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ADRIANO

P icture this:

A tableau, a painting rendered in blood. Hate etches the hues in sharp relief.

Joy and love seep through, the underpainting that cracks and splits with age beneath the chaos of brushstrokes on the surface.

A daughter, now a wife, caught between the child she must protect, the man she loves, and the father who holds sway over the fate of all three.

A husband, frozen with overwhelming elation at a joining he never put any hope or stock in for himself, and the shock of his wife’s violence, the meaning behind the floral masked death she carried with her, and who it was really for.

And a madman, staring that death in the face, a grin splitting his features into a sinister taunt to match his words.

“Do it!” Dom barks.

But the words aren’t for her.

Gloria realizes it just before I do, whipping back around, her eyes bulging as she looks down?—

At the red dot on my chest.

“Adri!” I hear her scream from miles away. She’s reaching for me.

I reach back.

The gunshot rattles the windows, the sound shock-waving through the sanctuary from the balcony.

All I see is red.

Golden, fiery red flashing in front of me.

Right before time reasserts itself and I catch Gloria’s falling body, her hair cascading down out of its intricate braids and pinning, and down the front of her dress…

No…it’s the wrong color red. Gushing from her shoulder.

“Gloria!” I shout, dragging her out of the way, toward the back of the dais to the side door.

Which slams open, along with every other door in the place at the same moment, flooding the auditorium with men in full tactical gear. Boots hammer under the scuffle of ballistic armor, assault rifles being brought to bear. All to the resounding, clamoring shouts of: “FBI! Nobody move!”

Yeah right.

Down below, some of the audience is stunned, frozen. The rest are panicking, rushing for the doors. I barely have time to register it.

Scooping Gloria up off her feet I hustle for the rear door where the officiant is ushering Dom into the priest’s access hallways. Son of a bitch is trying to bolt!

“Adri…” she groans, clutching at her shoulder.

“Hang on, we have to get out of here, I’ve got you!”

Glancing to my left, I spot Anna, her little sister, who I just met, shaking, her hands covering her ears. “Anna! Get down!”

Instead, she gasps when she sees her sister in my arms and comes running, helps me carry her into the hallway, scooping up her dress train. We’re in a dead run, down the steps, through the offices, following close on Dom’s heels as he rushes for the back door.

“Weller, if you’re listening you need to cut him off! Rear entrance of the church!”

Gloria manages a confused look from her perch in my arms.

“No time to explain. Can you walk?”

“Yes … I think so.”

Setting her down, I unholster my gun, holding up one hand for them to stay behind me as I ease the door open, revealing a stone courtyard, a swatch of green in the center running to a lot and a tall gate.

And there in the middle of the green…

Dom.

Staring down a bald-headed, severe looking man with a raincoat on, his standard issue pointed right at my enemy’s center mass. Despite the standoff, Dom looks composed, if a little tense, pacing back and forth like a predator instead of prey.

“Give it up, Dom. Nowhere to go.”

“There’s always a way out, Jim. You just don’t have the guts to do it.”

“Because it shouldn’t have come to that. It shouldn’t have come to this either. But you made your decision. You burned all your bridges.”

“No! You burned my world to the ground when you let him die, Weller!” Dom flings his hands down in a final gesture, his voice cracking as he loses all control.

“That’s not how it went down, Dom. The safehouse was ambushed. Wiped out.”

“Because you took Paolo from her.”

“We wanted to protect him from the mob life, from you .”

“You used him to get to me! And you used me , played me.”

“Don’t try to act like you’re blameless in this, Vipera. We gave you a chance at an out, a chance to make a deal.”

“And all I had to do was betray my family.”

“Dad?” Gloria steps onto the grass before I can stop her. “Who was Paolo?”

Dom swivels around, his features still twisted in pain, his pistol pointing erratically from side to side.

“He was your brother . My son .” His feral posture falters, his shoulders twitching forward in a half sob.

Gloria raises her good hand, palm toward him, comforting. “What happened to him?”

“They…she told me he died at the hospital. But then…” Dom’s eyes glaze over, looking all around but seeing something else. The past. “The feds told me they took him. That she gave him up. They placed him with a family, raised him.”

“They leveraged him against you to spy on the Diamantes.” I summarize, shaking my head.

Dom nods savagely, bitter tears streaming down his cheeks. He nails Gloria with those hate-filled eyes as she approaches and I train my sights on him, daring him to make a move on her.

“Your mom was the same as Paolo’s scheming bitch mother. Bold and brazen until she realized who my family really was. They took my children from me. Just like him.” Dom points one rigid finger behind him toward Weller, slowly easing his way forward.

“And then they expected me to keep wearing a wire, keep spying, after they got my boy killed !”

“That’s horrible, Dad.” Gloria steps closer. Too close.

At the moniker, Dom’s lip curls.

“Gloria!” I shout, but it’s too late. His arm lashes out, catching her across the face, flipping her around and into a headlock, the gun pressed to her temple.

Taking one step back I raise my palms, my trigger finger along my barrel. I need to distract him. Keep him busy. Keep him calm.

“That’s why you left. Why you had to disappear?”

Dom closes his eyes, a mirthless laugh jostling his frame. “All I had left after he died was running the family. I vowed to use everything at my disposal to make them pay. To find Gloria and her mother, to bring her home.

“Then Giancarlo…that rat , stabbed me in the back. He told me he knew . The entire time that I was working for the feds.”

“Let me guess. He offered you a deal. Giancarlo was always pragmatic.”

