Chapter 8 - THE BROTHER WHO TOOK EVERYTHING
Matteo escaped.
Tomas blamed himself.
Roman blamed nobody because within minutes he could barely stand.
Mia blamed everybody.
Especially Roman.
"You got shot."
Roman lay beneath a conference table while Rosa cleaned the wound.
He gave Mia an annoyed look.
"Do not."
His ears lowered.
"You jumped in front of a bullet."
Roman blinked.
"Yes, I know it was for your father."
His eyes shifted toward Vittorio.
Mia stopped.
Roman hadn't jumped for Vittorio.
The bullet's angle.
She replayed it.
It would have passed through Vittorio.
Then into Mia.
Roman had protected both.
"You're an idiot."
One blink.
"I wasn't asking."
Vittorio stood near the window making calls.
For a supposedly dead man, he had recovered authority quickly.
Within thirty minutes, loyalists began appearing.
Old soldiers.
Former employees.
Men who had vanished after Roman's disappearance.
The building changed around them.
Matteo's security guards either surrendered or fled.
But Matteo was gone.
And sunrise was five hours away.
"We find him," Mia said.
Tomas checked another message.
"He left through the underground garage."
"Where would he go?"
"Saint Agnes."
Everyone turned toward Roman.
He was already standing.
Vittorio shook his head.
"No."
Roman ignored him.
"Roman, you're bleeding."
Roman walked toward the elevator.
Mia followed.
Vittorio grabbed her arm.
"Stop him."
She looked at his hand.
He released her.
"Nobody stops Roman when he's decided something."
"Apparently I do."
Roman looked back.
Mia pointed at him.
"If we go, we go smart."
He waited.
"No running directly at your evil brother because you're emotionally constipated."
Tomas coughed.
Vittorio looked offended on Roman's behalf.
Roman stared at her.
Then sat.
"Good."
Mia turned to Tomas.
"Where's Lucy?"
"Safe. One of our people got her out of the diner."
Mia nearly collapsed with relief.
"Thank you."
"She thinks you're involved with organized crime."
"Technically..."
"She also said, and I'm quoting, 'I knew Mia's terrible taste in men would eventually become a felony.'"
Roman looked at Mia.
"Don't."
His ears moved.
"I can tell when you're laughing now."
They left Vescari Tower at 11:06 p.m.
Three vehicles.
Nine loyal men.
Vittorio remained behind to expose Matteo publicly if they failed.
Tomas drove.
Mia sat in the back with Roman's head against her knee.
Outside, the city blurred.
She scratched behind his ear.
"You know this is weird."
He opened one eye.
"I met you four days ago."
His eye closed.
"You destroyed my life."
One ear lifted.
"Fine. Matteo destroyed it."
She smiled faintly.
"You mostly destroyed my grocery budget."
Roman breathed against her hand.
The silence became gentle.
Then Mia whispered, "If we fix this..."
His eyes opened.
"What happens?"
Roman watched her.
"You become Roman Vescari again."
One blink.
"Money."
No reaction.
"Power."
Nothing.
"People calling you boss."
His jaw tightened.
"And I'm Mia Sullivan."
Roman lifted his head.
"The waitress who stole sugar packets from work because she couldn't afford groceries."
He pushed his nose under her palm.
Mia laughed softly.
"That's not an answer."
He couldn't give one.
That was the problem.
Twenty minutes later Saint Agnes appeared through the trees.
Abandoned stone chapel.
Broken bell tower.
Fog curling across dead grass.
"Subtle," Mia muttered.
Tomas parked.
Roman stepped out.
The wolf medallion glowed faintly.
Inside the chapel, candles burned.
Hundreds of them.
Matteo stood at the altar.
Alone.
Mia didn't believe that for one second.
"Brother," Matteo called.
Roman entered.
Mia and Tomas followed.
Matteo smiled.
"I wondered if you'd come."
Roman growled.
"Still no words?"
Mia stepped forward.
"He has plenty."
Matteo looked at her.
"Ah. The waitress."
"Mia."
"I know."
"No. I mean if you're going to threaten me, use my name. You're starting to sound lazy."
Tomas whispered, "Mia."
"What? We're on a deadline."
Matteo smiled.
"I understand why he likes you."
Roman bared his teeth.
Matteo raised both hands.
"Relax."
He pulled something from his pocket.
The original wolf medallion chain.
No.
A second medallion.
Mia stared.
Serafina hadn't mentioned two.
"What is that?"
Matteo smiled.
"Insurance."
Tomas's face changed.
"Roman."
Too late.
Men emerged from the confessionals.
Six.
Guns raised.
Roman lunged toward Mia.
A dart struck his neck.
Then another.
He stumbled.
"Mia!"
Tomas fired.
Gunshots shattered stained glass.
Mia dropped behind a pew.
Roman tried reaching her.
His legs failed.
Matteo walked toward him.
"Eight months."
Roman growled weakly.
