Chapter 48
I woke to the sound of footsteps in the hallway outside my door, voices murmuring in hushed tones. The reality of my new position crashed over me like a cold wave. I was Don Azzaro now, with all the responsibilities and dangers that title carried.
Elin stirred beside me, her blonde hair fanned across the pillow, face peaceful in sleep. For a moment, I allowed myself to simply watch her, memorizing the curve of her shoulder, the way her lashes cast shadows on her cheeks. After today, moments like this would be rare.
A soft knock interrupted my reverie. "Don Azzaro?" Harley's voice, respectful but urgent.
"Give me five minutes," I called back, already slipping from the bed.
Elin's eyes opened, immediately alert. "Time to face the music?"
"Time to claim what's mine." I pulled on yesterday's clothes, the fabric still carrying traces of blood. It was a power play. I would show I wasn’t afraid to have my father’s blood on me. "Stay here. Rest."
Her eyebrow arched dangerously. "I don't think so, Pretty Boy. We're partners now, remember?"
Before I could argue, she was already moving, but she froze and turned to me. “I need clothes. Do you have a shirt I can borrow? I don’t know what to do about pants.”
I chuckled. Little did she know, I had long planned for this. “The wardrobe.”
She blinked and nodded before turning toward it. When she opened the door, she turned back to me with a shocked look on her face. “Gavriel?”
“What? It was just a matter of time before you spent the night at the compound. I wanted to make sure you had something to change into in the morning.”
“When?” She ran her fingers over some of the designer sweaters that hung color coordinated beside dress shirts on the rack.
“About a month ago.”
She shook her head with a laugh and selected an outfit from the wardrobe with practiced efficiency. Within minutes, she was in black slacks and a crimson blouse that made her look every inch the queen I’d claimed she was.
I moved to the drawer where I’d hidden it, careful not to make a sound, letting my fingers find the small box I’d stashed away for her.
When I turned, Elin was watching me, her eyes already bright with anticipation.
I walked back across the room, dropped to my knees in front of her, and drew in a breath.
“Elin,” I said, and my voice came steadier than I felt.
“I want to ask you properly, regardless of the proposal in the tub, you naked against me. Your spirit is unmatched. We haven’t exactly done this the conventional way, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
I am yours, you are mine, and as always, I’m at your command, forever.
I just have one thing to ask.” I opened the box, revealing the emerald ring glinting inside. “Will you marry me, Elin Perkins?”
The smile that broke across her face was instant and bright enough to light the whole room. Tears shimmered along her lashes. “Yes, Gavriel. Yes, I will.”
I slid the ring onto her finger, and she looked at it for a second then at me. I kissed her, and I didn’t know if I’d ever felt that kind of happiness before. All of it was ahead of us—the future was right there, and I was ready for every moment.
"Ready?" she asked, checking her reflection in the mirror while she threw her hair up into a messy bun.
I opened the door to find Harley waiting with three of my most trusted lieutenants. Their faces were grim but determined.
"Status report," I ordered, falling into the role as naturally as breathing.
"Word's already spreading through the city," Harley said, falling into step beside us as we walked toward the main staircase. "Some of the old guard are questioning the succession. Tony Todisco’s been making noise about calling a meeting with Don Vispania."
"Let him," I said. "I'll deal with Todisco when the time comes."
"There's more," Harley continued. "Juarez's people are demanding answers. His lieutenant, Carlos Vega, is threatening retaliation."
Elin's hand found mine, squeezing once. "Another problem to solve."
We reached the main floor, where a dozen more men waited in the foyer. Some I recognized as loyal to me; others had served my father faithfully for years. The tension was palpable.
"Gentlemen," I announced, my voice carrying easily through the space. "As you know, Don Ezequiel Azzaro is dead. Don Miguel Juarez is dead. The circumstances were . . . unfortunate but necessary."
Murmurs rippled through the group. I held up a hand for silence.
"I am now head of this family. My word is law. Elin Azzaro’s words are law. Our decisions are final." I paused, letting that sink in. "Anyone who has a problem with this arrangement is free to leave. Now."
The silence stretched taut. Then, one by one, the men knelt before us, fists over their hearts. First Harley then the others, until only two remained standing.
"Vincent. Marco," I addressed them directly. "You have something to say?"
Vincent, a grizzled veteran who'd served my father for over twenty years, stepped forward. "With respect, Don Gavriel, succession isn't just about blood. It's about respect. About proving yourself worthy."
"And you don't think I'm worthy?" My voice remained calm, but Elin's presence beside me was a steadying force.
"I think you're young. Untested. And"—his eyes flicked to Elin—"influenced by outsiders."
The insult hung in the air like a loaded gun. I felt Elin tense beside me, but she remained silent, letting me handle this for now.
"Vincent," I said, taking a step closer. "You've served this family well. I respect that. But my wife is not an outsider. She's my equal. My partner. And if you can't accept that, then you're free to go."
