Page 133 of Bellini Born

He pulled out his phone and fired off a text. “Done.”

“And then I want every Russian business in this city—legitimate, illegitimate, all the fucking warehouses—destroyed. I want their entire operation obliterated, nothing left standing. Call up the O’Malleys and see if they can lend any additional manpower. This war might’ve started because of Gio’s wife, but I’m going to end it in the name of mine.”

“Understood.” Enzo shoved off the ground, offering me a hand up, which I accepted. Once I was standing, he clapped me on the good shoulder. “She’ll be back. You’ll see.”

I wished I had an ounce of his confidence because, right now, I feared I’d never see my wife again.

“You know, I’mthisclose to blocking your number if you don’t stop calling,” said the annoyed voice on the other end of the line.

“How is she?” I begged.

Gabi scoffed loudly. “Let’s see. Her bodyguard was killed while protecting her. She was nearly kidnapped with the intent to rape and murder her. Then you blew a guy’s head off right in front of her. And if all that wasn’t enough, let’s not forgether husbandwas shot, too. How do you think she’s doing? Not fucking great, Matteo.”

It had only been twenty-four hours since Summer left, but I’d been obsessively dialing up Gabi every hour on the hour to check on her. Though this was the first time she’d answered. And while on some level, I could appreciate her annoyance, it was damn near impossible to stop, not when it felt like I was slowly dying inside without my wife.

“Is she sleeping? Eating?” I pressed.

“Barely on both counts.” My wife’s best friend sighed. “Do you know how much I hate that I was right? That, when you dragged her into this life, I knew it was going to chew her up and spit her back out? But she wouldn’t listen when I tried to warn her. And you were going to stop at nothing to make her yours. It was like watching a fucking train wreck in slow motion. Now look at the two of you. You’re both a mess, and I’m stuck with the cleanup.”

“Can you tell me one thing?”

Gabi groaned. “What now?”

“Is she still wearing my ring?”

“Why should I tell you anything more than I already have?”

“Because you’re the only person on this planet who loves her as much as I do. Please, Gabi. I need to know,” I begged.

“Fine,” she grumbled. “Yes, she’s still sporting that obscenely large diamond.”

Hope filled my chest like a balloon. Summer hadn’t broken her promise to never take it off. Initially, I’d issued that demandbecause of the tracker placed inside, but now its presence on her finger told me that she hadn’t given up on us. That, even though she’d left, creating space and distance between us, someday, I might be able to find a way to win her back.

“I need a favor,” I blurted.

Her eye roll was audible. “You’re really pushing it.”

“Trust me, I know I fucked up, but she’s my entire life, Gabi.”

“Ugh. Why do I have a feeling that I’m going to regret this?”

This might be my only chance to remind Summer of all the good that outweighed the bad when it came to attaching her life to mine, and I vowed not to waste it.

Chapter 31

Summer

“Hey.”Theone-wordgreetingwas uttered so softly that I barely heard it over the running water echoing off the tiled walls.

I lifted my head from where it rested against my knees, tucked to my chest, blinking at my best friend crouched just outside the glass wall, with gritty eyes.

The shower was the only place I allowed myself to cry. And since that’s all I felt like doing, I’d spent the majority of the last three days letting the hot water wash my tears down the drain.

Gabi’s forehead was creased, her expression full of concern. “While I appreciate you putting my tankless water heater to the test, you’re turning into a prune, babe.”

I shrugged. “Who cares?”

She sighed, trying a new tactic. “I got takeout from that sushi place around the corner. Ordered extra California rolls just for you.”