The bartender slides over my scotch. I lean on the bar and watch Rosa and Dante’s interaction.
My blood boils when his hand wraps around her waist. I grip onto my glass, imagining it’s his neck. It takes everything in me to stop from going over and doing it for real. Maria reappears at my side, but I don’t take my eyes off Rosa.
“What’s going on over there?” Maria’s voice makes me squeeze harder on the glass.
I glance at her, but by the time I look back, Rosa is holding onto the booth and her face is deathly pale.
When I step towards Rosa, Maria’s hand wraps around my arm. “It’s just a little lover’s tiff, darling. She’s a big girl. Let her handle it.”
Rosa’s rubbing along her neck and chest. She looks like she’s going to be sick.
I can’t see what she’s saying.
I take a step forward, and Maria’s hand tugs on my wrist.
“Don’t you dare,” I growl.
“You don’t want to do this, Luca. Just stand here like a good boy and watch. I think it’s time you show your alliance to our family.” Her nails dig into my arm.
Shaking off her claw, I stride closer to eavesdrop easier.
I watch as Maddie waddles over to Rosa and wraps her arms around her shoulders. Sienna follows closely behind. Rosa doesn’t move. Her legs are spasming up and down on the seat, and I can’t see her face anymore.
“Rosa, do you need me to call an ambulance?” Maddie asks in a soft voice, stroking her shoulder.
Ambulance.
“I-I can’t—” She can barely speak.
Romano’s threat looms over me. I can feel Maria’s gaze burning into the back of my head.
If I do this, that will be the final nail in the coffin.
People start to crowd around her. Dante wades through to tower over her.
“Get up and stop fucking embarrassing me, Rosa,” Dante spits out as he leans over and smacks her outstretched foot.
I see red. My decision is made.
That asshole never deserved her.
“Get the fuck out. Everyone. Now!” I shout, my nostrils flare as I push through bodies. T he room goes silent except for the sounds of Rosa’s sobs, stabbing me in the heart.
I zero in on Dante.
“Everyone. Including you. Out!” I point at him, and he steps in front of Rosa, blocking my view.
The room turns into panic as people rush out of the exit. I look up and spot Maria watching my every move.
Ignoring her, I turn to the three women huddling in the seat. “Maddie, Sienna, I’ve got this.” As they get out of the way, I start to reach for Rosa.
Dante steps in front of me.
“She’s my fiancé, my problem. Just because you’ve been fucking her doesn’t mean you own her. She belongs to me, Luca.”
He tugs her up by the wrist and she stumbles.
Red swims into my vision. I pull the gun from my waistband and press it firmly into his chest.
“Get your hands off her. Now, if you don’t remove them, I’ll happily do it for you, right before lodging this bullet into your chest. She’s mine and always has been. Do you understand me? ”
Dante doesn’t move. He holds her arm up like she’s a marionette doll, and she weakly hangs from him. Her eyes roll in her head and her rapid breathing is a snare drum beat in my ears.
A slow smile curves up the side of his scarred lips before tossing her at me.
I barely catch her as she falls limply against me.
“I will always own her. She’ll come back to me. You just watch.” He straightens out his jacket and walks away.
As I slide to the floor with Rosa cradled across my lap, I glance up in time to see Maria shake her head, an evil grin on her face as she saunters behind Dante.
Rosa’s wheezing brings me back to her.
My gun clatters against the wooden floors as I pull her into me.
Gently caressing her face, I turn her so I can look closely. “Rosa, baby. It’s me, Luca.”
Nothing.
“You’re okay, tesoro. I promise. Can you do some breathing with me?”
She nods and relief fills me. I lift her a little higher so she’s sitting on my thigh, wrapping her firmly with my arm. With my other hand, I start tracing a square lightly around her kneecap.
“Okay, let’s do a breath in for four and out for four. Slowly. Ready?”
Taking a deep inhale, I do the same.
“One, two, three, four.”
I let the air out. “One, two, three, four.”
“Now keep doing that for me baby, you’re doing great.”
I feel her chest expand against my hand.
“Good girl.”
I pull back slightly and cup her cheeks in my hands. Her bloodshot eyes are streaming with tears, but she’s still as beautiful as ever.
Chasing away the droplets with the pads of my thumbs, she nuzzles against my hand.
“Do you feel better?” I whisper.
She bites her lip.
“Can you just hold me?” Her voice quivers.
“You know I’ll do anything for you.”
Including sacrificing my own family. A sliver of ice runs up my spine. I’ll deal with the consequences of this later.
Resting my chin on the top of her head, I let that sweet coconut scent fill my senses.
“Tell me what’s going on, Rosa. Please, let me in.”
I’m hesitant to push her, but something is terribly wrong, and I need to know.
She pauses, her hand rests against my heart as she looks up at me. “Luca, what about Maria?”
I clench my jaw. “She knows, everyone knows, Rosa.”
Fear takes over her face. “But—”
I wipe away another tear from her cheek. “We have it covered.”
Well, we have a plan. One very much reliant on Rosa’s wedding. Right now, I don’t care. We will kill Romano, and she will be safe.
“No, Luca, it’s okay. I can tell Dante it was a mistake, that I still want to marry him. You don’t understand. I have to marry him.” Her words come out so fast it takes me a moment to comprehend.
“Not happening.”
“Luca, it has to. You can’t protect me.” She hiccups.
I can feel the tension rolling off her, so I hug her and hold her tight.
“I will lay down my life for you.”
She stiffens in my arms. I stroke my fingers along her back in small circles.
“Luca, I need to–”
“I love you, Rosa. I promised you we would fight, and now we have to. We are going to have to fight with everything.”
I bring my nose to touch hers. “Rosa, you are mine. I will protect you and your family with everything I have. I love you. I need you to fight with me. Can you do that for me?”
My breath sticks in my lungs, waiting for her to reply.
In a tiny voice, she says the words I was hoping for. “I will fight.”
I press my lips against hers and she kisses me back as she wraps her arms around my neck.
“I love you, Luca.” She smiles.
I know I’ve made the right choice.
That’s why I’m doing this, to see that goddamn smile, every day.
