I’M LYING IN a hospital bed, barely aware of my surroundings. I’ve been in and out of consciousness for days, I think. Maybe longer. But even though my body is stationary, my brain is moving at a million miles a minute. The events that occurred and led me here are plaguing my mind in a torturous, never-ending loop.
My uncle betrayed me. I should have known all along, but I was just a young boy when he came to get me in the aftermath of my family’s death. I clung to him like a lifeline, never knowing that he was the one who had orchestrated the whole thing to begin with. He deceived his own brother for power and money, hurting and killing a lot of innocent people in the process. I was supposed to die along with them, but I survived. I was able to thrive, much to his dismay.
Now that I know the hard, cold truth, everything is starting to make sense. I have no doubt in my mind that he coordinated the attacks on my warehouses as a way to distract me. And who knows how long he’s been working with the FBI. Maybe from the first moment he laid eyes on Aria. He probably recognized her from media coverage and devised a plan to easily take me down without even getting blood on his hands. He always did take the easy way out; letting others do his dirty work for him.
My uncle not only cost me my family and childhood, but he also set the plan in motion for me to lose the most precious thing in my life, my only reason for breathing — Aria.
The image of the last time I saw her beautiful face will be engrained into my memory until I die, and her tortured cries when I fell to the ground, my body finally succumbing to its injuries, will haunt me well into the afterlife.
I still remember the moment I slid my lucky coin into her pocket. It was a goodbye message. I was prepared to die in that room, because deep down I knew I was going to lose her. And if I truly lost her, then there would be no reason for me to continue on. I simply can’t imagine a world without Aria in it. Life has no meaning without her light breaking through all of my darkness.
While I stew in my inner turmoil, I vaguely realize the sedatives they’ve given me must be finally wearing off, because suddenly I can hear everything around me more clearly. It no longer feels like my head is under water. However, now that my senses are returning, the incessant beeping of the machines keeping me alive is driving me up the wall with madness. Growling, I force my eyes open and try to raise my hands, but quickly realize that they’re cuffed to the bed rails.
“Good. You’re awake,” comes a voice.
My eyes snap to my right where a man in a suit presently sits. He’s tall with dark hair and gray eyes. I recognize him immediately from my extensive research on Aria. This is her father. I don’t know whether to feel relieved or not. But I suppose if he wanted to kill me, I would be dead already. So, I look him straight in the eye and say, “Mr. Vitale, I presume.”
He nods once as he sets his calculating gaze on me. “Mr. Navarro.”
“Now that the formalities are over with, maybe you can tell me what the fuck you are doing here,” I snarl. A migraine is blooming behind my eyes, and I squeeze my eyes shut, internally trying to calm myself down. I’m desperate for information about his daughter and starting off our conversation this way won’t help matters at all. Opening my eyes again, I keep a steady tone and ask him, “How is Aria?”
“I was hoping you would ask about my daughter since you’re all that she seems to care about at the moment,” he says bitterly. The man is like a statue, not giving anything away. But I can see the subtle hints that being in the same room as me is bothering him. Like the way he adjusts the cuffs of his suit jacket before he says, “Aria is fine.”
I study his face for a moment, but I don’t find many similarities between him and his daughter. Thinking back to the photos I scoured through; Aria is a younger version of her mother. And, fuck, just thinking about her causes my migraine to intensify. I miss my little captive. It’s hard to even breathe without her here by my side. “How long was my uncle working with the FBI?” I ask, curiosity eating away at me. He’s the reason Aria was taken from me. He’s the reason for all of my misery and pain my entire life, in fact. And I’m still trying to process the depth of his betrayal to my family and to me.
“Months,” Mr. Vitale admits. “When he saw Aria at your compound in Mexico, he recognized her from the news. Her face has been plastered all over TV ever since she was kidnapped by Carbone.” He sits up straighter in his chair. “We set up a plan for Domingo to get you to bring Aria to the U.S. where it would be easier for the FBI to intervene.”
I grunt. “I’m assuming my uncle sold me out for some kind of deal or compensation?”
“Reward money,” he says. And then he adds, “Ten million dollars, to be exact.”
I shake my head. “It’s always been about money for him. He’d sell his own fucking soul for the right price.”
The room is quiet for a while after that. And then finally, Aria’s father stands and moves closer to me. “You have to understand, as her father, it’s taking everything in me to not kill you right now with my own fucking bare hands,” he says, his voice dangerously low and full of barely restrained rage.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I tell him with brutal honesty.
“But I promised my daughter I would hear you out before I did anything…impulsive,” he says before returning to his seat in the corner of the room. After he sits down, he moves his head from side to side and then straightens his back. When he’s done, he’s noticeably calmer, the anger inside of him simmering but not boiling over. “Aria has told me her side of the story, painting you as some kind of savior,” he says, punctuating the last word. His tone suggests he doesn’t believe that for a fucking second. “And now that I’m here, I want to hear your side. How did you come to learn of the auction island?” he questions.
“A former associate of mine took me there. He thought I would enjoy it, I suppose, but he was wrong. Dead wrong. I had no idea what was happening until the auction actually started.” I close my eyes, thinking about the first time I saw Aria out there on that stage. She was a fighter even then. So fucking strong.
