Chapter Eleven

Mattia

Irush through my shower, Coda's revelation playing through my mind the entire time. He knows where Brio is keeping Aurelia's mother. At least, he strongly suspects he knows where she is. He did some digging today while the rest of us were tied up at the fucking fire.

For the last two months, a woman has been living in the mansion Elio Cascella died in. Ordinarily, that wouldn't mean much. Brio probably has women stashed all over this city. But a doctor has been visiting the mansion regularly for the last two months.

Rumor has it, one entire fucking suite of Elio's mansion was renovated to ensure Elio never had to step foot inside a hospital. He didn't trust that he'd walk out again if he did.

It's the perfect place to stash a sick woman. And it's currently under heavy guard. I'm no mathematician, but one plus one usually equals two.

As soon as I'm out of the shower, I dress quickly, barely taking the time to dry off. I'm hesitant to tell Aurelia the news until we know for sure that her mother is there, but one way or another, we're getting her back, and Brio is going to die.

I stride out of the bedroom, eager to get to Rafe's and get this shitshow on the road so we can handle business.

The house is oddly quiet. Too quiet.

"Aurelia?" I call, stepping into the living room, expecting to see her on the sofa where I left her.

She isn't there.

"Aurelia?"

A sense of dread crawls up my spine when she doesn't answer.

"Little mouse?" I stalk into the kitchen, looking for her, but she isn't there either. I quickly check the office and every other bedroom in the house, the sense of dread growing with each passing minute.

Where is she?

"Aurelia!" I shout, stomping back into the living room. "This isn't funny, cara mia. When I find you, you're not going to like the consequences of hiding from me."

My gaze catches on something lying on the floor near the front door.

What the fuck?

I stalk that way, squatting to get a closer look. As soon as I do, my fucking heart stops.

It's her ring.

"Fuck," I hiss under my breath.

My gaze flicks to the door, and I notice for the first time that it's unlocked. It wasn't when I went to shower. I know this because I always lock it. Force of habit. When you have enemies, you lock the fucking door.

My heart slams against my ribcage as my fingers close around the ring.

She left me. Fucking hell. She left.

I don't even have to ask why. I can guess. She fucking heard me on the phone with Coda and thought the worst.

Do you want me to tell you that I regret marrying her or that I never should have done it?

As far as she's concerned, I just said everything she's been afraid of for days. But she's got it all wrong. I wasn't telling Coda how I really feel. He knows that. I know that.

But she doesn't.

Cazzo. I should have kept my goddamn mouth shut. I should have thought for two seconds about the possibility of her overhearing and getting the wrong idea. She's been through hell. Trust doesn't come easily for her, but she trusted me. And right now, she's running for her life, convinced she never meant a fucking thing to me.

Because I'm an asshole who doesn't think before he speaks. I ripped her heart out of her chest. And now mine is bleeding too. Because hers is. Because any pain she feels, I feel too. When she bleeds, I bleed. When she hurts, I hurt. That's how this works between us. That's how completely she has me.

Cristo, little mouse. I'm so fucking sorry.

She's out there alone, unprotected and defenseless because of me. If Brio gets his hands on her again—if he hurts her—because of me, I'll never forgive myself.

I close my fist around her ring and rise to my feet, fear for her beating at me. It threatens to consume my thoughts, but I fight it back, refusing to let it. I can't afford to panic right now. She can't afford for me to panic right now.

But I'm on the verge of raging out of control anyway. I feel it coiling like a fucking spring in my stomach. If anything happens to her, there won't be any stopping me. I'll destroy every fucking piece of the Cascella dynasty, and I'll leave Brio alive long enough to watch it crumble.

Fifteen minutes later, I pull up outside of Rafe's, parking sideways in front of the house. I need his help. I don't care if he hates me for what I have to say. He can hate me after he helps me find his sister.

Until she's safe, nothing else matters. Nothing.

"Rafe!" I shout, bursting through the front door like a fucking comet. I charge into the living room, my heart pounding like a drum.

A dozen sets of eyes stare back at me, but I only see one.

I only see her.

"Aurelia."

