Chapter Fourteen

Finley

The storage facility at the harbor is a massive complex housing countless dozens of shipping crates. It's a maze unless you know where you're going. Domani, Mattia, and Rafe seem to know exactly where they're going as they lead me through the maze, heading toward some building they claim is on the far side.

Several of Rafe's men have scattered throughout the complex, taking up positions to help keep an eye out. They're our backup. Luca, Diego, and a man named Alessio are on the way to my uncle's house along with the rest of Rafe's men. At exactly fifteen minutes after midnight, they'll make entry, killing everyone they come across.

Gabriel is back at the mansion with their wives, responsible for protecting them with his life. I don't think Rafe or Luca wanted him involved. I get the sense that he's in this life only by necessity. He doesn't fit like the others do. There's a shadow over him, as if the things he does for this family cost him greatly. I think maybe they might. But he does them anyway because there's not much he wouldn't do for those he loves.

The smell of the water is strong here. So is the stench of oil. The combination makes my stomach churn. Or perhaps that's simply the fact that in an hour, my uncle will be here. One way or another, this will be over.

I'll either be permanently in heaven or sentenced to hell.

I've never cared for the heat.

"This one," Rafe says, stopping suddenly.

Mattia and Domani stop too. I glance at my husband, not sure why they seem to know what Rafe is talking about, but I don't.

"Thanks," Domani says.

Rafe nods and then he and Mattia continue on, leaving me and Domani alone.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Do you think you can remember this crate, mio sole?" he asks.

I glance at it, brows furrowed. It looks like all the others. It's bright blue and massive. There are dozens more just like it. "I don't know. Why?"

"Because this crate never moves. It's been here for years, hiding an emergency access hatch to the drainage system below the harbor," he says. "It's dark and wet, but the system lets out all over the city. Everyone has forgotten this access exists."

"Everyone except Rafe."

"Yes."

"He doesn't forget much, does he?"

"No, he doesn't. He's held onto this entire complex because of this hatch." Domani taps the side of the crate. "It's been useful."

"In what way?"

He meets my gaze.

"Oh," I whisper, reading the truth on his face. They use it to move bodies. I guess the water here holds more than just the trash and pollution the people of Chicago have dumped into it. I suppose it's better than choking the city with the smell of their burning flesh, but it's gruesome in its own right.

"I need you to remember this crate, tesoro. If anything goes wrong, you have to make your way back here. This is how you'll get out of here."

"Domani, I'm not leaving without you."

"You will," he says, pressing his finger to my lips. "If it comes down to it and it's my life or yours, you choose yours, Finley. I need you to promise."

"I can't."

"You can."

"If he gets his hands on you, you'll beg for death, mio sole. The life you lived before is gone. He'll never let you go back to that. Not once he realizes that you chose us. He'll torment you every day just because he can. Just because that's the type of monster he is. I can't let you go back to that. You have to promise that, no matter what, if it comes down to a choice between saving my life or ending up back in his hands, you'll run."

"Domani," I cry, tears welling up and spilling over. "I don't want to make this promise."

"I know you don't, tesoro. But I can't do what I need to do until I know that, no matter what, you'll fight like hell to stay out of his hands. You don't belong in a cage. I need you to decide right now that you're never going back to one. I can't make the choice for you. Only you get to decide what you're willing to allow." He brushes the tears from my cheeks, touching his forehead to mine. "You have to set yourself free, amore mio."

He's right, damn him. He carried me out of my uncle's house, but he can't set me free. Only I can do that. I'm the only one who can take back the piece of me still trapped in that fucking house, held hostage by terror.

"Fine," I whisper, one piece of my heart breaking while another heals. "I'll do it, Domani. If it comes down to do it, I'll leave you there to keep him from getting his hands on me." I pull back to meet his gaze. "And I'll spend the rest of my life mad as hell at you for leaving me here alone. I'll never forgive you for it." My bottom lip quivers. "And I'll never stop loving you."

"Tesoro." He dips his head, claiming my mouth in a hard kiss. He pours everything into it. His heart. His soul. His fierce pride. He gives me everything he has and everything he is, holding nothing back.

I taste my tears on our lips, seasoning our kiss with pain. In this life, we only know happiness because of pain. So it's fitting, I suppose, that the taste of my tears makes the joy of his kiss all that much sweeter.

"Ti amo," he whispers.

"You and me forever," I whisper back.

My uncle and Cian arrive half an hour later with four of their men in tow. It's far fewer than I expected he'd bring. They have tape over Coda's mouth, and his hands are bound behind his back. Even tied up, he's far more powerful than my uncle could ever hope to be, towering over him like a veritable giant.

My uncle tops out at five-nine. He's short, with crew-cut red hair and icy blue eyes. He's handsome in his own way…if you can look past the fact that he's a complete psycho. Cian looks just like him, though he's several inches taller and stockier.

I've never seen the four men with them. They seem uneasy about being here now. I don't think they're entirely on board with taking on Rafe Valentino and his family. The man's reputation precedes him. From what little I know, everyone in this city walks softly in Rafe Valentino's presence. Apparently, that includes my uncle's cronies.

