9. Eli

ELI

The morning dawns gray and overcast, a fitting match for the somber mood that"s settled over the apartment. Nico stands by the window, his shoulders tense and his gaze distant as he stares out at the waking city. The sight of him, strong and solid and achingly beautiful, makes my heart clench in my chest.

I slip out of bed, padding across the room on silent feet. Nico doesn"t stir as I come up behind him, my arms slipping around his waist and my cheek pressing between his shoulder blades. I breathe him in, the warm, musky scent of his skin soothing the anxious flutter in my stomach.

"Hey," I murmur, pressing a soft kiss to the nape of his neck. "How you holding up, tough guy?"

Nico sighs, his hands coming up to cover mine where they rest on his stomach. "Honestly? I"m fucking terrified," he admits, his voice low and gravelly. "I"ve faced down guns and knives and all manner of fucked-up shit...but the thought of facing my father, of telling him I"m walking away from the family? It"s the scariest thing I"ve ever had to do."

I tighten my hold on him, trying to pour all my love and support into the simple touch. "I know, baby. But you"re not doing it alone, remember? I"m right here, and I"m not going anywhere. We"re in this together, no matter what."

Nico turns in my arms, his dark eyes soft and vulnerable in a way I"ve never seen before. "I don"t deserve you," he rasps, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. "I don"t deserve this chance at happiness, this fucking miracle of your love. But I swear to God, Eli, I"ll spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of it. Of you."

Tears prick at the backs of my eyes, my heart swelling with a love so fierce it steals my breath. "You already are," I whisper fiercely, rising up on my toes to press my forehead to his. "You"re everything to me, Nico Caruso. Everything I"ve ever wanted, everything I never knew I needed. And I"ll stand by your side through hell and high water, through anything and everything this fucked-up world can throw at us."

Nico makes a rough, desperate sound, his mouth slanting over mine in a kiss that sears me to the bone. I pour everything I am into the press of my lips, every ounce of love and devotion and bone-deep certainty. I need him to feel it, to know that he"s not alone, that he"ll never be alone again.

We break apart, breathless and flushed, our hearts pounding in sync. Nico rests his forehead against mine, his eyes closed and his breath gusting warm and damp over my lips.

"Okay," he says, quiet but determined. "Okay, let"s do this. Let"s go face the fucking music and start our life together. No more hiding, no more fear. Just you and me, sunshine, against the whole damn world."

Pride and love surge through me, so strong they make me dizzy. This man, this beautiful, brave, impossible man...he"s mine, heart and soul. And I"ll fight like hell to keep him, to protect the future we"re building together.

The drive to Salvatore"s estate is tense and quiet, the only sound the low purr of the engine and the thud of our hearts in our chests. Nico"s hand is white-knuckled on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched so tight I"m afraid he"ll crack a tooth.

I reach over, covering his hand with my own. "Breathe, baby," I murmur, stroking my thumb over his taut knuckles. "It"s going to be okay. We"re going to get through this, I promise."

Nico flashes me a tight, grateful smile, his hand turning beneath mine to lace our fingers together. "I know," he says, quiet but certain. "With you by my side, I feel like I can do anything. Face anything."

My heart clenches, a lump rising in my throat. "Damn right you can," I say fiercely. "You"re the strongest person I know, Nico. And I"m so fucking proud to be yours, to stand with you today and every day."

Nico lifts our joined hands, pressing a fervent kiss to my knuckles. "I love you," he rasps, his dark eyes bright with emotion. "More than my own life, more than anything in this world or the next. Always and forever, Eli Bloom."

"Always and forever," I echo, the words a vow and a promise. Come hell or high water, I"ll be by this man"s side. No force on earth could tear me away, not now, not ever.

We pull up to the sprawling mansion, all cold stone and towering columns. It looks like something out of a gothic novel, a looming testament to wealth and power and age-old secrets. The sight of it makes my skin crawl, a shiver of unease skating down my spine.

But I square my shoulders and lift my chin, determined to be the strength Nico needs. We walk up the steps hand in hand, our backs straight and our heads held high. Nico doesn"t hesitate as he pushes open the heavy oak door, striding into the dimly lit foyer with a confidence I know he doesn"t feel.

Salvatore is waiting for us in his study, seated behind a massive mahogany desk like a king on his throne. He looks older than I remember, his hair more silver than black, the lines of his face carved deep with age and stress. But his eyes are as cold and piercing as ever, a shade of pale blue that reminds me of ice over deep water.

"Nico," he says, his voice deceptively mild. "I wasn"t expecting you. And I see you"ve brought...company."

His gaze flicks to me, a sneer twisting his thin lips. The distaste in his expression, the thinly veiled contempt...it makes anger flare hot in my gut, my hands curling into fists at my sides.

But Nico just lifts his chin, staring his father down with unflinching resolve. "Eli is more than just company," he says, quiet but firm. "He"s my partner, my love, my entire fucking world. And that"s what I"m here to talk to you about, Father."

Salvatore"s eyes narrow, his fingers steepling on the desk before him. "Is that so? And what, pray tell, do you have to say about this...dalliance of yours?"

Nico takes a deep breath, his hand tightening on mine. "It"s not a dalliance," he says, his voice ringing with conviction. "It"s the real thing, the forever kind of love. And I"m here to tell you that I"m done, Father. Done with the family business, done with the blood and the violence and the constant fucking fear. I"m leaving, and I"m taking Eli with me."

