Ironic, that. Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it. James would say that to me way back when I thought the mafia life glamorous. When I hadn’t yet witnessed its dark, gruesome side. When I hadn’t yet seen death.

Dominic’s words came back to me. “Killing doesn’t make you strong.” He was right, I knew that. But to hold the gun that brings your enemies to their knees, it was heady stuff. The thought made my heart pump harder, made my blood run hotter. It made me feel powerful.

But then the image of the bleeding man impressed itself upon my brain, as if branding itself onto the insides of my eyelids, and I bowed my head. He’d looked much like Mateo had when Victor had brought him to his knees. Weakened and powerless and afraid. Mateo was no saint. I knew that. No one in this world could be. Not a single one. I did not have illusions on that note. I wondered if before it was through, once all was said and done, would I have blood on my hands too? Didn’t I already, even if it wasn’t me who’d pulled the trigger yesterday?

I switched off the water, shuddering at the memory of Dominic standing there so cool, so unaffected as the condemned man knelt before him.

He’d wanted me to see him like that.

I went back into the bedroom to get dressed and heard a car door closing outside. Dominic’s room overlooked the front of the property, and I could see Salvatore loading a suitcase into the back of an SUV. Lucia stood beside him, one hand on her belly, the other on the door. She wanted out. She wanted to be gone. I understood it. But she and I were different. She was the mafia princess who’d been locked away in a tower and had never wanted any of this. Me, I was the daughter of a foot soldier, someone no one gave a shit about, and I was the one who ended up in the bed of the new king.

Question was, where did I want to be?

Who did I want to be?

Salvatore and Dominic spoke, hands clasped together like two powerful men making an alliance. They then hugged briefly, almost awkwardly. Dominic turned his attention to Lucia, who must have said good-bye before Salvatore opened her door, and she climbed in. No hug from her. To say she did not like Dominic would be an understatement.