Page 83 of Vicious Heir

“I’m sorry,amore mio, but you’re getting the bad parts all at once. My life isn’t all violence and hate. There’s a lot of good too. There’s family and power. There’s you now.” He kisses me again, gentle and soft, like he’s savoring the feeling of my lips. “Let me go, baby. I’ll come back.”

“I’m going to eat your soup.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure Donatella will make more.”

“How about this? You hurry home to me. You make sure you come back in one piece. And I’ll cook it myself. She said she’ll teach me.”

He smiles and pulls me in for another hard kiss. This one lingers, probing and promising. I pull back, cheeks flushed.

“That sounds like heaven.” He pats my ass, and I reluctantly get out of his lap. “Come, my love. Help me up.”

I move to his side. He leans on me as he climbs out of bed, cursing softly as he does it. I help him get the shirt on, then I hold his hand as he heads down the steps. Dr. Chen’s waiting in the living room, looking unhappy about this, but he only shakes his head. “I’m getting paid no matter what,” he says and looks down at his phone. “It’s your funeral.”

I walk with my husband to the car. Luca’s already waiting. He looks like he wants to say something, but a gesture from Adrianosilences him. My husband turns to me, bends down, cradles my cheek, and kisses me lightly.

“I’ll be back soon, my love. I promise.”

I blink back more tears. “Why do I feel like that’s not true?”

“Because you’re afraid for me. And that only makes me want you even more. But I’m strong, and what I’m about to do will make me even stronger. So no more tears, love. No more softness. You’re Lucy Marino now.”

I raise my chin. I steady my quivering lip. “I’ll see you soon then.”

He gets into the car, and Luca drives him away.

Chapter 30

Adriano

It’s late when Luca reaches a quiet warehouse out in the middle of nowhere. The prefab structure was plopped on the edge of an old farm, and there’s nobody else around for miles. We’re well outside the city, deep in the darkness of suburbia.

“You’re a goddamn idiot,” Vittorio says as I climb out of the car.

Every inch of me hurts. I’m still recovering from the anesthesia they used to put me under. My head’s fuzzy, and my muscles don’t want to obey my commands, but I have to do this, and I have to do it now.

“Where is he?”

Vittorio shakes his head and looks at Luca. “I told you to come tomorrow.”

“Where is he?” I say again, sharper this time. “I’m your fucking Don.”

“I know who you are.” Vittorio glares at me and nods toward the building. “He’s in there. But wait?—”

I walk past him. God, I’m a fucking mess. Dr. Chen did a good job patching me back up, but there’s no way in hell I should be out of bed right now. I’ll be fine in a few days, or at least good enough to go back to running the war, but I’m definitely not there yet.

This still can’t wait.

Vittorio and Luca trail after me, bickering at each other. Vittorio’s mad Luca let me come here tonight, and Luca’s making it clear that he doesn’t control what I do.

I ignore them as I step into a large open storage space. Old farm equipment is stacked against one wall. There are ancient tractors, half of which are broken down and stripped for parts. This was a supply company a few years back before it went out of business and my organization snatched it up. It still technically exists, but supplies don’t come through here anymore.

Only people who need to disappear.

Frank’s bound to a chair in the middle of the room. Beside him is his oldest son, a man named Enzo. We were never close, but I remember growing up with him over the years. He was always older than me. Stubborn and mean sometimes, but a good member of the Famiglia. His nose is broken, and his face is puffy.

I draw a gun from my waistband.

“Don Marino,” Frank says, his eyes widening. There’s real panic and mourning in his voice. “Please, Adriano, you have to understand?—”

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