Devoted (Beneath the Mask, #3)

by Luna Mason

“This is keeping you safe, it’s protecting you. Frankie will look after you. The Capris–I’m in too deep, but your uncle is helping me. Right now, there is no way out for me, baby. If there was even a glimmer of hope, I wouldn’t do this. You have to trust me.”

“I need you to be strong, Rosa. I need you to be the real Rosa, the one you’ve shown me. The one who can take on the world and fucking own it. I can’t have you. I wish more than anything I could. Trust me. But life has other plans for me, yet again. They are way out of my control.”

“What plans?” Here we go. “I’m engaged, Rosa.”

“No. Luca, no. Please don’t leave me. I can’t do this without you. I need you,” she chokes out.

“You don’t have to do this, Luca. Please don’t do this. Can’t we find another way?” Her voice is barely a whisper. She stands and pulls her robe tight around her body.

“Trust me, right now, there isn’t another way. I wish there was.” I pull the comforter off my legs and stand, closing the distance between us. Tipping her chin up with my thumb, I bring her nose to mine and close my eyes.

“I want you to do all the things you’ve said you wanted to do. Don’t let your demons pull you into the darkness. Promise me,” I say, my voice quive...

“My demons will never leave me, Luca. You held them at bay. But the nightmares will return. He might be gone, but that doesn’t stop the pain. I can never get what he took from me back. I will ...

“Do you love her?” she asks. I snap my eyes up to hers, pleading with her to believe me.

“No. And I never will. This is a means to an end. I’m marrying Romano Capri’s daughter. You are the one who owns my heart.”

“If I did, would you be letting me go? You’d stay, you’d fight for me. So, no, Luca, your heart can’t belong to me.”

“But it does.” “Well, I don’t want it,” I spit back.

“You don’t mean that.”

“Was I just a joke to you? Did you and your friends sit there laughing about you getting to sleep with poor, broken Rosa? Your enemy’s daughter.” “Are you fucking joking me?” His face reddens and I take a step back.

“I spent days holding you while you threw up all over my goddamn floor. I cuddled you while you screamed in your sleep. I was so worried sick I stayed awake for days–days, Rosa–just watching to make sure you didn’t die on me. You know me well enough to know I would never think you are a joke.” He shakes his head. “Un-fucking-believable.”

“I clearly don’t know you, not really. You asked me to stay. You let me fall in love with you.” My stomach rolls like it’s threatening to revolt. “Ho...

“It doesn’t matter. A few days. I don’t even know now. They threatened Darcy. What the hell else am I supposed to do?” He throws his arms up in the air. My fingers lace arou...

“Do you seriously believe this was all a lie? That I don’t truly love you?” His chest heaves as he takes a deep breath. “Because I do, Rosa. I love you so much it hurts. This is the last thing I ever wanted to happen. I even bought a goddamn house in Greece for us to go to. I wanted it all with you.” The muscles in his arms flex as he crosses them over his broad chest.

“How else did you seriously expect this to go? Did you want me to go and sit like a good little mafia princess and wait for her prince to come back to her?” I’m sick of being on the end of everyone else’s stupid decisions in this hell of a life in the mafia.

“Rosa, no. Don’t go back there, promise me.” “How can I promise anything? Clearly, I have no control over my own life. Everyone has choices to make, right? You made yours, but didn’t care how it affected me.” He rubs his hands over his face. “Fuck, Rosa. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m going right now?” He just stares at me, tears brimming his bloodshot eyes. He slowly nods. This is really it.

Luca was my happy place. I’ll never forget what he has done for me, so for that, I wipe away a tear and step into him, hugging my arms around his waist.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you. I will always be grateful to you for saving me. I shouldn’t have said that,” I whisper. A fresh wave of tears threatens, but I won’t break down. Not until I’m on my own again. “I’m sorry, too. I’m sorry for breaking us. I’m going to miss you so fucking much, tesoro.”

“You’re taking my heart with you, okay?”

When I leave here, I will be leaving my heart here with him, too.

Now is the start of a new life for you, baby. Take it with both hands.”

I swallow the lump forming in my throat at what her ‘happy’ might look like. The fact she could find a man, create a family, all without me.

“One last kiss?” My voice shakes. She wraps her hands around me and squeezes. “No.” “Please, Rosa. Don’t make me beg.” I’m desperate to have one last taste of heaven before I get sent to hell. She...

“You’re perfect, tesoro.”

I rest my forehead against hers, fighting my own tears. Never in my life has a woman stolen my heart.

“You are perfect, too, Mr. Russo. I’m going to miss you.”

Those three little words are on the tip of my tongue, but I hold them back. When I do say them again, I will do it properly, and there won’t be a goodbye following it.

“Look after her, Frankie.” I slam the door shut and lean against it. The house is too quiet to be here with my own thoughts. It’s already empty without her.

I can’t handle it. She’s everywhere in my house. Every time I turn around, I’m reminded of her. Even by those stupid hair bands that get everywhere. Her perfume. Her favorite caramel syrup.

As Keller pours the Macallan, I pace around the kitchen, bouncing Darcy up and down, and she giggles. For a moment, I don’t hurt as bad. “Uncle Luca will always protect you,” I whisper. Her big dark eyes look up at me, and she gives me a toothy smile.

“Of all the things you’ve done, son, this is the stupidest. I can tell just by that look on your face, you know it, too.”

“You always have a choice, Luca. Marriage isn’t about power. It’s about love. You might be the leader of the mafia, but to me, you’re still that scrawny young boy I took in off the street. I expect more from you. Family first. Always.”

“You always do everything to protect everyone else. What about yourself? What about your own heart? Do you think I’m blind?”

“You have such a big heart, Luca. Wasted. I just want to see both of my boys happy. Your love lies with someone else, doesn’t it?” She gives me an accusing look. She’s right. I pull out a cigarette and she slaps it out of my hand so hard it flies across the room.

“Ignore it all you want. It won’t go away. Once someone steals the beating of your heart, that’s it. You either fight for it or live a miserable life without her.”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I realize she’s got me there. I just wish I could fight for it. The house doesn’t even smell of her anymore. Most nights I toss and turn, wondering if she’s sleeping or if her nightmares are back. I even parked outside the house Frankie moved her and Eva into. I sat there for hours, in the pitch black. I couldn’t go in. Knowing I have to let her move on doesn’...

“How did you know? Are you a witch?” “Oh, Luca,” she chuckles. “I have eyes. That is all. You think I didn’t se...

My heart is stuck on Rosa.

“You do whatever you have to. You always do. But I won’t have any part of this. I draw the line here. When you decide to marry Rosa, then I’ll be there.”

“Just because I’m angry doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Luca. You’ll always be my son, no matter how stupid your choices are. I’m just asking you to really think about what you want.” I know exactly what I want, who I want. “I love you, Mom. I wish it were that easy.”

Even when Luca’s not with me, he’s always watching out for me.

I can’t shake the memory of his intense green eyes, or his deep voice as he calls me his treasure. I miss him. He was the first man to ever really hear me. I told him my deepest, darkest secrets and he just listened. He made me believe in myself again, just by being there. His patience is the reason I’m turning my life around.

Now I have to sit there, plaster a fake smile on my face, as I watch the only man who’s ever made me feel worthy parade his new fiance around. When, deep down, I wanted that woman to be me one day. But he let me go. He abandoned me, too.

She was perfect for me. My stolen treasure. And now she’s just a memory.

It hurts, the fact that another man will get to call her his. Will get to treasure her like I only wished I could. I just want her to be happy.