The sacrifice
AMBROSE POV
TWENTY MINUTES EARLIER
Nolan and I were still parked outside the entrance of the warehouse, and I could still feel the unresolved tension between us.
I hated feeling this way, and by all means, I wanted things to go back to normal between us.
“Nolan.”
He turned to look at me, and the hatred in his eyes was evident.
“If anything happens to me in there, and if I don’t come back alive, I want you to take care of Ben, the company, and the vineyard.”
He didn’t make a comment.
“Many years ago, before I met your mother, I was in the Italian mafia, and it was something that has always been part of my family. So even if I wanted to go a different path in life, its existence will always haunt me. But everything changed when I met your mother.”
I smiled to myself as I remembered the day I met Katherine.
“She was just a tourist, and she was so excited to visit Italy. When I saw her for the first time, I knew that I had to leave the mafia behind if I was going to be with her.”
“ I had a lot of enemies who hated and constantly targeted me in Italy, and I never wanted your mother to ever experience that kind of cruelty. Aside from that, my father never approved of our relationship because your mother was American.”
“On the other hand, your grandfather adored her, and when we realized that you were going to be part of our lives, I made the hardest decision: to relocate to America for you and your mother’s safety. But a few months after you were born, she got sick.”
Nolan turned to look at me.
“Why are you telling me all this?” he asked curiously.
I placed my hand on his shoulder, and he flinched at the mere contact.
“Son…”
His cold glare met mine.
“I stopped being your son the moment you took away the only woman I loved with all my heart.”
He chuckled.
“Do you really want to make things better between us?”
I nodded eagerly.
“Do me a favor and erase yourself from this world. Leave and never come back. Finally let me have Ben to myself. I know that she betrayed me, but deep down, I still love her.”
I sighed deeply.
Nolan got out of the car and began to walk toward the entrance of the warehouse.
Does he really want me dead?
“Matteo?”
I placed the burner phone to my ear.
“I have a new plan, but you won’t like it.”
PRESENT DAY
For a moment, I still stood frozen in shock, but Zane’s evil laughter brought me back to reality, and I realized that we were still in danger and, most importantly, Ben was still in his captivity.
She was pregnant.
Ben and I were going to have a baby.
Our eyes locked in a frenzy, and I felt a wave of anger when I realized that Zane had also endangered my unborn child’s life.
That bastard was going to pay.
He wasn’t going to leave this building alive, and I was going to make sure of it.
Nolan looked at me and stared at Ben.
When I didn’t say anything, he scoffed in annoyance.
This baby was going to change our lives.
Zane pointed his gun at Nolan and me.
“Come on, spill the beans, gentlemen. Who knocked her up between the two of you? Considering that she was having an affair with your father, despite the two of you being engaged, I’m sure that he’s the father of her unborn child.”
I remained silent.
Zane was just adding fuel to the fire, and I could already imagine what Nolan must be feeling right now.
We weren’t even on the best terms, and now this happens.
“Let her go… please.”
Zane smirked at me.
“Well, I might do you guys a favor, considering that you came alone and actually listened to me.”
Zane began to untie Ben’s hands from behind but never took his gaze off us.
Ben was trembling in the chair as all of this happened.
I gave her a stern nod when our eyes locked.
It felt like we could talk to each other through the silence.
She knew what had to be done, even if the choice was hard.
She just had to trust me.
I’ve lost her once, and I wasn’t planning on losing her again.
Ben was finally untied, and Nolan and I waited for his next move.
“My dear Benedykta, I’ll only say this once: you should run before I change my mind. Go to your beloved, and maybe I might show you mercy.”
Ben let out a gasp, looking between Nolan and me, and my heart painfully squeezed in my chest.
She scrambled to her feet and began to run, but halfway through the room, Zane fired his gun, and the sound echoed in the room as Ben let out a terrified scream.
Nolan caught her before she fell to the ground, and in an instant, Zane took his eyes off me and pointed his gun at them.
In an instant, I moved in the shadows and tackled Zane to the ground, and the gun got knocked out of his hand.
I overpowered Zane, sending blow after blow to his face, and turned to look at Nolan.
Who were still frozen on the spot.
“Get her out of here now!”
Ben shook her head tearfully.
“Ambrose, no… he has a bomb,” Ben sobbed tearfully.
Zane’s bloody smile met mine.
“Did you honestly think that I would make things so easy for you? No… if I can’t have Ben for myself, you don’t get to keep her, Ambrose,” he snarled.
His bloody face came into view.
“We go down together.”
I could see something flashing underneath his shirt.
Fuck.
“This whole fucking place will blow up in flames, and no one is getting out of here,” he taunted.
I looked Nolan in the eyes.
“Prenditi cura di lei.”
(Take care of her.)
He shook his head in disbelief.
“Papa’, non intendevo quello che ho detto in macchina. Per favore, non farlo. Ho ancora bisogno di te… sei la mia unica famiglia,” he pleaded tearfully.
(Dad, I didn’t mean what I said in the car. Please don’t do this. I still need you… you’re my only family.)
I looked at Ben, and she was in tears.
“I love you, piccolo fiore.”
“Matteo, now!”
Matteo rushed into the building and pulled Ben and Nolan out of the warehouse right on cue.
I could still hear her screaming my name.
Zane glared at me, and I smiled.
It was time to meet the grim reaper.