Silence. Deafening, suffocating silence, broken only by the thunderous pounding of my heart. Salvatore stares at Nico, his face a mask of shock and disbelief. And then, slowly, his features contort with rage, a vein throbbing in his temple.

"You ungrateful little shit," he seethes, rising slowly from his chair. "After everything I"ve done for you, everything I"ve given you...you"d throw it all away for what? A piece of ass and a happily ever after that doesn"t fucking exist?"

Nico flinches like he"s been slapped, but he doesn"t back down. "It"s not about that," he says, his jaw tight with strain. "It"s about wanting something more, something better than this life of darkness and destruction. Eli showed me that I could have that, that I could be more than just another cog in the machine of our fucked-up family legacy."

Salvatore laughs, the sound harsh and mocking. "And you believe him? You think this fairy tale he"s spun for you is real, that you can just walk away and play house like the past never happened?" He shakes his head, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "You"re weak, Nico. Weak and pathetic, just like your mother. She thought she could leave too, thought she could escape the life. And look what happened to her."

Nico goes rigid beside me, a low, wounded sound escaping his throat. I see red, a haze of fury descending over my vision. How dare he? How fucking dare he use Nico"s mother against him, twist the knife of her loss to keep him in line?

"Shut up," I snarl, taking a step forward. Nico"s hand tightens on mine, a silent plea for restraint, but I ignore it. I can"t, not when this bastard is hurting the man I love with every poisonous word.

"You don"t know a damn thing about love," I say, my voice shaking with rage. "You don"t know a thing about Nico, about the kind of man he is. He"s not weak, he"s the strongest fucking person I"ve ever met. Strong enough to break free of your toxic bullshit, to choose his own path. And I"ll be damned if I let you shame him for it."

Salvatore"s eyes flash, his hand twitching towards the gun I know is holstered beneath his jacket. But I don"t flinch, don"t back down. I"m done letting this man terrorize the person I love most in this world.

"Nico is a good man," I continue, my voice ringing with conviction. "A kind man, a brave man. A man who loves with his whole fucking heart, who would move heaven and earth for the people he cares about. And that"s not weakness, Salvatore. That"s strength, the kind of strength you can"t even begin to understand."

A muscle tics in Salvatore"s jaw, his face flushing an ugly, mottled red. For a moment, I think he"s going to lunge across the desk and strangle me with his bare hands. But then, to my shock...he slumps back in his chair, all the fight draining out of him like water from a cracked vessel.

"You really love him, don"t you?" he asks, his voice tired and old. "You"d stand against me, against the whole fucking world, to be with him."

"Yes," I say simply, without hesitation. "I would. I will. Always and forever, no matter what."

Salvatore is silent for a long moment, his gaze distant and unfocused. When he speaks again, his voice is quiet and heavy with an emotion I can"t name.

"I never understood it," he says, almost to himself. "The way she looked at me, the way she loved me. Like I was the center of her whole goddamn universe, even when I didn"t deserve it. Even when I broke her heart again and again with my coldness, my cruelty."

He looks up, his eyes meeting Nico"s. "I loved her," he rasps, the words a confession and a plea. "Your mother. I loved her more than my own life, more than anything in this world or the next. But I was a coward, too afraid to choose her over the family, over the only life I"d ever known. And it destroyed her, Nico. It destroyed us both."

Nico makes a soft, wounded sound, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "Papa," he whispers, the old childhood endearment slipping out unbidden. "I...I didn"t know. I"m so sorry."

Salvatore shakes his head, a bitter twist to his lips. "Don"t be sorry," he says gruffly. "Be better. Be braver than I was, Nico. Don"t make my mistakes."

He takes a deep breath, his shoulders squaring as he meets Nico"s gaze head-on. "If this is what you want, if he is what you want...then go. Leave this life behind and never look back. Build something real, something worth fighting for. And know that...that I"m proud of you, son. For having the courage to do what I couldn"t."

Nico makes a choked sound, a tear slipping down his cheek. He lunges forward, pulling his father into a crushing embrace. Salvatore stiffens for a moment, his arms hanging awkwardly at his sides. But then, slowly, he brings them up to wrap around Nico"s shoulders, his eyes squeezing shut as he holds his son close.

"Thank you," Nico rasps, his voice muffled against Salvatore"s shoulder. "Thank you, Papa. I...I love you."

Salvatore clears his throat, pulling back to clasp Nico"s face in his hands. "I love you too, my boy. More than you"ll ever know." His gaze flicks to me, something like grudging respect in his eyes. "Take care of him, Eli. Love him like he deserves to be loved. And never, ever let him go."

I nod, my throat too tight for words. I reach out, tangling my fingers with Nico"s, our hands fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle.

"I won"t," I vow, my voice ringing with certainty. "I swear it on my life, on everything I hold dear. He"s my heart, my home, my forever. And I"ll spend every day for the rest of my life proving it to him."

Nico makes a soft, wondering sound, his eyes locking with mine. The love I see there, the pure, unbridled joy...it takes my breath away, makes my knees go weak with the force of it.

We bid Salvatore a murmured farewell, walking out of that gloomy, oppressive house with our heads held high and our hearts soaring with hope. As we climb into Nico"s car, as we peel out of the long, winding driveway...I feel lighter than I have in years, the weight of secrecy and fear lifting from my shoulders like a physical thing.

We did it. Against all odds, against every force that sought to tear us apart...we fucking did it. We chose each other, chose love, chose a future beyond the darkness and despair.