Page 99 of Fierce Hearts

Her lip pulled into a soft side smile at the nickname. She leaned down and pressed her lips to mine, a gentle kiss that conveyed everything she couldn't say with Leo and the others in the room. "I'll be right back."

I watched as Meredith led Sofia out of the room, noting how exhausted she looked. The stress couldn't be good for her or the baby. We just couldn't catch a damn break.

Once they were gone, I turned to Leo and Gabriella, who remained behind. "I need to talk to you both actually. It's important."

They exchanged glances before moving closer to the bed. Gabriella took the chair Sofia had vacated while Leo remained standing.

"What is it?" Leo asked, his voice low.

I took a deep breath, wincing at the pain it caused. "I need you to make sure Sofia doesn't do anything stupid."

Leo's expression turned guarded. "Define stupid."

"You know exactly what I mean. She's pregnant, Leo. And now she's planning to take on Ernesto." I tried to keep my voice steady, but fear crept in. "She thinks she has to be the one to handle this, to protect everyone else. And with me like this, I can't exactly be there fully to protect her."

"She's stubborn, always has been," Gabriella said with a heavy sigh. "Hard to change her mind when she's got it set."

"Which is why I need you both to promise me something." I locked eyes with Leo. "If anything happens to me?—"

"Nothing's going to happen to you," Leo interrupted.

"If anything happens," I continued firmly, "you take care of her. Both of you. Get her somewhere safe, away from all this. Make sure she and the baby are protected."

Leo's jaw tightened. "You know I would. She's carrying my niece or nephew."

"And she's my daughter," Gabriella added. "But Grayson, Sofia won't run. Not now. Not when she believes the only way to truly protect her child and those she loves is to remove the threat completely."

I closed my eyes briefly, knowing she was right. Sofia wouldn't run, wouldn't hide. It wasn't in her nature.

"Then help me protect her," I said, opening my eyes again. "Because I can't do it from this hospital bed, and it's killing me."

Leo leaned forward, his voice dropping even lower. "We've already increased security. Roman has men watching the hospital, and I've got people trailing both Ernesto and Juan. No one's getting near her."

"And the meeting tonight?"

"Caterina suggested the location," Gabriella said. "It's a small restaurant owned by a friend of hers. Safe ground."

I wasn't convinced. "No place is completely safe. Not with Ernesto desperate."

"Which is why I'll be there," Leo stated. "Not in the meeting—Sofia needs to handle that herself—but close enough to intervene if necessary."

It wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing. I nodded slowly, then turned to Gabriella. "There's something else I wanted to ask you."

She raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"I want to take Sofia as my wife when the time is right. And I want your blessing."

Gabriella sighed as she clasped her hands together, mulling over my words for a moment. "I hoped to one day get her away from this life, to let her live a free one, where she no longer had to look over her shoulder. But I see now that it was never in the cards. She was born into this life, it runs in her veins."

"I swear to you, I'll do everything in my power to keep her safe."

"I believe you will try," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "But understand this, my daughter has made her choice. She's chosen to fight rather than run, to step up and make a change for the good of the family. The best you can do now is stand beside her, support her. She's strong, she's done things she wishes she hadn't. I only want the best for her."

Her words hit me hard, because I knew she was right. Sofia was a warrior in her own right. She'd told me of the things she'd done, the lives she'd taken.

The man she'd loved that she'd killed, which was the turning point for her.

She could protect herself as well if needed, I just hoped she wouldn’t need to while I was there.

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