Chapter 23
CHAPTER 23
GRAYSON
I paced Sofia's bedroom while taking the call from Leo, reeling from what he'd said.
"They actually tried to offer another woman?" I gripped the phone tighter. "After everything that's happened?"
"Ernesto acted like he was doing us a favor." Leo's disgust carried through the line. "Said, and I quote, 'a woman is just a woman.' The arrogance of these people, Gray. You should have seen my father's face."
I ran a hand through my hair, glancing toward the closed door where I could hear Sofia and her mother's muffled voices. "What exactly did they offer for the alliance?"
"Territory along the coast, some shipping routes, a couple of legitimate businesses." Leo paused. "And of course, the generous offer of another Savoca woman for you, since apparently Sofia's previous agreement with Juan negates any claim you might have."
"Previous agreement that was made under duress," I growled.
"That's exactly what my father pointed out. He demanded to see the terms of this supposed agreement. Neither Ernesto nor Juan would produce them."
I sat on the edge of the bed, my jaw clenched. "So what's the play?"
"We're meeting again in a week. Told them we'd draft up our own terms for consideration." Leo's tone shifted. "But it's all smoke and mirrors, buying time while we figure out how to handle Ernesto."
"You think taking him out would solve this?"
"The Ference family would likely back off without him pushing for this alliance. But here's the problem - if it traces back to us in any way..."
"War," I finished. "And Sofia can't do it either, not now. They'd still blame us, say it was a Donati move."
"Exactly. It needs to come from within. The family needs to handle their own."
I thought about the support Sofia had already gathered. She'd called Canzio on the drive home, requesting the evidence for Marco's murder, and then forwarded it to Caterina so she could reveal it to Marco's mother, Julia, if necessary. Not to mention to provide her with the proof as well so she could see how her own brother had been the one behind the murder of her family. "Maybe we can work with that. I'll talk to Sofia, see what she thinks."
"Be careful, Gray. And keep her safe."
"Always." I ended the call, staring at the door and thinking about the woman on the other side - carrying my child, caught in this dangerous game of family politics and power. We needed a solution that wouldn't start a war, but would remove Ernesto permanently.
I headed back out to find Sofia. We'd find a way to get this all sorted.
* * *
I found Sofia in the living room, her mother beside her on the couch with a blanket draped across them both. They both looked up when I entered, and I could see the strain around Sofia's eyes despite her attempt at a smile. They had hot chocolates and some movie playing, but it was clear neither of them had been watching it.
"Everything okay?" Sofia asked.
"Just got off the phone with Leo." I sat across from them on the armchair, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. "The meeting with Ernesto and Juan went about as well as expected."
Sofia's eyes narrowed. "How so?"
"They wanted an alliance with the Donatis. They offered territory, shipping routes, businesses." I hesitated, watching her face. "And Ernesto tried to offer another Savoca woman to me as compensation for losing you."
Gabriella made a sound of disgust. "That man has no shame. Who did he offer?"
"No names were mentioned, likely someone from outside the main family. But the fact that he's willing to trade family members like commodities..." I shook my head. "We need to deal with Ernesto, and soon."
Sofia nodded slowly. "We've been talking about that. The problem is, if the Donatis take him out?—"
"It starts a war," I finished. "And even if you did it, they'd still blame us. It would need to come from within the family."
"That's exactly what I was thinking." Sofia shifted, reaching for her hot chocolate and taking a gulp. "I think Julia or Caterina could help us. They both have reason to want him gone."
Gabriella nodded in agreement. "Julia lost her son. Caterina lost her husband and eldest boy years ago in that ambush Ernesto orchestrated. A mother will always want to protect her children and get justice for them."
I considered this. Julia seemed the more unpredictable option. "I worry Julia might be too soft. Too emotional. Would she have the resolve to go through with something like this?"
"She might," Sofia said, "if she knew the truth, and if she's as devastated as I think she'll be, she might be the one to take action against Ernesto."
"A mother avenging her son," I said.
Gabriella nodded slowly. "The family would rally around her. Even those loyal to Ernesto would understand a mother's grief."
