Page 131 of Die for You

We need a distraction, one that allows Valentina to break free.

And I see it in the form of a gun in my hand.

I place it against my temple. “Not the ending you were expecting?” I say to Bria, who gasps.

“Lennon, no, don’t you dare play martyr!” Valentina screams, struggling against Bria.

“My life for hers?” I offer Bria, but she shakes her head furiously.

“No, that’s not part of the plan.”

“Well, I always liked to stray from the rules. I love you, Valentina. Tell Lettie her father loved her more than anything in this world.”

“Lenny, no.” Tears stream down Valentina’s face because she knows me. She knows I am doing this for her.

The moment the gun goes off, Bria will falter, giving Valentina the window she needs to subdue her.

“You’d take your own life forher?” Bria asks, unable to comprehend any of this.

“Yes,” I counter, feeling nothing but peace for the first time in my entire life.

I cock the trigger and the loud bang is deafening inside these concrete walls.

But the bullet isn’t fired from my gun.

It comes from behind me, and standing, gun in hand, is my daughter.

Bria drops to her knees as she’s been shot in her stomach. She clutches her bleeding torso, eyes begging I help her.

Oh, I’ll help her.

Walking over to Lettie, I drop to a crouch and gently remove the gun from her hand. “Want to play hide-and-seek?”

She looks at Valentina, who shifts to stand in front of Nico.

“You go hide. I’ll count to one hundred, and then I’ll come find you. All right?”

Lettie appears afraid, worried she’s done something wrong. “It’s okay, my life,” I say to her in Italian, touching her cheek.

She leans into my caress. The first time she’s done this. “Okay,Papa.”

My heart clenches. A moment surrounded by carnage and blood is the most beautiful memory I’ll cherish forever.

She runs back into the house and does what she’s told.

The men who entered left the door open, and my clever little banana figured out where we were. When she saw her mother in trouble, she acted on instinct—she is truly our daughter.

We created a brave little girl who will grow into a woman that’ll change the world.

But now, I turn and finish this once and for all.

Hugo crawls away, but he can wait.

I hobble over to Valentina and draw her into my arms. I don’t think I’ll ever let her go. No words are spoken as we join hands and peer at the weapons at our disposal. Valentina opts for a mallet.

Without emotion, we walk to where Bria is crumpled over, bleeding out. She peers up, begging for mercy.

“Lenny, I love—”