd promised unborn daughters to join the families all around."

Leo's jaw tightened. "From what I understand, the terms we're setting with the Ference family aren't amazing for them, but considering our power and reach, they're willing to accept."

"Especially after Canzio shared his dislike of the original marriage terms that Juan was willing to verbally share with him in their private meeting," Gray added. "Ernesto had agreed to have you be nothing more than a breeding slave for Juan. Canzio was pissed that Juan had agreed to it. They both agreed they have different views, but for their families and business, they’d form an alliance.”

I shuddered at the thought, my blood curdling. My uncle made me sick, and I knew some of the older Savoca men had still believed women were things to be used, but that was changing. It had to, society had already changed against them.

"Canzio told them they were lucky to be allowed their lives," Leo said, "especially since they'd put his grandchild at risk."

"They say to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. How the Ferences do business, trading in the female flesh, trafficking of all sorts, we want to eradicate it via our alliance. But if not… well, we'll deal with them one way or another," he muttered.

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