Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
SOFIA
I spent most of the day at Grayson's bedside, my fingers intertwined with his as he drifted in and out of consciousness. They'd put him on medication that was helping him with pain, but it was also making him sleep. The steady beep of the heart monitor had become a comforting sound, each tone confirming he was still with me.
To think I'd come so close to losing him. I'd really come to want him around, falling hard for him.
I couldn't lose him.
"You need to go," Meredith whispered, checking her watch. "Daniel's waiting downstairs."
I pressed my lips to Gray's forehead. "I'll be back soon."
His eyelids fluttered. "Be careful," he murmured, his voice heavy with sleep. A part of me wished I could succumb to such a medicated sleep as well, to slip into comforting dreams away from this reality.
"Always am." I squeezed his hand one last time before grabbing my purse.
I needed to be the strong one now, for both of us, and the little one I was growing.
Daniel stood by a black SUV in the hospital parking lot, his face masked as he opened the door for me. "Ms. Savoca."
"Thank you, Daniel. For killing that bastard earlier." I slid into the passenger seat.
"Just doing my job." He started the engine.
"I know, but still, thank you."
"Any time, Ms. Savoca."
The drive to the agreed meeting place was quiet, the latest hit songs playing softly over the radio as I mulled over how this meeting would go. Julia and Caterina were both on board, ready to deal with Ernesto, but we needed to figure out exactly how it would be done, how to make sure no one else was hurt by him or in the crossfire.
I sighed, closing my eyes as I slouched into my seat. Why was life so difficult?
Because you're strong enough to live it.
I smiled softly at the words my mother had once said to me, when I'd broken down to her after murdering Bryce. She'd always been my rock, and sometimes, I wondered why I'd refused to go with her to Italy, to want to remain in my home city. Would I have been free? Or would it have been a facade? I would have known I had a target on me, so the freedom would feel like I still had chains on my ankles.
Before I knew it, we were pulling up before the meeting place. The restaurant was upscale but not flashy—exactly the kind of place that wouldn't draw attention. Daniel escorted me to the door, where a bubbly woman greeted me and took over. Daniel had insisted on sitting right by the front door, just to be safe, and she'd allowed it before she led me through the main dining area to a private staircase that led to the VIP section upstairs.
Caterina waited alone at a table by the window, her face lined with worry. She rose when she saw me, pulling me into a tight embrace.
"How is he?" she asked, gesturing for me to sit.
"Out of surgery. The doctors say he'll recover, but it was too close of a call for me." I kept my composure despite the ache in my chest at how close I'd come to losing him.
Caterina lifted her glass of wine to her lips. "I've been hearing whispers in the family, they know of the attack, but not that he survived."
"It was no random attack." I took a sip of my water. There was some garlic bread on offer, but food was not on my mind right now.
"Of course not." Caterina's eyes hardened.
"Do you know who? If it was Ernesto or Juan?"
"Does it matter?" She shook her head. "They're both guilty in my eyes."
A server appeared with a tray of food, setting down plates before us. Caterina waited until he left before continuing.
"I spoke with Cara."
My breath caught. "How did she take it?"
"How would any woman take learning her husband was murdered by his own father?" Caterina's fingers tightened around her glass. "She was devastated. But she's also furious."
"Poor Cara, and little Rosette. I wish I could undo it, that I could?—"
"You can't change what happened, but you can decide what comes of it," she cut me off sharply. "Cara said she supports you in taking over the family. Her family controls most of our gun trade, and they're standing with you. All of them."
I nodded, picking up my fork, not wanting to insult Caterina's hospitality on ordering me food. It was a simple grilled chicken and vegetable dish, one I imagined she'd chosen for helping the growth of my baby.
Having the support of Cara's contacts was beneficial as well. They played a major role in the Savoca business.
Caterina took a bite of her own meal, a pasta dish, before she pulled out her phone. "Julia and Bianca are waiting for our call." She dialed while taking another mouthful.
Aunt Julia’s voice greeted us after two rings.