She's seated on the sofa with Amalia's arm around her, her perfect face ravaged by tears.

Relief floods through me, damn near driving me to my knees.

"You fucking lying prick!" Rafe roars, launching himself at me. His fist connects with my jaw, snapping my head back, but the pain barely registers.

All I can focus on is her.

She cries out, cowering into Amalia. The sight of her fear hurts worse than Rafe's punch. It's white-hot and razor-sharp, slicing right through my fucking heart.

"Aurelia," I breathe. "Don't cry, little mouse. It's all right. Ti amo."

She sobs, turning her face away from me into Amalia's shoulder.

My heart shatters, but I can't give up. I need to be near her, to hold her, and make her understand that she's everything to me. I take a step toward her, but Rafe, Luca, Gabriel, and Nico step in front of me, standing between us like a solid wall, defending their sister.

And even though part of me fucking hates them in this moment for standing between me and what belongs to me, the other part is proud as hell of them for standing between her and the man they believe is a danger to her. She deserves that loyalty.

I hope she sees it and she understands that she has family now. Vincent may have delayed the inevitable when he abandoned her, but her brothers aren't Vincent. They're men worthy of her.

"Move!" I growl at Rafe, my eyes locking on his in a silent battle of wills. I don't care if he's the Capo dei Capi. Right now, he's standing between me and my wife.

"You aren't touching my fucking sister, Agostino," Rafe snarls at me. "You're lucky you're still breathing right now."

Aurelia whimpers at his words, the sound pained.

"Get out of the fucking way, Rafe," I growl, my patience wearing thin as he and his brothers continue to block my path to Aurelia.

"No," Rafe replies, his voice cold and flat. "You've done enough damage to last a lifetime."

I can see the disappointment in Luca's eyes as he looks at me. "We trusted you, Mattia."

"None of this has anything to do with you," I snap, looking at Gabe and Nico, too. "It has nothing to do with any of you."

"It has everything to do with us!" Rafe roars, yelling in a way he hasn't in years. "She's our fucking sister, a fact you didn't feel relevant to tell us before you married her!"

"I did what I had to do to protect her."

"No, you did what you wanted to do," he snaps. "You could have come to me. You should have come to me. You chose to hide her from us instead."

"I won't apologize, Rafe. If that's what you're after, it's not going to happen. I made the choice I made for a reason."

"You made the choice you made because you're a fucking lying prick," he growls. "We trusted you, and the entire fucking time, you were playing us for fools."

The entire time? Is he kidding me right now? I'll take the lumps I deserve, but this isn't one of them. I've spent every goddamn waking moment of my life keeping him, his brothers, and this family safe. I've done everything in my power to protect them, even when they were incapable of doing it themselves. I fought and bled for them. I killed for them. And I never fucking complained.

But I won't stand here now and let them come between me and Aurelia. That's where I draw the line.

Fuck my oath.

Fuck the rules.

She's mine.

I shove Rafe, attempting to push my way past him to get to her. She's the one I should be talking to right now, not her hardheaded, infuriating brother.

Rafe retaliates, driving his fist into my ribs in a powerful blow that sends me crashing to my knees. Pain rips through my side, immediate and intense.

Fucking hell. That hurts.

"Mattia!" Aurelia screams, her voice filled with pain and terror.

Pain courses through my body, but I refuse to stay down. Gritting my teeth, I rise to my feet and lunge toward her again.

Rafe hits me again, driving me right back to my knees. "This is my family, Agostino," he says. "I'm the Capo. I make the rules, not you. Perhaps it's time you remembered that."

I say nothing. He won't hear a goddamn word I would say anyway, so what's the point? Instead, I muster every ounce of strength I have, and haul myself back to my feet.

This time, Rafe's fist connects with my jaw, snapping my head back so hard my fucking brain rattles in my skull. I land on my knees at his feet, swaying dangerously.

"Stop it!" Aurelia screams, pushing her way through her brothers. "Just stop it!" She stands in front of me like an angel in the middle of chaos, her arms outstretched as if to protect me. Her eyes are red-rimmed from tears, her expression a mixture of fear and sorrow. She's still the most beautiful fucking thing I've ever seen.

