Page 34

Comatose.

I ’ve been through every scenario of this. Through a negative lens, a positive lens, and an outsider’s lens, and the only way we can move on from this is through a lifetime of servitude to Erhan Kara. It goes against everything Dante Senior wanted for his family, but I think he should have thought of this when he decided to cut his daughter open to shove a rare blue fucking diamond inside of her. I know why he did it, to ensure some sort of security in the future for his family. It’s barbaric, unconventional, and disregards all human choice, but that’s just the world we live in.

De Beers.

The rarest diamond in the world, probably worth over fifty million dollars.

The monitor beeps rhythmically and the softness of her skin reminds me of everything we have a chance at being. Real, calm, and happy . I know it will come at a serious price, but I’m willing to pay it. Whatever the cost, I’m ready to cover it, as long as she gets to live her life.

She hasn’t opened her eyes since that night, and something inside me frantically worries that she won’t ever again.

It’s been days since that awful night. Days since she looked at me, touched me, and spoke to me. I’d fucking give anything to hear her say my name again. It’s pure agony, counting the hours, minutes and seconds, not knowing if she’s ever going to wake up.

Her room is now decorated in flowers. From her dresser, down to the last shelf on her makeup desk. I stare at them as they wither away slowly and flick the lighter open to watch the flame dance.

Loyalty.

What does it mean to be loyal, anyway? It’s just a sick way to get you to act blindly, afraid if you don’t, you’ll be shunned and cast aside. Well, I was already cast aside.

No one wanted me.

Not even my own mother.

The metal clanks shut, my knuckles blanching as I grip the lighter in my hand.

“No one but you, Principessa ,” I whisper, the lump now back in my throat as the machine continues to beep by her side. “Please,” I say softly, unable to look at her, the image of her with tubes inside her mouth and nose already seared into my mind. “Wake up. I can’t live this life without you.”

I grit my teeth, fighting to hold back the tears when her door creaks open.

Dante doesn’t say anything as he takes a seat at the foot of her bed with his back to me.

“Erhan is waiting.” He fixes her blanket, covering her arm as he rests his hand upon hers. “We need to end this.”

“I’m not doing anything until she wakes up.”

He nods, clearly already knowing what I was going to say.

“Well, there’s someone else here to see you.”

As I lift my head, Darcy walks through the door, followed by Nicholas and Ezra. My heart sinks as I stand. I wasn’t expecting to see them again, but they came.

Darcy’s expression is filled with sorrow as she sees Nera lying there.

“Oh, Raf.” She wraps her arms around me and I hug her back.

“I did this.” My voice falters as I speak. “She’s not going to wake up because of me.”

She pulls away and it takes me a second to register what just happened, the sting residing on my face as she grips my collar. “Pull yourself together. She needs you right now.”

She’s right. I should be out there, fixing this, doing everything in my power to make sure everything is perfect for her when she wakes up.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, surprised to see them all.

“I didn’t get a good vibe when you called me last. So when I couldn’t get through to you again, I asked Ezra and Nicholas to come, too.”

I can’t say I love the fact they’re here, but in my books, actions are louder than anything else could ever be. It’s hard to admit it, purely because I’ve hated them for as long as I can remember. Being the one who was left behind, the one who had to fend for himself for years without a mother or a father, my hatred for them ran deep.

“Above everything else, if there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s that family always sticks together.” Ezra leans on the door frame.

“Not your body count?” Nicholas jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

“What’s the plan?” Ezra asks, waiting for me to respond.

I take a breath, my original plan of taking Nera far away from here now dissolving right in front of me. There will be no escaping Falcon’s Keep and I won’t ask my brothers to bear this burden because of me.

“I did this. I’ll fix it.”

“Erhan Kara isn’t just going to give you a free pass.” Nicholas weaves his hand through Darcy’s as he speaks.

“Leave him to me,” Dante says as he stands. “I’ll––”

“Erhan wants me .” I glance back at Nera, her beautiful raven hair covering her pillow. “No one else is going to get hurt because of me.”

“You don’t have to do this alone.” Ezra steps forward and places a hand on my shoulder. “You have us. ”

“ Lealtà ,” I whisper, the constant reminder of my unwavering loyalty to the Della Torres always in the forefront of my mind.

“Fuck loyalty,” Darcy says, smiling. “Make him an offer he can’t refuse.”