Page 21 of The Mafia's Second Shot

“I don’t know, Cooper,” I reply, my voice trembling. “You’ve been doing it for so long, maybe you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be human.”

His face hardens, but there’s a flicker of pain in his eyes that makes me falter. “I haven’t forgotten,” he says quietly. “But I didn’t have a choice. Not then, not now.”

I sink into the chair across from him, my anger giving way to exhaustion. “Then why didn’t you just leave? Walk away from all of this?”

“Because it doesn’t work that way,” he says, sitting down heavily. “You don’t walk away from this life. You survive it, or you die trying.”

The weight of his words settles over me, and for the first time, I start to see just how trapped he is. It’s not just about power or control—it’s about survival, for himself and everyone under his protection.

And suddenly, I see the man I loved in a new light. The choices he’s made, the sacrifices, the guilt he carries—they’re all part of a life he never wanted but couldn’t escape.

That night,I lie awake in my room, staring at the ceiling as his words replay in my mind.You survive it, or you die trying.

I hate what his world has turned him into, but I can’t ignore the man underneath it all—the one who once held my hand and told me I was his safe place. That man is still there, buried under layers of pain and regret, and I can’t bring myself to walk away. Not yet.

Not until I understand him completely.

16

COOPER

The dining room is quieter than usual. No staff flitting about, no muffled voices from the hall. Just me, Zoey, and the soft clinking of silverware on plates. I’ve dismissed everyone tonight, wanting to keep this moment simple. Private. For once, there’s no tension in the air—at least, not the kind that makes my muscles coil and my pulse spike.

Zoey sits across from me, her posture relaxed but her eyes guarded. It’s become a familiar look, one I’ve come to expect since she’s been here. But tonight, there’s something different. A crack in her armor, small but noticeable.

“You’re quiet,” I say, cutting into the steak on my plate.

She shrugs, swirling her wine in its glass. “Just... thinking.”

“About?”

She looks up at me, her lips pressing into a faint smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “How strange this all feels. Us. Sitting here, having dinner like... like we’re normal.”

I set my fork down, leaning back in my chair. “Maybe we are normal. For tonight.”

She scoffs, shaking her head. “You know that’s not true. Nothing about you or this life is normal, Cooper.”

“Maybe not,” I concede. “But it doesn’t mean we can’t try.”

She doesn’t reply right away, her gaze drifting to the flickering candle between us. The light catches on her features, softening the sharp edges of her expression. For a moment, I’m lost in her—how she’s always managed to look both fierce and vulnerable, even now.

The conversation shiftsas the meal goes on. I steer us away from heavy topics, letting the weight of the past few days fall to the background. Instead, we talk about the things we used to—movies we loved, places we wanted to visit, memories that still bring a smile to her face.

“Do you remember that night on the pier?” she asks suddenly, her tone lighter than it’s been in weeks. “The one where we got caught in the rain?”

I chuckle, leaning forward. “You mean the night you insisted we could outrun the storm?”

She laughs, a soft, genuine sound that stirs something deep in my chest. “We almost did.”

“Almost,” I tease. “Except you slipped and dragged us both into the water.”

Her smile widens, and for a moment, it feels like we’re back there—two people who had no idea how complicated life was about to become.

“I hated you for laughing at me,” she says, though her tone is playful. “You didn’t even try to help me out.”

“I did,” I protest. “Eventually.”

She shakes her head, but her eyes are brighter now, her guard lowered just enough for me to glimpse the woman I fell in love with. The one I’ve spent years trying to protect, even when I went about it the wrong way.

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