Page 72 of Brutal Kiss

"Everyone checked in safe. Elena's probably still giving Marco grief about something, and Gianna..." He pauses, a slight smile playing at his lips. "Let's just say Finn Costello seemed very interested in making sure she got out safely."

"This is going to scar, isn't it?" I touch the bandage on my cheek gingerly.

Dante's jaw tightens. "Probably. I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner."

"Don't." I grab his hand, forcing him to look at me. "Don't you dare apologize. You saved me. You came for me when I thought no one would."

"I'll always come for you, Sofia. Always."

The simple words carry the weight of a promise, and I believe him completely.

"I know." I lean into his touch as he smooths my hair back. "And I know what this means. The war, the consequences. People died today because of me."

"People died because Kieran was a monster who thought he owned you," Dante corrects firmly. "This isn't your fault."

Maybe not entirely, but I can't escape the fact that I'm at the center of it all. The Gallo sister who was promised and then rescued. The spark that lit this particular fire.

"What do you think Vito will want from me?" I ask.

Dante is quiet for a long moment, considering. "I think he'll want your loyalty. Your word that you're part of this family, not just someone he's protecting."

"And if I give it to him?"

"Then maybe we can finally stop running. Maybe we can build something real."

I look at my reflection in the bathroom mirror—bloodstained wedding dress, bandaged cheek, hair falling in messy waves around my shoulders. I look like someone who's been through hell and survived.

"I'm tired of running," I admit quietly.

Before Dante can respond, the bathroom door bursts open and Rina rushes in, her face streaked with tears. She takes one look at me and immediately pulls me into her arms, holding me so tightly I can barely breathe.

"Sofia," she whispers, her voice breaking. "Oh, thank God you're okay."

I melt into her embrace, finally allowing myself to feel truly safe. Rina's here. My sister is here.

When she finally releases me, she turns to Dante and pulls him into a hug too. He looks surprised but doesn't resist.

"Thank you," she says fiercely. "Thank you for bringing her back to me."

Dante's expression softens. "I told you I would."

"I know you did. But saying it and doing it..." She shakes her head, wiping away fresh tears. "There aren't words."

I watch this exchange feeling strangely detached, like I'm observing someone else's life. The adrenaline is wearing off, leaving me hollow and exhausted.

"Rina," I say quietly. "What happens now?"

She looks at me with so much love and sadness that it makes my chest ache. "For now? Nothing. You don't have to think about anything except that you're here and you're safe."

"But the war?—"

"Will be handled by people whose job it is to handle such things." Her tone is gentle but firm. "You've been through enough for one day. For one lifetime."

I want to argue, to demand answers about what comes next, what's expected of me. But the fight has gone out of me as quickly as it came. I'm tired—bone-deep, soul-crushing tired.

"I just want to sleep," I whisper.

"Then that's what you'll do," Rina says, smoothing my hair back like she used to when we were children. "Everything else can wait."