“No, Ruby.” Papa’s voice hardens before his hand comes to my cheek to gently bring my eyes up to his. Behind the hard exterior of Victor La Rosa, I see a broken husband. As if the years that he and Mama fought meant nothing, because now he has to walk this earth soulless. “Principessa, this wasn’t only a targeted hit. It was done for this—” Papa’s eyes shift over my shoulder for a second, meaning the media outside the gate. “This is the start of possibly the biggest war to ever become since the seventies. I need you all safe and away from here. “

Wicked’s fingers find mine. I don’t pull away from him, but I don’t back down from Papa either. “I held this fort down for years while you were gone. I can handle it!”

“No.” His tone hardens. “Now leave. I will come and see you all tomorrow.” I watch as his back retreats to Tony and Colin, his two main men. More suits arrive from the back of the house, made men, glaring at the police cars like they’re scum.

“Rubs, come on. You still keep all the keys hanging up in your garage?”

“Yeah.” I swipe the tears from my cheeks, my heart squeezing in my chest. I look up at the only window with a light on, the one that is on the third level and overlooking the driveway down below. Kissing my two fingers, I blow gently toward it and cross myself.

Chapter Twenty

I feel lost more than loss. There’s an emptiness that throbs deep in my chest, and the more that time goes on, it only widens. I lost my mama. The one woman who was my constant. Who I took for granted most of the time. Guilt wraps his ugly hand around my throat as my knees weaken. I barely make it through the front door of the penthouse when I fall to the floor and tears stream down my face, pain hammering against my ribcage. I reach for my dress’s zipper, forcing it down and then kicking it off my body. I don’t see anything. My eyes burn from searing hot pain as I squeeze them closed.

“Come on, buddy. You want a shower?”

I push up from the floor, forcing the tears off my cheeks and straightening myself just as Wicked’s back is to me and he’s heading upstairs.

“I—”