“Pragmatic my ass. He held it over me. Manipulated me. Made me swear to support Alessandro, to be his right hand. Except that I would be watched at all times. Scrutinized. A prisoner, slaved to the position that was rightfully mine .”

Weller is almost there, staying in Dom’s blind spot. I see him whisper down toward his lapel, give some kind of order.

I want to warn him off, to tell him to stop.

Dom might shoot Gloria. Gotta keep his attention on me…

“Is that why you killed him? Uncle Giancarlo?”

Dom stills, the only movement the ragged rising and falling of his chest as he locks eyes with me.

“I killed that filthy mongrel because he sent the kill squad to Paolo’s safehouse. He ordered the hit. The motherfucker admitted it to me as I strangled the life from him that night in his hospital room. That he saw no other way. That I was compromised . That my Aunt Eva couldn’t bear the thought of him putting me down, because I was like a son to her .”

My mouth goes dry.

An unearthly silence blankets the five of us.

Weller’s stock still, two arm’s lengths from Dom.

“Dad…please. Let me go.” Gloria says, her voice choked. “I’m your daughter too. I’m right here.”

Dom groans, his teeth bared, like he’s battling with himself.

“Why is everyone always trying to manipulate me? Don’t you see? I have all the leverage now! I call the shots!”

“The only shot is going to be through your head if you don’t let her go.” I snap, my fury rising. This has gone on long enough.

Dom tightens his grip, cocking his gun. “I don’t take orders from Diamantes. So, we are going to back out of here. And you can rest assured that she’ll live.”

Because he thinks she has something that belongs to him.

In the chaos, it slipped my mind.

And Gloria comes to the same conclusion, catching my eye with hers.

Just as Dom starts to back away she cries out, clutching her belly with one hand, her middle convulsing against the pull of his arm.

“D-Dad, the baby!”

Her performance is fucking Oscar-worthy.

And Weller’s timing is impeccable.

Just as he releases her in a jerk of dismay, Weller goes for his gun, and I surge forward, catching him in a full tackle as his free hand goes for his other gun. We slam to the ground, Dom’s wind bursting from his chest in a harsh gust.

My pistol is at his chin when the cavalry bursts in, fanning out around us and yelling at me to stand down. Weller and Gloria’s screams add to the turmoil, for them to hold their fire.

Welp.

The odds weren’t great.

But I’d rather not die today.

“End it. Or I will,” Dom spits in my face.

“Maybe another day, Dom. Real soon.”

Gruff, gloved hands pull me up, handcuffing me, the rest of the team converging on Dom, dragging him to his feet and out toward the back lot.

Dom’s eyes never leave Gloria as they shove him along. “You will always belong to me, Gloria. You and your child.”

“What child?” she calls after him, straightening her dress and dusting herself off. The effect is priceless, blood staining half of her gown, her face smeared with makeup and tears.

Dom’s face drops, his jaw working mutely as they lift him into the back of a black van.

“Remind me to thank Isabella for sending us those photos of her positive pregnancy test.” Gloria smiles, wincing as she grips her wounded shoulder.

Gloria sags, her eyelids fluttering. I try to rush to her side, but I’m held fast by the agents on either side.

“Gloria!” Anna catches her, holding her up.

“I’m fine. Just a little woozy.”

“I need to get you to a hospital,” Weller huffs, taking control of my wrists and dismissing the men in helmets.

“Not sure how I can manage that without my husband,” Gloria grimaces, giving both of us a look.

“Speaking of which…” I start, waiting for Weller to unlock the cuffs.

After a beat, he does. “A deal’s a deal.”

Rubbing my wrists, I raise one eyebrow at him. “You know, you could have breached sooner. Maybe before we said ‘I do’?”

Weller chuckles. “Yeah, but then I wouldn’t have been able to give you a wedding present.”

“Oh, did you pick something from the registry?” I quip.

“Ooo, I hope it’s the air fryer,” Gloria adds with a painful laugh.

“On my salary? I had to get creative. Thought you might like something a little more functional. Like the car waiting in the alley out the side door. And protective custody for your sister.”

Gloria looks up, stunned, glancing at her sister.

“Offer’s valid until I leave, which gives you about two minutes when my commanding officer gets here to assess the scene.”

“Anna? You should go with him.’

“No fucking way!” the young girl chirps, giving her sister an incredulous look.

“Anna! Language!”

“Gloria! You’re in no condition to tell me to do anything. And I am sick and tired of missing you. Worrying about you. Can’t I stay?”

“Of course you can … I just?—”

“Want to make sure that you know what you’re in for if you do,” I add, gently taking Gloria and lifting her into my arms. “Things might not be very normal for a while?—”

“Why? Cause you’re some sort of secret agent? Or a mafia hit man! Ew, or some kind of sicko? I bet you have serial killer trophies all over your—” She narrows her eyes at me, jutting out her jaw and skewering one finger at me.

“No! Golly, kid. I mean, sometimes, I’ve had to—you know what? I’m not telling you this. And no! I’m not a sick?—”

“Sheesh, relax, you’re going to give yourself a heart attack.” Anna rolls her eyes like I’m the one freaking out. “Anyway, if I’m going on the run with you two, I’m picking the music. And the first destination. Can we go to Bali? Ooo! Or Istanbul! I don’t really know much about it, but the name sounds?—”

“Anna!” Gloria snips, giving her sister a look as I carry her toward the exit.

Oh boy. It’s like Ciro and Ero wrapped up in one fifteen-year-old package of attitude.

Looking back over my shoulder, I nod to Weller. “See you around.”

“Not unless you want me to arrest you.”

“You still owe me a drink!”

“And you still owe me a story or two.”