66. Nicolai
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
NICOLAI
I stand in the doorway with blood on my hands and stubble along my jaw. My broken fingers throb, every cut screams, every inhale hurts like hell, but none of it matters. Not when she’s here.
Luna.
Her eyes lock onto mine, wide and disbelieving, and the world fucking stops. No more gunfire, no more smoke, just her. I move before I can think, crossing the room in three strides. My hands shake, caked with blood, and I’m afraid to touch her. Not with the same hands that killed her father.
“Luna.” Her name rips free of my chest, like a prayer.
She crashes into me, and I bite back a groan when her weight grinds into my ribs.
It doesn’t matter. I’d let the crowbar hit me a hundred times if it meant holding her like this.
My arms lock around her, tighter than they should.
Her heartbeat syncs with mine. A reminder that we’re both still breathing.
“You’re hurt and exhausted,” she whispers.
“You should see the other guys.” She pulls back, thumbs grazing my jaw. While her gaze scrutinizes every inch of me.
“You look like hell.” I flash her a smirk.
“No doubt, but I’m still standing.”
There’s a buzz in the room ever since I walked in. A million questions hitting me all at once, but I only see her. When I don’t answer a damn one, they walk away, boots scuffing the floor, and a few curses follow. They can wait; let us have our moment.
Mateo enters and smiles when he spots Amara. She hurries over and hugs him, acting like it’s been years since they’d last seen each other. I can relate.
Bria stands, wide-eyed, staring at me. “You’re alive,” she whispers.
“You’re safe now. No one will ever touch you again. You have my word.”
“Because of you,” she says. “I kept hearing your voice in my head, telling me to hang on. That you were coming.” Her eyes glisten, but her voice steadies. “I knew you wouldn’t stop. Not until you found me, and you did.” I reach for her hand, holding it tight.
“I’ll always find you, Bria. No matter what. I’m your famiglia, and you're under my protection. Always.”
I look away when Luna touches me again. She doesn’t speak.
Just grabs my face, her fingers trembling.
Then her mouth is on mine—desperate, claiming, real.
Like she’s making sure I’m not a ghost. Like she’s reminding me: You did this for me.
You came back. I don’t stop her. I couldn’t if I tried.
She already knows I’m here because her father’s dead.
And I already know I’d do it a million times over.
Mother walks into the room, acting overly sweet. “Nicolai. Thank God you’re here.”
“Out.” I point my finger at the door, so she understands.
Don’t say her name. Don’t even fucking look at her.
“What?” She freezes. I look at her so she can see how furious I am.
“You don’t get to speak. You don’t get to breathe near her. Out.”
Mateo pivots beside me, safety clicking off his Glock. My mother pales but lifts her chin, that stubborn pride.
“This is my safehouse, too.” I laugh.
“It’s mine. Everything you own belongs to me. Now walk away before I forget you’re my mother.” The room stills. Everyone’s holding their breath.
She pauses, glancing at my face. The blood, the cuts, the bruises, and the anger I can’t hide. Whatever she notices makes her step back. Good. She deserves to be afraid. She snatches her coat and slams the door on her way out.
As soon as she leaves, my legs give out. I lean heavily into Luna, resting my head on her shoulder. She holds me up. “ Amore mio ,” I murmur, voice crumbling. “I need?—”
“I know.”
She helps me to the couch, her grip steady even though mine isn’t. I sink into the cushions, blood soaking through the fabric, but I don’t care. I’m here. That’s all that matters. The others slip out, murmurs trailing behind them as they head to the kitchen.
Luna kneels between my legs, her hands shaking as she cleans the cut on my arm. I stay quiet, watching her. My hand brushes her leg every time she leans closer.
“They’re gone,” I confess. “All of them.”
She stays quiet. She knows. The emptiness in my chest says everything—the people I lost, the ones I couldn’t save.
“Bria told me what you did,” she whispers. “Putting yourself between her and a gun. You could’ve?—”
“Died?” I catch her hand, pressing it to my chest where my heartbeat stutters. “I made you a promise.”
“You’re irresponsible,” she chokes out.
I pull her onto my lap, ignoring the biting ache in my ribs. “Maybe,” I say roughly. I kiss her neck and feel her pulse racing. “But I keep my promises.”
The room fades. All I see is her—the taste of her skin, the way her breath catches, her fingers tangled in my hair. Right now, I just want to be alone with my wife, to rest, to heal, and begin our new life together.
“Cars are ready.” Mateo’s voice snaps me out of my daze.
Luna steadies me as we stand, slipping an arm around my waist, and I lean into her without thinking. Then we slide into the backseat, and I sag into the leather. She laces her fingers through mine. We’re both still here. And with every heartbeat, I repeat the words.
Mateo eyes me in the rearview, fighting a smirk. “You pass out, I’m dumping your ass in the Hudson.”
I try to smirk, but it tugs at my split lip. “Go ahead. Let’s see who drowns first.” Luna tightens her grip, holding me close.
Westchester’s trees close in, narrowing the road as the gates swing open. The mansion waits in the distance. A fortress of stone and glass with the sunlight bouncing off the windows. The last time I walked through those doors, I was his son. This time, I’m someone he never saw coming.
“Christ,” Mateo mutters. “It’s big enough to house a militia.”
“Planning to.” Luna’s quiet laugh soothes the hollow ache inside my chest.
The SUV rolls to a stop. Sophie helps Bria out. The kid stares up, wide-eyed, her neck craning at the massive house. “It’s like a castle,” she whispers, half in awe.
“Dungeons are underground,” I say, deadpan. “Want the tour?”
Bria pales. Luna elbows me. Hard.
“ Tesoro, behave.” I bite back a laugh, even if her elbow fucking hurts.