Ariadne
I didn't know how long I'd been out cold but by the time I was awake, Dean and Matteo were gone. Blood trickled down my face and I felt my head pounding where Matteo had hit me.
Instinctively trying to move my hands to my head, I remembered I was tied to the metal chair. My arms ached and I shivered as the chill from the room swept my skin. Could have at least left me with a fucking blanket.
How many hours had it been? Where was he? Was Damon coming for me? Or would he leave me here?
I felt myself passing out again and tapped my feet against the floor, trying to keep myself awake. My white dress was stained with red blood and dirt.
If I went out like this, at least I was in a nice dress.
Despite trying to joke, my heart plummeted. I was going to die. I was going to die here. In a cold, dark room. Killed by the mob.
How did I end up here? Was this my fault? Was Robyn okay? Did she know her boyfriend was the reason why I was in this mess?
Knowing her, she was probably blaming herself, even though she could never hurt a single fly. Her favorite flowers were sunflowers, for the love of God. She didn't have a single cruel or malicious bone in her body.
The Hale siblings were, at the heart of it, good people.
Damon was undoubtedly a mess too. What I would give to hold him in my arms again. To watch him play poker. To dance with him. To cook with him. To do dishes with him. To feel his hands on my waist. To see his dimples as he smiled wide. To see him standing in the rain with red roses. To drink coffee with him. To sit across from him at Mario's and eat greasy pizza. To stare out at the New York skyline with him. To exist with him.
I would do anything for just another minute. Another second. Another breath.
The next time I opened my eyes it was to the sound of a gunshot. That was twice in one day and more than I had heard in my entire lifetime. I jerked my head up in hopes of seeing a friendly face.
That would be wishful thinking.
"Rise and shine!" Matteo's grin was wide and challenging. I groaned.
"Didn't sleep well?" Dean taunted.
"Don't think I would call it sleep," I grumbled.
"Anyway, the clock is ticking and your boyfriend is nowhere to be seen. In fact, he's not making any moves out. He's raiding all of my joints," Matteo said, annoyance flaring in his eyes.
I smiled. That's my boy.
"Wonderful," I said simply.
At the same time, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Who was I to think he would give up his entire kingdom for me?
My heart constricted.
My blood burned.
My skin buzzed.
I'd never felt real love before but now that I did, I didn't want to let it go. I didn't want to let the most dangerous man in New York go.
My lungs ached to breathe in his scent, to be around his calming presence.
He was the one man in my life who never tried to change who I was. Never told me I needed to be more malleable. Never told me I needed to stop being sassy. Never told me I should join the family business.
He let me be me.
He made me like myself more.
How was I supposed to be so okay with giving up a person who made me love not just him but also, myself?
The pressure in my lungs released with my next breath, resignation settling under my skin with a sharp edge to it.
I was never one to give up.
Never one to back down.
I didn't know how to do it. I was a Ryder, we weren't taught that.
I thought of Christian, my favorite person in the whole world, and sent a silent prayer to a God I didn't really believe in that he would be okay if he lost me. That he wouldn't shut down the way he did after Mom died.
I thought of Bella, my sweet little sister, who loved ferociously and prayed that she'd always be the bubbly, smiling girl that she was meant to be, even if I wasn't around to see it. I prayed that her baby would grow up safe and healthy, with stories of her Aunt Ariadne who would have loved the little baby with every bone in her body.
I thought of Francis, the best man I knew and the strongest soul to grace this Earth. I hoped he would be able to deal with the loss of one more person in his life, even though he didn't deserve to. I prayed that he'd find peace, after Adelaide. And after me.
I thought of Robyn, the angelic sunflower, who I knew, was withering under insurmountable guilt because she hated the idea of anyone ever being in even minor discomfort because of her. I hoped she found someone who would make her happy, the way she made everyone around her.
And just as I thought of Damon, the sound of that gunshot that had whizzed past my ear and hit Matteo rang through my ears yet again.
The thought was so strong, so very strong, that it was almost as if I could feel his presence next to me.
