Page 3 of The Mafia's Omega Queen

“Is it true?” sounds from behind me, Vinny’s eyes widening as Arden’s voice reaches us. He didn’t even know Arden was there, the bulk of my frame blocking him from view. His anger is palpable and continues to rise the longer Vinny stays silent. “Goddammit, is it fucking true?!” Arden bellows, finally joining us in the small closet.

“Yes,” Vinny hisses, his eyes blazing with fire now that his secret is out.

“You can fucking keep it, or I’ll fucking dissolve the whole family. I’m done. Whether my omega makes it or not, and you better fucking pray she does, I’m out.” Arden turns and pushes open the door, exiting from there instead of the hole in the wall at my back. I shove Vinny through the door in his wake, taking great pleasure in watching the big bad Vincenzo Andoneli stumble over his own feet.

“Arden, wait.” He keeps walking, ignoring the plea in Vinny’s voice. The door to Arden’s office slams a moment later, the sound reverberating around the silent house, save for Gavin’s ragged breathing.

Gavin hasn’t moved from the last place he was, his eyes glazed over as tears track down his cheeks, not looking away from the massive puddle of blood decorating the bottom of the ornate staircase.

Wrapping my arm around his shoulder, he finally looks up at me, and the despair in his blue eyes is almost enough to break me. If I thought things were bad when he lost Jess, this is ten times worse, and I don’t think he’d survive losing her. Hell, I know he won’t. Someone would have to be blind not to see the love and utter devotion he has for Haylee. “Come on, little brother. Let’s go wait outside of the medical office for any news.” He takes a ragged breath and gives me a slight nod, but even as he’s trying to be strong, I can feel the trembling of fear in his body.

The closer we get to the medical room, the more sound emits from it. Doc calling out things he needs, instruments being dropped, the beeping of the monitor they have my little killer hooked up to. Gavin and I drop unceremoniously to the floor across from the door where our girl is fighting for her life. The only thing even keeping me going now is hearing the steady beep beep beep as the machine registers her heartbeats.

My omega is going to make it; she has to. There’s still so much we have to experience together, and I’m dying to see my mark decorating her creamy flesh—all of our marks.

As soon as she’s better, we’re telling her that we’re packing up and going back to the West Coast with her. There’s nothing keeping me here. New York can kiss my tattooed ass.

My home is where my omega is.

And if she succumbs to her injuries, I’ll welcome going completely feral with open arms and burn this entire fucking world to ash. Then I’ll join my little killer in the afterlife and never let her out of my sight again.

What the fuck have I done?

Hunter was right when he said this is all my fault. My fear of losing the family to my cousin clouded my rational thought, and I made terrible decisions, something I once prided myself that I never did. But now, Haylee—my omega, though I have no right to call her that—is fighting for her life, all because Bianca couldn’t handle the competition.

But the fault in the whole situation rests solely on my shoulders. After watching just a blip of a moment from the video Arden showed, I knew that every time there was an altercation between Haylee and Bianca, it’s always been Bianca who started it. Not Haylee, as I previously accused. I allowed Gavin and Haylee to stay here for her safety, not thinking that the threat could come from within my own house. But that’s somewhere else I fucked up. Bianca has played the part of an amazing actress, completely blowing her cover by proving what she’s capable of. It won’t happen again.

Unbuttoning my charcoal suit jacket, I shuck it off and toss it on the stairs, not caring as it lands on a bloody step, the fabric already ruined from lifting Haylee off the floor. After rolling my sleeves up, I return once more to the destroyed supply closet, pulling out cleaners, rags, and brushes, knowing I need a distraction from how everything is falling apart. Usually, Andre would be here cleaning up the mess of the entranceway, but he’s attempting to help Doc save Haylee, and if I don’t do something, I’ll go mad.

Once the bucket is filled with hot soapy water, I leave the kitchen, returning to the foyer, and the blood splattered and puddled everywhere. My knees ache as I drop, but I welcome the pain, even though it’s not nearly as much as I deserve. The heat of the scalding liquid in the bucket is a welcome distraction as I hiss with the burn, but it doesn’t hold my thoughts for long as something clatters to the floor down the hall from the medical room.

When the fuck did everything go wrong?

When you denied your omega, my brain helplessly supplies, my own disgust with myself evident.

Typically, when an alpha or a pack finds their omega, it’s a joyous occasion, but I treated it as if it were the worst day of my life. Because I had already set my plan in motion, I didn’t want to entertain the idea of my fated mate, or an omega for that matter. Hell, I didn’t want a mate at all, but Dad had other ideas and forced my hand. His decision forced me to put up walls between my brothers and myself, not caring how they felt about what needed to be done.

That’s not how family works, though, and I see now that all I’ve succeeded in is tearing us apart. They should have been my priority, not the stupid family business. Because without them, I am nothing.

* * *

The light of day shining through the windows disappeared about an hour ago, but here I remain, still scrubbing every surface, determined to get it cleaned. No one has emerged from the medical room with a status update on Haylee, my brothers haven’t left from where they are, and my phone has been ringing off the hook, but I’ve refused each and every call. Hell, I haven’t even looked at it, the constant vibration in my pocket of missed calls and texts alerting me to the impatience of others as they try to get ahold of me.

My back aches from my folded-over position, and my knees bear the brunt of the hard marble floor, but I am determined to have this clean by the time Andre comes out. This is my mess to clean up, not his. Granted, this is only one small mess in the grand scheme of it all, but it keeps me busy. Nothing else matters until we find out if Haylee is going to make it.

I hope she does because if she doesn’t, there’s no chance whatsoever of fixing what I broke in my family. My real family, not the family business. As far as I’m concerned, the family business is on hold until we fix the internal problems.

A low murmuring of voices reaches my ears, but I don’t stop scrubbing, knowing Andre will try to take over if I pause for even a moment. The old man needs to rest, not clean. He’s already done so much, not just today but my entire life, and it’s time I start taking some of the weight off his shoulders. Especially today.

Footsteps echo down the hall from the medical wing, getting louder the closer they get. “Sir, what are you doing? Here, give me that, I’ll finish.” Exhaustion seeps through every word Andre says, and there’s a slight tremor in his hand as he reaches out to take the brush from me.

Resting back on my calves, I look over at the man who has been like another father figure to me my entire life. His graying hair and crow’s feet give away his age, even if the wrinkles are more pronounced due to his fatigue.

“How is she?” I ask in a low whisper, my heart clenching in fear of what he may reveal.

A sad sigh leaves his lips. “We’ve done everything we could, but she’s not out of the woods yet. She’s lost a lot of blood, and Doc used what he had in reserves, but there’s no more. The small supply he had was what he had in storage for you, as you’re both the same blood type. But he’s unable to acquire any more tonight and has to wait until tomorrow morning.”

A plan comes to mind the longer he talks, and while it may not make up for everything I’ve said and done, it will at least give her a fighting chance. “Thanks, Andre. You’re relieved for the rest of the night. Go shower and get some sleep. It’s been a long day.”

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