Page 120 of Thorns of Blood

“I’m sorry for everything,” were Cristiano’s words as the two left the room, leaving us alone.

Silence followed the soft click of the hospital door, and I was left holding Giovanni’s hand, his palm dwarfing mine. He wore a crumpled Brioni suit and tired eyes, and it struck me how much I loved this man. These feelings I had never experienced before were like a warm glow in my chest, heating my soul.

Despite it all, I didn’t regret any of it. Because as twisted as it was, this cursed, painful path had led me to him. It was a long, winding road, but I couldn’t imagine a different outcome.

“Why do you look mad?”

“Because you took a bullet,” he rasped, staring at me with a mixture of disbelief and anger. “For me.”

I ignored him, instead pinning him with my own stare. “Where’s Julia?”

“You don’teverdo that again. You’re not allowed to put yourself at risk like that.” I shook my head and his eyes flashed. “I cannot survive without you. So please, for the love of God, don’t fucking die on me.”

“I’m sorry for…” My choked tone couldn’t hide any of my feelings. I swallowed as a tear slipped from my eyes. “For leaving you the way I did.”

“I think I understand why you did it.” His voice cracked. “I just wish you?—”

“That I talked to you about it,” I finished for him.

“That you trusted me,” he corrected me softly.

Events of the past that had twisted us into something we never wanted to be reverberated in the silence. The head of theCartel. The mafia princess that took her twin’s spot, hoping she’d outsmart the world.

“Where is Julia?” I repeated my earlier question.

“She’s buried six feet under,” Giovanni replied, cupping my face tightly but not enough to hurt.

A sense of relief washed over me, but also disappointment. Sadness. A finality that sent a shard of glass through my heart with the knowledge that my son was lost to me. Forever. It was almost like losing him all over again.

I released a long breath before I shifted on the hospital bed.

“Did she…” I studied his face, the old distrust flickering. Taunting me. “Did she say anything else about my… son?”

“The doctor said you need to rest.” Doubt started to niggle at my insides. Maybe I’d miscalculated and he wanted my son to remain hidden from the world forever.

I clutched his hand. “About your mother?—”

He lifted a shoulder. “I don’t give a fuck about that woman. And I ensured she knew it before I extracted the information about your son from her. Once I had it, I ended her miserable existence.”

My stomach lurched. “Is he okay? Oh… oh my God. Is he really alive?”

“We should really wait until you feel better,” he murmured, brushing his lips over my knuckles.

“No, please,” I blurted, choking on hope and despair. I didn’t know where I got the courage to yank Giovanni’s hand. “I’ve waited too long. I can’t?—”

I was filled with heavy longing: for the truth about my son, for Giovanni’s love, for him to touch me and assure me that he didn’t care about a little boy potentially being his competitor for the Tijuana Cartel.

He clenched his teeth.

“I want you to understand one thing, Lia.” His gaze bore into mine. “I will help you find your son. Until my dying breath, I’ll watch over both of you. I don’t care about power, the cartel, the Omertà, any of it. I just wantyou. As my wife. As my confidant. As my lover.”

My heart swelled at seeing the truth in his eyes. His forehead came to rest against mine and I breathed his scent in, letting it wash over me.

“Tell me everything,” I pleaded softly. “Please.”

He straightened then looked away, but not before I saw hurt in his eyes, then he started talking.

“My mother… she might have lied about some of it, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. Okay?” He turned his head to meet my eyes and I nodded slowly. “She hired a family to care for the baby, but when the boy turned three…” He faltered and I prepared for the worst. “She sold him using the Marabella Agreements.”