Chapter Twenty-Five

"

W hat brings you here, Matteo? It's a little late for company."

I race to the threshold of my room and look over Dominic's shoulder. Running through my thoughts, I search and search, dread coursing through me when I recall my conversation with Sean at my first Meetup.

"That's Matteo and Andre, The Spanish Lullaby."

"Why are they called The Spanish Lullaby?"

"Use your imagination."

Matteo's eyes meet mine over his shoulder, and his lips lift in a sick grin as he answers Dominic. "Business."

Dominic stands ramrod straight, his back to me, violence in his posture, and protectiveness in his voice as I duck away from Matteo's lethal gaze.

"Aren't you playing on the wrong side of the fence?" Dominic asks.

"Money doesn't care."

"You need to turn the fuck around, and don't ever let me catch you out of Florida again. It won't end well."

"You tapping that?" Matteo asks, batting away Dom's threat. "I was thinking of sampling." I'm sure Dominic's eyes scream murder when Matteo speaks up again, clearly amused. "Pussy's that good, huh?"

Matteo has to be pushing around three hundred pounds, a lot of it muscle, his hair as greasy as his clothes, his thick nostrils flaring as he eyes me with a look that turns my stomach as his knife comes into view. A hunting knife at least nine inches long. Panic zings through me as I turn and scan my room for anything I can use and come up empty. I step out onto the landing behind Dominic as he speaks up.

"Cecelia, baby, get back into your room, now ."

The door across the hall opens and Tobias appears, a similar gun in hand as the one Dominic discarded when he steps out, his eyes sweeping me with relief before he glances down at Dominic.

"What's good, brother?"

"Got this handled," Dominic replies, his voice lethal. "Speaking of brothers, Matteo. Where is yours tonight?"

"You know him." Matteo shrugs. "Probably out at the club."

"Actually, he's in here, resting," Tobias says, jerking his chin over his shoulder. "You should join him."

I peek over Tobias's shoulder, and he shakes his chin subtly. I school my features.

Don't fucking react.

There's no one in that room, which means the other half of the Spanish Lullaby, Andre, is somewhere in my house. Have they been here the whole time?

Just as the thought occurs to me, Tobias's eyes drift past me and widen, and he lifts his gun, training it just above my shoulder.

"Come to me," Tobias says in a steady voice as I leap into the clearing between the two doors. Tobias jerks his chin in an effort to get me to back up more, and I plaster myself to the wall behind me just as Andre appears at the threshold of the bedroom door, where I was just standing. There's a knife in his hand similar to the one Matteo has. Fear paralyzes me as Andre gazes on at Tobias with black eyes.

"Oh, looks like he showed up after all," Matteo says with a sickening lift to his voice.

"I must have been mistaken," Tobias says in a dull monotone.

"Don't worry, we have more joining the party," Matteo assures.

Just as he says it, the doorbell rings, making me jump out of my skin.

Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.

Matteo hollers out something in Spanish, and the noise stops.

"Out of respect, we wanted to try and handle this like gentlemen," Andre says to Tobias by way of greeting.

"Appreciate it," Tobias says, matter of fact.

"Least I could do," Andre says. "After all, you're the one who brought me in."

"And look where that got me." Tobias's tone goes icy as he looks on at Andre with disgust. "What the fuck are you doing, Andre?"

"Things are getting a little too light down south."

"So you take a fucking contract that has to do with my personal interests? Not a good decision."

"Gotta get paid," he says as if this is an everyday occurrence. And I'm guessing for him, it is. "I don't blame you for your interest," Andre says, eyeing me.

"Don't even look at her, you greasy motherfucker," Tobias barks.

"You've seen what I can do with this," Andre threatens, "let's not get offensive."

"Tobias," I whisper hoarsely as a veil of fear-induced sweat cloaks me.

We're not playing a game with toy guns, extra lives, and Monopoly money.

As much as I've witnessed over the last year, as much as I've been warned away, I realize I've been spared to the point I still felt like the danger was in an alternate reality. This is what they've been trying to avoid all along. And now I'm living in my worst nightmare. I could very easily die tonight, and so could the men I love.

It doesn't get more real than this.

"Let her go, and I'll pay you twice as much," Tobias says to Andre.

"Deal," Matteo says quickly. "We'll take your money, bro."

