“After that, Donna adopted me, and she was great. She showed me what a loving home felt like. We didn’t have much money, but it was enough. I definitely didn’t grow up like you in a mansion…” I don’t think she meant it in a condescending way, but maybe she is just a tad jealous.
“Believe me, Dove. You didn’t miss anything growing up at our mansion,” Xander says, emphasizing the last word.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“It’s fine. I just don’t want you to think you would’ve had a better life growing up with us because I can assure you that you wouldn’t have. Our father was a sadistic prick, and our mother was a helpless victim who couldn’t protect herself or her children. Leaving with you, even though you weren’t given much of a life, was the kindest thing she could’ve done.” The corners of his mouth tug up into a ghost of a smile. And even though it is a tiny gesture, it’s genuine, and I believe him.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t be half the person I am today if it weren’t for my upbringing. Still, it would have been nice growing up with brothers.”
Both Damon and Xander look away, their faces fall almost as if they are ashamed of something. I don’t understand their expressions until Xander opens his mouth to explain.
“I’m going to be honest with you, Dove. Until I found Ella, I wasn’t much different from our father.” He sucks in a ragged breath. “There’s a reason the other families fear me. I’ve always had a reputation of being cruel and ruthless, and that reputation was earned in ways I’m not proud of. There is blood on my hands, lots of it, and though the blood can be washed away, I’ll never forget the things that I’ve done.” Regret clings to each word he says, and I understand what he’s feeling, the emotions rolling through him. It’s because of Dove that I didn’t fall off the edge, that I didn’t let go completely.
“I’m sure you just did what you had to—”
“No!” Xander cuts her off. “Don’t try to sugarcoat it. I hurt and killed people for fun. I wasn’t any better than him. Even Damon didn’t talk to me for years. Trust me, you can be glad we didn’t meet until now. You wouldn’t have liked the brother you discovered then.”
Of course, I heard the rumors about Xander Rossi, I just didn’t realize how much truth they held or how much he had changed.
“I’m still glad I found you,” Dove exclaims. “Well, I guess you found me.”
“We’re glad we found you too. Family is everything to us,” Damon interjects. “And now you’re part of it.”
“I’m not gonna lie, I was scared of you guys, since you know… you basically kidnapped and held me prisoner. Honestly, I still don’t know how I feel about everything. I don’t know much about you yet, but I hope, maybe we can get to know each other. If you really do want me to be part of your family.”
“We do, and you already are part of the family,” Damon points out.
Family. The word resonates within me. I never considered having a family with Dove, my obsession with her has always been enough for me. I’m not sure I could ever share her, even with a child of our own, but I know someday, Dove will want kids, and all that matters to me is making her happy. Seeing her smile and laugh.
I want to replace all the bad in her life with good because she deserves it. The day I met her, the kindness she showed me without even knowing who I was or how I got my injuries. It speaks volumes about the person she is. She’s an angel, sent from heaven to rescue me.
Xander’s phone buzzes, interrupting the moment. “We’ve got movement outside, two SUV’s, blacked out,” he says, reading from the screen, then shoves off the chair. His eyes darkening as he adjusts his suit. “It’s showtime, boys.”
I nod and unglue myself from Dove. I place my hand in hers and pull her to a standing position. I’m nervous as hell about this, but I know Dove can handle it. She’s strong, and plus, I’m only a few feet away. Matteo won’t even have a chance to touch her.
“I love you,” she whispers, wrapping her arms around my middle, “everything is going to be fine. This ends today.” When she pulls away, I feel like I’m letting go of a piece of my heart.
Everything is going to be okay… I tell myself as I move into place. Xander and Damon take their spots closest to the door, and I hide in the kitchen. Dove remains standing in the center of the living room. She gives me a reassuring smile, but I won’t trust that she’s okay until Matteo is dead at my feet.
Silence blankets the room. I pull my gun, preparing to shoot if needs be. The plan is for Dove to lure Matteo into the living room. We’ll deal with his men, but the person we want most is him. My heart beats into my throat. There’s a knock at the door. Loud and booming.
My gaze flashes between the door and Dove.
God, please… I’ve never prayed for everything to go right in my life, but I’m praying to whatever god there is above right now that this goes just as planned.
Dove walks to the door, places her hand on the brass knob, but doesn’t turn yet. “Who is it?” she asks.
“It’s your father. Open up. We need to talk,” he demands, his gruff voice filters through the thick wood. “Open up before I kick the door in.”
“Are you here to hurt me?”
“Hurt you? I’ve never been prouder. You killed one of my most feared men, escaped my men as well as Christian’s. You impressed me, Dove. You are truly my daughter. Now, open up so we can talk about your future like civilized people.”
I know he is full of shit, but that’s all part of the plan. Dove turns the doorknob and pulls the door open. She backs up into the room, and Matteo steps in, gun in hand.
“You stupid fucking bitch,” he growls, pointing his gun at her chest.
Everything happens so fast. I lunge at Dove while Xander and Damon lunge at Matteo, taking him by surprise. A gun goes off, the deafening sound echoes through the small apartment, and my heart comes to a dead standstill.
The next moment, my body crashes into Dove’s much smaller one. I tackle her down to the ground, protecting her with my body and hoping that she wasn’t hit. Another gunshot goes off, and my ears ring from the sound.
I tilt my head to look at Xander and Damon to find them pushing off the ground while Matteo’s body remains motionless on the floor.
“Is she okay?” Xander asks. I shift my weight off Dove to get a look at her. She turns her head and opens her eyes, glancing around with a franticness that matches my own.
“I’m okay. Is he…?”
“Yes, he is dead,” Damon confirms. “We need to get out of here before more of his men show up. We just declared war with another family.”
“And I’d do it again to protect my family.” Xander smiles. I look down at Matteo’s lifeless body. It’s not how I wanted him to die, but at least he’s dead. I wanted to draw things out, make him feel every ounce of pain he made me feel.
“You okay?” Dove’s voice pulls me out of the rabbit hole I’m headed down.
“I’m fine. Just glad he’s gone.”
“Me too,” she whispers. I walk us out of her apartment, thankful that the only person that died today was the person who we intended to kill.