He scoffed. "Wife? More like whore. You can't just declare—"
The crack of gunfire cut him off. Vincent crumpled to the floor, blood pooling beneath his head. Elin lowered her weapon, smoke still curling from the barrel.
"Anyone else have questions about my legitimacy?" she asked, her voice deadly calm.
Marco immediately dropped to his knees, head bowed. The message was clear.
I looked around the room, meeting each man's eyes in turn.
"This is how it's going to be. You follow my orders. You follow my wife’s orders.
You respect my wife and any other woman who stands in this house.
You keep your mouths shut about family business.
In return, you'll be rewarded for your loyalty. "
The room fell silent again. I could feel the shift in the atmosphere, the acceptance of our new reality. It was going to be one hell of a fight, but worth it.
"Harley," I called, "arrange a meeting with Don Vispania. I need to make things official with him."
"Yes, Don Azzaro."
As the men began to disperse, I caught Elin's elbow. "Nicely done, but next time let me handle the killing."
She smiled, the expression both beautiful and terrifying. "Sorry, Pretty Boy. Old habits. You know I like my control."
Despite everything, I found myself smiling back. "Come on. Let’s go get Rhea. And then we have an empire to run."
As we headed to the car. I realized that last night had been perfect. A blood-soaked rebirth into our new life together.
We settled into the car, but once I got to the end of the drive, I looked at Elin expectantly.
She furrowed her brow. “What?”
“Where am I going? I still don’t know where my sister is.”
She smiled brightly. “Dad’s.”
I blinked at her, my eyes going wide. “She’s at Joel’s? Where? I know they looked there for her.”
She tipped her head back and laughed. “Just go to the house, Pretty Boy.”
Pulling out into the street, I felt myself getting anxious.
Would Rhea really be okay with the fact that we’d killed Dad and I was now Don?
My mind raced around those thoughts, and while at a stoplight, I reached over and called my sister.
It rang for far too long, so my heart rate picked up and my foot pressed on the accelerator a little faster.
As I burned through a light, her voicemail answered.
Holy shit.
Holy shit.
Holy shit.
I called again, and when her voicemail answered again, I floored it. Elin was still staring off into space, but when I took the final turn and slammed on the brakes at her father’s house, she came out of it.
“What’s wrong?”
“Rhea didn’t answer her phone. I called her twice on the way.”
I was out of the car and running toward the front door when laughter peeled behind me. Full-on laughter. “She doesn’t have cell reception in the bunker, Pretty Boy.”
I blinked. “The bunker?” She nodded. “Joel had a fucking bunker?”
“Of course he did. It’s under the house. She would have been good for months without having to come out if she had to. There are also back-up systems and protocols in case it happened to be found or worse, breached.”
Bending over, hands on my knees, I took a few deep breaths to calm down. Elin reached over, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. Once in the empty home, I fell to my knees before her, looking up at the woman I trusted more than anyone.
“Thank you, Goddess.”
She pulled me close and kissed me. “I love Rhea. Of course I’m going to protect her.”
Shaking my head, I tried to explain. “No. You’ve given me so much. More than I could have asked for and more than I dreamed. I knew that someday I would be Don, but I always thought I would have some arranged, loveless marriage. Instead, I get to rule with you.”
I squeezed Elin's hand as we headed for the basement. "Let's get my sister."
The stale air hit me with that familiar chill I remembered from my visits—always too cold, just how Joel liked it.
I watched Elin's fingers find the hidden panel without hesitation, muscle memory guiding her through the sequence.
"Three taps, slide left, two taps," she muttered, and the wall gave way with a hydraulic hiss that made her smile.
The door looked impossibly heavy, pure Joel Perkins paranoia cast in steel. Inside, I was struck by the bizarre fake outdoor space, LED "sunshine" casting artificial daylight over an actual patch of living grass. Excessive, impractical, but quintessentially Joel.
"Gav! Elin!" Rhea practically tackled us both, her entire body trembling. " Are they really gone? We're safe?"
Elin pulled her close while I stood slightly back, watching the woman I loved comfort my sister with an ease I still struggled to find.
"They're dead," I confirmed, keeping my voice steady, businesslike. "Father. Juarez. Both gone. You're free—Claire or Rhea, your choice now."
Tears streamed down Rhea's face as she stared at me like I'd handed her the moon. Something tightened in my chest as I watched her. My little sister was finally free from our father's shadow.
"And you?" she asked, eyes narrowing with that perceptive gaze she'd always had.
"Don Azzaro." The title felt odd on my tongue, uncomfortable. "With my queen handling the real power."
Her eyes darted between us, then widened dramatically. "Holy shit, you two did it? He’s dead."
“We did.” She looked back at me, and before I could say anything, she continued, “And he is making me his wife.”
Rhea's squeal hit a pitch that made me wince. "Fucking finally! Joel called this years ago, you know."
Elin barked out a laugh, flashing my mother's emerald, that ostentatious stone I'd insisted she take. "Your brother gets efficient when he wants something bad enough."