But my uncle has always had an unquenchable thirst for power. I've always wondered if he was the one who killed my dad in a bid to claim his throne.

They never caught who did it. His death has always been a big question mark in my mind. For a long time, I refused to even consider that Cillian might have had something to do with it. But that was before he moved me to Chicago and kept me locked up in that house, claiming it was for my own good. That was before I listened to him rape and murder and destroy.

Would he kill his own brother? Yes, he would. But did he? I don't think I'll ever know. He'll never tell me.

My hands shake as he and Cian stalk toward us across the concrete floor of the warehouse. I'm sitting in a chair, my hands behind me as if they're tied. They aren't, but he doesn't know that.

"Valentino," he growls to Rafe.

"Brennan."

Cillian flicks a dismissive gaze at Mattia and then turns those cold eyes on Domani. "Brambilla."

"Brennan."

"I want my fucking niece."

"Send Coda over, and you can have her."

"No. Coda stays here. She stays there. We swap sides," Cillian says. "No bullshit."

It's not ideal. It puts him far closer to me than I know Domani wants to risk. But he isn't getting out of here alive. I can practically read Domani's thoughts. I feel his rage. My uncle hasn't even looked at me since he walked into the warehouse, and Domani is livid about it.

I'm not in the least surprised. Cillian doesn't care about me. He isn't concerned about my safety or welfare. He's simply pissed that Domani took me from him. That's all he cares about…the fact that something that he believes belongs to him was taken.

Well, I have bad news for him. I don't belong to him. I never will. I belong to Domani. I always have. Even before I met him, my soul was his to take. Since the moment I was put on this earth, I've belonged to him, and he's belonged to me.

But Cillian wouldn't understand that. He doesn't even have a soul. He sure as hell doesn't know how to love.

"Fine," Domani growls. "Just get the fuck on with it. We've got more important shit to do."

Everyone steps forward at the same time. I hold my breath, terrified of what the next few seconds will bring. I already know it comes with a hail of bullets and death. I just hope it's not Domani's death. Or Rafe's. Or Mattia's. Or my own.

No one says anything as they close the distance between each other. The tension in the warehouse is so thick I could cut it with the knife clutched in my shaking hands. The gap between them shrinks smaller and then smaller.

They pass by each other. Cillian and Cian are on my side of the warehouse now, moving closer. My uncle reaches into his waistband. I see the gun hidden there.

"Gun!" I scream at Domani, warning him of what's about to happen.

Cillian looks at me now. His cold eyes flash to me, full of malice. Full of shock.

That's right, asshole. You don't own me.

"You little bitch," he roars.

Domani and Rafe spin, their guns already in their hands.

I throw myself out of my chair, landing on my side on the floor.

The first shots rip through the warehouse. Cian doesn't even have a chance to pull his weapon. He doesn't even have a chance to turn around. His blood splatters everywhere as he falls.

Cillian roars in rage, shooting wildly in my direction. Domani plows into him from behind. I scream as they hit the floor and go rolling, fists flying. Another bullet ricochets off the floor beside my head. I sob, scrambling backward.

One of Cillian's men runs after me. Rafe and Mattia are busy with the other three, exchanging potshots, and Coda is still trying to free himself from the rope tying his hands together. I swing the knife wildly, trying to keep the man away from me.

He's a lot bigger and a lot faster than I am, though. And he's on his feet, not on his butt on the floor. He has every advantage. He grabs a handful of my hair, dragging me backward.

I lash out with the knife again, barely missing him.

"Let me go!"

"Fuck no."

I try to stab him again and miss him again. Maybe Domani should have been teaching me how to use this stupid knife instead of fucking me all week because I'm useless right now.

The man laughs, pulling my hair tighter.

I scream in fury and in pain, flipping myself around to face him. He doesn't expect that. The knife sinks into his thigh. I yank downward, ripping his thigh open.

"You bitch!" he roars, trying to backhand me across the face.

I duck the blow, jabbing him in the shin with the knife.

He kicks me off of him. I manage to get a glimpse of Domani and my uncle. They're still rolling around on the floor. Domani rolls on top of my uncle, punching him in the face. He hits him so hard he loses his center of balance. My uncle immediately throws him off, trying to grab the gun a few feet away.

My attacker grabs me by the throat, and I lose track of my husband and my uncle.

"I should fucking kill you right here and now," the man growls in my ear. "You're worth more to us dead than you are alive anyway."

"No, I'm not," I rasp, struggling to keep the knife out of his hands. "I'm married now. If he kills me, my trust fund goes to my husband. He'll never touch my money again. Not now, not ever."

The confession does exactly as I wanted. It shocks him just enough to distract him. He loosens his grip momentarily, allowing me to yank free of it. I slash out with the knife, catching him across the back of the arm as I propel myself to my feet, preparing to run.

Coda looms up in front of me like a wall. I bounce off of his chest, nearly landing on my ass on the floor all over again. He catches me with his hands around my arms and quickly shuffles me to the side, his gaze locked on the man pursuing me.

