I, Lorella, younger sister to Domenico and Lorenzo Mariano, had fallen for the enemies of my brothers.
Yes, you heard me right. Enemies... as in more than one.
Those two cold-blooded men were the last on earth with whom I should have ever considere...
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Prologue
Shots rang from outside of the enormous house, and Cristiano pushed me away from the window with a protective hand over my growing belly. I wasn't scared for myself because I knew my brothers wouldn't purposely hurt me. No. I was terrified for him. I knew they would kill Cristiano if they got to him before I got to them.
Matteo texted to let me know that Domenico and Lorenzo were on their way to talk with the men that were involved with their little sister, and I needed to get the hell out of dodge, but it was too late. I just had no idea they would come in guns blazing. Cristiano and Alessandro told me that they were enemies. I knew the shit my brothers were into, but I never thought—
"Come out, come out wherever you are!" Lorenzo taunted, kicking the front door open, arm extended, gun in hand. Domenico was silently following close behind in the same manner. They were getting closer. I needed to stop them.
"Where the hell is Alessandro?" I whisper-yelled to Cristiano in a panic, trying to piece together what the hell was happening.
If they got to Alessandro first, they'd surely riddle him with bullets. I couldn't have that, so my fight or flight instantly snapped into action. I yanked my arm from Cristiano's grasp and tried to book it.
"Lorella. No. Don't." Cristiano reached for my arm once again. I , however, was able to maneuver my body away from him so quickly that I slipped right through his fingers and darted out of the closet toward my gun-wielding brothers. As the door flew open, it caught their attention. They immediately turned their guns on me, and I threw my arms up in the air.
"Please don't shoot!" I cried, and everything went still as both pairs of their icy blue eyes trained in on my swollen stomach.
I immediately recoiled at the look of disbelief that had washed over each of their faces before one of disappointment quickly set in. I had done everything possible to hide this pregnancy from them because of their history with my men, wearing extra baggy clothes or avoiding them altogether, which wasn't too hard because they had their hands full with my feisty best friend.
This certainly wasn't the way I wanted them to find out they were gonna be uncles, but I couldn't have them killing my unborn child's fathers no matter what bad blood stood between them. Cristiano told me once he didn't want me caught in the crossfires, but there was nowhere I'd rather be than standing here protecting the men that I loved.
You might've asked yourself how a 23-year-old girl from Miami, Florida got herself into this mess? Well, let me tell you about it.