Page 40 of Bittersweet Endings (Agostino Crime Family #6)

CARMINE RAGETTI

I was actually surprised we made it off the ground before she started having a panic attack. Once the seat belt sign turned off, Octavia ran to the bathroom. I left her to it, but as minutes passed, I grew suspicious.

I heard the noise before I even reached the door. At first, I thought she was crying—soft, choked sounds muffled behind the bathroom door. I lifted a hand, tapping a few times. “Octavia, open up.”

Nothing. Just the ragged sound of her breathing, the rustle of movement, then another heave. My stomach clenched as realization settled in. She wasn’t crying; she was throwing up.

I exhaled, resting my palm flat against the door. “Tave, let me in.”

“No,” she croaked out, her voice hoarse.

I frowned. “No?”

“I don’t want you to see me like this.”

I blinked at the door. “Are you fucking serious? I’ve seen you naked and hallucinating, little doll. Vomit isn’t any different.”

Silence. Then the sound of the sink running and her rinsing out her mouth. Still, she didn’t open the damn door.

“Octavia,” I repeated, this time softer. “Open the door.”

A long pause. Then, finally, the lock clicked.

I pushed inside, and there she was, white-knuckling the counter. Her skin was paler than usual, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her eyes met mine in the mirror, uncertain, wary.

Without a word, I grabbed a washcloth, ran it under cold water, and pressed it to the back of her neck. She tensed for a second, then exhaled, her body sagging against my touch.

“You good?” I asked.

She let out a breathless laugh. “Clearly not.”

I smirked. “Fair enough.” I kept the cloth in place, watching as her breathing evened out in the mirror. “You’re having my kid, babe. This is just the start. I’m staying for the whole damn thing.”

Her lashes fluttered, her grip tightening on the sink. “You don’t have to…”

I turned her towards me, tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to look at me. “Yeah, I do. And I will. So get used to it.”

Her lips parted like she wanted to argue, but I wasn’t having it.

I smoothed my thumb over her jaw, holding her there. “We’re doing this together, little doll. You and me.” I paused. “I’m your Capo. You listen to what I say. I’m here, baby.”

She swallowed hard, her gaze searching mine.

I could tell she wanted to smack me, but she wasn’t at her best. Then, she gave me the smallest nod, and I guided her back to her seat.

She shot me a glare, as if to suggest I was being dramatic, but I knew she wasn’t okay.

She barely made it three steps before sagging against me, proving my point .

I sat first, pulling her onto my lap. She curled into me like she belonged there and I grabbed a blanket, draping it over her legs. Her body was still warm as I pressed a kiss to her temple.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, softly, she murmured, “What the hell are we about to do?”

I smirked, dragging my fingers through her hair. “We’re going to face the families. Show them that JP is done, that I’m in charge now.”

She hummed, thinking it over. “And what about me? The enemy?”

I tilted her chin up again. “I don’t give a fuck.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “Carmine, you should…”

“Nothing else matters,” I told her. “You’re mine. And our baby is the future. That’s the only thing that counts.”

Her lips parted, something flickering behind her eyes. Shock, relief. Maybe even a little bit of fear. I didn’t care. I’d made my choice.

And Octavia was it.

Lorenzo barked out a choking noise from across the cabin. “Ugh, what the fuck?”

Octavia and I both turned to find him staring at his phone with a look of absolute disgust.

“What?” Octavia asked.

Lorenzo scrunched his nose and read off his screen. “Did you know that the baby is already growing tiny fingernails inside you?” He peered up at us. “That’s fucking nasty.”

Octavia snorted, shaking her head, but before she could say anything, my brother took a step forward, his eyes narrowing on her stomach.

“Can I touch it?”

“Fuck off,” I answered for her.

Lorenzo held up his hands and laughed. “Damn, all right, Capo . No need to get jealous. It’s not like I want to bond with the little demon spawn. Just curious.”

I shot him a glare, and he grinned wider while dropping back into his seat.

“This is gonna be fun,” he muttered to himself, still scrolling. “I’m gonna learn so much fucked-up shit about pregnancy just to annoy the both of you.”

“You should’ve brought Matteo.” Octavia sighed.

I stroked her hair, while Lorenzo stared at his phone and gagged again.

“You’re right. I fucked up.” I sighed.