"Exactly. If Julia acts out of grief and rage after learning who really killed Marco, it solves our problem without starting a war," Sofia stated.
I wasn't entirely convinced. "That's assuming Julia has it in her to kill her own husband.”
"You'd be surprised what a mother is capable of when it comes to her children," Gabriella said quietly.
"Caterina seems like the more reliable choice," I said. "She's already on board with you taking over, and she's survived in this world a long time. She seems like she's got the stomach for it. Not that I've met Julia."
"You're not wrong there. Ultimately, either one of them opting to deal with him is a good solution to this. Both avenging their own families. Although, from Julia with how recent it was, I feel like it would hit differently. From Caterina, well, it's been no secret she's never been close with Ernesto. Whereas Julia is his wife." Sofia reached for her phone. "I should reach out to Caterina again. Ask to meet sooner rather than later. Discuss this option as well."
I watched Sofia's face as she composed a message to Caterina using their secure channels. There was a new hardness there, a determination I hadn't seen before. This wasn't just about her and our baby anymore—this was about justice for her family.
"Has Caterina ever killed for the family? I know she's made some calls when needed, but that's not the same as actually having blood on your hands," Gabriella said as she looked hard at Sofia.
The way Sofia looked back at her, a silent exchange between them, made my stomach clench. I'd known Sofia had done some things for her family before she left, but now, with how Gabriella had said that, I wondered exactly what she'd done.
"I don't think so, but neither has Julia," Sof said as she glanced down at her phone when it buzzed with a response. She read it and looked up at us. "She can meet in three days, she wants time to reach out to everyone and for Bianca to speak with her mother."
"Do you think Julia could warn Ernesto?" I asked out loud.
"Possibly, but then we'll have to hope Caterina can handle this mess," Sof said. "If she can't, then we have to hope the family will turn on him when they learn the truth, that one of the men deals with him instead."
"What if one of them wants to then lead?" Gabriella voiced.
"Depends who it is, maybe I'll walk away again, but I doubt I'll ever truly not have a target on my back," Sofia answered.
"Whatever happens," I told Sofia, "I'll be right beside you. We'll figure this out together."
"As will I. I'm not leaving you again, Sofia. I wish I'd never left in the first place, but I truly believed I'd have been buried not long after Antonio, and I'd be no use to you then," Gabriella said with a sad smile. Sof hugged her before glancing between us both.
She gave me a tired smile. "I know I've got you both here for me, along with Caterina, Bianca, and the Donatis. That's the only reason I think we might actually pull this off."
I leaned forward and kissed her forehead, hoping I could live up to her faith in me. One way or another, Ernesto Savoca's days were numbered. And when he was gone, Sofia and our child would finally be safe.
* * *
I held Sofia close in the darkness of her bedroom, our soft breathing the only sound. The weight of our plan hung heavy in the air. My fingers traced lazy patterns through her hair as I listened to her breathing, wondering what thoughts were racing through her mind.
"Can I ask you something?" I whispered, my voice barely disturbing the quiet.
"Anything," Sofia murmured against my chest.
I hesitated, unsure if I should even bring it up. "Earlier today, when your mother asked if Caterina had ever killed for the family... there was this look between you two."
Her body tensed slightly against mine.
"I never wanted to pry into your past, Sof. I know you left that life behind. But maybe... maybe we shouldn't have secrets between us anymore." I kissed the top of her head. "Not with everything that's happening."
The silence stretched between us, and for a moment, I thought she wouldn't answer. Then she shifted in my arms, pulling back just enough to look up at me.
“You wanted to know why I was afraid of my uncle, what punishments I endured,” she started slowly. “My father, he used words to break me down, and a belt when I disobeyed or questioned him. I remember getting beatings from him eventually, same with my uncle, when he started giving me orders as well,” her eyes drifted down as her brows creased, “I had some broken bones. Twice, my father locked me up in a room with no room for a two days as punishment. But to me, it was normal, he hurt my mother plenty as well, she got real good with makeup, taught me well too.” Her voice had dropped to a whisper, and my heart was shattering as rage burned hot in my veins. I wanted to kill them both, too bad one was already long since dead. But Ernesto…
"My father started training me properly when I was fourteen," she said, her voice steady despite the pain I could see flickering in her eyes when she looked back up. "He said a woman in this life needed to know how to survive in it. To be worthy of the name I had. I took my first life at fourteen for the family, a man I didn't even know. I just followed orders."