"Andre," Tobias spits in warning. I look over and see Andre inching toward me. "Don't."

Andre stops and gives Tobias a sheepish grin. "Been a long, long time, man. I almost didn't recognize you in that suit."

"You like it?" Tobias smiles, and it's the most dangerous thing I've ever seen in my life. He's going to kill them, both of them .

"Where is Daddy?" Andre whispers to me. "His car is here."

My eyes shoot to Tobias, and I try to read him for the right answer and get nothing.

"I d-d-don't know. I just got home," I stutter out. I hate that I can't get myself right. That I can't mirror the two men with steady hands and strong voices defending me, protecting me.

"I don't think I'm satisfied with the terms of this agreement," Dominic says, his voice steady.

Andre cocks his head. "How so?"

Tobias looks to me as I begin shaking uncontrollably.

I read his expression.

Easy, baby.

I've never been so fucking scared in my life.

Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.

Tobias darts his eyes to Matteo, his gun still trained on Andre. "Want to answer that?"

Matteo speaks up. "Trust me, man, you don't want me to open that door."

Tobias nods. "I can have the money to you in minutes."

"Like I said," Dominic hisses, "I'm not happy with this deal."

It's then I see Dominic's gun tucked in Matteo's jeans. He's unarmed. He didn't make it to his gun in time. And it's because of me. If he'd had it, this would already be over. Bile climbs up my throat as I try to steady myself against the wall behind me.

"It's the only deal to be made, brother," Tobias snaps, a warning in his voice.

"Cecelia," Dominic says, in the intimate tone he used with me in the days we spent together, alone.

"Dominic," Tobias implores, a jagged fear in his voice.

"I'm talking to Cecelia," Dominic counters.

"Yes?" My eyes spill as Tobias darts his apprehensive gaze between his brother and me.

"After this, you want to watch a movie?" Dominic asks. "You can make that cheddar popcorn I love. We can crowd under that blanket that smells like...what's that smell?"

I choke on a fresh wave of fear. "Lavender," I say as more tears stream down my cheeks.

"Yeah. And I'll let you watch a chick movie because all I really want to do is watch you watch it. Your face gets all dopey when you get love drunk."

"Must be some good shit if she's whipped you, Dom," Matteo snarks, his vacant eyes lifting to me.

"We love rainy days, don't we, baby?" Dominic's voice drifts up as he takes a step toward Matteo.

"We do." A sob escapes me as I cripple under the tension. To my right is safety—Tobias—to my left, certain death. And death is much closer. If that blade reaches me before Tobias's bullet, I'm first. But if he doesn't make it to his brother in time...it's a choice that Tobias has to make. Save his brother or me, and Dominic is making it for him, trying to throw himself on the grenade.

"We don't fucking negotiate with terrorists." Dominic tilts his head in challenge, and Matteo only grins, his canines dripping acid. He outweighs Dominic by at least eighty pounds, but Dominic has speed and incredible strength. He wouldn't need either if I had trusted him earlier. If I'd believed him. I'm the reason he doesn't have his gun.

"Dominic," I whimper as he takes another step down the stairs toward Matteo.

"What is it, baby?"

"S'il te pla?t, ne fais rien de stupide. Je t'aime." Please don't do anything stupid. I love you.

"Je sais." I know.

"Dominic," Tobias orders gruffly. "Stand down, right fucking now. We're still talking."

Dominic takes another step toward Matteo. "Care to dance?"

"Honored, my friend," Matteo replies.

"Make it a good one."

"Dominic, no!" Tobias yells just as Dominic lunges for Matteo.

Tobias charges forward a second before Andre reaches me with the blade, batting me back before he takes Andre down with a point-blank shot to the head. Tobias clears the whole of the railing, stumbling in his landing just as Dominic lands a solid right to Matteo's face. I hear the crack of bone as blood sprays from Matteo's nose.

Tobias is just a few steps away from his brother when Dominic rears back and kicks Matteo in the chest. Matteo falls straight back, bypassing the stairs, his back smacking into the landing. Dominic leaps toward where Matteo lays before he makes a fast turn back in our direction, meeting Tobias midway and knocking him out of the way just as the air splinters with the ping of bullets.

