Page 91 of Fierce Hearts

The way Sofia looked back at her, a silent exchange between them, made my stomach clench. I'd known Sofia had done some things for her family before she left, but now, with how Gabriella had said that, I wondered exactly what she'd done.

"I don't think so, but neither has Julia," Sof said as she glanced down at her phone when it buzzed with a response. She read it and looked up at us. "She can meet in three days, she wants time to reach out to everyone and for Bianca to speak with her mother."

"Do you think Julia could warn Ernesto?" I asked out loud.

"Possibly, but then we'll have to hope Caterina can handle this mess," Sof said. "If she can't, then we have to hope the family will turn on him when they learn the truth, that one of the men deals with him instead."

"What if one of them wants to then lead?" Gabriella voiced.

"Depends who it is, maybe I'll walk away again, but I doubt I'll ever truly not have a target on my back," Sofia answered.

"Whatever happens," I told Sofia, "I'll be right beside you. We'll figure this out together."

"As will I. I'm not leaving you again, Sofia. I wish I'd never left in the first place, but I truly believed I'd have been buried not long after Antonio, and I'd be no use to you then," Gabriella said with a sad smile. Sof hugged her before glancing between us both.

She gave me a tired smile. "I know I've got you both here for me, along with Caterina, Bianca, and the Donatis. That's the only reason I think we might actually pull this off."

I leaned forward and kissed her forehead, hoping I could live up to her faith in me. One way or another, Ernesto Savoca's days were numbered. And when he was gone, Sofia and our child would finally be safe.

* * *

I heldSofia close in the darkness of her bedroom, our soft breathing the only sound. The weight of our plan hung heavy in the air. My fingers traced lazy patterns through her hair as I listened to her breathing, wondering what thoughts were racing through her mind.

"Can I ask you something?" I whispered, my voice barely disturbing the quiet.

"Anything," Sofia murmured against my chest.

I hesitated, unsure if I should even bring it up. "Earlier today, when your mother asked if Caterina had ever killed for the family... there was this look between you two."

Her body tensed slightly against mine.

"I never wanted to pry into your past, Sof. I know you left that life behind. But maybe... maybe we shouldn't have secrets between us anymore." I kissed the top of her head. "Not with everything that's happening."

The silence stretched between us, and for a moment, I thought she wouldn't answer. Then she shifted in my arms, pulling back just enough to look up at me.

“You wanted to know why I was afraid of my uncle, what punishments I endured,” she started slowly. “My father, he used words to break me down, and a belt when I disobeyed or questioned him. I remember getting beatings from him eventually, same with my uncle, when he started giving me orders as well,” her eyes drifted down as her brows creased, “I had some broken bones. Twice, my father locked me up in a room with no room for a two days as punishment. But to me, it was normal, he hurt my mother plenty as well, she got real good with makeup, taught me well too.” Her voice had dropped to a whisper, and my heart was shattering as rage burned hot in my veins. I wanted to kill them both, too bad one was already long since dead. But Ernesto…

"My father started training me properly when I was fourteen," she said, her voice steady despite the pain I could see flickering in her eyes when she looked back up. "He said a woman in this life needed to know how to survive in it. To be worthy of the name I had. I took my first life at fourteen for the family, a man I didn't even know. I just followed orders."

I sucked in a breath, tightening my grip on her, my heart breaking for her teenage self. It was so young to be a killer. But I also knew it came with the territory.

He’d beaten her, broken her down, and molded her into what he wanted her to be. It was a miracle she was who she was today despite it all.

"He was molding me into something else. A weapon no one would see coming." Her fingers curled against my chest. "Who suspects a teenage girl, right? I was his secret asset. The unexpected killer."

My throat tightened. I'd known Sofia had been raised in the life, but this... this was something else entirely. It was not simply proving loyalty or knowing how to survive. She'd been a damn punching bag and then a weapon.

"When I was sixteen, I met a boy named Bryce at school. He was sweet, funny... the first person who made me feel normal." Her voice had gone soft with memory. "I fell for him hard. My first love."

I held her tighter, already dreading where this story was headed.

"Six months in, not long after my seventeenth birthday, my father called me to his office. Showed me surveillance photos of Bryce meeting with men from a rival family, the Malatestas." Her voice had gone flat, emotionless. "He'd been using me to gather intelligence on the Savocas. My father had known for weeks but wanted to see how much I would tell him on my own. I shared small secrets, but kept family ones to myself.”

"Jesus, Sof."

"My father handed me a gun and told me to fix my mistake, to do what needed to be done for the family.” Her body trembled slightly against mine. "He took me to a warehouse where they were holding Bryce. Made me look him in the eyes while I..." She swallowed hard. "While I pulled the trigger."

I closed my eyes, trying to imagine Sofia—just a teenager—being forced to execute someone she loved. The cruelty of it made me sick.

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