"Julia, perfect, let me dial in Bianca as well." Caterina tapped away on her phone, and then Bianca's voice came through.
"Caterina?"
"Perfect, I've got you both here. Sofia is with me," Caterina said as she set the phone down, the microphone on speaker.
"I'm so sorry, Julia," I said as I leaned forward.
"Sofia," Julia's voice sounded oddly hollow yet mixed with emotion, if that was even possible. "Thank you. As am I. I'm sorry about Grayson. I know that it had to be a part of all of this."
"Thank you. Where are you now?" I asked, watching as Caterina enjoyed more of her meal, although her gaze was on the phone.
"I'm staying at Caterina's. If I leave now, Ernesto might question why. He believes I'm staying with Caterina because I'm lonely in our big house without him or my children there." Julia managed a scoff, but then her voice fell. "All these years... my own son..."
"He has to pay," Bianca spoke up. "Marco was good. He never deserved this. Ernesto is a monster," she spat. I noted how she didn't even want to refer to him as her father now. Understandably.
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you at first, sweetheart," Julia said gently, and I knew she was talking to Bianca. "But it's not something you think a parent is capable of… then Caterina showed me the proof."
"For that, I'm sorry, Julia. I wish Ernesto had never married in a way, but then I'd never have been blessed with such a wonderful niece and nephew," Caterina said, her voice soft.
“We can't undo it. He needs to pay for what he did, what he did to all of us. But we need to do this right." Julia's voice was oddly strong, surprising me. Julia had always been submissive to Ernesto, following his lead without question. I hadn't been sure if she'd turn on him, if years of conditioning would keep her submissive. But a mother's rage was clearly a force not to be underestimated.
Caterina nodded. "Then we need to figure out how we're going to do this."
"I want it done publicly," Julia said, surprising me with her vehemence. "I want everyone to know what he did to our son."
"We both agree," Bianca added. "Full display. The truth revealed to everyone."
I listened as Julia and Bianca outlined their plan—a family gathering where Ernesto would be confronted with evidence of his betrayal.
"Actually," Caterina said, a calculating gleam in her eye, "Grayson's attack might make everything more believable."
"What do you mean?" I leaned forward.
"If Grayson were to die, then that could alter everything. You're doing this to protect the family, and not be bound to another man. If he's dead…"
I tilted my head, trying to figure out what she was saying.
"What exactly are you getting at?" Julia questioned.
"That a meeting with a broken woman wanting to go along with the initial plan could be done, bargaining for new terms for a marriage alliance," I said as the idea began to form while Caterina nodded. "But as for getting the family all there for such a meeting…"
"We'll need to get smart. Play them into our hands," Caterina smirked as ideas bounced around my head.
I pursed my lips, nodding as one thought took front and center. "I think I have an idea."
* * *
I returned to Grayson's hospital room, my mind still going a hundred miles a minute from the meeting with Caterina. The steady beep of the heart monitor greeted me as I pushed the door open. Gray looked better than he had this when I left—some color had returned to his face, and he was sitting up slightly against the pillows.
His eyes found mine immediately. "How'd it go?"
I sat on the edge of his bed, careful not to disturb any of the wires attached to him. "We have a plan." I took his hand, running my thumb over his knuckles. "But you're not going to like it."
"When has that ever stopped you?" His attempt at a smile turned into a grimace as he shifted positions.
"I need to meet with Ernesto and Juan." I glanced over at my mother, who was leaning forward to listen.
Gray's hand tightened around mine. "Absolutely not."
The door swung open right then, and I turned. Leo walked in with Meredith following close behind, both carrying coffee cups.
"Thought you might need this," Meredith said, handing me one of the cups. I'd texted her with a rough ETA of when I'd be back at the hospital, and her thoughtfulness made me smile.
"Leo, I need your help with something." I glanced at Gray, not wanting to argue with him on meeting with Ernesto and Juan, although he was frowning hard at me.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."