"It's okay, topolina," I murmur, trying to soothe her. "If death is the price I have to pay for my sins, you were worth it."

"Mattia…no," she sobs, shaking her head, refusing to accept my words. "You don't mean that."

"I do, little mouse. Because whether you believe me or not, I love you."

"Jesus Christ," Rafe mutters.

"Let it ride, Rafe," Nico says, his voice soft.

"You don't," she snaps back, fire mingling with the tears in her eyes. "I heard you, Mattia. You only married me to protect my brothers. You said you regret it." Pain washes through her expression before she battles it back, lifting her head to pin me with a hard glare. She can't hide the misery in her expression, though. Hearing me say that, even if she didn't have the full context of the conversation, broke her fucking heart. "Well, maybe I regret it too."

Fuck, that hurts.

"You only heard part of that conversation, cara mia," I insist, desperation clawing at my insides. I can't lose her now, not when I've finally found something worth living for.

She stares at me, her blue eyes clouded with fear and uncertainty. But a tiny flame of hope flickers to life. She desperately wants to believe me, but she's afraid to let herself.

I could call Coda, and ask him to vouch for me, but I don't want her to believe me because he clears my name. I need her to believe me because deep down, she knows that I'd never do anything to hurt her. I need her to trust me with every little piece of herself. Without that, we're doomed, and I won't allow that. I can't because I fucking need her the same way she needs me.

"It's me and you against the world, little mouse, remember?" I remind her softly, trying to reach the connection we shared before I gave her a reason to doubt it. Trying to remind her why she put her trust in me in the first place. "That wasn't a lie. Nothing I've ever said to you was a lie. I love you."

She shakes her head, trying to deny me.

"I do. I belong to you, Aurelia. The same way you belong to me. If you want to fight, you fight me. If you want to run, you run to me. You're the light to my dark, just like I told you." I exhale a breath. "It doesn't matter what your brothers to do me because if I don't have you, I've got nothing. You're every dream I've ever had. Sei la ragione per cui vivo."

"Mattia." She sinks to her knees beside me, sobs wracking her body as she cracks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Shh, topolina. You don't apologize to me. You don't ever apologize to me." I pull her close to my chest, feeling like I can finally fucking breathe again.

Until I glance up and see all four of her brothers watching us. Cazzo. My arms tighten around her. Hell will freeze over before I allow them to take her from me.

"She's mine," I say quietly, my eyes locked on Rafe. "I don't regret a single choice I've made to protect her, and I won't apologize for them. Punish me however you see fit for the choices I've made, but you aren't taking her from me."

"Jesus Christ," he growls, his obsidian eyes blazing with anger as he looks between us.

Gabe, standing next to him, mutters a curse under his breath. "I guess this means we need to talk, then. Because you aren't leaving here with her until we know every goddamn thing you know."

I nod, acknowledging their need for answers, but my attention never wavers from Aurelia. Her trembling body pressed against mine is a reminder of all I stand to lose if I can't convince them that every action I've taken was taken with her best interests—and theirs—in mind.

By the time we move to the dining room, Coda and Diego have arrived. Luca quickly fills them in on the situation while Amalia retrieves ice for my jaw. Once she drops it off for me, she retreats.

Aurelia stays glued to my side.

The room hums with tension as we settle down to talk, my arm around Aurelia, who burrows into me as if she intends to permanently embed herself in my skin.

Rafe's obsidian eyes burn into mine, a mixture of rage and betrayal swirling within their depths. My stomach twists at the sight of his fury. I'm not sure if he'll ever forgive me for this.

I'm not sure I'll blame him if he doesn't.

The two of us have never had secrets. No matter how fucked up things got with his brothers. No matter how many times we've been betrayed. No matter how close we've been to losing it all, we've always been able to rely on one another and the trust between us.

"Where do you want me to start?" I ask.

"Aurelia's already told us everything about who she is, Brio, and her mother," Luca says when Rafe refuses to respond.

I glance down at Aurelia, my heart swelling with pride at her bravery. "I'm so fucking proud of you," I whisper into her ear, pressing a kiss to her temple before turning back to face her brothers.

