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“I tracked Santino down, and I was going to kill him, but I saw a better opportunity. My mother was tormented for years, so I wanted him to suffer. I joined his organization, worked my way up, and made myself invaluable until I was face-to-face with him. And then I told him he was my father.”

I turn and Jasmine stands behind me, her face warped with deep sympathy. She reaches for me, hesitant, and touches my forearm.

“He didn’t remember who she was. Who does that? What kind of man can rape someone, never mind rape them and forget they even exist? It turns my stomach to think what he must have done in order to forget her. How many women he—” I can’t even say it and clench my teeth as Jasmine’s touch wanders up my arm.

“So I made a promise. I would give myself to him and work my ass off until he trusted me. I would make myself the better son, the perfect son until it’s me he hands the crown to and not fucking Alto. And then I’m going to torture him and make him watch while I destroy everything he’s spent his life building. I’m going to ruin him and torment him like his memory tormented my mother. I’m going to turn the Gatti empire to fucking ashes, and he’ll be left burning at the stake in the middle of it!”

Venom laces my words, dripping hate at the very thought of finally getting my revenge on that bastard. By the time I spit outthe last word, I’m panting harshly and every muscle is locked up so tight that both my shoulder wound and my side throb sharply.

“Roman, I’m so sorry.” Jasmine slowly slides both arms around my waist. “I had no idea.”

“How could you?” I scoff softly. “No one knows. So you see, when I heard the Mancinis talking about wiping us out, I knew I had to do everything I could to get them off our backs. I can’t have Santino dying so easily. I need him to suffer. I need him to crumble and break down because of me. Because howdarehe forget her.”

“I understand.” Jasmine looks up at me with wide eyes. “Believe me, Roman. I understand. I can’t say I understand what you’vegonethrough but your need for revenge? That I do understand. For me, all I could see was the Mancinis killing us before I got a chance to find out who my rescuer was. I’m glad my suspicions about you being Yakuza were correct, but it’s ironic that I never would have found you even if we did make peace with the Yakuza. Because you were here all along.”

Her warmth soaks into me like the spread of hot water pouring from a pressure shower, and her tight arms around my middle ground the racing speed of my heart.

“Call me Ren,” I croak softly. “That’s what my mother called me.”

“Ren,” Jasmine repeats sweetly. “I like it.”

Hearing my name, my real name, come from Jasmine hits like a punch to the chest and I wobble slightly in her arms. I haven’t heard someone call me by that name since my mother died over twenty years ago. Both my arms wrap around Jasmine, and I hold her as tightly as I dare.

“I like it too.”

19

JASMINE

Ifeel like a completely different person walking into my home later that afternoon. It’s like everything has changed.Romanis my mystery rescuer and I don’t ever want to know the chances of that. And I like him.

I like him a lot and he likes me. To what extent remains a mystery, but right now I’m just happy to feel like for the first time in forever, someone is on my side.

“Where have you been?!”

Mom comes flying through from the lounge as I walk down the hallway, intending to go straight to bed given how badly I slept last night, and my mind’s so focused on Roman that I forgot all about my parents.

“Mom—”

“I have been worriedsickwhen you didn’t come home. Your father has men scouring the city and—what happened to your face?!” She screeches so loud my ears ache, and I bite back a wince while she takes my wrist and drags me into the lounge. “Look at what’s happened to your daughter!”

My father stands near the unlit fireplace with his phone in his hand. He glances up at my arrival, and the brief flicker of concern on his face immediately melts into annoyance.

“You don’t text. You don’t call. You tell me you’re on your way home and then you never turn up, and now you walk in here looking like this?” Mom cups my face and tilts my head to the side, examining the bruise and lump on my head from where I face-planted into the dashboard during the crash. “We found your car and the driver was dead. So many people dead and where were you, huh? Where were you Jasmine?!”

She’s screaming now and tears flood her eyes as she touches my forehead then steps back with a whimper.

Shit.

I didn’t think this through at all. Well, honesty is all that can save me now.

“Alto tried to kill me.”

“What?!” Bianca looks like she’s about to pass out, so I catch her hand just as she wobbles and ease her back toward the couch.

“What do you mean?” Enzo snaps. “Jasmine, such an accusation at a time like this?—”

“I know, okay?” Helping my mother sit, I straighten and look my father dead in the eye. “The men that tried to kill me were Yakuza judging by the ink I glimpsed on them, but they were working for Alto. They shot my guard, shot my driver, and made us crash. They were going to kill me too, but Roman saved me. I’m alive because of him.” Turning back to my mother, I take her outstretched hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t call. I was hurt, and Roman was wounded trying to save me, so I was just lying low in case there were more people after me.”