Chapter Eleven

Domani

Cillian's compound isn't dark and silent this time. Every fucking light is on, almost as if they're afraid of the bogeyman. He even has guards posted at the front door. I'm guessing he has another at the back.

"Killing him somewhere else would be easier," Coda mutters from beside me. "Who knows how many people he's got inside the house?"

"True, but he didn't let her leave here. Why should he get the opportunity? Besides, he has an incinerator in the basement."

"Jesus fucking Christ." A look of disgust crosses Coda's face. "He burned bodies with her in the house?"

"He did worse than that."

Coda grunts, his contempt obvious. We watch the house for a good hour, not speaking. The guards don't leave the front porch. They aren't particularly observant, either. They don't check the perimeter. They just fucking sit around, talking.

"If the guard around back is anything like these two, getting in won't be a problem," I mutter.

"Nope," Coda agrees. "When are we going in?"

I consider telling him right now. I want this shit over and done with. But everyone in the house is still up from the looks of it. And I want this to be as easy as possible. I don't want to fight my way through Cillian, his four sons, and whoever the fuck else is inside. I want to catch them while they're sleeping. Sooner or later, the motherfuckers have to sleep.

"As soon as we're sure Cillian and his sons are the only ones inside," I say.

"That won't be tonight. It'll be dawn soon."

"I know. Merda." I scrub a hand down my face, fucking exhausted.

"Have you slept?"

"Not much. Not enough," I admit.

"Go. I'll keep an eye on the house and trail him if he leaves. You get a few hours with your wife and meet me back here at sundown. If we're lucky, he'll be dead tonight."

"You know Rafe and Mattia will be looking for you today."

"Yep."

"What are you going to tell them?"

"The truth. You aren't my enemy, and we want the same fucking thing. If Rafe and Mattia need to handle me when the dust settles, so be it."

"So be it," I sigh.

"You're back!" Finley cries, flinging herself at my chest as soon as I step through the door into the safe room. I don't think she's sat down once. The bed is still perfectly made. The chairs are still pushed up to the table. She's probably been pacing since I left.

I drag her into my arms, slanting my mouth down over hers. I kiss her until neither of us can breathe, not sure if I'm trying to soothe her mind or my own.

"I told you I was coming back, mio sole."

"I worried anyway."

"I know." I run the back of my hand down her cheek, smiling gently. "But I have news."

"He's dead, and we get to live happily ever after?"

"Not yet."

Her nose scrunches.

"I won't be going into his place alone. I'll have a friend watching my back."

"A friend? From the mafia?"

"Yes."

"I'm not sure if that's good news or bad news, Domani."

I'm not sure, either. I trust Coda implicitly. He wouldn't betray me. But the fact that he's risking everything to do this with me worries the fuck out of me. Either things are far worse on the home front than I suspected, and Rafe still thinks he can stop this war despite all the evidence saying he can't, or Coda has reason to believe we won't survive a war. It's a grim fucking prospect either way.

But Coda didn't betray his oath just because we're ride or die. He did it to protect the Valentino family, the same way he's always protected them. He has his debts to pay to Rafe, too.

Regardless of his reasons, I need him in my corner. And regardless of what Rafe thinks, killing Cillian is the right choice. His buddies in Boston might be pissed about it. His flunkies here might be pissed too. But by the time they can rally to install a new leader, we'll already have his son installed. And he'll play by whatever rules Rafe wants to set, or Rafe can snatch every corner of Chicago out of his grasp. His choice. I don't really give a fuck what Rafe decides. So long as Finley is safe, the rest is just noise.

I just need to survive long enough to see the shit through.

"It's good news, tesoro."

"Okay. If you say so." She lays her head against my chest, sighing.

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

"Come shower with me then."

"Uh, I've been in that bathroom, Domani. There's no way we're both fitting in that shower. It's tiny."

"We'll fit." I tug her hand to get her moving, propelling her through the small space. Once we're in the bathroom, I start the water and quickly strip her. Within seconds, steam swirls around us, fogging up the mirror. I run my lips across her shoulder before stripping my own clothes off.

She squeals when I boost her into my arms, carrying her into the shower.

"Told you that we'd fit, Finley." I press her back against the wall. There's no way I can fuck her in here, but that's not why I wanted her in here in the first place. I just wanted her naked, soapy, and in my arms. Any opportunity I have to get her naked, I'm taking.

"Barely."

I run my lips across her cheeks, her eyelids, her lips, raining kisses across her gorgeous face. I touch her everywhere I can reach, long strokes of my fingers down her arms and sides, and then up her legs. She melts beneath me, purring like a happy little kitten as her worry fades, relaxation setting in.

"What are you doing to me, Domani?"