I sat there, my arm draped over Octavia as she slept against my chest. Her breath was steady, her body warm, and I finally let myself breathe. I refused to move, refused to let anything disturb this rare, fleeting calm.

Because the second we landed, it would be gone.

Lorenzo moved to the seat across from us, his usual smirk nowhere in sight. Instead, his expression was unreadable, his seriousness giving me pause. “It won’t be easy.”

My jaw ticked. “Nothing ever is.”

He leaned back, stretching out like he wasn’t about to drop a bomb. “But if we survived JP together, we can survive you knocking up an Agostino and becoming Capo.”

I exhaled slowly, looking down at the woman in my arms. My woman. My future. My family.

“Damn right, we will.”

***

The wheels touched down, the soft jolt breaking the quiet inside the cabin. Octavia stirred against me, her body shifting before her eyes fluttered open. I watched her blink away sleep, her gaze finding mine before darting to the window .

“We’re here,” I murmured, brushing my knuckles down her arm.

“I thought I dreamed it all up,” she said. “I was almost afraid to open my eyes.”

“Nah, baby. Parts might feel like a nightmare for a bit. But we’ve got this. Together.”

She nodded but didn’t say anything as the doors opened and the rush of cool night air flooded in. The second we stepped out, she was ushered into a waiting SUV. I climbed in beside her, my hand resting on her thigh as the door slammed shut.

Matteo was in the front seat, turning just enough to look at her. His mouth quirked up into a half-smile, one she returned as she reached out to clasp his shoulder.

They didn’t say anything. They didn’t have to.

I knew what was unspoken between them. That history, the bond formed when Matteo had stepped in to protect her from me. It burned in my chest, but I tamped it down. Because I trusted my brother. And I trusted that he’d continue to look out for her.

“We’re set,” Matteo confirmed. “All the families are in place. They’re waiting.”

The SUV pulled up outside the hotel, and I reached for the door, pausing for a second before looking at him. “Stay with her. I’ll text you when it’s time.”

Matteo replied with a sharp nod, his eyes flicking to Octavia. I didn’t miss the way his fingers twitched, like he was resisting the urge to reach for her again. He’d become fond of my little doll.

Octavia’s hand on my arm stopped me. “Be safe,” she whispered, and I answered with my trademark smirk.

Then I stepped out into the night, ready to take what was mine.

** *

The room reeked of power and corruption, thick cigar smoke curling through the air. The clink of ice against crystal glasses, the low murmur of men who thought they ran the world. I walked in without a word. I didn’t need to say anything.

The second I stepped through the doors, their attention snapped to me. Some greeted me with tight nods, others with a handshake wrapped in caution. And fear. But there were those who sat back. Watching. Assessing. Suspicious. I could feel the weight of their scrutiny.

I didn’t give a single fuck.

Because they weren’t looking at just another man stepping into this room. They were looking at their future boss. And I’d bend every last one of them into place.

“Carmine,” one of the older men finally broke the silence. “What the hell is going on? We were told this was urgent.”

“You all look comfortable,” I mused. “Drinking, smoking, talking shit about a future that you thought you had a say in.” I eyed the ones who hadn’t spoken yet.

The ones who thought silence made them dangerous.

“But let’s be clear, this isn’t a discussion.

You’re not here to weigh in. You’re here to listen. ”

A younger man, cocky, full of himself, scoffed and took a slow sip of his drink. “And what exactly are we listening to, huh? Because last I checked, JP was still…”

“JP is all but dead,” I cut in, watching shock ripple across the room.

Some of them masked it well. Others weren’t so good at hiding their surprise.

“Your old boss will be rotting in the ground where he belongs just as soon as I get my pound of flesh. Very. Very. Soon. And I’m the one you answer to now. ”

Silence.

“You expect us to fall in line just like that?” someone else balked.

I turned to him, my smirk razor sharp. “No,” I said casually.

“ I expect you to be smart enough to recognize that you don’t have a fucking choice.

” I took another slow step forward, letting the weight of my presence sink in.

“Unless you’d rather take your chances with the grave I’ll dig next to JP’s. ”

A few men shifted in their seats.

“I didn’t come here to negotiate. I came here to claim what’s mine. And if you have a problem with that, speak now.” I lowered myself into my chair.

Silence again. I let it stretch on this time, let them stew in their own unease. I let the realization sink in that they weren’t just dealing with another player in the game.

I was the game. And I always fucking won.

