Page 33

EPILOGUE

I took a sip of my drink, then sank back into the plush cushions of the patio chair.

Castello dei Pietra sure was beautiful, even in autumn. The Italian sun warmed my skin, a stark contrast to the colder climate back home, or the cold fear that had gripped me again and again in the past couple of days.

I gazed at the familiar faces of Sophie and Cara, then focused on Fee, and relief washed over me—thank God she was okay.

“God, Fee, I still can’t believe you got poisoned,” Sophie said, shaking her head. “And you’re sure you’re okay now?” She narrowed her eyes. “You should’ve stayed in the hospital.”

Fee rolled her eyes, but I could see the lingering tension in her shoulders. “I feel like I have a hard time breathing,” she suddenly said, then paused.

I jumped up, Sophie sucked in air, and Cara looked like she was about to bawl.

Then she gave Sophie that look. “Because you’re smothering me. ”

Sophie sighed, and I sat back down and glared at her. Not funny.

“I’m sorry, it’s hormones,” Sophie said. “Gabe says I’m getting worse by the day.” Sophie reached out and squeezed Fee’s hand. “I’m just glad you’re okay. When we heard…” Her voice trailed off, and I felt a pang in my chest.

That whole incident happened because of me. I closed my eyes. No. It wasn’t my fault Vince’s father tried to poison me, and there was nothing I could’ve done to prevent it.

So it was stupid to take this onto myself.

“I’ll live,” Fee said, “and please don’t worry. Alex won’t let me forget it, anyway. He’s been hovering like a mother hen.”

I opened my eyes again and watched Sophie nod and smile.

She looked radiant, her pregnancy giving her a glow that seemed to light up her whole surroundings. Despite the rocky start of her relationship, she exuded a sense of peace and happiness that I would’ve envied—if I hadn’t met Vince.

Now, we only needed Mira and Isa back, and everything would truly be okay.

“It’s been a crazy few days for you,” Cara murmured and squeezed my hand in her usual quiet manner. “I still can’t wrap my head around it all. And you’re married.”

Before I could respond, the sliding glass door opened, and the men spilled out onto the patio. My eyes immediately found Vince, but I was sidetracked by the sight of Gabe making his way to Sophie on the other side of the table.

He bent down and pressed a kiss to her temple while his hand rested protectively on her swollen belly. The tenderness in his eyes as he looked at her made my breath catch. It was a side of Gabe I’d only ever caught glimpses of, and it transformed him completely.

“Everything okay, Stellina?” he murmured, and Sophie nodded, leaning into him.

A commotion right next to me drew my attention. Cara was on her feet, her face flushed as she glared at Cristo.

“You’re impossible!” she snapped, her voice rising. “Do you ever think before you speak?”

Cristo grinned, seemingly unfazed by her anger. “Come on, Topolina, you know you love it. Isn’t that what one of the heroes of those books you’re constantly reading would say?”

Cara narrowed her brows. “Well, for one, you’re nothing like the heroes in my books, and secondly, just eww.”

I blinked, shocked at the venom in Cara’s voice as she fired back her retort. What the hell was going on there? My quiet, bookish sister had been replaced by a spitfire I barely recognized.

The way she and Cristo faced each other, trading barbs and heated glances, was both fascinating and slightly alarming.

I shared a gaze with Sophie, who shrugged and gave me a lopsided smile. Wait, so there was something going on between the two of them?

Vince watched the interaction, as well, then caught my chin and turned my head to him. “How about you and I take a little nap?” He waggled his eyebrows, and my mouth fell open. Did he really just say that in front of everyone?”

And sure enough, Matt whistled through his teeth while Dom, Cristo, Gabe, and Alex chuckled .

I stared at him, but something in his eyes told me he needed some alone time. And pretending he wanted some sexy times with me was his way out.

I raised my arms, and he lifted me out of my seat.

“This is basically our honeymoon,” I purred to the group and waved, trying to appear as gracious as I could being whisked away like that.