"Making you forget everything but me," I murmur, tipping her head back to wash her hair. She purrs louder, reveling in every touch. It kills me in a way that she's never had that before now. I think I'd kill anyone who put their fucking hands on her before me. But I hate that she's been starved for affection as much as she has been starved for hope. She deserved both. "Would you like to know a secret, mio sole?"

"What?"

"There was never anyone before you."

Her eyes flutter open, a womanly smile curving her lips. "I know, Domani."

"You know?"

"I know you've never been with a woman because you would never give your body to someone when your soul belonged to another. And that's always been mine. You knew it even before you found me."

Cristo. She knows me so well it should terrify me. But it doesn't. The way this beautiful little monster makes me feel is nothing short of utter perfection. I don't deserve it. God knows I've destroyed lives and broken homes and ruined men all over this city. But if there's salvation for me, it's right here in her arms. It's in her eyes. It's in the way she smiles at me as if she sees every piece of me and finds every piece worthy.

I dip my head, taking her mouth in a reverent, worshipful kiss. Even though it wasn't my intention, we end up fucking against the wall of the shower.

I sleep for four hours before my eyes spring open. Finley's still sleeping peacefully at my side, but I'm wide awake. I crawl from the bed and power on my burner phone to check in with Coda.

As soon as it's up, notifications start rolling in.

The same unknown number Coda contacted me on previously pops up.

He's up to something. There's a lot of movement in the house and on the street out front.

Half an hour later, he sent another text.

He's on the move. I'm going to follow him.

Fifteen minutes later, he tried to call me.

That was two hours ago. He hasn't been in contact since.

Me: You good?

He doesn't respond.

I dial the number he called me from, but it goes straight to voicemail.

Fuck. Something is wrong. Coda would have sent a message to let me know all was well. We've done this far too long to leave that question up in the air. When someone doesn't check in, it's never good news.

My suspicions are confirmed two minutes later when I receive a text.

His life for my niece. Bring her to me, or I kill him.

I don't even hesitate before dialing Rafe's number.

"Have you heard from Coda?" I ask as soon as he answers.

"No, but I'm guessing you have if you're calling me."

"Cazzo! That motherfucker has him."

"Who?"

"Cillian."

"How do you know this?"

"He was tailing Cillian this morning, Rafe. He hasn't checked in since, and I just got a text saying his life for Finley."

Dead silence echoes down the line before Rafe curses softly. "I'd hoped he'd make a different choice."

"He made the choice he did to protect the family, fully aware that you might kill him for making it. He knows war is coming, Rafe. He was trying like hell to help me stop it."

"It wouldn't be coming if you hadn't started it."

"That's not true, and you know it. Do you really think Coda would have sided with me if I was the one who put the family in danger?" I ask. "This thing with Cillian was going to end up here one way or another. I'm just the excuse he's using. Coda sees it. I see it. Why can't you?"

He doesn't say anything.

"It's not your fault, Rafe," I press on, knowing damn well that I might just push too far. But if I don't say it, no one else will either. I know why he's so fucking reluctant to see what's right in front of his face. Because if he does, he has to face the fact that he fucked up. And after everything else we've been through, the last thing he wants to admit is that this happened because he wasn't paying close enough attention. The last thing he wants to face is the possibility that everything he's done over the last few years to stave off war means absolutely nothing because he missed the one brewing right under his nose.

"You weren't the only one responsible for paying attention," I say. "We all were. We all should have seen what was happening, but we were all fucking busy dealing with all the other bullshit coming our way. That doesn't make you weak. It doesn't make you a shit leader. It makes you fucking human. But what you do now? That defines who you are. You can either wait until it you have no choice, or you can show him who the fuck he's dealing with."

"Cristo, Domani," Rafe growls. "When the fuck did you start talking so goddamn much?"

"When you decided to put me in charge of some of this bullshit. You asked me to step up and lead. I stepped up."

"If we're doing this, we aren't doing it divided. You bring the girl here, Domani. We decide as a family how we're going to handle this shit."

"I won't give her back, Rafe. She's my wife."

"Cristo. Of course you married her."

"I did. If that changes things, so be it."

"It changes nothing, Brambilla," he says, wry amusement in his voice. "Bring her here. We'll figure it out together."

"I want your guarantee that she'll be protected."

"You know she will."

"That's not good enough, Rafe. I know I betrayed my oath and defied direct orders. I know you have to do what you have to do about that. If you kill me for it, so be it. But regardless of the outcome, I want to know that she'll be protected."

"I vow to you that she'll be protected no matter what, Domani," he says, his voice somber.

I exhale a breath.

"Now, fucking come home so we can go get Coda. And then I can kill you both for pissing me off."

"Yeah. We'll be there," I promise, disconnecting.

I drop the phone and turn around.

Finley's standing beside the bed, her wide eyes and stricken expression telling me louder than any words that she heard far more of that conversation than I ever intended for her to hear.

Fuck.