Chapter 26 – Mari

Controlling myself was a struggle, and the second Dominic and I were locked inside the car, I launched myself at him.

“Fuck, it’s good to see you. Are you okay?” My hands were roaming his body, desperate to make sure he was in one piece. All was well until I touched his side and he hissed. Anger froze me. “What. Happened?”

The idea that Dominic had been hurt outside of my care had me this close to homicidal rage. “We’ll talk about it later, but there’s someone we need to get out of there immediately. Can we do that?”

We’ll talk about it laterwasn’t the answer I wanted, but I knew the stubborn set of his jaw. He wasn’t budging. Fine, I’d wait and badger him tomorrow. “I’ll make it happen.”

“Thanks, mariposa.” He readjusted me on his lap and kissed my forehead before leaning back. “I know you’re stressed, but I just want to go home and shower. I’ll tell you everything when you’re naked and dripping on my cock, okay?”

That sounded amazing. All I could think about was reclaiming him, but that wasn’t in the cards yet. Greyson shut the door now that he’d made sure Laidan had everything under control, catching Dominic’s comment. “Orgasms have to wait. We’ve got work to do.”

Dominic groaned, dropping his head to the top of the seat. “I just got out of jail. What do we have to do now?”

“I called a family meeting,” I said. “It’s time to finish this once and for all.”

Dominic’s eyes widened, and he sat up with a wince. Fucking idiot was going to pull his stitches if he had them. Did they even do stitches in jail? If they superglued my boyfriend, I was going to burn that fucking place down.

His shock wore off at the likely feral look I was giving him, and he pulled my hand to his lips. “I’m fine, mariposa. Tell me more about the meeting. Are we going after Cash?”

“No. Joaquin.”

Dominic didn’t ask if I was sure about that, if I was okay, or if I wanted him to do it for me. He just gripped my hand tight in his. “Let’s do this.”

The boys were quiet on the drive to the Celestine, like I needed time to prepare. I didn’t. Admittedly, I had a pit in my stomach every time I thought of ending my uncle’s life, but then I remembered the flames on the walls, Dominic rushing away from me, a burned Nate carrying a worse-off Cameron in his arms.

My cousin nearly died because his father had told the Aces where to go. Joaquin betrayed not just the Marcosa family, but his own son. It was a decision he wouldn’t survive.

As Greyson parked the car in underground parking, I shot a text to Rafael. I didn’t know if it was necessary since I already had Tennessee and Moore’s teams waiting to intervene, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt.

Joaquin dies tonight.

Understood. On standby if you need me.

Stopping by the apartment so Dominic could change took precious minutes, then we were walking into the conference room as a unit, the boys at my back, guns loaded and ready to draw.

I was going to kill one uncle tonight, but we were ready to kill them all if necessary.

Joaquin sat close to the head of the table, smirking like there was nothing wrong with the world. I knew what he thought the meeting was about. He hoped I was coming to tell them I was engaged to Dominic. Greyson and I hadn’t formally announced our engagement yet, but I knew word had spread through the family that there was a ring on my finger, and only an idiot could’ve been blind to Joaquin’s choice of groom.

Gabriele, Leonardo, and Mathias nodded politely as I walked to the head of the table. Joaquin’s greedy eyes followed me the whole way, laser-focused on the ring. His son was in the hospital fighting for his life, and all he cared about was fucking jewelry.

I was used to rage. My father had been prone to fits of it, and even my brother, as wonderful as he was, had the gene to lose his shit over nothing. Me? I controlled it. I wielded that anger like a blade and used it to cut down my enemies.

When the fuck had that become my own family?

As the boys took their places behind my chair, I didn’t sit, instead dropping my palms onto the surface and taking deep, calming breaths.

That control I had was wearing really fucking thin.

Because he had no sense of self-preservation, Joaquin broke the silence. “I see congratulations are in order. Well done, my boy.”

