Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
“Surrendering?” I frown.
I normally never take people’s word for it, especially not when it comes to enemies. The Irish and Polish cannot be trusted. That much has been proven these last couple of months.
“We have never—”
“Trust Mario and Claudio,” Harper says. “They know how to handle things when you’re away.”
I sigh and smile gently, cupping her cheeks. Maybe she’s right. Maybe the Polish and Irish will be able to stop fighting us and try to live under our rule for once. “If you trust in the idea, then I will too.”
“I just don’t want any more fighting. For the sake of us. For our child.” She sits up and rubs her belly carefully, and it fills me with an indescribable warmth that makes me want to pull her close and hug her tight, so I do.
And I whisper into her ear, “For our child … A little miracle that is already loved so much.”
Marcello
Weeks later
When my wounds have healed enough, I’m finally discharged. Of course, Harper stayed with me every step of the way. Fortunately, the clinic accommodates the richest of rich people in town, myself included, and that means special perks such as private rooms and guest rooms where you can stay as long as you need to recover.
But I did not wish to stay too long as I had far too much work for me waiting back home. So many men from the Irish and Polish decided to jump over to our side, not wanting to fight any longer. They will be put through extreme vetting, of course, and none of them will be forgiven for their crimes without appropriate punishment, especially if they murdered someone. We will make them atone for all the pain they put this city through.
I am glad we have finally managed to subdue the Polish and Irish families and stopped the fighting. Now that the turf war is over and the Italians have won, we’re finally entering a time of peace, hopefully. The Russians have proven to be great allies in destroying our enemies. Apparently, Mario managed to convince them to help by not only shoving the death of Igor in their faces but also the fact that Harper is his true and only daughter. And the fact that she is bearing a child means the Russians and the Italians are now bound by blood.
A lucky coincidence turned the odds in our favor.
I breathe out a sigh of relief as I grab Harper’s hand and look at the gates in front of us. “Are you ready?”
She nods. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
We walk into the graveyard and cross the pebble path until we reach the grave marked by the symbol of the Russians. The name ‘IGOR METDNER’ is written in all caps, along with a date of birth and date of death. No surname, probably to protect the legacy and keep people from finding out.
But we know who rests here.
A man who made mistakes, plenty of them. But he didn’t deserve the death he received.
Harper bends over and places a bouquet on his grave, whispering, “Rest well.”
I don’t know what to feel or what to think. Igor was not a good man, but perhaps he too did all the horrible things he did out of spite. Out of rage for what the Irish had stolen from him. I didn’t understand it before, but I see it now, as Harper rubs her belly and the miracle still growing inside her.
The protectiveness I feel for her and this baby, it’s fierce.
Unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.
And maybe that is what drove all these families that fought each other insane. All they wanted was to protect their own. And we just kept on fighting, killing more innocent life, creating new generations of hatred.
But enough is enough.
It has to end.
I wrap my arm around Harper’s shoulder and pull her in for a hug.
“Is it all over now?” she asks with hope reflecting in her voice.
I nod. “With Frank and Molly gone … I’ve finally gotten rid of the only people I ever wanted dead.”
“So you’re done fighting?” she asks, raising her eyes to meet mine, her gaze stealing my breath away.
“With the Russians now on our side, and the Irish and Polish stopped, there is not much left to fight with.” I lift her chin with my index finger and say, “But I cannot ever say I’m done fighting … as long as there is always someone I want to protect.”
And when she smiles, I plant my lips on hers until her grin infects me with love and laughter and the incredible need to shout to the world that she belongs to me.
Harper
Months later
“Push!” the nurse in the private clinic tells me, but every time she opens her mouth, I want nothing more than to strangle her with my own damn hands.