Devil You Know (The Diavolo Crime Family 2)

Click. Nothing happens, so I pull it again and again. Click, click, click.

I drop the gun just as Ricci lunges forward. I brace myself for his attack, just to realize he isn’t lunging for me at all but Celia.

My mind goes blank. He swings his fist toward my wife, but I’m faster. I tackle him and pin him to the floor. With my hands on him, I don’t bother to stop the rage from rising, pushing out, so I’m punching him in the face. I hit him once, and again, and again until my knuckles are split from the blows against the bones of his face.

Celia is screaming at me from somewhere, but even her voice can’t pull me out of this rage. Because right now, it’s time to settle things between Ricci and me. It’s time to make sure he pays for his sins and for everything he’s taken from my family.

Her hands come down on my shoulders, but I shrug her off, not wanting her to get hurt, even as I straddle her father and pound my fists into his ruined face. It’s bloody and bruised, same as my knuckles and my own face. He moans loudly and ragged, his breathing liquid-filled.

I stare down into the face of the man I’ve hated most of my life, and I know it’s time.

Wrapping my hands around his neck, I squeeze. He immediately brings his hands up and wrings my wrists with his palms, trying to pry me loose, but he’s frail and old and is no match for the strength in my grip.

I squeeze tighter, leaning in harder, cutting off the airflow. How many times have I imagined killing this monster? Never had I considered choking him to death, and somehow, I’m here.

Celia is crying behind me, but I can’t bring myself to stop, not now. Not as the light leaves his eyes, and he chokes on the only air left in his lungs.

A few more heartbeats later, and he jerks underneath me, then stills, his hands slipping off my wrists to hit the floor next to his body.

I release my hold on his neck and sit back hard on the floor. The jolt jerking up my body, reminding me I’ve taken a beating.

I take my time, steadying my hands, letting the reality wash through me. Taking lives is not something I relish doing, but in this case, all I can feel is a sense of relief at this man being off the face of this earth.

But now I have to face his daughter, the woman I love, knowing that I killed him in front of her.

I drag my gaze to hers. She’s still standing by her father’s feet. Her hands crossed over her mouth like she’s stifling a scream. She’s no longer crying, but her face is wet, as is her T-shirt, with tears, blood, and sweat.

“Celia,” I whisper.

She drags her eyes from her father’s body to my face. And I brace to see the rejection there. I’d never hidden the fact that I’m a monster from her, but now, she’s seen what I’m capable of firsthand. Knowing and seeing are different things.

But it’s not judgment I see in her face, but sheer relief. Like she can finally take a full breath after years of being under his mental and emotional torture. And I don’t doubt she’d suffered in silence in that house.

I want to reach out and bring her into my arms, but again, I fear her shoving me away, not wanting my hands on her after what I just did with them.

“I…” But there are no words for what I want to convey to her. Everything builds up in my chest that I’ve been shoving down for weeks.

She doesn’t speak. Instead, she throws herself at me, half falling, half kneeling to get into my lap and into my arms. I wrap myself around her, pulling her so she is sitting across my lap as I clutch her tightly to me.

All I can do is suck in a breath, and somehow it feels like it’s my first. That’s how I know my life only begins today.

28

Celia

In the backseat of the SUV, I curl up in Nic’s lap, mindful of his many bruises. Lucas is sitting beside us, his head tipped back and his eyes closed.

“Don’t worry, the doctor is already waiting at the house. He’ll be fine.”

“He needs a hospital,” I point out, but Nic is already shaking his head. “I promise, he’ll have the same medical care at our house, maybe even better.”

Knowing arguing about it is futile, I sigh and let my head rest on his shoulder. “Why did you come after me?” I whisper. “I wanted to save him, and keep you safe. But if you hadn’t come, we’d probably both be dead. Thank you for coming after me.”