Chapter 161: 161 ~ Jace
Having Mira back in my arms was the best gift the universe had ever given me. It felt like a second chance at life.
Anything could have gone wrong at Palermo. Ricardo, the dumbass could have flipped the whole plan on its head, and I would have been a dead man by now.
I cast a glance at my wife as she sat by the window, completely lost in the glow of her laptop. Her workers were stressing her out again. I could tell by the way her brows knitted together, her lips pressing into that stubborn little line that made her look even more beautiful when she was angry.
I swallowed a lump in my throat as the thought resurfaced, the same one I had been trying to bury since that night in Palermo. I couldn’t imagine what my death would do to Mira. It would probably shatter her in ways no one could predict. But part of me, some selfish, twisted part wondered if maybe it would set her free.
Free from me.
Free from this life.
Free from the blood that always seemed to find its way to my hands.
I wanted her innocence to stay untouched, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She’d already decided to carry my sins like they were her own.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked suddenly, looking up with that small, disarming smile that always got me.
I smiled back. "Can’t a man admire his gorgeous wife?"
"You flatterer," she teased, shutting her laptop. She walked toward me, her hips swaying just enough to make my thoughts scatter. When she reached me, she brushed her fingers against my jaw, her thumb grazing over the stubble I hadn’t shaved in two days.
"You’re getting rough again," she murmured. "You look like trouble."
"I am trouble."
Her laughter filled the room. It was soft, genuine and unguarded. God, I’d missed that sound. I caught her hand before she could pull away and pressed a kiss to her palm.
"Stay here with me," I said quietly.
"I’m here, aren’t I?"
I nodded slightly. "Yeah, but I mean...really here. No laptop, no calls, no distractions."
She arched a brow. "And what exactly do you plan to do with me, Don Romano?"
"Do you really need me to answer that?" I gave her a knowing look as my eyes swept her curves and back to her face.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and I grinned, satisfied that I could still get that reaction out of her.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wrapped in each other. No tension, no plans, no ghosts from the past lurking around every corner. Just laughter and warmth and the occasional argument about who loved who more.
At one point, she fell asleep with her head on my chest, her hand resting just above my heart. I stayed perfectly still, listening to her steady breathing. For a man like me, peace always came with a time limit but for now, I let myself believe it might last.
When evening came, I slipped out of bed and went to the balcony. The sun was setting over the hills, painting the sky in streaks of gold and red. The air smelled like rain and distant smoke.
Tomas joined me a few minutes later, holding a file in his hand. He didn’t say a word until he’d set it down on the table beside me.
"Report from Palermo cleanup," he said. "Everything’s contained. No witnesses left to talk. But..."
I turned my head. "But what?"
He hesitated. "Massimo’s gone quiet."
I frowned. "Define quiet."
"No retaliation. No word from his men. No shipments, no movement from his base. It’s like he vanished overnight." He recounted.
I swallowed. That wasn’t good. Silence in this world was never peace, it was preparation.
"Maybe he’s regrouping," I muttered, lighting a cigarette. "Licking his wounds after losing Ricardo."
"Maybe," Tomas said. "Or maybe he’s waiting for you to make the next move."
I exhaled a long stream of smoke, watching it curl into the cool night air. "Let him wait. He’s already lost his leverage."
Tomas nodded but didn’t look convinced. "There’s more," he said after a pause. "Giulietta sent another message."
My grip tightened slightly around the cigarette. "Let me guess...another death threat?"
"Three, actually. One for you, one for Mira, and one for Donna Carmela."
A bitter laugh escaped me. "She always did have a flair for theatrics."
"She’s furious, Jace. Losing Ricardo hit harder than she’ll admit. And according to our informant, she’s been meeting with the remnants of the Ricciardi family."
I turned then, my jaw clenching. "The Vitales?"
"Yeah. Word is, she’s trying to align herself with Massimo. Bloodline loyalty means nothing when power’s on the table."
My chest tightened not from fear, but from the steady burn of rage. Giulietta had already taken too much from this family. If she thought she could crawl back from the ashes and rebuild what we’d destroyed, she was wrong.
I put out the cigarette, crushing it against the railing. "Tell Luca to keep eyes on her movements. No interference yet. If she’s working with Massimo, I want to know where their money’s coming from. Every cent. Every shell company."
Tomas nodded. "And if she tries to make a move on Mira?"
I didn’t hesitate. "You know what to do."
When he left, I stayed on the balcony, staring into the night. The calm that had filled the villa all day now felt like the silence before another storm.
Behind me, the door creaked open. Mira’s sleepy voice floated out. "You’re still awake?"
"Yeah," I said softly, turning to face her. "Couldn’t sleep."
She crossed her arms, the faintest trace of a frown tugging at her lips. "You’re thinking again."
"Always."
She walked over, resting her head against my chest. "Then think about something good for once."
I smiled, wrapping an arm around her. "Like you?"
"Exactly." She grinned.
For a moment, I did. I held her there, in the soft glow of the moonlight, pretending the world wasn’t waiting to break us apart again.
But deep down, I knew the truth. Massimo’s silence wasn’t surrender. It was a countdown.
And when he struck, it would be loud enough to shake the whole damn world.