Chapter 19 #2
"I love you." She whispered it into the darkness. "I know I'm supposed to be brave and strong and not say things that make this harder. But I love you. And I needed you to hear it again before tomorrow."
"I love you too. More than I thought I was capable of loving anyone." I pressed my lips to her hair. "This isn't goodbye. It's just temporary distance. We're still in this together."
"Promise me you'll be careful. That you won't take unnecessary risks. That you'll protect yourself as much as you're trying to protect me."
"I promise to do whatever it takes to keep us all safe. That's the only promise I can make."
She fell asleep eventually, her breathing evening out, her body relaxing against mine.
I lay awake, watching her. Memorizing the way she looked peaceful instead of scared. The way her hair spread across my chest. The trust implied in how completely she let her guard down with me.
Before dawn, I forced myself to leave. To extract myself from her warmth and dress in the darkness.
I stood by the bed for a long moment, just watching her sleep. Storing the image for the long days ahead when I wouldn't be able to see her.
Then I slipped out. Through shadows. Avoiding cameras. Back to my own room before anyone noticed.
The next day, I didn't watch Aria move to my father's wing. Couldn't stomach seeing her belongings carried to rooms adjacent to his. Couldn't handle witnessing her life being absorbed into his.
Instead, I went to the gym. Wrapped my hands. Started hitting the heavy bag.
Fury poured out with every punch. Every impact that made my knuckles scream. Every strike that did nothing to ease the rage building in my chest.
She was in his wing now. Under his constant surveillance. Being prepared like a sacrifice on an altar.
And I was supposed to smile and play along like it didn't destroy me.
My fist connected with the bag hard enough that the chain rattled. Again. Again. Until my knuckles split and bled and the bag swung wildly.
"You're going to break your hand if you keep that up."
Marco's voice. I didn't stop. Kept hitting. Kept bleeding.
"We need to move faster. The wedding is in three and a half weeks. We're running out of time."
"I know." Hit. Hit. "I fucking know."
"Then let's talk about accelerating the timeline. What we have might be enough."
I stopped. Turned to face him. My chest heaving. Blood dripping from my knuckles onto the gym floor.
"Might be enough isn't good enough. Going to the Council is risky as hell. If they don't side with us, my father will kill us all. You, me, everyone who helped gather evidence. And he'll make it slow."
"Then we make sure they side with us. We present everything we have. Make it impossible for them to ignore. Force their hand."
"How much more do we need? Give me specifics."
Marco pulled out his phone. Started scrolling through notes. "We have documentation of the unauthorized territory expansion. Proof of him ordering hits on Council members' family. Evidence of treaty violations. What we're missing is the smoking gun. The one piece that makes everything undeniable."
"My mother's murder. If we can prove he killed her, that he made it look like suicide when she was actually murdered because she tried to leave, the Council will have to act."
"We've been trying to prove that for years. Every trail goes cold."
"Then we find a new trail. We dig deeper. We have three weeks. That's enough time if we're smart about it."
"And if we can't find definitive proof? What's the backup plan?"
I looked at him. Let him see the determination in my eyes. The absolute certainty.
"Then we use what we have and pray it's enough. Because the alternative is watching Aria marry my father. And that's not happening. I'll kill him myself before I let that wedding happen."
"That's suicide."
"Maybe. But at least I'd die knowing I tried. That I didn't just stand by and let him destroy everyone I care about."
Marco studied me for a long moment. Then nodded slowly. "Alright. We go all in. I'll contact Father Benedetto, tell him we need to meet within the week. See if he's ready to bring charges to the Council. And I'll keep digging on your mother's death. There has to be something we missed."
"Thank you. For everything. For risking your life to help me."
"You're my best friend. My brother in everything but blood. Of course I'm helping." He headed for the door. "Just try not to break your hands before we need them to pull triggers."
He left. I stood there alone in the gym, blood still dripping from my knuckles, chest still heaving.
Three and a half weeks until the wedding. Less than two weeks until we made our move.
The clock was ticking. Loud and relentless.
But I was done being helpless. Done watching my father manipulate and control and destroy.
Time to become the predator instead of the prey.
Time to show him exactly what kind of monster he'd created when he'd trained me to be just like him. Only difference was, I had something he'd never had. Something that made me more dangerous than he could imagine.
I had people I loved. People I'd do anything to protect. People who made me willing to sacrifice everything.
Love made me vulnerable. But it also made me unstoppable and my father was about to learn that lesson the hard way.
I unwrapped my hands. Watched blood mix with sweat on the gym floor.
Three and a half weeks.
Then everything changed and I'd either save us all or die trying.
But one way or another, Aria wasn't marrying my father. That was the one thing I was absolutely certain of.
Even if I had to burn down the entire world to make it true.