I didn’t need to see to know he was pinning Dominic with a proud father look. Now that I was here, all I could do was stare at my uncle’s hands. They had guided me as a teen and thrown me into the air as a child. He was the man who’d made silly faces at boring dinners to make me laugh and snuck me candy behind my father’s back. When had it all gone wrong? When had he turned into a power-hungry prick capable of throwing his own blood to the wolves?

A brush of fingers against my back sought to give me strength and support, but I wasn’t balking. I was pissed.

We were criminals, but we had a code. Family first.

When had that stopped being enough for Joaquin?

My arms trembled with the need to punish, and I lifted my head to stare at him. “Did you know your son almost died last night?”

The words were whisper-quiet, yet in that room, they might as well have been a roar.

No one moved. No one spoke.

As I speared Joaquin with a glare, that stupid I won smirk finally dropped. “What?”

“Cameron almost died last night. He’s in the burn unit right now. Did you know that?”

He mouthed the word burned like he’d never heard it before. His fists clenched on the table, and his neck reddened with anger. Even I would have believed the performance if I hadn’t known better.

Were all Marcosas born good liars, or did we learn it at our fathers’ knees?

“How?”

“His house burned down.”

“His house,” he repeated.

“Does this room have an echo?” I asked, turning to catch Dominic’s eyes. He smirked but said nothing, too focused on my idiotic uncle to play. Too bad. I was just getting started.

Joaquin glared down at the table, much like I had. “I thought he was staying at the Celestine.”

“No. Someone burned down his house with his wife inside.”

That got me a scowl. “The O’Bannon girl. Is that what this is about? Your little bestie got hurt, and now you’re coming after us?”

My other uncles shifted in their seats, knowing that his flippant attitude pissed me off on a good day. They were right to be nervous, but I forced myself not to do anything yet. I had to stay cool and level for a little bit longer.

I dragged in a deep, dejected breath, like this was the last thing I wanted to be doing. “No, this is about you, me, and something I should have ended a long time ago.”

A spark popped up on his face like he’d won something, and I knew exactly what it was. He thought I was giving up. That this attack on Ash was the last straw for my fragile mind. He thought, as I suspected he always had deep down, that I was too emotional to run the Marcosa empire. That I was too weak to do what had to be done.

What a joy it was knowing he was going to be the example proving just the opposite.

“It’s obvious that I’ve been too lenient with you. Too sentimental. I let things stand, hoping you would see the error of your ways and back me in earnest, as you should have from the beginning. That was my mistake. I hope this corrects that oversight.”

The shot rang out before anyone recognized that not only did I have a gun, I’d pulled the trigger. Blood trickled down Joaquin’s forehead as he slumped to the table with a hard thump.

There were no last words or second chances for someone like Joaquin. There was only death and the coldness of the grave.

For a moment, I didn’t think any of my uncles even breathed.

“I assume you had a reason for that,” Mathias drawled.

“You mean besides him giving out his son’s address so the Aces could burn him alive and send us into war with O’Bannon as well as Cash? No.”

It didn’t take a genius to know he didn’t appreciate my sarcasm. “Do you have proof of this?”

“Only three people knew the address: Cameron, Joaquin, and me. I doubt Cameron would willingly allow himself or his wife to burn, do you? Not to mention the hours that my cousin’s been surveilling his father acting against the good of the Marcosa family and me as its head.”

Emotions flitted across all three of my uncles’ faces, from fear and anger to disbelief and, finally, begrudging acceptance. “We understand the reason he died, but did it have to be so public?”

Only they would consider a handful of men a public execution.

“Considering your recent conversations, it seemed like you’d forgotten my latest warning. It felt necessary to reiterate it in a way you couldn’t misinterpret.” They all shifted again, small tells giving away their discomfort, and I laid my gun on the table in plain sight. “I will not tolerate dissent, especially if that dissent involves our enemies. A betrayal that large only ends one way—death. This family is mine until the day I die. If you have a problem with that, tell me now, and I’ll end all of our misery before it begins. Any takers?”

My men were motionless, but I could feel their restlessness as we all gauged what would happen with my remaining capos. Would they bend the knee and put any thoughts of usurping my throne to rest for good, or would we be hauling out more bodies than one?

