Page 120 of The Don's Secret Heir

I shrug. “I have a personal stake in this.”

“Do you?”

I grit my teeth. “She’s mywife, Giovanni.”

He sighs. “This wasn’t supposed to be forever, boss.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, annoyed. “I know that. But... I want...”

“You want it to be?” he urges and I could hit him.

“Yeah. Fuck. Yeah, I do.”

“Fucking Christ,” he curses, pulling into the landfill. He gives a thumbs up to the garbage truck behind him.

They start to slowly back up and we move out of the way, watching as trash fills the landfill. I see Beth’s covered body, sliding down a mountain of trash and into the abyss.

Good riddance.

I was cruel to Beth when we were young, but this was a hell of an overreaction. She went after the people I care about, and I’m not sorry I killed her.

I just wish I’d done it sooner, before she’d had the chance to hurt Liana.

She nearly took Liana away from me for good, and I’d be a different man then.

Maybe a monster.

Without Liana and Sonny, I fear this lifestyle will swallow me up, gobble me whole.

“So you’re still in love with her,” Giovanni says flatly.

“Yes.”

Never stopped, actually. Never really stopped waiting for her.

I still don’t know why she left, but it’s mattering less and less. What matters is I love her. I want her to be mine, for real. Not just some bullshit piece of paper, but in the eyes of all of our friends and family.

I should have asked her to marry me five years ago, like I’d planned, should have tracked her down and forced that ring on her finger.

“Does she feel the same way?”

“I think so.” There’s a slight hesitation in my voice. I still can’t figure out why she tried to kill me, why she left, why she hates me so much.

Maybe she doesn’t, as much, anymore. I don’t know. She certainly warms my bed every night.

“But you don’t know so.”

I huff out a breath. “I’ll tell her. Today, after all this dirty business is over, I’ll go home and tell her how I feel.”

“And if she doesn’t feel the same way?’

I throw up my hands. “I don’t know. Fuck, I guess I’ll go on another bender.”

Giovanni glares at me.

“I’m joking.”

I’m not. I actually have no idea how I’ll handle it if she says she still hates me, that she doesn’t want to be with me anymore.