Everyone thought we would do it like rabbits anyway, so the best approach was to attack instead of defend.

His arms tightened around me as he carried me up the stairs. I could feel the tension radiating off him, his jaw clenched and eyes stormy. My heart raced, confused by his sudden mood shift. Had Zotov contacted him? Was that what he was furious about?

Was he even furious?

“What’s wrong?” I asked as he kicked the door—to what was apparently our bedroom—shut behind us. “I was just catching up with my sisters.”

He set me down gently on the bed, then began pacing. “Gabe told me about something called the Paraskia Syndicate,” he growled. “Apparently, they’ve approached him, and he thinks we should work with them, too.”

I frowned, sitting up straighter. “The Paraskia Syndicate? I’ve never heard of them.”

Vince ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every movement. “Neither have I, and that’s what worries me. With everything that’s happened—Zotov, my father, the kidnapping—I don’t trust anyone or anything right now.”

My heart ached to see him so torn. I stood up and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressed my cheek against his chest. “Hey,” I said softly, “we’ll figure this out together, okay? You’re not alone.”

He relaxed slightly into my embrace, his arms coming around me. “I know,” he murmured. “I just…I can’t risk losing you again. I just can’t.”

I tilted my head up, meeting his intense gaze. “You won’t,” I promised. “I’m right here. We’ll be careful, and we’ll stay together.”

Our lips met in a heated kiss, all the fear and tension of the past few days pouring out.

Vince’s hands roamed my body, pulling me closer as if he could erase every moment we’d been apart. I melted into him, tangled my fingers in his hair.

As things grew more passionate, I felt something crinkle in Vince’s pocket. Curious, I broke the kiss, my hand moving to investigate.

“What’s this?” I asked, breathless.

He narrowed his eyes again and pulled a letter out of his pocket. “Another surprise,” he said and handed it to me.

I took the letter from his hand and scanned over his name.

“Who is it from?”

“My mother.”

My eyebrows shot up. As far as I knew, Vince’s mother had died a long time ago.

“Read it,” he said.

I pulled out the single sheet of paper and read over the delicate handwriting .

My heart ached for the mother Vince had lost, for the love she clearly had for her son, for Vince growing up without her.

When I finished, I looked up at Vince and saw the pain etched in his features.

“Vince,” I said softly, “what exactly happened to your mother?”

For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. His jaw clenched, and he turned away slightly. But then, to my surprise, he began to speak.

“My father,” Vince said, his voice low and filled with bitterness, “he treated her like shit. He constantly belittled her, cheated on her, and made her feel worthless. In the end, she couldn’t take it anymore. She…she took her own life.”

I gasped, and my hand flew to my mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head, anger flashing in his eyes. “I’ve never forgiven him. He drove her to it, pushed her until she saw no other way out.”

Hearing this, I felt like I understood Vince a little better. The walls he’d built; the hardness he showed the world; the chilly relationship between him and his father—it all made sense now.

“I lost my mother, too,” I found myself saying. “Cancer. I was only ten.” I swallowed hard, the memories flooding back. “I could have been a donor, but my parents…they decided against it. They didn’t want to risk my health.”

Vince’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. “I’m sorry to hear that, Punk,” he murmured into my hair. “That must have been so hard for you. ”

We stood there for a moment, holding each other, sharing our grief about our mutual loss.

Then, slowly, Vince tilted my chin up, his lips meeting mine in a soft kiss. It deepened quickly, our search for comfort replaced by the need for a deeper connection.

Just as things were heating up, a loud chirping sound interrupted us. Vince groaned and pulled away reluctantly.

“That’s probably Dante or Hero,” he muttered, reaching for his phone.

But it was neither. Vince narrowed his eyes as he accepted the video call from an unknown caller.

I watched in disbelief as Isa’s face filled the screen. “Hey, bro,” she said, then turned and glared at someone right next to her. “Yes, I understand perfectly, you Russian weasel; just give me a second to say hello.”

