I held Wyatt hard, kissing him, letting his love flow into me. We were going to run this city together, and nobody could stop us. We’d send Arturo’s mangled body back to his people and let them fight over his scraps. The knives were a message to anyone that wanted to oppose us.
We were brutal and we were strong.
Most of all, we were in love.
Wyatt was my king, and I was his to do with whatever he chose. I knew that I had made the right choice. I could hear voices around us as Kasia and the others entered the clearing, but I didn’t care.
All I wanted was to kiss the man that I needed, the man that helped me win this impossible war. He was mine and I was his.
The city would bow down before our love.
33
Louisa
Four Years Later
For the first time in a very, very long time, I felt like I was home.
The breeze was cool on my skin as I sat out on the balcony, Chicago spreading out below me. I could see cars snaking down along the streets, but just barely. The baby monitor was on beside me, and I could just barely make out the soft breaths of Evie as she slept. She was a gray blob on the monitor’s screen, and I smiled to myself.
The sliding glass door to our apartment opened up. “You okay out here?”
I looked up and Lucas smiled at me.
“Great, thanks.”
He stepped out onto the balcony and walked over to the railing, leaning against it. My brother was a tall, handsome man, and he’d grown so much over the last few years.
“Saw Wyatt on TV earlier,” he said.
“Did you now?”
“Gave some speech about crime.”
I laughed. “Ironic?”
“Ironic,” he agreed. “You know, seeing as he puts in with gangsters.”
“Married one and made a little gangster baby with her, too.”
Lucas grinned at me. “Letting Evie into the family business?”
“Maybe,” I said, shrugging. “We’ll have to see what she wants.”
“Good answer. Arturo never asked us what we wanted.”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Do you ever wonder what things would be like if you hadn’t killed him?”
“No,” I said. “Never.”
He smiled softly and nodded. “Good. Sometimes I worry that haunts you, but I’m glad it doesn’t. That asshole isn’t worth a second thought.”
“I don’t have any,” I said.
“The Anatoli brothers were asking about you last night.”
“How are those idiots?”
“Doing well for themselves, actually.”
“I’m surprise you haven’t knocked them off yet.”
“Give it time.” He laughed, shaking his head. “It’s a different world now.”
It really was a different world.
Chicago was at peace. For the first time in a long time, the city wasn’t being torn apart by gang wars. The Russians were being quiet, the Chinese were keeping to themselves, and Lucas was running his men as fairly as he could.
All because the Spiders kept them all in check.
When my father died, the Barone family mafia was torn to pieces. As soon as his heart stopped beating, they were done for. My brother picked up where Arturo left off, but too many people refused to follow him. We squashed them one at a time, until my brother had control of what was once the Barone Crime Family.
I took half of his territory, adding to my own. We then turned to the Russians and beat them back until they begged for mercy. We split half their territory.
The Chinese didn’t need to be threatened. They offered peace immediately and with good terms, so we accepted.
That took two years. It was two years of hard fighting, but in the end I came out on top. Lucas knew who the real power in the city was, but he didn’t seem to mind. He got decent territory and respect, but everything had to come through me and my people.
And Wyatt. Everything I did was funneled through him as well, because I couldn’t have gotten where I was without him. He was the best advisor I could have hoped for, although things got a little crazy toward the end there.
“It’s a better world,” I said.
“Peaceful, that’s for sure.”
“Helps having the mayor of the city on our side.”
He grinned and nodded. “Yeah, that sure does.”
I stretched. “Speaking of my husband, where is he?”
“Should be coming home soon, I think.” Lucas stood. “I should get going.”
“Okay. Thanks for stopping by.”
“Any time.”
I stood and he kissed my cheek. I never thought my big brother would end up helping me babysit, but there he was. The hardened, badass gangster and son of Arturo Barone was a big softie these days, and I loved it.