But their silence wasn’t submission; it was calculation. These men weren’t fools. I knew better than to think they’d all fall in line just because I declared myself king. Some would need convincing. Others would need to be made an example of.

And I fucking lived for the chance to do it.

I leaned back in my chair, my gaze sweeping over them as I let the tension settle. “Any other new business?”

A few shook their heads. Exchanged glances, but no one spoke up.

Tapping my phone, I sent Matteo a quick message. Then I stood, straightening my suit, and walked towards the door. Slow and deliberate.

“Let’s talk about the future, then,” I continued, my voice casual, as if I hadn’t just scolded them like little lapdogs. “Under my leadership, businesses will thrive. You’ll all be richer than you’ve ever been. Because that’s what matters, right? The future.”

The door opened. And in she walked. My Octavia.

We both heard it. The chatter, the snarls, the snarky remarks. But she didn’t waver. Octavia held her head high, her dark eyes sweeping the room with the same ruthless confidence I possessed.

Like my queen.

One of the old fucks sneered. “Agostino trash isn’t welcome here.”

The room rumbled its agreement.

I smiled. “Repeat that.”

The old man hesitated, but the younger one beside him—too stupid to understand what was happening—spoke up. “You heard him. That filth doesn’t belong…”

I was already moving. The room barely had time to react before my blade was in the fucker’s throat.

Slicing through skin, muscle, and artery in one clean motion.

He made a gurgling noise, his eyes bulging as his blood gushed down my wrist, staining my sleeve.

His hands clawed at my arm, desperate, but I held him steady as I watched the life drain from his eyes.

The room froze.

I dropped him to the floor, my knife still lodged in his throat. Then, just as casually, I reached down, wrenched the gold ring from his blood-soaked hand, and straightened. I held the piece of metal up to the light and examined it.

“My men are allowed opinions,” I hummed. “But they should be careful which ones they voice out loud.”

The room exhaled, everyone shifting in their seats while a new kind of quiet settled over them. A quiet filled with fear. I turned back to Octavia, holding her gaze, and finally— finally —they knew what I’d always known.

She was mine. And I’d kill every last one of them before I let them disrespect her again.

I stepped forward, my boots echoing against the marble floor, my hands still slick with blood.

Octavia lifted her chin, her lips twitching into a small smile.

And fuck if it didn’t make me want to ruin her all over again.

She wasn’t afraid. Not of me, not of the power I held, not of the blood staining my hands.

She was born for this.

Turning back towards the room, I let my gaze sweep over the men who now sat stiff and silent. They were waiting, wondering how far I’d take this. Soon they’d learn I’d take it all the way.

“You see this woman?” I said. “She isn’t just a fucking prize I stole from my enemies.” I glanced in her direction, my jaw tightening. “She is mine. ”

The chatter started again.

“And that means she is family now. You will respect her. And our unborn child?” My voice dropped, sharp and deadly. “You will protect them like you protect me. Because if anyone so much as looks at them wrong, I’ll cut their fucking heart out and make you watch them bleed.”

Not a word or reply. Good.

I glanced over at Octavia, and that damn smile of hers was still there. Her eyes were gleaming with something dark and wicked. Like she already knew what was coming.

I grabbed her hand and held up the bloodstained ring I’d stolen from the corpse, and without hesitation, I dropped to one knee. A sharp inhale rippled through the room. But I didn’t look at them. I only looked at her.

“Octavia,” I spoke her name reverently. “You’re mine. Forever. You’ll be at my side as I burn down our enemies. As I kill anyone who dares to fuck with our family. You’re the perfect queen for a monster like me.”

A normal proposal would be sweet. A normal story had romance and quiet touches and candlelit dinners. Fuck normal. Nothing about us had ever been normal. Even if she told me no, I’d still marry her. Against her will, if I had to.

I watched her. I couldn’t tell if she was planning to run or scream. But deep inside, I knew she would do neither. The days of running were over. And if she wanted to scream at me, she wouldn’t do it in front of my men.

She sighed, reached out a hand, and rolled her eyes. “I didn’t hear a question in there, Carmine.” She slipped the ring on her finger, the blood coating her skin.

“I love you, Octavia,” I admitted loudly.

“You better.” She pulled me in for a rough kiss. “Just remember, you belong to me too. Or next time, the scalpel won’t miss.”

Fuck. This woman knew how to get my dick hard.