It was only when a draft of air brushed my hair that I realized, it wasn't memory.
It was happening.
I dragged my gaze up off the ground and allowed my eyes to adjust to the new stream of light that had entered the room.
The silhouette in the doorframe was barely visible, but I knew who it was.
A ragged breath escaped me in relief.
The sound of a gunshot dropped Dean to the floor and another one dropped Matteo. They were still alive, squirming in pain like pathetic worms. Tranquility flooded through me as my head fell back and I sobbed.
Darkness was pulling me under again, exhaustion seeping through my bones.
But this time, my eyes shut in relief.
Damon
The fact that a plan made by my sweet little sister worked was jarring. She was a little of a fiery devil herself. I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about that.
When Matteo and Dean fell to the floor from my bullets in their kneecaps, Robyn ran to Ariadne and untied her. Christian stood next to me, staring down at the pair of them on the floor.
"My sister told you that you were making a mistake," I announced. "I'd listen to her next time."
"You're not invited here, Damon," Matteo spat out.
"And you weren't invited to my home, Matteo. Guess we're both bad at listening to instructions."
"You fucking idiot," Christian growled, bending down to Matteo's level. "You touched my sister. You fucked with Robyn. Do you have any idea what I want to do to you?"
"Bury me in legal paperwork, pretty boy?" Matteo spat. I shook my head.
Christian chuckled darkly, gripping Matteo's bloody jaw in his hand and dropping his voice to a deadly threatening tone.
"I am going to make sure that the jail cell you're going to rot in for the rest of your life will be living hell. And even if you don't end up in jail, I will haunt you. Everywhere you go. The Armenians run the West Coast, don't they, Damon?"
Matteo's eyes went cold. The Armenian mob wasn't like the Giovannis or even the Hales. They took no prisoners.
"They do," I responded calmly. There was nothing more to be said. Matteo knew, the fear in his eyes was tangible.
"Make no mistake, Matteo," Christian clenched his jaw harder. "You might make it out of here alive, but you will never truly live another day."
Christian reared his fist against Matteo's forehead hard, definitely cracking his skull and then laid a jab to Matteo's nose.
Guns were more my style, cold and impersonal. Christian needed his hands dirty to feel like he accomplished something.
"What are you going to do with me, Damon?" Matteo looked at me, blood filling up his mouth.
I smiled. "Is that fear I detect?"
Christian made his way to his sister and Robyn stood next to me.
"Robyn..." Dean started and she knelt next to him, her designer dress collecting blood off the floor. She didn't seem fazed, didn't even seem to notice.
Her voice was flat. "Why did you do this to me?"
"It wasn't about you," he insisted. "I never meant to hurt you, Robyn. Please believe me."
My sister stared at the floor calmly before she looked him in his eyes and slapped him. My jaw almost dropped.
I'd never seen this girl do anything–think anything violent. Then, she gripped his chin and forced him to look at her. He blanched when his eyes met her blues, wild and untamed.
"Vaffanculo a chi t'è morto. There's a very special place in hell for you, Dean Giovanni. Don't ever come near me or my family ever again," she said, her voice wavering ever so slightly.
"I'll make sure of that," I said and the second Robyn's back was turned, I sent a pop into his forehead that ensured he was dead.
Matteo–I couldn't kill.
Dean? You bet your fucking ass.
For the first time, I let my eyes fall on Ariadne, her eyes closed and resting on her brother's shoulder. Blood covered her white dress and the deep red marks on her wrists made me angry. Christian helped her up as red and blue lights filled the room, kissing her forehead and looking up at the sky as if to thank someone. My father sent the NYPD over to our location and the alibi of self-defense was solid. Not that anyone would do anything to me.
The Police Commissioner kicked Dean's foot when he walked up to me. "How'd this happen?"
"Self-defense," I deadpanned.
His eyes flicked to me. "Not Matteo."
"I fucking know," I gritted.
The second I gave them the information they needed, I rushed over to Ariadne's side, smoothing the bloody brown hair out of her face. I wanted to die just looking at it. Her favorite color was purple. She didn't look good in red.