"I'd like to know how you knew about her," Nico says. "And for how long."

"Enzo Abate came to me about her the day I rescued her," I murmur. "He thought Rafe would pay for what he knew." I meet Rafe's gaze. "I disabused him of that notion. He won't be sniffing around again."

Rafe jerks his chin in a nod.

"He told you that Brio had her?"

I shake my head, hesitating.

"I found that out," Coda volunteers before I can find a way to tell this story without dragging him into it.

I sigh, bowing my head. Fuck. He shouldn't have done that.

All four brothers whip around to face him.

"You fucking knew?" Rafe snarls.

"I helped him rescue her," Coda says quietly, meeting my gaze. "We weren't entirely sure if she was the right girl or not, but he didn't want to leave her there and take any chances. He did everything he could to protect her."

"Jesus fucking Christ, Coda." Rafe shoves a hand through his hair, staring at Coda. "Do you realize what you're saying right now?"

Coda jerks his chin in a nod. "I know, Capo. But he made the right call. Had we come to you as soon as Enzo talked, you would have torn the city apart looking for her. If Aurelia wasn't the right girl, every enemy you have would have known that you have a sister. They would have waged war to get their hands on her. He knew that."

"You should have fucking told me as soon as you found her," Rafe grits out.

"When we found her, there were very few guards on the house, and no one came looking for her. We didn't know if she was there because she wanted to be, or if she was there by force. He needed time to gain her trust and figure out what the fuck was going on. You would have reacted," Coda says quietly. "With all due respect, as soon as you did, her mother would have died. She's alive right now because Mattia didn't go in guns blazing. He made the right call."

Rafe mutters a low oath, his eyes narrowed on Coda. "Watch what the fuck you say to me, Passero," he warns.

"He's right, Rafe," Gabe says. "We put them in charge so we could step back. We don't get to bitch now because they're making decisions and speaking up. We asked them to do it."

"We didn't ask them to hide the fact that we have a fucking sister."

"You're right," Gabe agrees, holding up his hands. "We didn't. We asked them to protect and lead this family. They did. We don't have to like the decision they made. I don't like it. But don't go for Coda's throat because you don't like what he has to say. You gave him the power to speak freely at this table. If you want to take it back, take it back. But you don't get to play Capo when it suits you and leave them to call the shots when it doesn't. That's not how it works."

"He's right," Luca agrees, siding with Gabe. "We put them in charge of handling our shit. And we can argue about the decision they made all we want, but it's made now. We can't change it. We have more important shit to deal with."

"I know!" Rafe snaps, spinning on his brothers. "Jesus Christ. You think the fact that the motherfucker wants to kidnap my son hasn't been playing on a loop in my head since she told me? He's my son. The sole fucking reason I took a step back was to protect him and Amalia. And it was for nothing." He slams his hand down on the table, making Aurelia jump. "Nothing! Because he's still a fucking target." His voice cracks. "To men like Brio, he'll always be a fucking target." He bows his head, breathing hard.

And I realize in this moment, that this is what Rafe is truly angry about. Not the fact that I lied to him or hid Aurelia's existence. But the fact that he feels helpless. He's the most powerful man in this city, and he didn't see this coming. None of us did.

He's angry because he's scared. And one thing Rafe doesn't know how to be is afraid. Aside from his brothers, he's never had anything to lose before. Now, he has a wife and a kid, with another on the way. Brio didn't just threaten his empire. He threatened his family—the only thing in this life that Rafe actually cares about.

He's on the verge of losing it.

If anyone can understand that, I do. Because Brio didn't just threaten his family, he threatened mine. He hurt my wife. For months, she's lived in fear, her mind tormented by the choice he gave her.

It'll be a cold day in hell before I let that insult stand.

"Rafe," I say softly, waiting until he looks at me before I speak again. "Si vis pacem, para bellum." If you want peace, prepare for war.

He holds my gaze for a long, silent moment, and then the man this city once called the devil peeks from his eyes. "War? No, Mattia. This is going to be a fucking massacre."

I smile, more than happy to give him the bloodbath he wants.