“Former associate?” he questions with a quirked brow.
“I killed the bastard the moment our plane touched down in Mexico for putting his hands on Aria.” I open my eyes and stare at Mr. Vitale. “I may be a bastard, but I draw the line when it comes to men hurting innocent women and children.”
My words seem to have a visible effect on him. Even though we are polar opposites, we do share one common bond. We’re both bad men, but we have a soft spot when it comes to women and children.
“When I was just a boy, I watched several men brutally rape and murder my sisters and mother,” I explain. “And that son of a bitch had me in a bidding war with a man named Damion Tuffin, who rapes, tortures and maims every woman he purchases from that auction. That very man was infatuated with Aria, determined to win her, take her home and do vile things to her.” My heart races inside my chest at just the memory of it. “I didn’t go there looking to purchase a woman or women, but I simply couldn’t allow Damion to take Aria, violate her and snuff out her life. So, I outbid him and purchased her.”
“And Damion was the same man who ended up attacking my daughter at a dinner party?” he asks, anger changing his tone to menacing.
I nod. Curling my hands into fists, I tell him, “He hurt her. And I killed him for it. I would do it all over again too. The only thing I would change is that I would take my time and make him suffer longer.”
“And how the hell did you get to Constantine Carbone?” he inquires.
“Let’s just say someone in prison owed me a favor.”
He shakes his head with a smirk on his face. “So, Aria was telling the truth. You have been her saving grace,” he says. I can still see the skepticism in his eyes, but it’s less prominent now. He sighs heavily, folding his arms across his chest. “The FBI has told me all about your laundry list of offenses. You’re on their most wanted list. And in their eyes, you’re one of the most dangerous men on the planet. They want you locked up for a very long time.”
I lie back on my pillow and stare up at the tiled ceiling. I did a lot of horrible things to make my way to the top of the food chain. A lot of people were hurt. A lot of people died. And I can’t expect Aria to wait for me while I spend most likely numerous life sentences in prison for my crimes.
What I’m about to say next to her father is not only going to gut me from the inside out but is also going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I can’t even look at her father when I say my next words, because they aren’t the truth. They aren’t how I truly feel, but they need to be said. “I want you to tell Aria to forget about me and move on,” I say, my voice guttural and raw.
I’ve already made up my mind that I’ll get revenge on my uncle, for the sake of my family. And then I’ll find a way to leave this earth. Because without Aria, I wouldn’t want to continue living.
“That’s what you really want?” her father questions, standing.
I close my eyes for a moment and nod, unable to even voice the lie again. Just the thought of never seeing Aria again makes me feel like my entire world is falling apart. But the truth of the matter is, I have to let her go. I love her too much to make her wait for me. I want her to live a good life, and this is the only way for her to have it.
The alarm on my heart monitor begins beeping out of control behind me. “I want her to be free of me and all the bad memories of our time together,” I tell him. My blood pressure is going through the roof with every lie I tell myself and her father. And then, I decide to tell him the truth. “I don’t want this kind of life for her.”
“You love her that much?” he prompts.
My eyes snap to his. He sees right through my bullshit. “I do,” I confess. “I love her so much that I’m willing to let her go. To let her be happy without me.”
His brows furrow as he stands there, thinking, deciding. On what? I don’t know. But then he asks me, “Do you remember where The Island is?”
I’m taken aback by his question and the sudden change in direction, but I tell him, “I’m sure I could figure it out.”
He nods and considers my words for a few moments. “What if I told you that information was invaluable to the FBI, and I managed to secure you a plea deal that would let you walk away from all of this a free man?”
I stare at him before I burst out laughing. “There is no way you pulled that many strings.”
Mr. Vitale takes a few steps towards me. “What if I told you I pulled every fucking string I could for the sake of my daughter and her happiness?”
The laughter dies in my throat. His face and tone are so serious. Could what he says be true? “How? What would I have to give up?” There has to be a catch. A big one.
“Would you give up your life for my daughter?” he asks.
“In a heartbeat,” I say without hesitating.
“Then that is what they require. Your life — past and present and future. After the deal is made, you would cease to exist. The records will indicate that you died in that raid on your uncle’s home.” He takes one more step until he’s right beside my bed, staring down at me with narrowed eyes. “You give them everything they want, including your drug suppliers, traffickers, warehouses, and the location of The Island. Then you and Aria can be together, if that’s what she still wants.” He turns and walks away. “I’ll give you a little while to decide,” he calls over his shoulder before leaving the room.
I stare after him in stunned silence. There’s a way to be with Aria…but only if I give up my entire life for her. My worst fear has been exactly this — losing the empire that I built from the ground up. It will all have been for nothing. Everything that I worked so hard for and fought for over the years will be taken and seized by the American government.
On one hand, I’d be losing my identity, my power, and my empire. But on the other hand, I would be gaining the most important thing in the world to me.
The choice is easy.
Too damn easy.
And so, when her father returns a half an hour later, I have my mind made up…with one small stipulation.
“There’s one thing I need to do before I agree to this,” I tell him. “And then I can be out for good. Mateo Navarro can die after I finish what needs to be done.”
“And what is the one thing?” Mr. Vitale questions.
“Retribution,” I tell him.
Aria’s father slowly nods. “Okay,” he agrees.
