Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Valentina
Matteo’s expression changes subtly. Mafia bosses like him don’t telegraph their emotions. But his shoulders tighten just enough that anyone who knows him would recognize it immediately.
Nico exhales slowly.
Dario swears under his breath.
For a few heartbeats, no one speaks.
Then Matteo drags a hand across his mouth and looks at Nico.
“Who the fuck targets a car carrying a Russo princess and the Moretti underboss?”
The question hangs in the air like smoke.
No one answers.
Because none of us know.
And that’s the most dangerous part of all.
Dario pushes off the wall and begins pacing, his shoes striking the polished floor with sharp, impatient steps.
Matteo’s eyes return to me, and there’s real anger in their depths.
Nico folds his arms slowly. “We already know someone wants both families destabilized.”
Dario scoffs. “Destabilized?” His voice drops lower. “This was an attempted execution, not a destabilization attempt.”
Matteo doesn’t argue.
His attention drifts briefly to the glass doors again.
To the room beyond them where his brother is fighting for his life.
We all know the truth.
This is war.
And neither side knows who fired the first shot.
Footsteps echo suddenly in the hallway.
The doors open again.
Bella sweeps into the room like a storm.
Her dark hair is pulled into a tight knot, her eyes already scanning the space with sharp efficiency.
Behind her, Alessia follows closely, along with Dante’s mother.
Gina’s posture composed, her expression calm in the way only a woman who has spent decades inside this life can manage. But when her gaze finds me, something softens in her eyes.
She’s been in my situation before. And she knows how horrible it is.
I appreciate her silent support.
Bella crosses the room without hesitation.
Her gaze flicks over my bruised arm, the small cuts along my wrist. Without asking politely, she steps between the men and takes both of my hands in hers.
“How badly are you hurt?”
I attempt a small smile. None of the men asked, and I’m not surprised. “I’m okay,” I manage.
Her eyes search my face for another second. “And emotionally?”
That’s another story.
Swallowing hard, I turn my head so she can’t see the tears in my eyes.
She squeezes my hands. “Valentina?”
Calling on every ounce of Russo strength, I look at her. “Doing the best I can.”
“And it’s better than anyone else would have done in the same situation. You handled the whole situation in exactly the right way.”
The quiet reassurance settles something deep inside my chest.
Behind her, Alessia moves toward Matteo, her hand sliding into his as he pulls her close for a brief moment.
Nico drops a quick kiss on Bella’s forehead, then the two of them move to one side. As the family’s communications specialist, she needs all the updates, and Nico speaks in low, clipped tones.
She listens without interrupting.
By the time he finishes, her expression has hardened.
Gina moves in a little closer to me, her presence warm and steady beside Bella’s fierce concern. She reaches out and briefly cups my cheek in her hand, the gesture simple and deeply maternal.
“My son protected you,” she says quietly. “That tells me he was raised right. And that he cares.” Her thumb brushes lightly beneath my eye, catching a stray tear. “And this…? This tells me that you care.”
That’s the moment of truth.
I do care.
So much that it hurts.
A sob catches in my throat before I can stop it.
Dear God in heaven, I pray it’s not too late to tell him.
For a moment Gina studies my face as if she can see straight through every defense I’ve built since childhood. “He knows,” Gina reassures me as she lowers her hand again. “He knows.”
Finally Nico and Bella rejoin us.
“Someone’s playing a very dangerous game,” she says.
“Yes,” Nico agrees.
Then the surgical doors open again.
Every person in the room goes still.
A man in pale blue scrubs steps through, a mask hanging from one ear.
The exhaustion in his eyes is obvious.
But so is something else. Relief. Or is that just my wishful thinking?
“Mrs. Moretti?” He looks at me, and my knees threaten to buckle.
“Yes.”
The doctor glances briefly at the family gathered with me. “Would you prefer we talk alone?”
I shake my head. We’re all family here. “Whatever you need to say, you can say it in front of all of us.”
He nods, glances at everyone in turn, then focuses on me again. “Mr. Moretti’s surgery was successful.”
For a moment his words don’t register.
Then the air rushes back into my lungs.
Successful.
My relief is so profound that my knees actually do wobble, and Alessia quickly moves in to support me.
Gina’s hand settles firmly at my back as well, steadying me with quiet strength.
Without me hardly being aware of it, the doctor has continued to speak.
“The bullet passed through his shoulder. There was significant blood loss, but we were able to stop the bleeding and repair the damage.”
Matteo’s voice cuts in quietly, and he asks the question I can’t form. “Is he going to live?”
The doctor nods.
“And he’ll be okay?” Dario presses.
“Yes.”
Oh God.
Oh God.
Oh God.
I squeeze my eyes shut, giving thanks in a way I never have before.
“He’s stable now,” the surgeon continues. “He should regain consciousness within the hour.”
And now, I’m so overcome that I’m actually shaking.
“You can see him soon,” the doctor adds.
My throat is so tight that I can barely force out the words, “Thank you.”
He nods once and disappears back through the doors.
Everyone finally exhales.
Dario drags a hand through his hair. “That could’ve been a hell of a lot worse.”
Matteo draws his eyebrows together. “Dante got lucky.” He glances at me. “Valentina got lucky.”
Everyone’s attention is riveted on him.
“As of tonight, we are at war.”
Matteo stands utterly still, and the weight of his declaration settles over the room.
“And whoever started it will pay in blood.”