"Run, piccola."

I don't listen. Of course I don't. Coda crashes into my attacker like a tsunami hitting the coast. I let him have at it, frantically searching for Domani and Cillian. They're several feet from where I last saw them, still rolling around. Cillian may be half Domani's size, but he's been boxing his entire life. He's a fighter. He knows hand-to-hand and how to protect himself.

But Domani knows what he's doing too. They're evenly matched, neither getting the upper hand. Both delivering brutal, punishing blows. They're both bleeding. I think my uncle may be bleeding more than Domani, but blood drips from cuts on his face, too.

"You locked her in that fucking house!" he roars at my uncle, wrapping his hands around his throat. "You forced her to listen to every sick, twisted thing you did, you piece of shit."

My uncle bucks him off. "She'll keep listening," he growls. "Long after you're fucking rotting in the ground, she'll lay in her bed at night and listen to what I do in the room down the hall. Maybe I'll even force her to watch this time."

Domani roars, leaping on him again. My uncle is prepared for his attack, though. He flips him onto his back, bashing his head against the concrete floor.

I cry out in horror at the sickening sound. It's so loud.

My eyes land on the gun they were fighting for earlier. I scurry forward and grab it, though I have no idea how to use it. I sob, trying to figure it out, desperate to help Domani before Cillian kills him. Only to realize there's no need.

Domani grabs Cillian by the throat, slamming him to the floor. He hauls himself on top of him, bleeding from a gash across the back of his head. But he's too pissed to be slowed or stopped now. My uncle threatened me, and that's the one thing he shouldn't have done. My husband can't be stopped now. He has no mercy.

He hits my uncle again and again, his fist connecting with his face as blood splatters and bone crunches. "You'll never touch her again, you motherfucker!" he roars. "She'll never step foot in that fucking house. She's mine, and hell will freeze over before you get anywhere near her ever again."

He hits my uncle a final time and then slams him back to the ground. My uncle doesn't move this time. He simply lays there, defeated.

Domani climbs off him, swaying on unsteady legs. He wheels around, searching wildly for me. As soon as his eyes land on me, the rage in his expression cools. He relaxes slightly, as if drawing his first deep breath in hours.

"Come here, mio sole," he says, his voice so much softer than it was just a moment ago. He speaks to me with reverence and devotion. With respect. There was nothing but implacable fury and hard malice when he spoke to my uncle. These are the two sides of my husband, I realize. The gentle man he is only for those he loves and the deadly, dangerous monster that cracks his eyes open and comes out to play when called.

I hurry to him, embracing both sides. Loving both sides.

He buries his face in my hair, breathing me in.

"We made it," I wish. "It's over."

"Not yet, tesoro. He's still alive."

I lift my gaze to Domani's, searching.

"You have another choice to make," he says quietly. "You can walk out of here right now and I'll pull the trigger for you. He'll die, and you'll be free. You'll never have to worry about him ever again."

"What's my other option, Domani?"

"You know it already." He nods at the gun in my hand. "It's the reason you picked that up, mio sole. If you want to slay your own dragon, no one here will judge you for it. No one here will ever breathe a word of it, either."

I stand silently for a moment, weighing my choices. No matter which I pick, I know this man will continue to love me. He won't see me any differently or judge me. Whether I pull the trigger or not, he'll still look at me exactly the same. I don't need to kill him myself to be free, though. I already am. But there is one thing I do need. "I need to ask him something before I make my choice," I say quietly.

Domani strides toward him, kicking him in the ribs. "Wake up," he barks when my uncle groans. "Your niece has a question for you. How quickly we put you out of your misery depends on how honestly you answer. Lie to her and I'll keep you alive until you beg for death. Tell her the truth, and I'll let you go now."

"Fuck you," Cillian spits.

"No, fuck you, Cillian," Rafe says, stepping up beside Domani. "You've already lost. Your sons are dead. Her money is gone. She's got his ring on her finger, and if he's lucky, his kid is growing in her belly. Chicago is mine. I'll root out every single one of your fucking people if that's what I have to do. And I'll keep you alive, torturing you every fucking day while I do it if you don't answer her goddamn question."

Cillian spits again, blood running down his chin. "Ask it," he growls.

Domani holds out a hand to me, calling me forward.

I slip mine into his, letting him ground me as I stare down at the uncle who caused so much grief, turmoil, and pain in my life. Even now, he's a monster. He'll always be a monster. But I'm not afraid of him any longer.

"Did you kill him, Cillian?" I ask. "Were you the one who planted the car bomb that killed my dad?"

He rolls his eyes toward me. The left one is swollen nearly shut. The right one is bruised. But I see the regret and guilt in them, and I have my answer. He killed his own brother. He murdered my father.

As it turns out, the gun isn't as difficult to use as I thought. All it takes is the proper motivation. The blast rips through the warehouse.

Cillian jerks as the bullet sinks into his groin.

I drop the gun and step back.

"Kill him," I whisper, walking away.