The plaster next to my head explodes as I scream out. Dominic is leaping toward me, his eyes bulging when the second shot rips through his abdomen. The third shot hits Dominic in the thigh just as he cups his stomach falling to his knees before jerking forward when a fourth shot pierces his shoulder just as Tobias pushes him out of the way.

Tobias roars, turning and unloading his gun on Matteo's lower half before crashing into him at the foot of the stairs. Another shot pings the air landing somewhere in the foyer. Leaping to my feet, I race to Dominic just as his eyes cloud over and his mouth opens, clear agony written all over his face as he reaches for me. I make it to him in seconds, and he pulls me with him before he stumbles back, landing against the wall and sliding down, leaving a trail of blood behind him. Matteo cries out below us, and I see only a glimpse of him before the side of his face disappears, and he lands in a lifeless heap on the floor.

Dominic coughs as I cover his wound with my hands and look up into silver eyes.

"I'm sorry." I press my hands to his stomach as his eyes dart left and right and blood begins to coat his beautiful lips.

"Hang on. Okay? Hang on."

Dominic pulls at my hands and coughs again, just as Tobias meets me where I kneel. "Go," he rasps out, his face drawn due to the pain.

Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.

We all turn in the direction of the door and know the clock is ticking. We have seconds.

I press onto Dom's stomach and he winces, every breath challenging him as his eyes drift between us.

"Hold on," I say, desperately trying to stop the blood leaking from his stomach. "I'm sorry." I press in harder, and he cries out in misery.

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry," I murmur, pressing my forehead to his as Tobias unties his belt and wraps it above the bullet wound in Dom's thigh. Dominic jerks as we struggle to address his injuries, and that's when I see his leg is soaked. "Go," he rasps out, his eyes rolling up as he battles a fresh wave of pain.

"Goddamnit, goddamnit, Dom," Tobias exhales, anguished, while he inspects Dom's shoulder, pressing his hand over the bullet wound in his leg.

Dominic covers my hands with his and squeezes them faintly before his eyes lift to his brother. His pain-filled words coming out chopped. "Nous savions tous les deux que je n'allais jamais voir mes trente ans, mon frère. Prends soin d'elle." We both know I was never going to make it to thirty, brother. Take care of her.

Dom coughs again, more blood lining his lips, a grimace twisting his beautiful features. "Go," he coughs out. "Please," he wheezes.

"No" I shake my head furiously as his eyes drift to mine. "Sorry, you can't go, Dominic, because I dreamed your future up for you. Hang on, and I'll tell you all about it." I press into his wound and look him right in the eyes. "Don't you dare leave me here. I want that date with you."

Skin slick with a glaze of sweat he gazes at us both, and the next time he coughs, I hear the gurgle behind it, his struggle. I continue to press against him as he releases my hands, finally relenting to let me help him.

Tobias presses his forehead to his brother's, and I hear Dominic's faint whisper to him. "Frères pour toujours." Always brothers.

"Mother greet you," Tobias replies. "Father keep you. I love you, brother."

It's when Tobias mewls and drops his head that I look up.

And I realize Dominic is gone, his eyes clouding over before they fixate in a place I can no longer reach him.

A gasp leaves me, and my heart stops.

"D-D-Dom," I choke out before looking to Tobias. "W-w-we didn't get enough t-t-time to help him! We didn't get enough time. Oh my God, Dom."

Tobias coughs out incredulously, tears spilling down his face as I clutch Dom to me. "I just got you back." I pull him to me as he sinks further down the wall, his arms limp at his sides, all signs of life leaving his body. I lower my head to his chest, and I don't know how much time passes, but it can't be much because the doorbell is ringing again, and I know our time is up.

I glance over to see Tobias and see his eyes trained on the two of us. Physically, I feel him start to withdraw as his gaze drifts from me to his brother.

Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.

Collectively, Tobias and I snap our heads in the direction of the worthless barrier that separates us. Half of the defected Miami crew is probably behind that door. In minutes it will all be over, and my only thought is—good—because I don't want to be anywhere in a world where Dominic doesn't exist.

Tobias gathers both guns before grabbing his brother beneath his arms and dragging his lifeless body up the stairs and into my bedroom. I follow, sobbing hysterically as he sets Dominic down on the carpet next to my bed, and I move to sit beneath him, cradling his upper body in my lap while stroking his beautiful face. I run my fingers through his thick hair and over his jaw, but his gaze remains somewhere far past the both of us, and I can't look away.