"We need to make everyone think Grayson died." I said it quickly, like ripping off a band-aid. "That he succumbed to his injuries—a blood clot, something. I'll act like the broken partner and go to my uncle and Juan to save my family."
"What the fuck?" Gray tried to sit up straighter, wincing at the movement. "No."
"I'm not fond of this either," my mother spoke up, her brows knitted together.
Leo didn't immediately reject the idea, which I took as a good sign. "What's the plan, exactly?"
I explained while Gray glared at me. "It will start out seeming like I'm just meeting with them both, but Julia will pretend to side with Ernesto, saying that I contacted her. But she will have Ernesto believe she has rallied the family behind her in support of him, and that I'm the one behind Marco's death."
My mother inhaled sharply, but I continued.
"Ernesto has been feeding her those lies already, and has offered her falsified documents to support it. He messed up in his haste, probably after your father brought up Marco's death, so it wasn't too difficult to prove they were falsified by Caterina. She will say she wants to be present when I come begging to be allowed to negotiate my marriage to Juan, with the family as well. My aunts will come in, and Julia will reveal the truth of Marco's death. Ernesto will think she's offering his falsified documents, but she will have ours." I swallowed hard. "Julia intends to kill Ernesto in front of the family and wants the Donatis on standby, ready to rush in and protect her if necessary. Some close male relatives are in the know and will protect her as well."
Leo's expression remained neutral, his mind clearly working through the logistics. "I'll need to know exactly who can be trusted, who can't, and who's unknown in terms of allegiance."
"I'll get all that sorted," I promised.
"This is insane," Gray muttered, his jaw clenched tight.
Leo tapped his fingers against his coffee cup. "We could orchestrate this to take place instead of the meeting we had planned. Give Gray a few days to recover and for us to get this organized."
"Thank you," I said, relief washing over me. At least someone understood what needed to be done.
"I don't like it either," Leo said to Gray when he went to argue, "but sometimes the best plays are the ones your opponent never sees coming."
Gray still looked unconvinced. "It's too dangerous."
"It's the least dangerous of all the options that will get everyone behind me. Sure, Julia could kill him in his own bed, but then the family could turn on her. A family meeting could be called without me present, but then it will look like I'm weak and not wanting to stand with my family when they need me, which isn't a good look for a leader," I explained.
Gray's jaw was set as he stared hard at me.
"Why do you have to be so goddamn stubborn and good-hearted?" he said with a heavy sigh.
"Would you want me any other way?" I shot back with a slight smile, causing his mouth to curl slightly.
"No, but doesn't mean I have to always love it."
* * *
An hour later, my phone buzzed with a call from the burner number Caterina had given me at lunch. I stepped into the hallway to take it.
"Sofia, Julia just found out Ernesto plans to flee with the family funds," Caterina said right off the bat. "He's discovered the Donatis have been investigating him and he's getting skittish. We need to move quickly."
Fuck. Of course that weasel was getting the jitters and wanting to run. He was a weak man when it came to it. "How soon?"
"The sooner we announce Gray's fake death and set this in motion, the better."
"I'll let Leo know," I said, ending the call.
When I returned to the room, I relayed the information to Leo, who immediately began making calls of his own, upping the timeline from the first round of calls he'd made earlier. Faking a death was rather easy with the right amount of money and connections. After I gave him all the details he needed, he left to start preparations. Meredith reluctantly departed as well, her restoration manager demanding to meet for a few things since she'd been MIA so much. Besides, there was little else she could do right now, and it would distract her.
I'd also asked to have some time alone with Gray, so that had given her the extra push to actually go.
My mother had gone to the cafeteria for food after overhearing me asking Meredith for some time with him, leaving Gray and me alone for the first time since I'd returned.
"As much as I hate all of this, I'm proud of you," Gray said softly, his eyes holding mine. "You're a strong woman, Sofia."
I smiled as I took his hand. "You're not going to try to stop me?"
He gave a small, pained laugh. "Would it work if I tried?"
"No."
