Page 25 of Lines Drawn
My heart is heavy as I leave my husband to his fate.
Emilio’s eyes are wild as he draws in deep breaths. For a moment, tension snaps between us, and I’m curious what he’s going to do. With an audible swallow, he pushes his shoulders back and marches toward me.
“Did you know? And why aren’t you there?”
“You need to be a little more clear,” I respond calmly, still sitting as he moves closer.
Growling, he stomps his foot, and I fight to suppress a smile at it. “Ignacio is in the surgical wing! He was gutted! Your Cristian almost killed him—Hell, for all we know right now, he may not make it. And you’re not there!”
Sighing, I steeple my fingers, leaning back in my chair. “Cristian acted as a father and as a Boss. You know Ignacio crossed the line. He didn’t ask permission. And yes, Cristian wasn’t around, but Carter was.”
“But Carter isn’t the Boss! How the fuck would Ignacio know to ask? You know what his family was like. They walked away from him when he was just a kid!Romanwas the Boss. He was able to make that decision. Why the fuck would he go to Carter?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, because he makes a good point, but it’s one I can’t agree with. My Sweetheart made his decision. “We have to accept this. Ignacio is strong. He’ll come out of this.”
Emilio’s jaw drops as he stares at me. I struggle not to squirm under his furious gaze, and that pisses me the fuck off. He gestures to me and quietly whispers, “Aren’t you supposed to be Il Padrone?”
I recoil, standing so fast my chair topples. Snarling, I rush toward him, meet him the rest of the way. “IamIl Padrone. And my ruling stands.”
“So your edicts are all lies? Because even I know the rules. I never touched Luca, even though I wanted him dead. We are not allowed to harm other Boys. You’ve claimed Cristian. But he doesn’t have to live by the laws you’ve laid down?”
Grinding my teeth, I glare at him. “This is not up for discussion. Drop. It.”
With fury flashing in his eyes, he raises his arms and pushes me backward. The violence in the motion…it’s flawless, and as I struggle to stay upright, he comes closer, spitting out, “You are not the Master you claim to be.”
It's a deadly arrow that hits its target, and my heart clenches. Pulling myself upright, I grab his wrists, squeezing them tight. The flash of pain across his face doesn’t stop me. Still, there’s no terror in his eyes. Part of me respects that. None of my Boys have ever faced me down like this. They have all lived in fear of me—as they fucking should. Despite my respect for it, this cannot stand.
“You are mine—and only mine. When I say kneel, you kneel. And when I tell you to drop something, you fucking drop it.” My cold words echo in the room, but I can’t stop what comes next. “Remember, without me, you’d be nothing.”
They say that eyes are the window to the soul, but fuck. I don’t even need to see them to know I’ve twisted his soul to match mine. The darkness emanating from him throws off warnings that I refuse to acknowledge. I made him. I molded him. He’s my monster, my Death, and I will not allow him to walk away.
“You’re wrong. I kneeled for you because I respected you. Because I loved you. But this? This is too far, Allesandro.” My mind trips over my name on his tongue, anxiety beginning to curl around me. “My best friend is hurting, and you’re telling me that Cristian faces no punishment. That you agree with him. I see where I stand with your love. And I refuse to be under him.”
He twists in my grip and I let him go, his words scalding me. When he rushes out of the room, I gaze around at my surroundings. The office…it has always meant so much to me. It’s a fuck you to my father.
Turning, I head back to my desk, righting the chair before I sit. I grab a glass, take out the whisky that Cristian gave me, and pour a healthy amount. Despite the indulgence of my favorite alcohol, I gulp it down, embracing the burn. I let my head fall forward as I run our argument through my mind.
Luca was correct when he told me I had no right to steal Emilio, not that I regret it or give a fuck. As I sit here, I realize that I forgot one detail about my Caro. Yes, I twisted his soul, I lured him over to the darkness, but there was one thing I could never do. One thing none of us monsters were able to touch. Emilio’s heart. I was never able to corrupt it. That level of innocence from before remains—that shining purity. He bleeds for his loved ones. And me? I just crushed it, and all of his hopes.
Finishing the last swallow of my alcohol, I shake my head. He’ll need to be punished for this. But the question is…can I ever get him back? I close my eyes and throw the glass, listening to it shatter. Fuck knows the scattered glass matches me now… Because who am I without Emilio?
But…can I go against Cristian? I’m Il Padrone. Emilio cannot make the rules. But neither can my Sweetheart…
Carter giving me permission to put Cristian in his place is…concerning. Or it would be if I actually cared about what others thought. Still, Carter and I haven’t exactly seen eye to eye on many things, ever since his betrayal and unwillingness to die occurred.
This, however, goes far beyond anything else. So I’ll take Carter’s…blessing and figure out what the fuck is going on.
Stepping into the bedroom, I find Cristian holding onto the dresser for dear life, as if it’s the only thing keeping him upright.
“Why’d you do it?” I ask quietly. My question cuts in the silent room as I shut the door behind me.
“Not now, Ten.”
“Why did you do it?” I repeat. “Did he do something? Tried to attack you?” I give him a once over, but the angle is shit, and I can’t tell if he’s hurt anywhere. “If he did, you were well withinyour rights to put him down, but considering Doc is working hard to save him, I doubt that’s the case. So… Why. Did. You. Do. It?”
Cristian straightens up and turns toward me, and if I were moved by displays of emotion, the devastation in his dark eyes would floor me. “You hate him, so why does it matter?”
“I don’t hate him. I think he’s a dumbass, and doesn’t deserve Roman or Benjamin, but even I know better than to try to kill someone unprovoked. So…”
