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I take the hammer and slam it hard into his hand. I can hear the bones crunch as his knuckles and fingers shatter. His body convulses from the pain. His broken hand and knee. The wound in his thigh that is dripping blood. “I know you put a gun to your sister’s head in order to find out who she was texting the other day. Thinking she was crossing your family. Feeding information to the enemy. Well let me set things straight Ezio. I am keeping her safe. In a way you never could. And the second you took that burner phone from her and texted me you gave yourself away.”

He spits at me, a vengeful anger glaring from his eyes. “You think I have no loyalty? She won’t help the family. Won’t take her place. I only held a gun to her head on Giancarlo’s orders to find out who she’s been talking to.”

I smirk at him. “Well I am glad you finally admitted you are working for Renzetti.”

I nod at Matías and turn to walk away when Ezio’s words stop me. “I know who you are,” he says, his eyes going wide. “You were the man my sister was fucking years ago. Dante told me. Kilian Bancroft. Fuck. I thought you were dead. Fuck!” he yells. “You don’t know, do you? I didn’t know it, not until now as I look at you.” He laughs, his teeth bloody as he stares at me mockingly. “Have you met Aria? Maybe you should. Should pay really close attention to all those lies my sister is feeding you. The secret will come out soon enough. Giancarlo will know you are alive soon enough. And he will take it all away from you. Including Aria.”

“Aria has nothing to do with me.” My voice is stern.

His grin grows as he speaks. “Clearly you’ve never met her. But from the second I realized you knew my sister ten years ago, I knew.” He laughs like he knows the funniest thing in the world. “She didn’t fuck some random guy and have a kid. That lie she told our uncle.” His shoulders shake as he laughs again. “This is too good. That bitch had a kid with the fucking successor of The Partners.”

I drop the hammer in my hand. The realization hitting me right in the chest. All of Bella’s words coming back to me. The sad looks she got on her face when I brought up Aria. The regret in her eyes when she talked about her. The way she always looked like she was keeping something from me.

“You are the father of a Renzetti kid. Giancarlo will have your head the second he finds out you are alive.”

I stumble backward. Matías looks at me with wide eyes like he can’t believe the words that just came out of Ezio’s mouth either.

I straighten my jacket and clear my throat, then head toward the door.

“Finish him off. Do whatever you want.” I turn to Matías before I open the door. “My men will clean up the mess.”

I storm out of that warehouse, my chest aching in a way it never has.

21

MIRABELLA

Iscream as my daughter runs down the field well ahead of any of the other players. She scores and is met by her team as they all cheer up and down for her scoring the goal to break the tied game.

A feeling washes over me. The hair on the back of my neck standing at attention. I immediately think Giancarlo is around. But when I look around it’s not him that has me frozen in place. I see a man, a ball cap pulled low on his face, but one glance of those eyes and I feel myself going pale.

“Mira, are you okay? It looks like you just saw a ghost,” Maria says as she places a hand on my shoulder.

In many people’s eyes, I did, considering the man is legally dead. But that’s not what has me struggling for breath, it’s that he saw Aria. I swallow as fingernails dig into my palms. He knows. He has to.

“Mirabella?” Maria asks again.

I shake my head. “Sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew. It’s nothing.”

She gives me a curious look but turns back to the game. I look back up to see if I can spot Kilian anywhere but he’s gone.

* * *

I sit at the table after giving Aria her dinner. My mind a clusterfuck as I try to piece together what the hell happened today. Why was he there? Why did he think he should just show up to her game? He knows it’s a risk to even show up in this town with my uncle and cousin breathing down my neck. And after he was here a few days ago asking about my brother, I knew something happened. I knew he did something. And that makes me even more worried about my uncle.

Kilian didn’t answer any of my texts or calls I sent him on the burner phone after the game. I know he is mad, reeling. He had to have figured it out. How could he not? Aria’s eyes are the same color as his. I barely touch my food as I remember when everything in my world felt like it was crashing down.

The pub is so packed tonight that I barely have any time to talk to Kilian. Customers are obnoxious, a bunch of college kids back in town. I push my way to the other end of the bar when I see a face I haven’t seen in four years. “Dante.”

“It’s been a long time, Mirabella.”

I glance toward Kilian, not wanting him to see Dante. I don’t want all my secrets coming out in one night.

“Do you know who that man is?” Dante asks and I realize he followed my gaze.

“What man?” I ask dumbly.

“The one you are staring at.”