Epilogue

MELISSA

I am packed and standing in front of a private plane by dinner time. Knox, Xander's younger brother, is carrying the bags into the plane as he jokes with Gianna. I am too stunned to move farther than the halfway point between the car and the plane.

"Melissa," Papa calls while walking over from his car. I practically fall running into his arms as he approaches. His stern face softens just slightly as he looks at me.

"Papa, I can't," I whisper, and he holds me tighter.

"Yes, you can," he says softly. "This is what's best for all of you."

I shake my head, tears welling up in my eyes. "Xander will never forgive me," I choke out.

"He will," Daniel says as he approaches, placing a light hand in the center of my back. I turn to embrace him, and he pulls me in tighter, kissing my temple.

"He has no right to make you feel bad, picking this mafia shit over his child." Gianna crosses her arms, shaking her head disapprovingly.

I've explained why we're doing this multiple times to Gianna, but she still doesn't understand how there is a choice to be made. I guess she is naive in that way, believing that a woman ever comes before the mafia family.

"Gianna!" Papa scolds and Gianna's lips go into a thin line as she directs her attention back to me. Daniel shakes his head, a small smile on his face as he walks towards the plane to do a final check.

"Mel, listen to me. Forget Xander. You need to do this to protect yourself and the baby," Gianna says, sounding so sure of herself.

I don't believe Gianna because I know Xander. I know this will be like a shot in the head. I know I could never forget him even if I tried.

"Xander has no choice but to understand, and if he doesn't, I'll knock him around until he does."

I nod, a small smile on my face as I watch Gianna playfully punch the air. "Come on, you know you don't have those hands!"

Knox comes up behind Gianna to noogie her, but she swings around with her hands up.

"I'll give him a shiner bigger than Daniel." She swings at Knox missing on the right hook but connecting sharply with her left. "Believe that."

"Okay, we're all packed up and ready to go," Daniel calls from the plane, his hands stuffed in his front pockets.

My father pulls me in close. A firm kiss to my forehead, "Ti amo, bellezza."

I hold his wrist firmly, tightly closing my eyes. After a moment, Daniel walks up to us and kisses my hair with a weak smile on his face.

"Gianna, Mel, your phones." His palm is open for us and Gianna pouts, fishing the phone out of her pocket.

"Seriously, Papa?" She puts the phone in Papa's hand as she rolls her eyes at him.

"Melissa," he demands, and I hesitate, not wanting to lose the last piece of communication I could have with Xander.

As if Papa can read my mind he says, "You will not need a phone where you are going. Everyone you will need to contact will know how to."

I slide my phone slowly out of my pocket, before placing it on top of Gianna's in the middle of his palm.

"Come on." Daniel places a hand in the middle of my back and guides me toward the plane. "It's time." I turn to follow Daniel, but Papa stops us.

As I step forward, I place my hand lightly over my stomach, each step feels heavy, as I leave a part of myself here with Xander and steal a part of him for myself.

Thank you for reading my book, if you enjoyed Xander and Melissa's story please leave me a review.

Their story continues in Mafia Heir's Secret Baby: A Spicy Arranged Marriage Enemies To Lovers Dark Romance you don't want to miss.

Here is a sneak peek.

Melissa

"Did the ring have to be red too, father?"

A blood red dress, red roses, and a ruby red ring worth millions. It sounds more like the beginning of a bad joke than a marriage, but at this point, I feel more like I'm being bought rather than married.

Father's face creases and he sighs for the second time in two minutes.

"Baby, I don't know. That's what he sent."

Yeah. Being bought sounds about right.

I sigh and look at the ring again.

On top of everything, red is not my color.

And, I hate rubies.

Xander knows this too, which makes all of this even worse.

I stare mindlessly into the mirror, admiring the drape of the dress around my body. The dress hadn't been my idea either. Nothing on my skin had been my idea.

I chuckle, the sound catching in my throat as I press my eyes closed and let my head tilt forward so he can drape the accompanying diamonds on my throat.

I'd known this day would come. There's no need to pretend otherwise or even feel sorry for myself.

Six years was more than enough respite.

"Where's Lucian?" I turn to Father and let him press an almost tender kiss on my forehead.

"Sleeping. He's not coming tonight, Mel. You know why."

