“Mira, get out of here,” Maximo demands, stomping toward me, but Nicoli forces himself in front of my brother, blocking his path.
“Don’t,” Nicoli warns him.
“What the fuck, man?”
“This is how it needs to be.”
“She shouldn’t be here,” Maximo sneers before turning his angered glare toward me. “You need to leave.”
“Let it go, Maximo,” Nicoli says, once again blocking Maximo’s view in my direction. “Back the fuck up, and let your sister be. I won’t say this again.”
Nicoli’s authority is unquestionable, and I can see the moment Maximo submits and reluctantly takes a step back. When Nicoli turns to face me, there’s a silent bond that charges between us. His eyes are intense, and I have never seen his gaze so fierce yet so tender at the same time. We’re no longer two different elements but rather one force, and I know together we’ll end this…one way or the other.
“Who the hell are you?” Briana asks, and I face her, cold arrogance dancing in her eyes.
“Her,” I say simply, my voice cold as ice. “I’m the woman who survived that fucker.”
“Ah.” Briana’s expression hardens once more, but there’s a flicker of uncertainty in her expression that wasn’t there before. “You’re the knocked-up one, then.”
I’m not the least bit surprised. If Nunzio’s been hiding with this woman until now, I’m sure she knows everything he does.
“Let me tell you something,” I say, my voice steady. “You think you know what kind of man Nunzio is? What kind of man you’re protecting? You don’t have a clue.”
“Oh, believe me, sweetheart. I know exactly what kind of man he is.”
“And what’s that?” I ask, my heels clicking against the stone floor of the mausoleum. “A good man?”
“I’ve seen worse.”
“I haven’t. He’s the worst kind, Briana.”
“That kid you’re carrying might be his, so my guess is you didn’t always think of him as the worst kind.”
My heart thumps faster. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“The truth of what he did to me.”
“I don’t give a shit what he’s done to you. He takes care of me. He loves me.”
“Loves you?” I almost gag as I say the words. “You think that psychopath is capable of loving anyone?”
Briana places her hand around her throat where Nicoli choked her, rolling her shoulders while keeping her eyes pinned on mine.
I cross my arms as I settle in front of her. “How about I tell you what he’s capable of?”
“No, thank you.”
“He took my clothes. Stripped me bare. Touched me in a way he didn’t have permission to.” My eyes are locked on Briana’s. “He raped me over and over. The harder I fought, the more he hurt me. It was a goddamn sport for him, Briana.”
I hear Nicoli curse behind me, and my heart constricts, but this has to be done.
“He raped me until my mind broke, until I was no longer in my own body because he was busy tearing it apart.”
“Stop it,” Briana snaps, her bravado wavering. “Stop lying.”
“You think he loves you, that his love earned your loyalty to him, but you’re just another pawn in his sick game. Do you really want to sacrifice yourself for a man like that?”
Briana’s eyes flicker between me and Nicoli, her thoughts clearly racing. Her defiance might be wavering, but she’s still clinging to it like a lifeline.
“I don’t believe you,” she spits.
“Show her,” Nicoli says behind me, and I look at him. “Show her what he did to you.”
Our gazes lock, and Nicoli silently urges me to do what needs to be done, to unearth all the ugliness to further our cause in ending this.
I step closer to Briana who watches me warily, and I slowly lifts the hem of my skirt. She slants a brow, pulling her lips in a cocky grin. “Are you flirting with me, Mrs. Del Rossa?”
“Hardly.” My fingers brush against my leg as I bunch up the fabric, revealing the ugly scar that snakes its way up my thigh. “That’s him,” I say softly. “That’s all him.”
Her grin falters. “Nunzio likes to play rough.”
“He also likes to rape women. And when their pussies aren’t wet enough for him, he does this.” I point at the scar. “He cut me, smeared his cock with my blood and raped me while I vomited from all the screaming and the crying.” It takes everything in me to get the words out, to not let my voice crack as I say out loud what that monster did to me. I refuse to show weakness. I refuse to crumble beneath the weight of my trauma. I’m not just a survivor, I’m a fighter, and I’ll fight the memories for the rest of my life, and never give up.
Briana diverts her eyes, licking her lips as she presses her back against the wall as if she’s trying to get away from the proof that Nunzio isn’t close to being the man she thinks he is.
“Look at it,” I command, my words dripping with steel. “This is what your precious Nunzio does to innocent women. How long before he starts doing this to you, before he hurts you? Or even worse, kills you?”
