Chapter Forty-Three
ORAZIO
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Raz moved quietly behind Monique, gripping two guns tightly. Every step he took down the corridor felt heavy, his body still sluggish from Rome’s drugs. He shook his head, needing to clear it so he could do what needed to be done.
As he walked, he contemplated what had just happened in the breakroom. He still couldn’t believe his Rosa had taken two lives. While he’d been out, he’d dreamed of her. But the woman in his dreams had been a very different version of Rosa than the one he’d woken up to.
In his dreams, she’d been taken by his enemies, tortured, and killed right in front of his eyes. She’d cried out to him, begging him to help her. No matter how fast or how hard he raced toward her, he hadn’t been able to reach her.
In his dreams, he’d sobbed like a fucking child, hating himself for bringing her into his world. When he woke up, the first thing he witnessed was his delicate Rose shooting a man. He’d thought he was still dreaming.
He’d thought he was imagining the Rosa he needed by his side, someone who could protect herself when he wasn’t there. Imagine his fucking surprise when the person she’d shot landed on him, and he realized he wasn’t dreaming.
The woman he needed, the woman he loved, the woman he was obsessed with, was perfectly fine handling her own. Not only could she protect herself, but she could also protect him and lead his crew in his absence.
He glanced at Monique’s back, watching the way she moved with confidence, her gun raised and steady, leading them through the dimly lit hallway. Monique, his Rosa, had killed two men. And now, she was walking ahead of him, shoulders squared, leading him toward another battle.
She was a woman who could handle anything. He felt foolish for ever doubting that she could survive in his world. She had done more than just survive tonight, she’d protected him, saved him. She’d stepped into his world of violence, blood, and betrayal, and she’d taken control.
He hated that she’d been forced to make those choices, but damn it, he was proud of her. Impressed, even. This woman, his woman , wasn’t just standing by his side. She was leading the charge. And he was following. As ordered by the Lady Boss.
Though he was watching her handle her own, his mind and heart were still wary. This was what he wanted. He wanted her to be able to protect herself. Yet, his fear of losing her was still there.
And a new fear had reared its ugly head. What would she be like when this was over? She’d taken a life. That was never easy, no matter how many times you did it. It took a toll on your heart, your mind, and your spirit.
Even when you felt the kills were warranted, they still haunted you. Yeah, she said she was okay and that she could handle it. But Raz knew better. He’d seen the look in her eyes after she’d pulled the trigger, twice .
It was the kind of look you never forgot. That flicker of something breaking inside, a part of her that she couldn’t get back. He hated that she had to go through this. But he couldn’t do anything about it now. Not here. Not while danger still lurked around every corner.
She was doing what needed to be done. And he was fucking proud of her. But that didn’t stop the gnawing anxiety in his gut. It didn’t stop the part of him that wanted to pull her back, to tell her to let him handle it, to tell her to hide. To be safe.
It was instinct, pure and simple. His instincts told him to protect her. But he knew that wasn't what she needed. She didn’t need him trying to shield her, not now. What she needed was his trust. She needed him to believe in her strength, to let her be the force she was proving herself to be.
She was his Lady Boss. He would not undermine her authority. His fears and concerns were his problem. Not hers. In time, he knew they’d fade. Until then, he’d watch her back, just like she’d asked him to.
The gunfire that had echoed through the halls earlier had gone eerily silent, and that wasn’t a good sign. The quiet meant the men who’d betrayed him were regrouping, waiting for the right moment to strike again.
Their enemies weren’t done, and neither were they giving up. They were just biding their time. Planning. They would strike again and harder this time. He watched Monique. Her grip on her gun never wavered as they moved forward, readying for a battle with his father.
A quiet sigh left his lips. His father. His fucking father was the cause of this! That betrayal cut deep. But his father was probably thinking the same thing. To him, Raz was the traitor. Those who’d sided with his father must’ve felt the same way.
Raz didn’t give a fuck about their feelings. He’d been forced to step into the role of don due to his father’s incompetence. The old man was pulling every trick in the book to try to take back what wasn’t his anymore.
He was even using Monique to get to Raz. Raz was done playing his father’s games. This wasn’t a power struggle anymore. It was a damn war. His father needed to be stopped, and it would be Raz who put an end to his bullshit once and for all.
He was done being the obedient son, the mindful son, the son who always put the family first. Yeah, blood was thicker than water. But Monique wasn’t water. Leo and the guards who’d stayed true to him weren’t water.
They were glue. The glue that held it all together when he couldn’t. Today, his father had endangered his woman and his team. Despite that danger, both his woman and his team had stayed true to him.
They’d risked their lives for him, protected him. If that wasn’t family, he didn’t know what was. Tonight, Raz would stay true to them and make sure his father was never a threat to them or anyone else ever again.
“They should be just up ahead,” Monique whispered.
She was right. As they rounded the corner, Raz caught sight of Leo, Rocco, and Stoney behind a makeshift barricade, their guns drawn. There were a few bodies propped up against the wall.
A blood trail was smeared across the floor, letting Raz know the bodies had been killed in one spot and then dragged to the wall. Leo waved them over. Monique led the way, and Raz followed.
