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“Maxwell!” Bella cries, the sa evident in the one word, as he jerks open the door and yanks the driver out by the back of his collar, his hands lifting in surrender

Then she squeaks in surprise when her own door is pulled open, her body leaning toward er seat of the other vehicle The older man raises his hands just like Ferro’s henchman did, but with one look at his face, I lower the weapon, and Bella cries out once again, this time in happy shock “Daddy?”

“Co across her to unbuckle her seatbelt before pulling her out of the seat and into a hug that doesn’t allow her feet to touch the ground

Ferro is still a whih Bella’s open door, handing Maxwell the gun when he co the other fucker before throwing him in the back of Marcello’s SUV I reach up and pull his suit jacket away fro a peek at the bullet wound I see in the space between his shoulder and chest

“Aren’t you a little old to be playing opossu hi

“I planned to play dead until the assholes took you two, and then I was going to follow after you in the car But before I could get up and into the driver seat, her oldto a stop next to me Scooped me up, and now here we are,” he explained, and we both look over to where her dad still has her in a tight embrace

“How did you knohere to find us?” I ask Marcello, because I can’t figure out how he kneere in danger for one, and exactly where to go to help us at the very last minute for another

His lips tug upward at one corner, his hand rubbing up and down Arabella’s back as she looks up at hiet the answer as well “The envelope of pictures There’s a s device inside It was more luck, really I knew she’d confront you with the photos, and I was hoping you would take them away from her and we’d be able to track your move his head “Little did I know just how handy that chip would be in catching the fucker ere both after”

As if it’s the first tiisters in his head that Ferro is present, Marcello’s broer, and he looks toward the passenger seat Arabella pulls out of his e her hand out, pallance down at the gun he’s holding, because he follows her gaze to it before placing it in her hand

Without a word, Bella spins on her heel, er side of the SUV, and yanks open the door I watch, un with perfect form

“Ara—” I hear Ferro’s barely audible whiet her full naer, her face a blank, emotionless mask

She walks casually back to Maxwell, holds the handgun out toward hihtly open in shock She spins and steps between her dad and hi a smile my way as if she didn’t just finish off the motherfucker anted her dead

“I’uys?” she asks, and I let out a bark of laughter as I reach toward her, grasp her forearainst me

“Whatever the fuck you want, piccolina”

Her dad is the only one who looks unfazed by her actions as he pulls his cell out of his pocket and hits a button With a few murmured words, he orders his men to track his vehicle and to cos up, his face is full of pride as he tells her, “That’s my little mafia princess” And I feel her melt into me

23

Arabella

The Ruin went to war after everything happened, now that the two faain Didn’t matter that Ferro betrayed me as his wife and hired DeLuca to kill me The war started

My father de it would ive up his job as a doctor, at least here, for now My love—that idea still makes me chuckle My captor My keeper My ht and a savior of angels by day