“Then you should stay back.” We looked over at Luca just in time to see Molly swat his arm. Luca shook his head. “No. I’m not saying it to be mean. I’m saying it because, if you’re that distracted, you’d be putting yourself and all of us at risk if you storm the gates with us. Don’t make an unnecessary risk.”
No one responded to his words, likely because everyone knew he was right. It wasn’t about not wanting Gabriel there. It was about not wanting him to rush in there distracted and die.
Gabriel shook his head. “I’ll be okay.”
“Even if she’s your sister?” Marco asked. “Denise.”
I was surprised and annoyed by the question. Was he trying to make things worse? Stacy must have shared my sentiment because she glared at Marco. Alessandro grabbed my arm, and I could see the frustration in his expression.
He looked at Gabriel, as well, trying his best to seem sympathetic. “The question has to be asked. I can see that you already believe you are Illiana Costa’s. If we’re on the mark with all of this, that would make Denise your sister. If you’re in there, and she points a gun at Willow, what—”
“I’d shoot.” Gabriel didn’t even let Alessandro get the thought all the way out. “Denise isn’t my sister. We may share blood, but she could be a piece of dirt compared to how much Willow means to me.” He looked at Molly. “You too.” He turned his attention back to Luca. “I’m shaken, but I am not going to let any of this affect whether or not I protect my family, my real family, the only one I’ve ever had. You don’t have to worry.”
Luca nodded. “I just had to be sure.”
Gabriel locked eyes with me, and I gave him a nod of affirmation, as well. The resolve in his voice was telling. Gabriel was going to be just fine.
When we were finished arming up, there was a quiet round of hugs, and kisses shared amongst the husbands and wives. Any fear that Marco would feel left out were dashed when we turned around and saw him mock making out with his gun.
We stared at him, and he held out his arms. “What do you want from me? My wife is in Maine.”
We left the office and walked down to the cars. Luca gathered us up and put on a forlorn expression. “I’m sorry. Molly, Willow, Stacy…you are going to see the Varasso brothers at their worst now.”
Molly cracked her knuckles, looking at Stacy
and me. “Uh, I think we’ve long since proved that we’re up to the task.” She looked at her husband. “You four just try and keep up.”
Luca’s eyes flared with an excitement that let me know they would be shattering a few bedsprings of their own later. Molly grinned back before looking at me with pride. I was glad to be in a better place with her again.
I looked around at the Varassos and knew that it wasn’t just Alessandro I was trying to protect—it was all of them. Things got more than a little rough for a second there, but at the end of the day, we were dedicated to each other. Loyalty was the Varassos’ thing. I finally understood what Alessandro had tried to convince me of back when I first left him to go to college. I can see why he chose them, but I was glad fate had brought us back together.
“Marco and Molly will ride with me. Gabriel, you take Stacy, Sandro, and Willow.”
Gabriel nodded. “Yes, b—”
Luca held up a hand. “Nope. None of that.”
Gabriel smiled. “Right. Sorry.”
Marco winced. “Ugh. Please don’t go back to that shitty habit of apologizing for everything.”
Gabriel chuckled nervously. “I won’t. I’m sor—” He dropped his head. “I can’t help it.”
Luca shook his head, annoyed. “We don’t have time for this. Do we all remember the plan?” There was a silent agreement among everyone, and Luca grinned. “Good. Let’s go end this.”
We split up into the two cars and started off for the Binachis hideout. Denise had told us where to find it, and Luca had been able to verify that it was accurate, even if he wasn’t able to validate anything else she’d told us. We had no idea if Denise would be dumb enough to go back to the hideout in the wake of what had happened with me, but Luca was convinced she would. He said she wanted to see Dario dead, and if things had fallen out with us, she was probably trying to figure out how to do it herself. The Varassos weren’t known for being an offensive family. When things went wrong, they were the type to lay lots of rope before igniting one end of it from a distance. Where the Binachis were driving right onto the Varasso’s estate in order to try and kill Marco, the Varassos were more defensive, playing the long game and then finding a perfect time to strike.
We’d abandoned that tenet.
We were pulling a Binachi play and storming the front gates. We parked our cars amidst the woods surrounding the small manor where the Binachis were laying low and walked up to the front gate. An amused smile crossed Marco’s face as he approached the gate and pulled out a brick of C4.
“Once it goes off, we only have about twenty minutes until the cops arrive, and everyone will know we’re here. Be ready, and be fast.” Marco set the brick at the base of the gate, clicked a few buttons on the timer Alessandro had affixed to it, and backed up.
The explosion was much larger than I was expecting. It rocked the entire grounds, which we anticipated, but it also blew the black, iron gate right out of its place, sending the gates flying open. Luca and Marco stepped into the wreckage, and bullets were spraying a moment later. Those that were flying in bursts from the Binachis estate were quickly silenced as Luca and Marco’s automatic, multi-shot weapons cleared out the first line of defense. We waited until we saw Luca and Marco stepping over what was left of the gate, and then we all jumped up and started to follow. I was right behind Molly when I felt someone grab my hand.
I turned, and Alessandro was looking at me. “Baby, are you sure? You don’t have to do this.”
I chuckled. It was a little late for that. “I’m not leaving your side ever again.”