Page 169 of Capuleto

"Get him out of here before I accept and take your guy!" I exclaimed, amused. "After how hard it was for you to fall in love, it wouldn't be fair for me to keep him."

"That would be best," Andrey concluded. Aleksa's left hand flew over mine before the chair started moving.

"One last thing." He gave my fingers a gentle squeeze. "What you did for your husband wasn't easy, stepping in the path of a bullet and ending your own brother for him, you have all my respect. And if no one tells you, you deserve every ounce of forgiveness, loyalty, and recognition from the entire Capulet family. I hope the 'Ndrangheta and yours live up to such an important feat as yours." His words moved me and touched me deeply.

I offered him a nod, and he released my hand.

"Get well, boss, we need you."

"You too. Andrey, take care of him, this Aleksa is much better than the one from Amazon."

"Don't worry, I will."

Andrey asked for permission to leave the room, and they turned around.

I heard my man mutter to him before reaching the door.

"It's very ugly to try to steal the woman of the man who pays your salary while your partner is in front of you and he's unconscious in the other room."

"Jealous?"

"Like hell."

"I'm glad to hear it."

The door closed, and I was left with a smile on my lips. That visit gave me a bit of hope. I hoped Aleksa wasn't wrong and that what I had done was enough for R to forgive me.

The weight of killing Yuri would be something I had to live with for the rest of my days. Even though I knew there was no other solution for him, it still hurt. It was a small, sharp thorn that pierced my chest every time I remembered what had happened in the last few weeks and the fatal outcome.

As much as I wanted to convince myself that I had done the right thing, he was one of the pillars of my life for many years, my role model, my playmate, and that hurt.

The memories of that boy who lit up my days gave way to those of the man who darkened them. Yuri had turned out to be a mean and unscrupulous person, capable of anything to achieve his goals, even playing with the lives of the people who were his family.

Realizing this hurt a lot, I'm not going to deny it. However, I was convinced that if Romeo hadn't come into my life, if I hadn't fallen in love with him so viscerally, I wouldn't have been able to kill Yuri, even knowing he had used me.

Maybe that's why it was so hard for me, maybe that's why I hadn't been able to tell Romeo the truth, because I was afraid of making that decision.

Now I had to deal with the consequences. I swam in uncertainty about how the president would react to what I had done. Maybe he would demote me and demand that I leave the Bratva. Or if R decided to divorce me, he might force me to marry his chosen one. If so, I would renounce the Bratva because I didn't want to feel like anyone's object again.

It would be difficult, but not impossible, I would change my identity and my face. I would do the same for my mother and sisters because the mafiya doesn't let you leave so easily.

We would start from scratch anywhere in the world. We wouldn't lack courage. We would build our own empire from nothing, I was sure of that. They might try to step on a Koroleva, but they would never crush her, and although it would hurt immensely to give up Romeo and it would take time to heal, I would rise just like my child was doing, who had proven to be a true warrior.

I placed my hand on my nonexistent belly and tried to convey the pride I felt for not being defeated.

The door opened, and I came face to face with a face I didn't expect.

70

We are Korolevas

My sister looked at me distressed; that would be the word that best defined the expression on her face from the doorway.

She didn't come alone. Mama imperial eagle followed her chick, with her head held high and that feathered magnificence that characterized her.

She closed the door behind her, leaving the three of us in absolute silence.

I didn't even know where to start, and I supposed they didn't either, because "how are you feeling?" was too obvious. And how do you tell your mother and sister that you killed your brother, the same brother we all thought was dead and had mourned?