"I know I can't stop you," he said, reaching for my hand. "But I will be there for you when the meeting goes down."
I shook my head. "It'll be soon, Gray. You're in no state to be leaving the hospital."
He sighed and pulled me closer, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. "I love you, Sofia. And I meant it when I said it before—not just as the words of a potentially dying man. You're a woman I can't imagine my life without."
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. "I love you too."
"Then trust me to have your back," he said, those emerald eyes burning into mine.
I nodded, knowing there was no point arguing. Gray was as stubborn as I was.
"So, how upset are you going to be that I died?" he asked teasingly, and I rolled my eyes.
"Oh, only slightly, it's not a big deal," I joked, ad he feigned heartache at it.
"Wow, I see where I stand," he said with a dramatic sniff.
"Don't worry, I'll wear all black, make sure I've got my crocodile tears ready to go," I assured him.
"You better, I was a good man right until the end," he said proudly, his hand on his heart.
"You really are." I took his hand, my smile softening. His hand covered mine as his expression shifted to one of tenderness.
He really was my person.
We sat in silence for a moment, the reality of everything crushing down on us. I prayed this worked out, for all of us. That Ernesto was dealt with, and this played out like we all planned and hoped.
His thumb stroked my hand. "You're going to make a hell of a leader, Sofia Savoca."
"If we pull this off."
"When we pull this off," he corrected. "And after that, we're going to focus on our family. This one." He gestured between us and my still-flat stomach.
"That sounds perfect," I whispered.
"Just promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
His eyes locked with mine. "Promise me you'll be careful. No unnecessary risks. I can't lose you."
"I promise." I leaned forward to kiss him again, savoring the warmth of his lips against mine. "For our family."
"What I wouldn't do to just jet you across the world and away from all this, somewhere safe," he said as he pressed his forehead to mine. "But I know you want to do this for your family."
"It'll be okay, Gray." I wanted to fully believe my own words, but I couldn't promise such a thing. I could only hope.
The door opened, and my mother walked in carrying a tray of hospital food. She stopped when she saw us, a small smile playing at her lips.
"Should I come back?" she asked.
I shook my head. "No, it's fine."
She set the tray down on the rolling table and pushed it toward Gray. "You need to eat to regain your strength."
Gray eyed the unappetizing hospital food warily. "I'm not sure this will help with that."
My mother laughed, and the sound was so unexpected, so normal, that for a moment I forgot about all the chaos surrounding us. For just a moment, it felt like a real family moment, one with my mother and my partner. Where Gray was grinning and my mother looked like she wasn't scared about what tomorrow would bring.
But reality couldn't be held at bay for long. My phone buzzed with a text from Leo's latest burner.
Press release being drafted now, will release in two hours. Contacts being informed so word gets out. Best to contact Ernesto in the morning to make it believable.
I showed the message to Gray, whose expression darkened.
"Tomorrow?" He shook his head. "That's too soon if he decides to set up a meeting then."
"If that's what he chooses, then so be it. I imagine he'll want to immediately,” I said. "Ernesto's planning to run, so we need to keep him from doing it. Hearing about your death will make him take pause, and then I'll reach out. It'll shift everything."
"I hate this," he muttered.
"I know." I leaned in to kiss his forehead. "But it's our best play."
"Right, letting the woman of my unborn child walk into a meeting between mafia families dictating her future, while I'm lying in a hospital bed pretending to be dead."
My stomach clenched as I looked over at my mother, her face lined with unease. In a few hours, the world would believe Grayson Cassaro was dead. And tomorrow, if all went according to plan, Ernesto Savoca would join him—for real.
Gray let out a long breath. "Well, I've never been dead before. Should be an interesting experience. Will there be a funeral? Wonder if I could go in disguise. Doubt many people can say they attended their own funeral."
I laughed. "Only you would joke about this."
"If I don't, I'll try to get out of this bed and follow you, stitches be damned." His tone was light, but his eyes were serious. "And we both know that would be a terrible idea."
"The worst," I agreed.