The front door bursts open just as Tobias kicks the bedroom door closed, and our eyes meet when the sound of gunfire sounds out in all directions below.

Which makes it a fight.

They're here. The rest of the brothers are here.

We needed a few minutes at the most. A collection of seconds. That's all Dominic needed to have a chance.

Darkness cloaks me as hell unleashes around us, and I sink into a state of disbelief as I cradle Dom in my arms and succumb to the undertow, fully submerged, drifting deeper in when a bang sounds outside the bedroom door. But it's Sean's voice that pulls me back onto the bedroom floor. "Tobias?! Dom?! You in there? She with you?!"

"We're in here," I yell a second before Sean bursts through the door, fully armed with three vests in hand and strapped with guns at his back. His eyes dart between us, evident relief in his face before he sees Dominic lying lifeless in my lap. A cough escapes him, and his eyes immediately glass over as he crosses the space in two strides before falling to his knees in front of us, dropping the vests on the floor next to me. A hoarse curse leaves him as he lifts his eyes from his best friend to me as I sob over his body.

"It's my fault," I admit as I look up to see Tobias at the foot of my bed watching us. "When he showed up, I was afraid he was here t-to hurt me, so he ditched his gun on the stairs." I look between Tobias and Sean. "It's my fault he didn't have his gun."

"Cecelia, don't," Sean says, his voice breaking as I look up at Tobias.

"I didn't know they were here, Tobias. I didn't know they were here because he didn't tell me. I didn't know what was going on. He didn't tell me, Tobias. I didn't know!"

"He didn't think he needed it," Tobias whispers hoarsely. "Because I already searched the house once and told him it was clear. I don't know how they got in."

"Don't," Sean says, looking between us, "you don't do this now. Neither one of you pulled the fucking trigger." He slowly stands and stares down at us both, and in a blink, his expression goes granite, his eyes shining with vengeance. He looks over to where Tobias now stands, and I look up and into his amber eyes to see him utterly destroyed.

"What's your call?" Sean asks him as Tobias eyes me, then his brother, and then me again.

"Tobias, what's your call?" Sean repeats.

"No one leaves breathing," Tobias says without another thought, his eyes locked on me before he turns to Sean. "Give me everything on you." His voice is void of humanity as he holds out his hands.

Sean hands over one of the guns on his back along with a few magazines as Tobias looks down at where I sit with Dom, all traces of mortality leaving his face. I gaze down at Dominic and stroke his hair before pressing my lips against his forehead, his temple, before closing his eyes with my hand.

"Sleep, prince," I say softly, biting my lips as my hot tears pelt his face. I lace my fingers with Dominic's and close my eyes. "I'll find you again. I'll find you in my dreams. We'll have so many rainy days. I'll find you—"

"Cecelia," Tobias snaps out my name in a way that has me jerking back to lift my focus to him.

In seconds, he draws me in, eyes blazing before he speaks. "You leave, and you don't come back. You never come back." His order is definitive, leaving me no room for any argument or response. He turns to Sean, lowering a vest around his neck before securing it and nodding toward me. "Get her out of here. She's parked past the tree line." I'm too far inside my head, inside the despair clouding me to understand his words or the full weight of their meaning. Tobias walks over to the bedroom door, takes one last look at me before he disappears out of sight. Sometime soon, in the future, I know the damage from his words is going to be caustic, but all I can do is gaze back down at Dominic before I carefully clean the blood away from his lips.

More gunfire sounds around us in all directions, just as Tyler's voice booms from beneath my balcony. "Sean! All clear!"

Sean's eyes dart to mine from where he stands next to the French doors firing twice into the yard. "Cecelia, we have to go."

Shaking my head, I grip Dominic to me. "He's still warm."

Sean kneels before me a second later as I stroke Dom's cheek.

"We have to go, Cecelia." He gently lifts Dominic from my lap, and I cup his head, tenderly resting it on the carpet before pressing my lips to his. A sob erupts from me as Sean pulls me from him. And then we're on the balcony, dawn threatening on the horizon while I study my blood-covered hands.

