Page 205 of Anti-Heroes in Love Duet

I was relieved he wasn’t mad at me, harboring righteous resentment at me for taking out my shock and anger at him, that I couldn’t speak for a moment.

“This is Mirabella’s lover, Rosetta,” I explained as I stepped away to gesture them closer. “This is why Mira absolutely does not want to marry you either.”

“Assolutamente,” she echoed firmly.

Dante didn’t miss a beat. He moved forward and kissed Rosetta on both cheeks in greeting. “Ciao,amica mia.”

Hello, my friend.

My heart almost burst in my chest.

We all moved to take seats at the table, and I squeezed Cosima’s shoulder as I took the chair beside her, letting her know I was sorry. She reached up and squeezed my wrist in return, her eyes soft with understanding.

“Okay, so I may be new to all this, but I was a damn good lawyer so hear me out,” I started, looking at the face of the family around me, desperate for this to work. “The wedding is next Monday, and if Cosima and Alexander are willing, this is how it will work…”

Elena’s plan was good, but it wasn’t enough.

Even if it all worked out against the implausible odds, it left our operation in Italy floundering and the war back home in America without its general.

We needed more.

So in the week leading up to the wedding, I set my own plan in motion.

I met with Leonardo Esposito.

With Umberto Arno, still recovering from the partial loss of his sight in one eye.

With Mattia Filoso, a semi-retired fisherman who’d taken the money I’d given him for a job six years ago and started a luxury boat rental company to take advantage of wealthy tourists.

The night before the wedding, I sat on the back patio under the twinkling string lights Elena and Frankie had put up a few days before and drank an over full glass of Sambuca with Tore, Alexander, and Frankie.

“Everything’s in place?” Tore confirmed, taking a puff from the Cuban cigar between his teeth.

“As much as it can be,” I said.

“And you’re sure?” Alexander asked, his voice so crisp and British it made me nostalgic for my old life and first home in England even though both would forever be tainted by Noel.

“The only thing I’m sure of is Lena. No matter what happens, I won’t let her go. I’ll kill anyone who tries to come between us.”

My brother’s golden brows cut creases into his forehead. He looked so much like Noel sitting there in his bespoke navy-blue suit, his only concession to the casualness of the setting a lack of tie at his throat. But he was so much more than Noel had ever been.

He was capable of love, the kind he’d kill and die for happily.

After years of bad blood between us, it felt unspeakably good to share a drink with him. To share my soul with him.

He tipped his glass of whiskey to me. “Lombardi women are worth all the treasure in this world.”

“Aye aye,” Tore agreed, raising his own glass.

“The only thing I’m not sure about is Elena’s reaction to your part of the plan,” Frankie admitted with a glint of dark humor in his eyes. “She’s not the kinda woman who thinks being duped is romantic.”

“We need to get back to New York,fratello. Our Family is under attack, and they need their fucking capo to put things to right. This is the only way I can return home and keep her safe.”

“Yeah, she’s gonna like you turning yourself in even less than what you have planned for tomorrow,” Frankie noted.

And he was right.

My fighter would never willingly give me up for anything.