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MIRABELLA

“M iss Renzetti, so glad you could make it.” An older man I know as Alistair Bancroft says to me as he holds open the front door of his massive house.

“I came here for one reason.”

“As I told you on the phone. Your daughter is perfectly safe.”

“Then bring her to me,” I snap at him. “I don’t know what game you’re playing but—”

He laughs at me, shutting me up. “Oh, Miss Renzetti, I don’t play games. Games are when you have a chance to win or lose. And I always win.” He pulls me into the house. “Now I may have something else you want.”

“What could you possibly have—”

“Tsk tsk,” he interrupts me as he directs the guards to search me for weapons. “No questions. That was part of the rules. Now follow me.”

A chill goes down my spine as I follow him down a set of stairs into a dark hallway. The smell of iron permeates the cold air and I know what he does down here.

After I left the estate in Genoa, Dante made a few calls and got me to the Bancroft Estate, as well as a call with Alistair. I don’t really know why he helped me when he could be killed for doing something against Giancarlo’s orders. But Giancarlo is on his deathbed, at least from the little information he told me. The bullet wound caused him to lose a lot of blood. He was stable but in a coma. And I sure as hell hope he doesn’t wake up so he doesn’t come after me.

I follow Alistair into a damp room. My eyes looking everywhere with each door we pass for my daughter. But like this one, the lights are off.

I can feel the presence of someone else in this room and I hope to hell this isn’t the end for me.

The lights suddenly turn on and I cover my eyes from the brightness of them. When they adjust I look around the room, Aria nowhere to be found, so I breathe a sigh of relief. But I turn around and find Kilian bound, gagged, and bleeding in a chair.

I rush toward him even though I can see the message in his eyes, the one telling me to step away.

“I told you I had something else you wanted, Mirabella.”

I turn toward Alistair, fire burning in my veins. “That is your son.”

“I’ve always had a very high respect for loyalty,” Alistair replies. “It really is the key to success. If one is loyal to another, it can help business grow even if the things you are tasked with aren’t morally right.” He circles around me where I stand next to Kilian. “Loyalty was the first lesson I taught all my children. Just like I am sure that was the first lesson your father and uncle taught you.”

I turn as he speaks, my heart pounding in my chest. I have no idea where he is going with this. All I want to do is kill him and get Kilian out of this room. Kilian’s fingers barely brush mine as I turn and look at Alistair as he walks behind him. I grip them knowing Alistair can’t see.

“It seems you are not loyal to your family like Kilian is not loyal to this one. I am curious how long the two of you have been secretly seeing each other. Has Kilian known this whole time who you were, since your family first started to try and take us down?”

“What are you talking about?” I cut in. “I know nothing about the dealings of my family. And as for your son, I only reconnected with him a few months ago.”

Alistair smiles at me, and I swear I can see the devil in his eyes. “Did you know Kilian knew who you were when he first met you in Dublin?”

“He had no idea who I was.”

Alistair shrugs as Kilian squeezes my fingers. “Oh he knew all about Mirabella Renzetti. In fact, I am sure he fucked you just to get the last laugh. Since he killed your parents.”

I drop my gaze down to Kilian. I can see pleading in his eyes, like he wants to tell me something but I drop his hand instead. “He didn’t kill them. It was you, Alistair.”

He laughs. “I don’t stoop so low to commit those crimes. But Kilian had orders and he followed through. I do hope your parents enjoyed that opera before they died.” I want to rip the smile off his face. “But Kilian knew all about them, knew about you and your brother. It was his job to research you. And yet two years later he found you in Dublin and seduced you, fucked you, got you pregnant. All like I asked him to.”

I step away from Kilian and closer to Alistair, not wanting to believe a word he is saying. But between him and my uncle, the lies might all be truths. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Loyalty. Kilian had it for years. He followed instructions. And now your child is just what I need, a weapon for control.”

“Aria has nothing to do with any of this.”

Alistair walks up to me. “Your daughter has everything to do with this. She has the power to control half of the criminal underworld. And I plan to raise her to.”

I lose control and slap Alistair in the face. “You will not touch her.”

He grins at me, then puts his hands around my neck, walking me backward until I am slammed into the cold brick of the wall. “You have no power here, Mirabella. Maybe you should have stayed with your uncle.”

I kick him in the balls and shove him off me. “So what? You are just going to kill me, kill your son. Raise my daughter as your own. Groom her like you did Kilian. Make her feel worthless? I know how you raised Kilian. You’ve groomed your youngest son for nearly his entire life to take over this business. You’ve been harsh, cruel, merciless. You never treated your older sons that way. And this is what happened to Kilian.” I gesture toward him.

“I find it funny that you are still standing up for him. Such loyalty you have to him even after I told you his truths.”

“None of what you said is true. I know him, I know he wouldn’t have done any of that on purpose.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But you really think he can’t be loyal to me? That he hasn’t been playing you this whole time? You are a foolish girl, Mirabella.”