I sucked in a breath, tightening my grip on her, my heart breaking for her teenage self. It was so young to be a killer. But I also knew it came with the territory.
He’d beaten her, broken her down, and molded her into what he wanted her to be. It was a miracle she was who she was today despite it all.
"He was molding me into something else. A weapon no one would see coming." Her fingers curled against my chest. "Who suspects a teenage girl, right? I was his secret asset. The unexpected killer."
My throat tightened. I'd known Sofia had been raised in the life, but this... this was something else entirely. It was not simply proving loyalty or knowing how to survive. She'd been a damn punching bag and then a weapon.
"When I was sixteen, I met a boy named Bryce at school. He was sweet, funny... the first person who made me feel normal." Her voice had gone soft with memory. "I fell for him hard. My first love."
I held her tighter, already dreading where this story was headed.
"Six months in, not long after my seventeenth birthday, my father called me to his office. Showed me surveillance photos of Bryce meeting with men from a rival family, the Malatestas." Her voice had gone flat, emotionless. "He'd been using me to gather intelligence on the Savocas. My father had known for weeks but wanted to see how much I would tell him on my own. I shared small secrets, but kept family ones to myself.”
"Jesus, Sof."
"My father handed me a gun and told me to fix my mistake, to do what needed to be done for the family.” Her body trembled slightly against mine. "He took me to a warehouse where they were holding Bryce. Made me look him in the eyes while I..." She swallowed hard. "While I pulled the trigger."
I closed my eyes, trying to imagine Sofia—just a teenager—being forced to execute someone she loved. The cruelty of it made me sick.
"That was the moment I decided I wanted out," she continued. "I played the part for six more months, did what was expected, but I was just waiting for my chance. When my father died and my mother fled to Italy, Marco gave me permission to leave. He understood what my father had done to me. Wanted me to have a chance at a different life, to be something else."
I cupped her face gently in my hands, wiping away a tear that had escaped down her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Sofia. Sorry that he did that to you. That he molded you into a weapon instead of protecting you like a father should. That both he and your uncle hurt you. You never deserved any of it.”
She leaned into my touch, eyes closing briefly. "It's the past."
“It doesn’t condone it, Sof. It doesn’t undo it or make it go away. You have no idea how strong you are for overcoming it all, for still becoming who you are today,” I said, still stunned by all she was sharing, doing my best to keep from getting furious. She didn’t need me getting mad or wanting to kill Ernesto, she needed me to listen, to be there for her in this moment and to support her.
“Are you sure you want to do this? Take over the family?" I asked, searching her face. "After everything they put you through, no one would blame you for walking away."
Sofia's eyes met mine, a new resolve hardening her gaze. "I don't have a choice, Gray. Our options are limited. If I don't step up, someone else will, and nothing will change."
"But the cost to you?—"
"Maybe because of my father, because of how I was raised, I can help mold this family into something better." Her hand moved to rest on her stomach, where our child grew. "I can provide a better path forward, equality for the women. For too long, I wanted to run from my legacy, from the blood in my veins. But not all of it is bad."
I brushed my thumb across her cheekbone, marveling at her strength. "You're incredible, you know that?"
"Thanks." A small smile touched her lips. "It's time I embrace who I am, to focus on the good in it, and find the best way forward. For us. For our baby."
I pulled her close again, pressing my lips to her forehead. "Whatever you decide, I'm with you. Every step of the way."
In the quiet darkness of that room, holding the woman I loved, I realized how much her past had shaped her—the strength it had forged in her. And while I wished I could erase the pain she'd endured, destroy one of the men responsible, I knew it was that same pain that had made her the fierce, resilient woman in my arms.
Sofia Savoca was a force to be reckoned with. And soon, her uncle would learn that the hard way.
And I couldn’t fucking wait for him to pay.