He sounds sorry, and my breath catches in my throat.

"How bad is this going to be?" I ask in a whisper.

He takes my hand in his and squeezes softly. "Only as bad as you want it to be. I support you, baby, but you knew this day was coming. I've protected you as long as I can."

And he has, too.

I inhale a deep swell of air and smile as widely as I can, hoping it doesn't look as much of a grimace as I think it does.

"You smile at Xander that way, and he's sure to run screaming for the hills." My brother Daniel is at the door, his navy-blue Brooks Brothers suit unbuttoned.

He holds his arms out, and I walk over to him, hugging him tight. I pull away and tuck my arm into his when he offers. He smells of mint and Lucian's powder.

"Is he sleeping yet?" I lean into him and tone my voice low so Father can't hear me.

"No, but Hailey will make sure he does. And no, do not go in there, Mel. You'll never leave." He tightens his arms around me and leads me to the door away from the stairs.

I nod and follow Father's brisk strides to the door, shaking my hair away from my face and straightening my shoulders out.

Outside, a cool breeze blows through the palm trees planted on the property, the moon just sneaking out of the clouds. The air smells of cherry blossoms, light and airy, nothing at all like my mood.

Daniel opens the car door and holds it for me, lifting the train of my dress carefully and sliding it into the car after me.

I smirk at him. "If I didn't understand better, I'd think I wasn't your sister."

He glares playfully. "Shut up, Mel."

He pushes the door closed, walks over to the passenger door of the SUV, and slips in beside me.

I turn to him and whisper the words I've kept to myself this entire time, festering in my stomach like worms. "I still hate him."

Daniel turns to me, his hazel eyes deep and hard. "He probably hates you just as much. The past didn't wound you alone. You know he was just as hurt as you were."

"And then there's Lucian. How do I explain that?" Daniel is right. And I can't deny it. Xander had been just as hurt as I was. Maybe even more broken. The split had, after all, been my idea.

Daniel sits back against his seat and, resting his head against the headrest, closes his eyes. "There's going to be hell to pay. Even his family won't survive it."

"Why can't we cancel this? We don't need the money. Father certainly has enough."

Daniel opens his eyes and takes my hand. The car pulls out of the driveway, and we're on our way to the lion's lair.

"The Russians are getting stronger, Mel. He needs the combined power of our family and his. Father is worried that handing our business to him without some leverage will spell doom for us, but he also understands we can't do nothing."

I feel a twinge of guilt as I ask a question I've asked one too many times. "Why don't you take over the business?"

Daniel's eyes darken. "I can't. I don't want it. My law firm cannot be associated in any way with the Mafia, Mel. You know this, someone has to keep the legit side of the business up."

He squeezes my hand, a look of guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry we're throwing you under the bus like this, but you know we don't have a choice. Father doesn't even want to do this."

Which makes my reluctance so much worse. Father is probably festering in a soup of guilt right now. I bite my lip and nod.

I inhale harshly and close my eyes. "You're right. I just hate to think about Lucian. I hate to think what will happen when he finds out. What if he tries taking my baby from me?"

Daniel pulls me across the seat and tucks my head into his shoulder the way he's always done when I'm in need of comfort. I let myself relax into him for a moment.

"He can't do that. You two will be married, and you know he can't leave you. Same as you can't leave him."

The words do not bring me any comfort. Instead, I mumble the family vows, which suddenly sound like a death knell to my ears. "Till death us do part."

Daniel chuckles darkly, and I wince, grateful he can't see my expression. "Exactly. It's easier to leave if you're dead, Mel. And Xander will never let any harm come to you. He'd rather die."

For some reason, I doubt that. The Xander I knew is nothing like the one who dressed me in solid red for a wedding I don't want. Xander still exists, but he's not mine.

That Xander knew I don't like the color red, not since I'd seen it spill out of my mother's side before she'd keeled over to her death. Not since every flower at her funeral had been the red roses she'd loved so much.

Father had made sure all of it had been arranged around her casket, and then he'd torn down her rose garden and went on a vengeful spree of killing that had lasted an entire month.

No, this wouldn't be anything like when we'd both been younger and thought ourselves in love.

Xander

I tip my head up and down half of the drink. My brother Alec hitches his brow and smirks like he's seen something funny.