"She's coming to," an EMT told me softly. "Give her a minute."
I nodded, scanning my surroundings to make sure Christian and Robyn were alright.
Christian dropped to his knees beside her, getting dirt and grime all over his eternally pristine suit. Tears fell from her eyes even as he steadily brushed them aside while taking six, seven, eight deep breaths.
"Tell me you're okay." His voice was trembling as he pressed his forehead against hers, just looking at her with a vulnerable expression while she stroked his hair.
"I'm okay. I promise, cuore mio."
She wrapped a free finger in his and kissed the inside of her thumb before pressing it to his. He pressed a kiss against her forehead and gathered her into his arms while her hand ran through his hair. I'd never seen anything like them–like they were forged from something stronger than life itself.
Officers flooded into the room, slapping handcuffs on Matteo, smug looks plastered all over their faces. This would be the collar of a century.
Matteo was virtually untouchable, just like me. But he wouldn't be allowed to stay in New York.
Crouching beside Ariadne, I held her face in my hands and pulled her onto my lap. I pressed my lips to her forehead as my eyes burned just looking at her.
My princess.
Her eyelids fluttered open and she took in the sight of me. When her eyes met mine, I melted into a puddle of despair. It took every single bone in my body not to collapse from the moment Matteo stormed into the ballroom and now that she was in my arms, everything else felt insignificant.
"Hi, princess," I whispered into her skin.
"Hi pretty boy." Her voice was soft and gentle and it made my heart clench. "This was the worst date ever, by the way."
I laughed, despite myself. Even after all this, she still had to be a smart-ass.
"I know, I'll make it up to you."
"How?"
God, I didn't know how the fuck I was ever going to make any of this up to her.
So, I started small.
"Pizza?"
"Mario's?"
"Of course."
She smiled and nestled her head into my neck.
"Thank you for finding me," she whispered. "Is Robyn okay?"
"Not really but she will be. She's tough."
"I know she is," Ariadne said through a small smile.
I shook my head. "I'm going to lock her up in a dungeon. When we first started dating, she told me she'd kill me if I hurt you so I'm pretty sure I'm a dead man."
She pulled away from me, grasping my collar. "This wasn't your fault," she insisted.
"Princess—"
"No. This wasn't your fault. Or hers. This happened because of Matteo. This happened because of Dean. Neither of you are to blame."
"But if I hadn't—"
She pressed her lips to mine softly, clutching my face in her hands. I sank deeper, desperate not to let go and never forget the feeling of her in my arms. My mouth wrestled hers, hungry to be back where it belonged as I clutched her hand and moved it down to my heart. Her kiss was possessive, the warmth of it filling me to the brim. When she pulled away, I almost broke at the loss of her touch.
"I love you," I whispered against her mouth. Her lips parted and she let out a small gasp and swallowed, closing her eyes and shaking her head.
"It's okay," she said softly. "You don't have to say it just because I did."
"Did you not mean it?" I raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"No. I mean yes. I mean I did. I do. I—" she sighed, exasperated.
I laughed before I let the words fall free from my mouth, surprising even myself with how easy they were to say.
"Of course I love you, Ariadne. I have loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you. You make me human. When I look at you, I see the kindest, most noble person I've ever known. When I look at you, I see a life worth living, despite all the horrible things I've done. I see late nights at Mario's and falling asleep with you in my arms. I see weekends baking banana bread and watching the New York skyline. I see roses and stars and everything in between. I see happiness for the first time in my life. And I see it with you. Only you. Love is too small of a word to describe what I feel for you. It has always been you, you infuriating, stubborn, beautiful girl."
She laughed between sobs. "I love you so much. I'd say more but I'm pretty sure I have a concussion and am going to pass out again. But I really do love you."
Grinning, I carried her outside as she swiped her thumb across my cheek.
"I hope our kids have your dimples," she mumbled sleepily, resting her face against my chest as her body crashed in my arms.
In that moment, I knew that was all she ever needed to say to me.