22. Crossroads of Fate #2
“No.” I tilt her chin up, making her meet my eyes. “I need you here. Need to know you’re safe while I deal with this. Please.”
The plea in my voice surprises us both. Ezekiel King doesn’t beg, doesn’t show vulnerability. Except with her. Always with her.
“Okay,” she whispers. “But Zeke? If anything happens—”
“It won’t.” I silence her with a kiss, pouring everything I can’t say into it. All the words stuck in my throat, all the feelings I’ve had trouble naming.
When we break apart, she steps back, squaring her shoulders—Detective Landry sliding back into place like armor.
“I’ll coordinate with Rissa, start working our angles here.” She moves toward the door but pauses with her hand on the knob. “Just be careful. Remember what you’re coming back to.”
Then she’s gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the knowledge of what’s next. I move to the window, watching as she says goodbye to Narissa, who climbs into her car for the drive back to the precinct.
The whiskey still sits on my desk, forgotten until now. I down what’s left in one burning swallow, the heat settling in my chest alongside the fear and determination warring there.
Today, I face my past. Face the man who shaped me into a weapon, who taught me everything I know about power and control. The man who nearly destroyed me once before.
I head upstairs to pack a small bag. Just the essentials—a change of clothes, weapons I can easily conceal, the burner phone Micah set up for emergency contact. Everything else I’ll need is already waiting in New York, cached away years ago when I first planned my escape.
A soft knock draws my attention. “Come in.”
Seb enters, moving slower than usual but with determination. “Car’s ready. Eli’s bringing it around now.”
I nod, zipping my bag closed. “You know what to do if—”
“If things go sideways?” My brother’s mouth twists in a grimace. “Yeah, I know. But they won’t. Because you’re coming back.”
“Sebastian—”
“No.” He cuts me off, crossing the room to grip my shoulder. “Listen to me, big brother. You’ve spent our whole lives protecting me. Let me return the favor, just this once. Focus on staying alive and dealing with Nicolo. I’ll keep Eve safe and continue the search for Leo.”
The fierce loyalty in his voice makes me proud. “Thank you,” I say. “For everything.”
“Yeah, well.” He steps back, blinking suspiciously with bright eyes. “Just remember you owe me one hell of a vacation after this is over.”
“Deal.” I grab my bag, taking one last look around the bedroom. “Take care of them, Seb. Please.”
“With my life,” he promises. “Now go. Before Eve changes her mind and tries to handcuff you to your bed.”
The image brings a reluctant smile to my face as I head downstairs. Eli waits by the front door, car keys in hand, Micah next to him.
“All set, boss?” Micah asks, taking my bag from me.
I nod, following him out to where the black SUV idles in the circular drive.
“Remember,” I tell him as he loads my bag into the trunk, “if anything happens—”
“Priority is protecting Mrs. King and finding Leo.” He straightens, meeting my gaze steadily. “We won’t let you down.”
“I know.” I clasp Micah’s shoulder briefly. “Take care of my family, old friend.”
His only response is a sharp nod before he steps back. As I reach for the passenger door, movement from the front door catches my eye.
Eve stands there, backlit by the mansion’s interior lights. She’s in her work clothes—dark slacks, button-down shirt, badge clipped to her belt. But there’s nothing professional about the way she’s looking at me now.
I jog back toward the house, reaching her just as she steps outside. We meet, crashing together like waves breaking against the shore.
Her kiss is desperate, demanding, full of all the words we haven’t said. I match her intensity, threading my fingers through her dark curls as I pull her closer. She tastes like coffee and Eve, my Eve —a flavor I’ve become addicted to these past weeks.
When we finally break apart, she keeps her forehead pressed to mine. “Come back to me,” she whispers fiercely. “Whatever it takes, whatever he says or offers, just come back.”
“Always.” I brush my thumb across her cheekbone, memorizing the feel of her skin under my touch. “You’re my home now, Eve. You and Leo both.”
She pulls back just enough to meet my eyes, and I see everything there—all the love and fear and fierce determination that mirror my own feelings.
“Go,” she says softly. “Figure out what we have to do to bring our boy back.”
I kiss her once more, gentle this time, before forcing myself to step away. The walk back to the car feels like moving through molasses, each step harder than the last.
I slide into the passenger seat, and Eli puts the car in drive then heads for the gates. I watch Eve in the side mirror until she disappears from view, taking a piece of my heart with her.