Sean lifts and lowers me over as far as he can to drop me to where Tyler waits, catching me easily, just as gunshots ricochet near the side of the house. Tyler springs into action, pinning me against the brick behind him while lifting twin Glocks and pointing them in all directions. When another raven appears, Tyler looks back, scanning my clothes, and me, a question in his eyes.

"Dominic," I sob out in reply. His face falls, and he swallows, eyes gleaming just before they clear.

"How many?" Sean asks, drop-landing next to us with my purse and one of my sundresses spilling out of the top of it.

"I counted ten cars when we rolled up," Tyler says, nodding toward the tree line as more brothers emerge, running toward the house.

"No one leaves breathing," Sean repeats Tobias's orders, and Tyler nods in understanding.

I turn to Sean. "Sean, where is Roman?"

"He's not here. He's safe."

"But they said his car is here."

"He's safe," he assures, stepping up to me and handing me my purse before he turns to Tyler.

"Get her out of here. She's parked past the tree line."

Sean looks over to me, hazel eyes flitting with emotion a second before he thrusts me in Tyler's arms. "Go," he whispers hoarsely, and with that, he stalks toward the house. "No, not like this, please," I call after him. "Sean!" I scream, my heart disintegrating, fear consuming me that this may be the last time I see him—that I see any of them. He ignores my plea, and the second he enters through the back door, a shot sounds out, ringing in my ears. Tyler muffles my scream while gripping me firmly around the waist before dragging me away.

"Please, Cee, please, we have to go," he shouts as I crane my head in the direction of the house. He stops, cupping my shoulders and shaking me, drawing my eyes to his. "I need you to soldier up, right fucking now ."

I immediately stop my fight, swallow hard and nod. He grips my jaw to keep me focused on him as more gunfire sounds just inside the house, drawing closer.

"I need five minutes," Tyler pleads. "Give me five minutes. You can do this." I nod just before he grips me by the arm and takes off at a dead run. I follow, letting the adrenaline take over as we zigzag on the outskirts of the large yard until we reach the trees. A few more ravens emerge racing past us, not sparing us a glance as we sprint in the opposite direction just as the morning sun breaks through the base of the pines. Tyler scans the woods. His head cocked, his posture rigid, his military training appears to take over as he keeps me quiet and plastered to his side.

Safely, he navigates us to a break in the trees and roadside as we collectively catch our breath. My Jeep is parked at the side of the road, and behind it sits Dominic's Camaro.

Tyler pulls the dress from my purse and turns facing the woods, keeping guard as I peel the blood-soaked clothes from me. When I'm redressed, he gathers my clothes and turns to me, slapping a wad of cash into my hand. "Cash only until you reach home . Get in and do not fucking stop until you reach Atlanta. Do not speed, do not drive erratically, and as soon as you're there, find a place to wash off. No one sees you until you're clean. You were not here, Cee. You were never here. Got it? Wait for my call."

"Tyler, I can't leave like this! I can't leave them!"

"Cee, let me get back to them."

I nod as he pulls me to him in a tight embrace before releasing me.

"Go. Now ."

In a blink, I'm thrust behind the wheel of my Jeep, and in the next, Tyler disappears behind the trees. Shaking uncontrollably, I turn the engine over and put it into gear, the sight of the car I pass as I floor the gas has me releasing a guttural cry.

The road begins to rapidly blur as the sun climbs into the morning sky, shedding light on a day I know I won't survive. It's all I can do to keep the wheel straight.

Dominic is gone. Gone.

There's no coming back from this. From losing him. Not ever.

"God, please." I bang my hands against the wheel as agony rips through me while I re-live the last minutes of his life.

I did nothing.

I stood frozen with fear as I watched them fight for me. I watched Dominic die to protect me, and I did nothing , nothing at all to help them, nothing to help myself. I just stood idly by and screamed. I reacted like a coward.

We both know I was never going to make it to thirty, brother. Take care of her.

"P-p-lease, G-G-od, p-p-please don't take them! Please!" I race away with the taste of Dominic's blood on my lips, coating my hands as I drive past the county line and exit onto the highway toward a future I no longer want.

part two

Now

In visions of the dark night

I have dreamed of joy departed—

But a waking dream of life and light

Hath left me broken-hearted.

—" A Dream ," Edgar Allen Poe