Page 6 of Merciless King

But seeing him standing before me with that familiar warm smile, for a moment, the last eight years melted away. In that moment, I was a naive, love-struck girl again, the one who thought she and Elio could defy the odds and build a life together.

I can’t deny a curiosity about his life now. Is he the head of his family yet? Is he married? Does he ever think of me?

I shake my head of those thoughts. I can't let him back into my life, not now, not ever. The risk is too great. I've built a fragile existence here, a life that, while not perfect, at least keeps my daughter safe. If Elio were to reenter it, the consequences could be devastating. Gabriel's jealousy and possessiveness would know no bounds, and I can't bear the thought of Elysse being caught in the crossfire.

Resolved, I quicken my pace, desperate to put as much distance between myself and Elio as possible. I need to get home, to retreat into the relative safety of my own four walls, where I can try to pull myself together before Elysse returns from school.

By the time I unlock the front door, I'm emotionally drained, my nerves frayed. I sink down onto the couch, burying my face in my hands as the tears finally come. It's a release, a catharsis, but it's also a reminder of just how much I've sacrificed to keep my family safe.

Elysse. I have to be strong for her. She's the only thing that matters now, the only light in this dark, twisted existence. I can't let my past, my unresolved feelings for Elio, jeopardize her future. I have to be the mother she deserves, even if it means continuing to bury a part of myself.

With a deep, shuddering breath, I wipe away the tears and pull myself together. I have chores to do before Gabriel returns home. I have a home to keep and a family to take care of. For Elysse, I'll do whatever it takes.

2

ELIO

Iwatch, stunned, as Piper storms away, her golden hair swaying with each furious step. Her cold greeting has taken me completely by surprise, leaving me grappling with a whirlwind of emotions.

I replay our brief encounter in my mind, trying to make sense of her hostility. Why is she so mad at me? I wasn’t the one who disappeared without a word. How had I wronged her so deeply that she could barely stand to look at me?

For a long time after she left, I held a great deal of anger and resentment that I buried beneath my focus on the family business. But now, seeing her again, those aren’t the feelings that come first and foremost in my chest. No, I feel longing, an ache to restore what we lost.

Nostalgia floods my senses as I drink in the sight of her. She’s stunning, although there’s a tiredness or wariness to her that has me wondering about her life. She’d always been willing to speak her mind, but the coolness, the vitriol of today, that’s new and I can’t deny that it stings.

As she disappears into the crowd, the longing tugs at my heart. Eight years have passed, yet the connection between us is still palpable, like an invisible thread that refuses to be severed. I desperately want to understand what happened, to find a way to make amends for whatever pain I caused her.

It’s clear she doesn’t want anything to do with me, but the questions swirl. I’m a man who likes answers. I stride down the sidewalk, Piper's stinging words echoing in my mind and igniting my determination to find out why. I can’t stop the image of finally getting the life I’d desired, the one I’d mapped out for us, from blooming in full technicolor in my head. I can see her in my home. In my bed. In my life. Fuck. I can practically taste it.

There’s just one problem. Not long after Piper left, my father arranged an alliance with the Rinella family, cemented by my marriage to Ava Rinella. At the time, she was barely ten years old, which is fucking creepy. But now, she’s eighteen, and while my father is dead, I have honored all his alliances so far. I’ve been planning to go through with the marriage. I don’t love Ava. Hell, I’ve never met her. But I’ll treat her well. Occasionally, we’ll fuck to produce an heir. It's not the life I’d imagined with Piper, but the love of my life disappeared. Until today.

A sense of unease settles in the pit of my stomach. The alliance with the Rinellas had been a carefully calculated move, one that would solidify our family's power. But now, with Piper back, the decision feels more like a shackle than an opportunity.

How can I marry Ava when Piper is here? If there is any chance of true happiness, she’s it for me. I curse under my breath, remembering the way Piper looked at me with such disdain, and yet there’d been a moment when I thought I saw something more… like hope.

I know I’m risking fucking up business, but I have no choice. I have to find Piper and learn what happened all those years ago. And I can’t let my impending marriage to Ava stand in my way.

I trail Piper at a discreet distance, my eyes never leaving her as she navigates the familiar streets. After a few blocks, she makes her way up the walk of a large two-story home. She’s come up in the world, and I smile thinking of the success she has achieved.

She unlocks the door and enters the home. I hesitate for a moment, wondering if I’m really going to risk everything my father and I’ve worked for with the Rinella family. Of course, there is no real debate. It’s selfish of me, but there’s been only one real thing I’ve ever wanted in life, and that was Piper.

I move quietly, careful not to draw her attention as I peer through a window, watching her unpack a few boxes. Inwardly, I laugh at my actions. I’m like a fucking peeping Tom. A neighbor will likely call the police. What a story that would be. The police can’t take down Elio D’Amato for corruption or murder, but he’s jailed for trespassing and peeping on a woman.

The house is warm and inviting, a far cry from the modest home her family lived in when I knew her. I’m filled with a mixture of happiness and frustration—happiness that she has found a sense of stability, but frustration that our reunion had been so strained.

As I watch her set up what looks like a home office, a plan takes shape in my mind. I have to find out what happened all those years ago and then break down the wall she’s built regarding me. I need to convince her that she and I are meant to be.

With a renewed sense of determination, I leave her property and head back to my car, my mind racing as I work out the best way to approach Piper. Back at my car, I find my men glaring at me.

“We can’t protect you when you run off?—”

I wave their concern away. “I’m fine. Take me home.”

When I arrive home, my sister, Lana, greets me with the same cold irritation I just experienced with Piper. "There you are. You’re late. The Rinellas have been waiting for you."

Normally, I’d feel more chagrined by this, but I don’t have any guilt or regret for being late.

"Matteo has been entertaining them in your absence," Lana continues, her sharp eyes studying me. "You'd do well not to keep them waiting any longer."