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One bullet is all it’d take ….

His mind taunted him to take it out and pull the Glock’s trigger like he desperately wanted, and he had every intention of doing so until their reflections met in the mirror.

Drago, who had been tightening his tie in the mirror, turned around, realizing he’d been snuck up on.

A lot like how Anthony was for the Luciano family, Drago De Santis was that for the Carusos. He had been often called “the tank” and bore that nickname even more so after taking five bullets to the chest, which was why he was Dante’s personal bodyguard. To say he was shocked seeing Dominic standing behind him with his hand at his back was an understatement.

Dominic squeezed the grip of his Glock until his tanned knuckles turned white. “You do anything to hurt her or be any fucking less than what Lucca has said about you, you’ll have wished the boogieman had come for you when I fucking kill you.” Taking a deep breath, he removed his hand from his back, regretfully leaving his gun firmly in place. The only silver lining was he was finally able to make a fucking promise he would keep. “And this time, there will be no coming back, Drago. Because, unlike my father, I don’t fucking miss.”

Walking into the final room broke his heart, but he made sure to stay strong. Their fate had been sealed, no matter how hard Dominic tried to fight it or find a loophole. Lucca had won … this battle.

Staring at his beautiful sister all done up, he wished he didn’t have to ask, “You ready?”

When Kat stood, her black, expensive gown flowed around her as she took some nervous deep breaths.

“I want you to know that, even if it meant my death, I would not let you walk down this aisle if I didn’t know you could handle it,” Dominic told her, his eyes boring deeply into hers.

Kat’s voice came out in a whisper. “I know.”

“We knew this day would come, Katarina,” Dom reminded her of the many talks they’d had in the months leading up to their father’s demise. They’d known Dominic’s journey of taking over his father’s position in the family wouldn’t be an easy road, just like the road to get the Luciano throne had been daunting and long. There would be a price to pay, but Dom had promised all his siblings one thing …

I’ll make the Luciano name mean something again.

She gave him an encouraging smile. “Yes, we did.”

“You’re going to be the one to save us all, and I couldn’t be more fucking proud. They might not know what you’re capable of but, one day, they will. They’ll know what we are all capable of.” Dominic finally smiled. “Make him fuckin’ regret picking you, Kat … Give. Him. Hell.”

“I plan on it.”

He’d known the second he had picked her up in his arms the night so long ago that she would mean more than him and his brothers combined. Katarina was giving him his first step into Kansas City’s new world order, and if Dominic did become king one day, it was going to be all because of her.

He held out an arm with a heavy breath, and she took it as she picked up her blood-red bouquet of roses.

The walk was long, but as the church doors swung open, it wasn’t nearly as long as that painful walk down the aisle. Passing the pews in the same Catholic church he had met Maria in years ago, he was glad Kat looked the part in her gothic dress because, with each step they took, it felt like they were taking part in a wedding … and a funeral.

He felt so sick with every step closer, by the time they reached the alter, he wasn’t sure he was capable of giving his little sister away. It wasn’t until his eyes caught the angel dressed in white, sitting in one of the pews, was he able to give Kat one final hug.

The two siblings, who were more like father and daughter, hugged for a precious moment, and Dominic could have sworn he saw Kat’s life flash in front of his eyes, from the time he first picked her up, to the time he lay broken while Lucifer beat her, and all the way to the moment they were in now.

Giving her away to Drago broke another part of his soul, but the only fucking reason he was able to do it was for the angel in white a few pews over that his body called out for.

And if he didn’t get his angel …

I’ll fucking kill every last one of them.

Dominic looked over to her brother, suited in black from head to toe beside her.

Starting with you, Lucca.

Twenty-One

To Lock The Door Or Keep It Unlocked?