She was pulled back from the camera, and Zotov’s face appeared next to hers.

He waved, and Isa rolled her eyes.

What the hell was going on between those two? Isa mumbled something, and I watched her and Zotov engage in what could only be described as a heated bickering match.

I side-eyed Vince, who looked as dumbfounded as I did.

Finally, Isa and Zotov seemed to realize they were still on call and focused back on the camera.

“We’re just calling to tell you that Bella and I are okay,” she said, her tone exasperated but with a hint of mischief I knew all too well.

My eyes widened as I heard her words. She and Bella? Why was Isabella talking about herself in the third person ?

I glanced at Vince and he at me. He looked confused, but just as our eyes met, I realized what was going on. Bella was pretending to be Mira, and Zotov had no clue. A small smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth, and pride swelled in my chest at her quick thinking.

“That’s great to hear, Mira,” I said while side-eyeing Vince, who looked at me confused. I held his gaze until realization dawned on him.

I gave him a small nod, then turned my attention back to the screen and was greeted by a wide smile from Isa, which was immediately replaced when she elbowed Zotov and told him he was hogging the camera.

Zotov grabbed her chin, and his face hovered only inches before her face while he growled, “You’re the bossiest, most annoying young woman of all of them.”

Isa chuckled. “That would imply you met all of them, and I’m really sorry to say”—she pulled his hand from her chin, then gave him a once-over—“you’re not handsome enough to have had more than you can count on both hands.”

Zotov’s eyes narrowed as he grabbed her neck, then leaned forward until his head was covered by Isa’s.

I could only assume he was whispering something in her ear because she suddenly sucked in air, and her ear became tinged with red.

Holy shit. There was some serious tension between Isa and Zotov. And it wasn’t the mutual annoyance they both tried to pretend it was. Or maybe it was. But there was something else there, as well—a crackling energy that made me raise an eyebrow.

I side-eyed Vince, who stared at the screen, then I leaned closer to him. “Do you see what I’m seeing?” I whispered in his ear.

He nodded.

On the screen, Isa had freed herself from Zotov’s grip and had pushed him out of the frame. “It would be dope if you’d come, but if you’d rather not, that’s okay, too; I can handle the weasel.” Her nonchalance was impressive, given the circumstances.

“Where are you?” Vince said, his voice firm.

Isa smiled. “In paradise.”

Vince narrowed his brows. “Paradise?”

Zotov apparently had enough. He grabbed the phone, and only his face filled the screen.

Vince leaned forward, his voice firm and dangerously low as he addressed Zotov. “Tell me where to meet. And it better be a five-star resort—Jemma and I are on our honeymoon, after all.”

I bit back a laugh at Vince’s audacity and watched as Zotov’s face contorted in frustration.

“All you Salvinis are actually a giant pain in the ass,” Zotov grumbled, running a hand over his face. “I’ll send a jet; make sure to bring swimwear as there’s a strict no-nudity rule—” He turned his face and glared at what I could only assume was Bella, then ended the call.

I turned to Vince, a mixture of worry and excitement coursing through me. Whatever was coming next, I knew it would be anything but boring. “It sounds like things are…interesting between Isa and Zotov. ”

“I’ll kill the bastard if he so much as looks wrong at her,” Vince growled.

I nodded but barely suppressed my grin. Things appeared to be getting really interesting. First Cara and Cristo and now Isa and Zotov. If I wasn’t completely mistaken, there were true love-is-in-the-air vibes going on all around us.

Or was it just me being deliriously happy and projecting my own feelings onto the world around me?

“You know I’m the happiest woman on earth, right?”

Vince cocked his head, cupped my cheek, and smiled. “I know. What else did you expect, Mrs. Vincenzo Salvini?” He kissed my nose, and I rolled my eyes.

“Cocky much?”

He closed the gap between us and pushed his cock against me.

“Always, but just for you.”

I sighed, then leaned against him.

Always, just for you.

If that wasn’t our motto, I didn’t know what was.