"You know what your mistake was?"
Matteo crouched.
"You kept thinking this was about power."
He lifted the second medallion.
"It wasn't."
Roman's eyes narrowed.
"It was about being second."
Matteo's voice cracked.
"For thirty-five years."
Mia remained behind the pew listening.
"Father looked at you first."
Matteo's hands shook.
"Mother trusted you."
Roman attempted to stand.
"Even when you were cruel, people called you strong."
Matteo's face twisted.
"When I was cruel, they called me jealous."
Roman stared.
"And when you suddenly decided to become a good man?"
Matteo laughed bitterly.
"Everyone forgave you."
Roman's breathing slowed.
The tranquilizer was taking hold.
"You got redemption."
Matteo whispered.
"I got compared to you."
Mia's earpiece crackled.
Tomas whispered from somewhere behind the altar.
"Keep him talking."
Mia understood.
Confession.
They needed Matteo to admit the betrayal.
She stood.
Every gun turned toward her.
"You're right."
Matteo looked surprised.
Mia stepped into the aisle.
"You'll always be second."
His face changed.
Roman growled.
Mia kept walking.
"Because even after eight months, everything you're doing is still about Roman."
"Stop."
"You stole his company."
"Empire."
"Whatever."
One of Matteo's men almost smiled.
Mia continued.
"You stole his house."
"Enough."
"His people."
Matteo's face reddened.
"His life."
"Shut up."
"You even stole some antique curse because you couldn't beat him without magic."
Matteo raised the gun.
Roman fought to rise.
Mia stopped ten feet away.
"Second."
Matteo fired.
The bullet hit the pew beside her.
Roman roared.
Mia didn't move.
"Say it."
Matteo stared.
"Say what?"
"Tell him."
She pointed toward Roman.
"Tell your brother what you did."
Matteo's eyes flicked toward the cameras Tomas had hidden along her dress.
Mia saw recognition too late.
His expression changed.
"You think I'm stupid?"
He smiled.
"You're recording me."
Tomas swore through the earpiece.
Matteo grabbed Mia.
He pressed the gun against her ribs.
Roman dragged himself forward.
"Stay!"
Roman froze.
Mia looked at him.
"Trust me."
Matteo laughed.
"This is your plan?"
"No."
Mia looked directly into his eyes.
"This is."
She drove her heel into his knee.
Matteo screamed.
The gun shifted.
Roman hit him.
They crashed against the altar.
The second medallion flew.
Mia grabbed it.
The silver burned her hand.
Literally.
She cried out and dropped it.
Roman's medallion began glowing.
Matteo stared.
"No."
A voice came from behind them.
"Now."
Serafina stood in the chapel entrance.
Matteo's face drained.
"You."
She raised her hands.
Words in Italian filled the chapel.
The two medallions shuddered.
Roman screamed.
Matteo did too.
Black veins appeared beneath Matteo's skin.
Mia turned toward Serafina.
"What are you doing?"
"Returning what belongs to him."
Matteo crawled backward.
"No!"
Serafina's voice became louder.
The church windows rattled.
Matteo grabbed Roman's throat.
"This is your fault!"
Roman's eyes locked on him.
Matteo screamed.
"I should have been chosen!"
The medallions flared.
"I gave Elias your routes!"
Roman convulsed.
"I paid Doyle to track you!"
Mia's heart stopped.
Confession.
Matteo wasn't thinking.
He was raging.
"I brought you here!"
His voice cracked.
"I gave my blood!"
The silver wolf on Roman's throat split down the center.
Matteo froze.
Serafina whispered, "One more."
Mia understood.
"The curse."
Matteo looked at her.
His terror arrived too late.
Mia stepped closer.
"Tell him why."
Matteo shook his head.
Roman struggled upright.
Mia looked at Matteo.
"Say it."
"No."
"Second."
Matteo screamed.
"Because I wanted everything he had!"
The chapel exploded with light.
Roman disappeared inside it.
Mia covered her face.
When the light vanished, somebody lay naked on the floor.
Human.
Roman.
Mia ran to him.
"Roman!"
His eyes opened.
Gray-green.
Human.
He breathed.
"Mia."
She laughed and cried simultaneously.
"It's over."
Behind them, a growl answered.
Everyone turned.
Matteo stood near the altar.
Or tried to.
His hands struck stone.
They weren't hands anymore.
Black fur raced across his arms.
His scream became a howl.
Serafina watched without expression.
"The curse went home."
Minutes later, where Matteo Vescari had stood, a black wolf crouched trembling beneath the ruined altar.
Roman looked at him.
Mia expected satisfaction.
There was none.
Only exhaustion.
Tomas handed Roman a coat.
"What do we do with him?"
Roman stared at the animal his brother had become.
Then said quietly,
"What he should have done for me."
Mia looked at him.
Roman crouched.
Matteo growled.
May you like
Roman didn't flinch.
"We don't leave him in the street."