"Mel really won't love it if you're drunk by the time she arrives."

I eye him out of the corner of my eye, then keeping my eye on his, down the rest of the drink. His lips twitch at the corner.

"Fucking asshole. They're here. Get the bottle away from him." Declan growls. Two years younger than Alec, he's the stiff one of the family, and he's always loved Mel.

Actually, all my siblings have always loved Mel. Of course, they don't want me drunk when she arrives.

They also do not understand that the only way I can face the woman who broke my heart six years ago is if I'm three sheets to the wind.

"I've barely had a sip of the drink. Get off my back, you two." I snap. I drop the tumbler to the table with a thump and shove my chair back. "Have father brought in."

Alec nods, and this time, his face is an expressionless mask of nothing.

I move out of the living room to the door, passing by the mantel with its many photos of our family that mother insists we put out.

When my father had fallen ill three years ago, I'd known this day was coming. His voice had been a still croak in his throat as he'd told me he'd brokered a deal with the Sedrics.

Marriage in exchange for a joint alliance and an end to the very feud that had birthed the end of my relationship with Mel.

I feel a bitter mask slip over my face. Six years later, I was back at the same place. Getting married to a woman I'd loved and lost.

Father's butler, Enzo, is standing by the door, an expectant look on his face. I nod and step out of the house when he opens it with a short bow. Right as she steps out of the car, her arm is tucked into Daniel, who sends me a glare as he leads his sister towards me.

The guards stationed outside have their faces turned away, their spines straight as always.

I feel the betraying hike of my heart. It racks its way into my throat, and I swallow. She's changed.

Her body looks titillating under the drape of her red dress to match the glint of the engagement ring I'd sent this morning.

Her hips are curvier, thrusting out of her waist like they wish to make a statement all their own.

"Might want to pick your jaw off the floor and go speak to your bride."

Declan is back beside me. I roll my eyes and walk down the steps towards them. She stops for a moment, her eyes freezing on her brother's shoulder before she inhales and takes a step forward.

I step forward and watch as Daniel lets her go without a word from me. I nod at him and offer her my arm.

She slips her arm into my elbow and looks up at me with those emerald green eyes, so deep and clear, like a forest with the sun breaking through its leaves.

"Xander." She murmurs, biting down on her lip. Her eyes snap away from mine and rove over Mother's garden surrounding us. A ghost of a smile flits across her face. "Looks like nothing changed."

It seems so because just the sound of her light voice has my cock jumping in my pants. Like it recognizes her. Like it craves her.

"We haven't had the time for much landscaping. Father's looking forward to seeing you."

She sweeps her dress around her and walks beside me to the door where my brothers are arranged, their faces blank as a clean slate. "My sister Gianna sends her greetings. She's been called away for an emergency. She'd been looking forward to the meeting."

I shake my head. Just like Mel to try smoothing things over. "Knowing Gianna, she's more likely to wish me a slow and painful death than to look forward to this meeting, but maybe she's changed."

Mel looks up at me, and a slow smile breaks out on her face. "She said something along the lines of she hopes someone sends a bullet through your ass. Maybe she'd been hoping to do that herself."

I nod, my throat too tight to let any words slip through. That sounded more like Gianna, and I could've said so, but watching Mel smile at me snatches the words away.

Her eyes are still light and airy. Like nothing had happened between us. I wonder how she can smile that way at me when what I want to do is wring her pretty little neck, then take her against my wall, wrap my hand around her, and hurl her into my chest so she burrows into me like she always did.

I blink the fantasy away to see her watching me, her brow creased. "What did you say?"

"Nothing. You stopped moving. I wondered if there was something wrong."

I shake my head no and ignore the tug towards her in the back of my mind.

My brothers take the steps towards us. Alec, as is customary, kisses her cheeks first, then Declan and my last born brother Knox.

"Welcome, Mel." Knox is the closest to her age and the only one of us who has kept up with her.

He offers her his arm, and she looks up at me first, asking my permission as a good wife should. My brow raises of its own accord, and I smile down at her without humor.

She pulls her arm from mine and slips it into Knox's.

I feel a flash of jealousy and stamp it down. She's to be mine. And mine alone.

The way it always should have been. As though she can read my mind she turns and looks up at me, her emerald eyes wide searching mine.