There was nothing but silence, and I let out a slow, relieved breath. “Good. If I have even a moment of doubt about your loyalties, I will throw you out with tomorrow’s trash. Understood?”

They all muttered agreements, while their eyes focused on anything but the spreading bloodstain on the table. “Get out.”

Leonardo and Mathias walked out with uneasy, respectful nods, but Gabriele stayed in his seat. When it was just the four of us and the body, he sighed. “I worried you’d let him go too long.”

“I already did.” Maybe a small part of me had still been desperate for Joaquin’s approval, one that had spent the last few years hoping he’d change his mind and agree that I was the right choice to lead. That part of me died when he did, thank god.

Gabriele hummed, leaning back in his chair. “He never was my favorite.”

The feeling was mutual. Joaquin had never trusted Gabriele because he’d married into the life, while Joaquin had been born with a bloody spoon to his lips. But Gabriele had proven the only useful uncle I had so far. He had been the first to tell me about the capos’ plans to usurp the throne and put a man on it, even before Dominic. He’d kept his distance, acting like an informant would to let me know Joaquin was getting more pronounced in his wishes to end my reign. Ally or not, Gabriele was a fair man with a firm grasp on loyalty. One I trusted as implicitly as I could right now.

“Who’s going to replace him?”

Dominic cleared his throat. “Actually, I’ve got a good idea about that if Cameron isn’t interested.”

Since most positions were passed down among the family, my cousin would likely take his father’s place as a capo, but I was curious to hear who’d won Dominic over in such a short time. “We’ll discuss replacements in a few days. The men will need time to mourn.”

“Of course.” Gabriele looked at the body uncomfortably before turning back to me. “You know there are traditions…”

“I’m aware.” The words were harsh, and I immediately fought to soften them. “I need to tell Cameron first.”

“He’s still sedated,” Greyson said behind me. “We’ll have to do it tomorrow.”

Tomorrow evening would be the wake. Gabriele was right; traditions had to be upheld or I risked whatever power I’d snatched from my uncle’s cooling hand. So tomorrow, I’d wrap my uncle as I’d done my father and brother, and then I’d burn his shell to ash.

“We’ll tell him first thing in the morning.”

Gabriele got out of his chair with a groan and rounded the table to clap me on the back. “Tomorrow, then. Don’t forget to lay him down, or you’ll have a bitch of a time with the shroud.”

“I won’t. Goodnight, Uncle.”

“Goodnight.”

I let Dominic and Greyson lay Joaquin’s body on the floor and remove his clothes before we locked the door and went for the elevator. Tennessee and Moore would personally move the body to the freezer downstairs, but for now, Joaquin would lie there nude. It was petty and undignified as fuck, but it seemed like the least I could do.

We were all exhausted since I knew none of us had slept in days. Grey and I hadn’t felt right resting with Dominic in jail, even if he was only in custody for a handful of hours. We clung to one another as we made our way into the penthouse, where I had to grab Dominic’s arm to keep him from dropping onto the couch.

“What now? I just want to sleep.” His groan was borderline whiny, and it made me smile for the first time in days.

“You’re disgusting,” I said frankly. “Go wash off the stench of jailbird, and then we’ll go to bed.”

“Only if you come with me.”

I nodded, ready to get my hands on him so I could confirm he was really okay. Plus, I still needed to get a look at that wound. Turning to Grey, I asked, “Are you joining us? The shower fits six.”

His grin reminded me that he already knew that. “I’ll take a shower in my room so you two have a minute.”

“Are you sure?” Grey nodded, and I pressed up on my toes for a long kiss. “Thank you. I promise we’ll have time alone soon.”

Grey squeezed my hips with a smile. “I don’t mind waiting. There’s a lot going on.”

That was true, but I didn’t need him feeling neglected. “Meet us in bed in fifteen?”

“Sounds good.”

I yawned as I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water, knowing Dominic probably had gone for some clean clothes. My shirt was halfway over my head when Nate spoke.

“Mari.”

