The Assassins Kiss

Chapter 18

Ezra's POV

It's been a few days. Quiet ones.

Iris, Lily, and I have been inseparable, wrapped up in lazy afternoons, kitchen messes, and late-night talks that always stretch a little too long.

Lily's laughter fills every room we're in, like a little echo of joy I forgot I needed.

She's been calling Roman, too. More than once.

They've had their own little conversations, which usually end in her giggling and Roman dramatically begging her not to replace him with someone "cooler."

This morning, she looks up at me with wide, knowing eyes.

"When are you coming back?" she asks softly.

"Hopefully soon," I say, giving her a smile that's meant to reassure but doesn't quite reach my eyes.

She nods slowly, but the weight of goodbye is already pulling her shoulders in.

"I don't want you to go, Momma," she whispers, wrapping her little arms around me, holding on like she can anchor me in place.

"I don't want to go either," I say honestly, pulling her into a hug so tight I don't want to let go.

Luca's made sure Italy isn't exactly a tourist-friendly zone right now. Hell, it's not safe anywhere near him. He's probably turned every city block into a war zone just looking for me.

"Okay, mi amore," I whisper, brushing a curl from her cheek. "I'll call you right when I get to Roman."

She nods, lips trembling. "Okay."

"I love you so much," I tell her, holding her close again. "Be safe. Be brave. Be strong. Listen to Iris, okay?"

"I will, Momma," she nods against my shoulder, her voice so small it nearly breaks me.

"Bye, baby. I love you," I say as I finally pull away, standing up.

"I love you too," she says, waving, her hand a little shaky.

I walk to the cab, each step heavier than the last. I slide into the back seat and glance out the window.

There she is—Lily—clutching that stuffed pony I got her, the one with the ridiculous sparkly mane she insisted on naming "Firecracker." She hugs it close to her chest and waves at me with her free hand.

I lift my hand and wave back as the car pulls away.

She's getting smaller in the rearview mirror, but the ache in my chest? Yeah. That's only getting bigger.

I call Roman.

He picks up almost immediately, his voice already laced with urgency. "Uh, hi—important question," he blurts out. "When are you coming back?"

"I'm driving to the airport now," I reply calmly, eyes flicking to the road ahead. "But I've got something I need to take care of first. Then I'm coming back."

There's a pause, and then his voice drops lower. "Ezra... I hope you know Italy's not safe right now. Luca's lost it. The Northern Italian mafia is raging for some reason. Both mafias are going nuclear. People are panicking. You need to come back. Now."

"I know, Roman, I know," I say, rubbing my temple with one hand. "I'll be there. Just... keep Luca calm. Tell him I called you from some random phone."

"Oh sure," he scoffs, "I'll just casually lie to the human embodiment of vengeance. If I'm not alive when you get back, you'll know why."

"Appreciate the sacrifice," I say, smirking despite myself.

We hang up.

I glance down at the piece of paper in the passenger seat—a reminder of unfinished business. Before I deal with the Vincenzos...