“Boss,” Leo greeted him, his voice low, tense. “Glad you’re back with us.”
Raz gave a sharp nod, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. “Give me a rundown of what has happened.”
Leo wasted no time. “The old don’s men pulled back about three minutes ago. They were hammering the door with anything they could get their hands on, trying to break through. Once they realized those who got through weren’t coming back, they retreated. We’re guessing they’re regrouping, looking for another entry point, trying to outmaneuver us.”
Raz had figured the same thing. His father’s men weren’t stupid. They wouldn’t come at them directly now that they knew they were ready for a fight. No, they’d try to sneak around, catch them off guard. He expected nothing less.
“There’s more,” Leo continued, his voice dropping lower. “Listen. Do you hear the muffled crying coming from the gala room? It was louder. I don’t know what they’re doing in there, but it can’t be good. Those people are trapped in there. Every now and then, we hear a shot fired. I think they’re being killed off one by one as the don waits on you to appear, boss. If we don’t do something soon...” Leo’s voice trailed off, but the unspoken words hung between them.
Raz clenched his fists tighter around the guns in his hands. Those people didn’t deserve this. They weren’t part of the Cattaneo family’s problems. Yet, they’d been caught in the crossfire because of his father’s refusal to step aside.
“Fuck,” Raz muttered under his breath.
Those people had come to support him. Now they were terrified, crying, because of this nightmare his father had created. Raz’s blood boiled hotter with each second that passed.
“We’re not waiting for them to bring the fight to us,” Raz announced, mind made up. “We’re taking the fight to them. It’s time to end this. We need to move quickly.”
“What’s the plan, boss?” Leo asked.
“Give me a second,” Raz muttered, trying to figure out the best way to take down the guards without any of the guests or his team getting killed. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Monique step forward.
“I’ve got an idea,” she told him.
“Let’s hear it,” he replied, ignoring the fear twisting through his veins.
"We need to split up," she started.
He wasn’t leaving her side. But he kept that to himself as he listened to her plan.
"One group will draw the guards’ attention away from the main room by creating a distraction,” she explained. “The other will focus on securing the people in the main room and getting them out of the building. If we move fast, we can get the people out while the don’s men are occupied. If we had enough people, we could make a third group that would head straight for the old don. If coordinated properly, we should be able to end this with minimal loss on our side."
Her words had him feeling both impressed and uneasy. His protective instinct flared inside him, but he swallowed it down. He was still getting used to this new version of Monique, the one who was stepping into the role of Lady Boss so effortlessly.
"Frederico’s men are on the way," she reminded them. “Our plan will work better if we wait for them to join us. Plus, Tomas has ordered his men to take out the guards who are patrolling near the exits. Soon, our guys will be able to get in.”
Raz’s jaw clenched at the mention of Frederico Miconi. He hated the idea of needing Frederico’s help. Hell, he hated Frederico altogether. But this wasn’t the time to let that get to him. He and his Rosa had just made up. The last thing he needed was to let his emotions ruin that.
"Alright," Raz said, keeping the anger out of his voice. "We’ll go with your plan. Leo...” Raz paused and stared behind him when he heard muffled voices. “Someone’s coming.”
Raz and his team raised their weapons instantly, the sound of footsteps approaching from around the corner putting them all on edge.
Gun raised, Monique told them, “Don’t shoot. Not yet. Let’s make sure it’s not Frederico’s people.”
Despite everything she’d gone through, Monique was handling herself better than he could’ve imagined. She was calm under pressure, alert, and rational. Nothing like him. He was more of a shoot first, then apologize to the corpse later type of person. She was the calm to his storm. The other half of him, the perfect half. No wonder he’d been so lost without her.
A voice drifted from around the corner, “Orazio Cattaneo.”
Raz’s jaw tightened. He recognized that voice.
“Isla Miconi,” Raz and Monique muttered.
He glanced over at Monique and caught the look she shot his way, a side-eye hot enough to burn straight through him. She looked pissed off.
“Your date has arrived,” she hissed.
“Fuck her,” he muttered under his breath, not giving a damn about Isla Miconi. “You can shoot her if you want.”
Monique chuckled, a dark, amused sound that sent a shiver up his spine. But then she surprised him when she leaned in closer, her voice dropping low, dangerous as she whispered, “I just might do that.”
He didn’t doubt it for a second. He should be worried about her, but fuck, the look in her eyes turned him on. She leaned away from him just as Isla and Frederico's guard stepped around the corner, guns raised.
Then came Miconi, limping into sight, battered and bruised but still standing. Raz gritted his teeth, wishing he could put a bullet in the old ass man. He’d just gotten back with his Rosa. Then here comes Frederico’s old ass, a reminder of how savagely Raz could lose it.
“Stop right there,” Monique called out.
Frederico and his team stopped. Isla and a few of the guards looked ready to kill. Frederico started to speak, but Monique spoke up first.
“Are we all working together, or are we fighting? If we’re working together, Raz will tell you all the plan. If we’re not, just say the word.”
Frederico’s eyes widened. Raz held in his smile, his anger with Frederico melting away. His Rose had thorns. Beautiful thorns. Lady Boss was ready for anything and anyone. His father should be afraid. Not of Raz.
But of his woman.