I spun with a curse, only to see Dominic haul Nate to the wall by the throat. If I looked up rage in the dictionary, the way my boyfriend looked at the other man would be right there. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I came to check on Mari.”

“Bullshit.”

Nate sighed. “Look, I know?—”

Dominic’s fist interrupted whatever he was going to say. When his face twisted as he geared up for a second hit, I pulled him away. “That’s enough. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Nate’s eyes drifted immediately to his injured side, and Dominic’s narrowed suspiciously. “Maybe it’s good that you’re here after all. I’ve got questions for you.”

With a carefully blank face, Nate nodded for him to continue.

“Why did your men save my life?”

“Wait, what?!” I might as well have been invisible for all the attention they paid me.

“I did it for Mari.”

“Do you expect me to believe that?”

“No.”

“How many Aces are under your control?”

Um, what?

“None. There are just some who don’t like how far Cash is taking things.”

“If Mari had been in jail, would your men have helped her?”

“If they could. We have a few women planted in that side of the jail who would’ve done most of the work. Some guards too.” When he saw us staring, he shrugged. “I’d call in a lot of favors to get you out of jail alive, angel. Anything else?”

Apparently satisfied, Dominic stared at Nate for a long minute before turning to me. “Do you really trust him?”

“I’m going to try.”

“Why?”

How could I explain it when I barely understood myself? “Because my gut is telling me to. Giving second chances is what I do for people I love, and while it may be a weakness, it’s one I can’t seem to forget. Nate’s hurt me, but he’s helped me too. I owe it to myself to see which side of the fence he falls on.”

“He could kill you.”

“I won’t,” Nate argued. We both ignored him.

“He could,” I agreed. “I’m willing to take that risk.”

Dominic still looked angry, so I slid close and wrapped my arms around him gently. “I’ll be careful.”

“She won’t have to be. I won’t hurt her.”

“Shut up, fuckboy. No one’s talking to you.” With a sigh, he came back to me. “This is the last chance, Mari.”

When I nodded, he hauled me closer and pressed a possessive kiss against my lips. I could feel his eyes burning into Nate’s the whole time, but I kind of liked it. Don’t get toxic, Mari. Finally, he pulled away. “I don’t like you. I don’t want you here, but if Mari says you stay, you stay.”

“I understand. I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” Nate said.

“Don’t bother. I’m not interested in apologies. Just don’t prove her wrong.”

“I won’t.” Nate jolted, grimacing as the faintest sound of buzzing reached my ears. “But I have to go now. Cash is calling.”

With a careful kiss to my forehead, one that focused all too hard on not touching Dominic, Nate slipped out of the room and the building again.

“I’m tempted to superglue the side of the building just to watch him get stuck there.”

Laughing, I tipped my head back. “Thank you for not fighting me.”

“Mmm-hmm. I’ll take my payment in sexual favors.” His grin was salacious, but a loud yawn cracked his jaw, and I laughed.

“You’ll settle for help washing your back now and an IOU for later.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, letting me clean him off before helping me do the same.

By the time we were both dried and in bed, waiting for Grey to join us, we had no shortage of yawns, but I wasn’t tired. Even when our third hauled himself into the room, curling around my back like he could protect it even in sleep, I couldn’t rest.

Dominic lasted a few more minutes before laughing at my huffing and puffing. “What’s wrong, mariposa?”

What wasn’t wrong? “I’m worried we won’t get him out in time.”

I didn’t need to say Nate’s name; we all knew who I was talking about. Greyson, who never fell asleep before everyone else, squeezed me tight in agreement. When Dominic didn’t immediately shoot down my fears, I let us lapse back into silence.

Eventually, he cuddled me closer, burying his face in my hair. “So am I.”

Did that mean he was willing to forgive Nate? Even if it took years, just the idea of a steady, united group brought me unfathomable levels of comfort. Not willing to risk the fragile peace we’d created, I kissed his chest, refusing to poke at such a sore topic.

Instead, I turned to a much more important one. “When were you going to tell me you got stabbed in jail?”

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