Chapter 13 - WHAT FEAR COSTS
I woke up to Massimo arguing with a nurse.
“Sir, you cannot be in here.”
“I’m already in here.”
“You need to leave.”
“No.”
“Massimo?”
Silence.
Then his face appeared above me.
He looked terrible.
Bruised jaw.
Cut eyebrow.
Bloodshot eyes.
I smiled.
“You look awful.”
His eyes filled.
“You’re awake.”
“Apparently.”
He grabbed my hand.
Too hard.
“Ow.”
He immediately loosened his grip.
“Sorry.”
“Where am I?”
“Hospital.”
“Vittorio?”
“Alive.”
I frowned.
“Unfortunately.”
“He’s in custody.”
“Luca?”
“Fine.”
“Elena?”
“Fine.”
“You?”
He smiled.
“Still annoying.”
I breathed out.
“Then we’re good.”
The bullet had hit my shoulder.
Painful.
Messy.
But survivable.
Vittorio Pascale was charged with attempted murder, conspiracy, kidnapping, racketeering, and enough other crimes to make release unlikely.
More important, Luca gave investigators everything.
Accounts.
Names.
Warehouses.
Officials.
Massimo did too.
The Pascale criminal empire started collapsing from the inside.
One evening, Massimo sat beside my hospital bed.
“You know what this means.”
“What?”
“We’re done.”
I stared at him.
“With what?”
“You and me.”
I laughed because I thought he was joking.
He wasn’t.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You almost died.”
“So did you.”
“Because of me.”
“Because of your father.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
“Tessa.”
“Do not do this.”
“I love you enough to let you go.”
I stared at him.
Then I grabbed a pillow and threw it at his face.
He caught it.
“What was that?”
“That was me expressing how stupid you sound.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“You deserve normal.”
“I hate normal.”
“You deserve safe.”
“I decide what I deserve.”
His jaw tightened.
“I won’t bury you.”
“Then don’t.”
“Tessa—”
“Get better. Build something different. Stop acting like loving someone means controlling every danger around them.”
His eyes flashed.
“You think I’m controlling?”
“I think you’re scared.”
He looked away.
I softened.
“So am I.”
Silence.
“I’m terrified,” I continued. “Every time the phone rings. Every time you leave. Every time somebody looks at you wrong.”
He looked back at me.
“But fear doesn’t get to make my decisions.”
His face broke.
Just a little.
“What if I lose you?”
I squeezed his hand.
“What if you waste us because you’re afraid you might?”
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he leaned down and kissed my forehead.
“Still stubborn.”
“Still rude.”
He smiled.
“I love you.”
“I know.”
“That’s all I get?”
I smiled.
“I love you too.”
He exhaled.
Then his phone rang.
Luca.
Massimo answered.
His expression changed.
“What?”
I sat up.
“What happened?”
May you like
He ended the call.
“Vittorio escaped during transport.”
