Lissy Romano

85| He needs us.

Lissy Romano

"Lissy, wake up," Santino said gently, running his hand through my hair.

I slowly opened my eyes to find him sitting beside me. I must have fallen asleep from all the crying. Jax was resting next to me.

"You've been crying. What happened, sweetheart?" Santino asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Is Giovanni okay? No one told me anything," I said as I sat up, anxiety rising in my chest.

He took my hand in his, his face growing somber.

"Sweetheart, it's really hard to tell you what happened," Santino said with a sigh.

I stared at him, my heart pounding. What happened?

"You're scaring me," I whispered, my voice trembling.

"Don't be scared. It's over now," he replied, attempting a reassuring smile, but his eyes betrayed his sadness.

"What happened? Please, just tell me," I pleaded, hope in my voice.

Santino sighed deeply before speaking. "There's a penthouse where Giovanni and Amara were spending time. Intruders broke in when Amara was there alone, and Giovanni wasn't around."

My mouth dropped open in shock.

"It's hard to hear, I know," he continued, looking down at the floor. "She called Giovanni, and he immediately reached out to Vincenzo. Our brothers did everything they could, but one of the intruders shot Amara. Giovanni was shot too, but he's okay."

"Is she okay? Is Amara okay?" I asked frantically, my voice tight with fear.

"No, sweetheart. She didn't make it. She died on the surgery table. Domenico, Marco, and the doctors tried everything they could, but there was nothing they could do," Santino said, his voice breaking.

I felt the room spin as the news hit me like a wave. I quickly rushed to the bathroom, bile rising in my throat. How could this happen? How could Amara be gone?

Santino was right there beside me, holding my hair as I threw up, rubbing my back soothingly.

"Giovanni is broken, Lissy. Amara was pregnant," he whispered, and everything inside me froze.

I turned to him, tears spilling down my face. "She was pregnant? No... no, this can't be real. Amara... is dead?"

"I know, sweetheart," he said softly, his voice full of sorrow. "I know it's hard, but we need to be strong for Giovanni. He needs us now more than ever."

I wiped my tears away, trying to regain my composure, but the grief was overwhelming. Amara—sweet, kind Amara—was gone. And her baby, too. We had been planning to meet this week.

Santino pulled me into his arms, offering a comforting embrace.

My heart ached, and all I could do was cry. It felt surreal, like I was stuck in a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

"Where is Giovanni?" I sniffled, pulling back slightly.

"He'll be back later. He wanted to be alone for a while," Santino said softly, holding me close as we sat on the bathroom floor.

"I thought you all didn't trust me. That's why you didn't tell me anything," I said, my voice still shaky.

"We trust you, Lissy. We didn't want to upset you more than you already were," Santino reassured me.

"I was scared. I felt so alone. Giovanni didn't answer my calls, and neither did you. I was thinking about... hurting myself again," I admitted, shame creeping into my chest.

Santino's eyes widened with panic, and he pulled me closer, his voice filled with urgency. "You didn't, did you?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't. But I was so confused, so hurt. I don't know how to handle all of this."

"I'm glad you told me, Lissy," he said, his voice softening with concern. "I'm proud of you for not hurting yourself. I know this is too much for anyone to handle, but I'm here for you."

His words gave me a small sense of comfort, but it didn't make the pain go away.

"We love you, Lissy," he continued, his voice warm, trying to soothe me. "You're our light in this world."

I looked up at him, sniffling. "How can we help Giovanni?"

"We just need to be there for him, Lissy. He thinks it's his fault," Santino said, his eyes filled with concern.

"Why would he think that?" I asked, surprised.

"Because it was our enemies who killed Amara. He was there, and he saw them shoot her," Santino explained, shaking his head in disbelief.

"How can people be so cruel?" I whispered, horrified.

"I don't know, sweetheart. There are too many cruel people in this world. I'm sorry you have to deal with them." His voice broke, and a tear slipped down his face. "I can't even imagine how Giovanni feels right now."

I rested my head against his shoulder, my fingers idly combing through his hair for comfort.

"Will there be a funeral?" I asked quietly, needing something to hold on to.

"Yes, we'll all go," Santino answered, gently petting my head.

I felt a pang in my heart. Amara was kind, thoughtful, and sweet—someone I could call a friend. We had planned to meet this week, and now she was gone. How could something so terrible happen?

"What will happen to her cat, Cookie?" I asked, the thought of her pet breaking my heart.

"Her brother will take him," Santino said with a soft nod.

"I can't imagine how her family feels right now," I said, my heart heavy.

Santino pulled me closer, offering a moment of solace. "I can't either. I will never leave your side, Lissy. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

I knew all too well how dangerous this world could be. People get hurt. People die. And in the end, revenge doesn't heal the wounds. The pain and grief linger, no matter what you do.

After some time, we heard the front door open, and Santino and I quickly got up. We rushed downstairs to see if Giovanni had returned.

It was him. He looked shattered—his heart broken, his mind consumed by darkness. He had lost everything, and I could see it in his eyes.

"Lissy," Giovanni whispered, pulling me into his arms.

I hugged him tightly, feeling like I was trying to hold him together. He needed me now more than ever, and I wasn't going to let go.

"I'm so sorry, Giovanni. I'm so sorry," I murmured as he kissed the top of my head over and over, each kiss a reminder of his pain.

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