“He hasn’t been. I know him. I know him better than you do. And right now, he’s torn between his loyalty to you and being happy.”

“Happiness is a gift, Miss Renzetti.”

“No, happiness is a part of life, Alistair. And you’ve deprived him of that since he was sixteen years old.”

“And are you happy? Daughter of a Renzetti.”

“When I am with your son, I am. When I am with my daughter, I am.”

“You mean his daughter.”

I ignore his statement. “You’ve ruined his life enough. There are other people that can take over your syndicate. People that want it. You’ll just have to live with the fact it’s not in your name. Bancroft will hold the same power it does over people but you will know the truth.”

“I don’t give a shit about the syndicate anymore. Not when my intentions are to use your daughter to take over your family’s business.”

“The only place my daughter is going is home with me.”

He pulls a gun from under his suit jacket and aims it at me. “You made a mistake coming here, girl. You should know by now I always get my way.”

Before he can pull the trigger, I slide out the knife I hid beneath my clothes, so close to the gun they took from me. A distraction was all that gun was.

I throw the knife into Alistair’s chest just as the gun goes off, the bullet nearly missing me as he staggers back.

The guards from outside storm in through the door. I dive for Alistair’s gun as he tries to pull the serrated knife from his chest. I slam my elbow into the ground and pry the gun from his fingers, then flip over and shoot down the first guard. The second aims his gun at me but I roll forward, the bullet hitting the ground behind me. The gun slips out of my hand as I slide across a pool of blood.

I pull my other knife out and slash at the guard's legs, taking him down, then taking his own gun and shooting him in the head.

I run for the door, knowing more guards will be on their way. I slam it shut and lock it from the inside and pray they can’t open it from the outside.

I run to Kilian and remove his gag and slice off the ties binding him to the chair. I step back as he stands up. He limps toward me and I can see the pain on his face, but he cups my cheeks and kisses me with such reverence I feel my own legs shaking.

“Kil,” I whisper against his lips.

“ Mo stór . That was so sexy.”

I wrap my arms around him as all the tension I’ve been holding in my body since he left the house in Mallorca disappears.

He groans and I pull back. “You’re hurt.”

“It will heal,” he mutters as he pulls me back into him.

“We need to find Aria.”

He nods. “I know where she is. She is safe. I promise you.”

His lips touch my forehead and I can’t help but grip him tighter.

“Isn’t this a nice reunion,” Alistair says as he pushes himself up against the wall. His breathing labored.

I spin around, Kilian gripping my hip hard and I’m not sure if it’s because he needs me to help him stand or if it’s fear.

“This isn’t over.” He struggles to get the words out. “My men will kill you both.”

Kilian chuckles over my shoulder. “Father, you really think you will survive this?”

Alistair grips the handle of the knife, his weak arms struggling to pull it out.

“I wouldn’t do that,” I tell him. “That blade is serrated, the second you pull it out, you’ll die.”

“Finish him,” Kilian whispers to me over my shoulder.

I turn to look at him. “You do it. This is your father, your redemption.”

He shakes his head. “No, my redemption is taking the seat he never thought I deserved.”

I turn back toward Alistair as Kilian struggles to walk. He pulls me with him until we reach his father. Kilian collapses on the floor and grips his father’s hair. “Do it.” He pushes a gun toward me from a fallen guard.

“The Partners will have your head for this, boy.” His voice strained from the position Kilian is holding him.

“No, they won’t.”

I ignore the gun on the floor and squat before Alistair. “You killed Magda and Salvatore. You killed my parents. You kidnapped my daughter. You are no leader, no man of power, but a despicable masochist.”

He grins at me, blood coating his lips.

“You told me earlier that you win everything.” I rip the serrated blade from his chest. “Not anymore.”

Before I can tell myself not to do it, not to kill him, I swipe the blade across his throat. Blood spilling from the deep wound. I watch as he gurgles, his lungs trying to get air. I watch until the life drifts from his eyes.

Kilian lets go of his hair and pushes him aside when he knows he’s dead. He struggles to stand up. It takes all my strength to lift him to his feet.

He takes the knife from my hand and tosses it to the side. He grips my face again as he captures my lips. I want to kiss him back. I want to forget about everything that happened. But too many truths were revealed today and I need time to think, time to process.

“What’s wrong?” he asks me.

“I just want to find Aria.” It’s not a complete lie.

“We’ll get to her. We have to get upstairs.” He hesitates as he looks out the door. “It might be hard.”

I pick up two guns off the floor and hand one to Kilian.

“I’m not worried about them,” he says as he nods to the men waiting on the other side of the door. “They will answer to me.”

“Then what is it?”

“My father busted my kneecap. I shouldn’t even be standing.”

“Kilian!” I shout as I wrap my arm around his waist.

“It’s fine. I’ll have them get me out.”

* * *

Kilian had two guards carry him up the stairs. After he brought us into his father’s office, he called his mom, who said she was on her way back with Aria. I cleaned the blood off my hands and face. My black clothes hiding whatever is left.

