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Tristano

I let go of the son of a bitch who tried to steal the most important person in my life. There she is waiting at my feet, tied up in a bloodied room full of her friends…alive.

All of the blinding anxiety that rushed me here evaporates like a puddle in Jersey summer heat. Blood leaks through my fingers, palms etched with the lines from tightened string.

Starting a war was worth this moment.

I crouch to get a good look at her, holding her terrified face. She recognizes me right away through the rays of warehouselight from the other room. Her eyebrows relax, she sighs through the cloth in her mouth, and cries her relief.

“I’d stomp through hell to get you back, Capri. My father was right to force us together. I love you.”

As soon as I cut her shackles, she throws her arms around my neck and cries harder, saying a muffled, “I love you too,” between sobs. Goddamn, what those words just did to me…

I’ll never let anyone lay their hands on you again.

“Are any of you hurt?” I yank down her gag.

She looks around – Jacky is trembling face down, Gil is in the corner cowering, and Charlie is coming to. But there’s no blood anywhere near them. “We were roughed up a bit, but we’re okay, I think.”

“Alright.” I stand, pulling Capri up and holding her in one arm. “Everyone up. We’re getting out of here now before reinforcements get here.Up.Now,” I snap.

Chapter 29

Cipriana

Two months have gone by since the worst day of my life. Nicky’s stone-cold gaze still obscures my vision now and again. The way he teased a knife down my face, pretending to split it open. I mean… what was he going to do, wear my skin?

Sick bastard.

Thank God for Trino. My dark knight.

Not only are we done with the Sonny debacle, but we’re finally free of the Lucrazis’ hold thanks toone meeting. It makes me wonder if we should’ve gone to the dons in the first place. Nah. Nicky wouldn’t have rested until my father and I were wiped from the Earth, regardless of orders. It had to go down this way, I guess.

Trino is a stroke of street-smart genius. He had our wedding documents forged a year earlier, and told Don Vino of a vendetta Sonny and Nicky had against himself and Stanzo. He convinced the most hot-headed don for generations thathismen were in the wrong. And for it? My man is a capo.

Thecapo, if you ask me.

Now I’m driving down the Jersey Turnpike to heed a challenge I made for myself. I’m no longer Capri Dotelli, the do-good lawyer stuck in a library, scared of her shadow. Now I’m Capri DeMatteo – the badass lawyer stripping bitch who finishes what she starts.

I step on the gas to emphasize my point. Rolling up to a familiar hotel building makes me remember a different time. An easier one.A boring one. Not anymore.

Shutting the door of my new black-on-white BMW X5 and strutting into the lobby, I wink at the manager, who waves as Imake a sharp turn left. Down the hall I go, right to the women’s locker room where a familiar scuba suit is waiting for me.

I’m smirking at it, remembering when I flailed in an undying panic. Now when my heart thunders in my ears, I never think more clearly. Grabbing for the suit, I notice the beautiful ring Trino bought for me, how it shines even in the dullest light. Yeah, the pillow-cut diamond is perfect, but that’s not my favorite part about it.

When I took it off to clean it one night, I found another surprise inside. ‘C&T’ engraved with a ribbon under it – to remind me of our kinky sexcapades. It gave me tingles up and down my leg… and it’s happening again right now. There’s so much in this ring Ineverthought I’d have. Love, appreciation. The proposal.

To think, we started out hating one another so hard. Yeah, he was hot, but that was it. I thought he was a dumb Jackie Junior. Now he’s something better than even Toretto.

My dark knight.

I hop into the tight one-piece suit, my skin burning as it scrunches inside. This used to make me feel claustrophobic. I’m good, now. Better than good. I’m ready for Gil to put on that heavy ass tank and watch me swim like a dolphin under there.

I walk out in my flip-flops and that skintight water-suit, holding my flippers under my arms. Gil’s waiting for me with a sad sort of smile. Not sure if it’s because he still has a little thing for me, or maybe he’s not the strong man he thought he was.

It’s true. He didn’t hold it together very well in Nicky’s torture chamber. But I don’t blame him. We all thought we were going to die in there. I remember Jacky shaking like a leaf as she held onto me. My poor friends.