Page 88 of Dublin Charmer
The thought of leaving makes me nauseous. I understand that has beenhisexperience, but Finn changed all that for me. “Where would we go?”
“Maybe back to Milan. Maybe somewhere new.” He shrugs. “I just know I can’t keep living like this. If we don’t break the cycle, we’ll be sucked up in another mafia takeover at some point. We’ve already got two strikes against us. The third strike is going to take one of us out.”
I nod slowly, understanding but conflicted. Since Papa died, it’s always been Gio and me against the world. I never imagined there’d come a time when that would change.
“I need this, Emilia. I can’t live within the framework of organized crime anymore. It’s killing me. We need to go.”
A week ago, I wouldn’t have hesitated.
But now there’s Finn.
There’s this strange, unexpected place I’ve found among people I was supposed to destroy.
Gio’s looking at me, and his expression falters. “You’re with me, aren’t you?”
I swallow. “I’m always with you, Gio. Always.”
He lets out a long sigh. “Dios mio. For a minute there, I thought you were going to say these people mean more to you than me.”
I meet his gaze, seeing my own uncertainty reflected back to me in his eyes. “That would never happen. We’re blood. You’re my everything. But I’m not going anywhere until we’ve taken down Gravely.”
“And after? Where will we go?”
I don’t want to think about that. Maybe in the days it takes us to bring Gravely to his knees, I can show Gio that we don’t have to leave Dublin.
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see where life takes us.”
He reaches for my hand, squeezing it gently. “Thanks, Emilia.Ti amo.”
“Ti amo, fratellino.” I leave him happy, my mind already fragmenting into parallel futures: one where I leave with Gio, safe but rootless, another where I stay with Finn, risking everything on something I never planned for.
As I leave the room and head toward my computer, I can’t breathe.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Finn
Istride into my room, the warmth of holding my new niece still lingering in my arms. The scene downstairs was pure chaos—diapers, spit-up cloths, and more family love and hope and excitement than we’ve had in one place in years. That baby girl is the start of something incredible. We all feel it.
Nyx is at my desk, her gaze locked on her laptop, her electric blue hair falling like a curtain around her face. She doesn’t look up as I enter, but I can see the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers pause over the keys.
Something’s off.
“Hey, beautiful.” I move to stand behind her and place my hands on her shoulders, feeling the knots of tension there. “What’s the craic?”
She sighs, leaning back into my touch for a moment before straightening. “You know, just working to take down a homicidal psycho. How is Uncle Finn doing?”
I arch a brow. “Uncle Finn is amazing. He’s also wondering why his girl is fronting and blowing off something that is obviously upsetting her.”
She closes her eyes and breathes a deep breath. “It’s just... Gio said something earlier. It’s unsettling, but it’s also nothing I want to get into. He’s still healing, and it might very well blow over in a few days. Let’s not make it a big deal.”
I can tell itisa big deal, but I don’t push. Instead, I knead the muscles in her shoulders to work out the kinks. “You know, I’ve got a magic touch. All the Quinn brothers do. It comes from years of beating the crap out of each other and having to patch ourselves up.”
She laughs softly, some of the tension leaving her body. “Is that so?”
“Mm-hmm.” I lean down, my lips brushing against her ear. “But I’ve got other tricks up my sleeve too.”
She shivers beneath my touch.