Briana’s gaze shifts from the floor to my scar, and I can see a hint of uncertainty creep into her eyes.
“Is that enough proof for you?” I ask. “Or do you need more evidence of the monster you’re protecting?”
Briana glances back and forth between us, her defiance wavering. “You don’t understand,” she murmurs, her voice barely audible. “He saved me once. I owe him.”
“Saved you?” I snarl, my patience running thin. “By dragging you into a life of crime and violence? By asking you to put your life in danger for him? Tell us where he is, Briana, and I’ll make sure you never see the side to him that I have.”
“He’ll kill me if I talk.”
“We’ll protect you. Tell us what we need to know, and you’ll have the Dark Sovereign protection. No one in this fucking city will touch you, I swear.”
She purses her lips, her brows furrowed as she contemplates my offer. My heart is beating wildly, my pulse racing. We’re so close to finding Nunzio, I can fucking taste it, and all I want is for this to be over.
Briana licks her lips and lifts her chin. “It is what it is,” she sneers. “I will not betray him.”
My heart sinks into my stomach, and my anger spikes. “Fine,” I hiss, struggling to keep control. “But know this. If you continue to protect him, you’re no better than he is. And if you don’t tell us what we need to know, I will kill you myself.”
NICOLI
I yank Briana by her arm and force her to sit in the wooden chair. She offers zero resistance, like she’s not the same woman Maximo pulled out of his truck. Briana’s eyes flicker between Mira and me as I tie her arms, fastening her feet to the chair. I can sense the growing unease in her posture as she takes in what Mira said. It’s clear that Mira’s strength is something she hadn’t anticipated, and I can’t help but feel a swell of pride for my wife. Through all this, I’ve seen a side to Mira I never knew existed. Or maybe it was just my male ego that made me blind toward it, not wanting to see that my wife doesn’t need my twenty-four-hour protection. She doesn’t need me to be her avenging angel because she’s her own. But no matter how obvious it is to me that she can handle this, there’s still a stubborn-ass man in me who would do evil, brutal, and savage shit for the woman he loves. I’ve been protecting her since she was four years old, and it’s not something I’ll ever be able to switch off. Maybe just…tame it. A little.
As I finish restraining Briana, I lean a little closer, breathing down the side of her neck. “We will kill you,” I growl, keeping my voice low and menacing. “So the way I see it, you only have one chance of getting out of this alive, and that’s by taking your chances with us by telling us what we need to know. My wife offered you protection, and we will give it. But no matter what decision you make, you’re Dark Sovereign property now…whether we bury you or protect you.”
Briana’s breath hitches, and I notice her knuckles whiten as she grips the armrests of the chair she’s tied to. She seems unsure of herself, and that’s exactly what I want. The doubt gnawing at her is an opportunity we can use to our advantage—a chance to break her resolve and get the information we need.
“I’m not beyond torturing a woman when it comes to my wife, Briana. I will throw my one last goddamn moral out the window and I will fuck you up for her. I swear to God.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” she grits out.
“And that will be your last mistake.” I straighten, towering over her, determined to do anything for my wife—and I mean anything, even if it means killing my soul in the process.
Mira slips in next to me, taking my hand as we stand in front of Briana as this powerful, unified force ready to fuck up the world for each other.
“You have a choice,” Mira says softly, her voice resolute despite the tremor running through it. “Pick wisely.”
The air in the mausoleum grows heavy with tension. The atmosphere is nearly suffocating—emotions running high as we confront Briana. Our shared desire for justice and revenge is palpable, electrifying the space between us like a live wire.
I glare at Briana, my jaw set and eyes flaring with determination. Mira stands beside me, her beautiful green eyes filled with courage that leaves no doubt about the strength of our united front.
“Tell us where Nunzio is,” I demand, my voice low and threatening. “Or I swear, you’ll regret it.”
“Fuck you,” she hisses, but I can see the fear in her eyes, the growing realization that her loyalty to Nunzio may cost her more than she’s willing to pay.
“Is he worth this?” Mira asks softly, her words cutting through the tension like a knife. “Is he worth your life?”
I can see Briana’s resolve crumbling, the power dynamics shifting in our favor.
“If I tell you, do you swear to protect me?” she whispers.
Mira straightens and steps closer. “Yes. You have my word.”
My heart races, adrenaline surging through my veins as I wait silently for her to say the fucking words, to tell us where the motherfucker is. This is it—our chance to bring Nunzio to justice and end this nightmare once and for all.
“Fine,” she breathes out. “I’ll tell you where he is.”
