When Heroes Fall (Anti-Heroes in Love Duet #1)

by Giana Darling

She was the only one who stayed resolutely by my side when Daniel left me for my own sister. I knew that over a year after the affair had come to light, with a newborn first grandchild, Mama saw Giselle frequently again, but I didn’t care. Mama had shown me, like no one else had, that she had my back first. That I was a priority for her.

Mamas are the best

I wasn’t a hero, and I wasn’t a villain. I was just a woman trying to navigate life.

Elena, that’s vintage Valentino.”

I sucked in a breath, nearly choking on my wine as my gaze widened at the sight of her. Ah, to think I’d thought she had lacked the inherent sensuality of her sister Cosima. I was more than happy to be proved so spectacularly wrong. Ammazza, she was glorious.

Something primal in my gut tightened and went white-hot.

Frankie nodded solemnly, but there was a wicked gleam in his dark eyes that had me stopping in my tracks a few feet from him. “Whatever you say, Donna Elena.”

But Dante looked at me as if I was some priceless, mysterious work of art, and he wanted to know the story behind my almost smile.

“I heard you met a man today,” he said finally.

But it wasn’t until you pushed me up against the wall with your little fist in my shirt and threatened me with death if I ever hurt Cosima that I knew you were something special. A true lottatrice, a female gladiator.”

And I thought, for the first time in my life, that I might have just met my match.

“You fuck with Elena, you should know, that’s you fucking with him. And he’ll do a lot worse than I would, capisci?”

It was enough to know that Frankie cared enough about me to stand up for me. It was nice to hear that he felt Dante would do the same.

“I don’t like this. You should tell me what it is you are having done so I can be prepared to care for you.”

I would show Elena Lombardi what it was like to live and love freely. And I’d do it by loving her.

“I don’t want to be loved,”

“Let me love you anyway,” he suggested.

It wasn’t just about the fact that Cosima had killed Giuseppe and that she was a known associate of Tore and me (though no one but the three of us knew to what extent).

You call Elena a bitch ever again, Jaco, I’ll carve the word into your forehead with my blade, capisci?”