The drive to the private airfield passes in silence. My mind races with all the ways this could go wrong. But underneath the strategic planning, one thought keeps surfacing.
I love her.
It should terrify me. Instead, it fills me with a strange sort of peace. Whatever happens in New York, whatever game Nicolo is playing, I know who I am now. Know what matters most.
And it’s not the power or the money or even the redemption I’ve been seeking. It’s a fierce cop with emerald eyes who sees past all my darkness. It’s a little boy who makes me want to be better, be worthy of the trust he places in me.
It’s family. Real family, not the twisted version Nicolo preaches about.
The plane waits on the tarmac, engines already warming up. As Eli pulls up alongside it, I check my phone one last time.
A message from Eve lights up the screen— Remember what you’re fighting for.
I type back quickly— Always.
Then I shut the phone off and step out into the late morning air. Time to face my past, deal with old ghosts, and finally choose my own path.
Nicolo Moretti wants to play games? Fine.
But he’s about to learn I’m not the same man who left New York all those years ago. That man had nothing to lose.
This one? This one has everything to live for.
And I’m coming home to claim it.
“You ready for this?” Eli says quietly as he hands me my bag before grabbing his own.
“Let’s do this.” I nod, gripping his shoulder one last time before heading up the stairs to the plane. The door closes behind us with a thunk.
As we taxi down the runway, I close my eyes and picture Eve’s face, Leo’s smile, the family waiting for me back in Columbus.
The plane lifts off into the dark sky, carrying me toward whatever fate awaits in New York.
But my heart? My heart stays behind, safely guarded by a cop with a sharp tongue and an even sharper mind.
And that makes all the difference.
The private jet banks smoothly through clouds as we approach LaGuardia. Eli sits across from me, his massive frame somehow making the luxury seats look small. He hasn’t said much since we left Columbus, letting me stew in my rage.
“Boss.” His deep voice cuts through my dark thoughts. “Touchdown in ten.”
I nod. The plan—confront Nicolo, find out what he knows about Leo, and make it clear that targeting my family was his last mistake. Simple. Clean.
Except nothing with Nicolo is ever simple or clean.
“Remember,” I tell Eli as the plane begins its descent. “No matter what happens in there—”
“I know.” He checks his weapon, then smooths his jacket. “Eve doesn’t hear about the details.”
My jaw clenches at the mention of my wife. She thinks I’m here to negotiate, to talk things through like civilized men. She doesn’t need to know what I’m really capable of when someone threatens what’s mine.
The plane touches down with a gentle bump. Through the window, New York’s skyline spreads out like a concrete jungle—familiar and foreign all at once. This city holds too many ghosts, too many memories I’d rather forget.
A black SUV waits on the tarmac, one of Nicolo’s men at the wheel. Fuck . The message is clear—he knows we’re here, and he’s controlling the game from the start.
“Subtle,” Eli mutters as we descend the stairs.
The driver—a new face I don’t recognize—opens the rear door without a word. I slide in, Eli following close behind. The leather seats still smell new, but there’s an underlying scent of gunpowder that sets my teeth on edge.
We wind through the city streets, taking a route I know by heart.
Nicolo’s compound sits in an old Italian neighborhood, a fortress disguised as a family estate.
As we approach the iron gates, memories flood back—training sessions in the garden, strategy meetings in the study, expectations crushing down on my shoulders.
The car stops in the circular driveway. Two guards flank the main entrance, their stance casual, their eyes sharp. I recognize Tommy “The Blade” Moretti among them—Nicolo’s newest enforcer and, if rumors are true, even more ruthless than his predecessor.
“Well, well.” Tommy’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes as we approach. “The lost brother returns.”
“Skip the reunion bullshit, Tommy.” I keep my voice level. “Where is he?”
“In his study.” Tommy’s hand rests casually on his weapon. “But he wants to see you alone.”
Eli tenses beside me. We expected this, but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.
“Fine.” I turn to Eli. “Wait here. If anything feels off—”
“I’ll burn this place to the ground,” he finishes quietly.
Tommy’s smile widens fractionally. “Still so dramatic, Zeke. Some things never change.”
I ignore the jab and follow him inside. The house is exactly as I remember—old world elegance masking modern security. Cameras track our movement through marble halls lined with Renaissance art. Everything screams wealth, power, family .
The study door is open, warm light spilling into the hallway. Tommy gestures for me to enter, then pulls the door shut behind me with a soft click.