“She has no idea.”

“About Aria?”

He shakes his head. “She figured that out. She isn’t dumb. She knows what my father’s life was like, what mine was like.” He pauses as he looks out the window from the couch he is sitting on with his leg propped up. “She doesn’t know you are here. Or who you are. She doesn’t know Alistair is dead.”

I swallow down the thoughts that she knows about Aria’s lineage. Instead, I decide to ask him about the things we need to talk about before Aria shows up.

I sit on the coffee table in front of him. “You chose this over us.” My words are quiet.

His head snaps toward me. “No. I will always choose you and Aria over everything but I know how strong you are and I know you would never let anything happen to our daughter. I know you would put a knife through Giancarlo’s heart if he threatened her.”

“I shot him,” I say as I pick at my cuticles, avoiding eye contact with Kilian.

“What?” he asks in shock.

“I shot him. I thought he had killed Magda and Salvatore. I thought he took Aria. I thought he did something to you. And I couldn’t take his lies anymore, so I shot him.”

“Fuck, Bella.” He grabs my hands. “You’re going to have a target on your back now.”

I shake my head. “Dante was there. He let me go.”

“He just let you go?”

I nod. “He seemed upset with Giancarlo. The truths or lies, whatever Giancarlo was saying, didn’t seem to go over well with Dante.” I bite my lip as I think about what happened. “He tried to save him. But I don’t think he really cared. I think he did it so others thought he was fulfilling his duty.”

“Is he dead?”

I shake my head. “Dante said he was in a coma.”

“Fuck, Bella. I can’t believe you did that.”

I shrug. “Apparently I’m in a mood for killing these days.”

He reaches forward, wincing at the movement as he cups my face. “Alistair deserved that death.”

I nod. I hold back the tears that threaten to spill over. The thoughts that I am a killer now. No better than my uncle or cousins or my brother.

Another thought pops into my head. “You killed my parents.”

“I swear to you, Bella, I didn’t know.”

“They were my world.” My voice breaks.

“If I could take it back, I would. I was young and hungry for power. I would do anything my father said.”

I take a deep breath before I ask my next question. “Did you know who I was in Dublin?”

“What?” he asks, surprised. “I had no idea.”

“Giancarlo told me you knew. Your father said you knew.”

“Lies told by men who thrive on breaking others. On holding power over people.”

I look up at him. At his beautiful blue eyes, his strong jawline. The man I would have spent my entire life with if we weren’t in this position. “Yet here you are, ready to take your father’s seat. A seat you made it seem like you didn’t want.”

He sighs and lets go of my hand, running his through his hair. “I want it to set things right. To run this business like it should be run.”

I look down and nod as I feel my heart breaking with every word I am about to say. “I don’t know if I can be with you, Kilian.”

“What are you talking about, Bella? I love you.”

I dare a glance at him and see shock all over his face. “Sometimes love isn’t enough, Kilian.”

“Bella…”

I shake my head. “I don’t know if I can forgive you for my parents’ death. I don’t care what the orders were. And how am I supposed to be with you? You take your seat and I live in the shadows? Aria lives in the shadows? She is the light in our dark world. I won’t keep her from it. I won’t drag her into this darkness.”

“We will find a way to make it work.”

I stand and back away from him. “That’s the thing. It will never work. There will always be some force driving us apart.”

“I just got you back.” His words are sad.

I fold my arms over my chest, tears threatening to break from the dam holding them back. “Maybe we aren’t meant to be.”

“Bullshit, Bella. Don’t say that.”

I groan and throw my hands in the air. “This is lust, Kilian. Not love. It can’t be love. It shouldn’t be so complicated. And our lives will forever be complicated.”

“Love is complicated.”

I walk over to the window and look out into the lush green yard. “I don’t want complicated, Kilian. I want to feel free.”

“You can’t just give up on us.”

“We were never an us. Can’t you see that? We were two people who thought we loved each other ten years ago. And the rush of seeing each other again is all this was.”

“Tell me this meant something to you. Our days in Malta, our texts, the phone calls, the time in Mallorca.”

I swallow my sadness and lie through my teeth. “It was a fun time. But it meant nothing to me.”

I watch his face crumple at my words. I watch as his fist hits his chest like he can feel his heart breaking as much as my own is.

I step toward him but he holds up his hand. “Aria should be here soon. At least let me say goodbye to her, Mirabella.”

Pain greater than any I’ve ever felt penetrates my bones at the coldness in his voice. At the way he flipped a switch so quickly. “She can’t see you like this,” I whisper. He’s bloody and bruised. And I don’t want Aria to see what this life is like we are stepping away from.

“She’s still my daughter, Mirabella.” I don’t miss how he stopped calling me Bella when I told him we couldn’t be together.

“Maybe you can come and visit her,” I say bleakly.

“Yeah, sure,” he answers. Rage cuts across his eyes and I know I destroyed any hope for us.