ROSE’s POV Lily and Kane. Kane and Lily. I should be happy for them, I should give them my blessings, I should wish them nothing but happiness. I know what she went through. She never said anything to me and mother has kept mum about it but I am no fool. I know she was raped because of me. I should be grateful she volunteered to take my place. I should, but I am not. I am a monster. I want Kane, I want him more than anything else in the world. He consumes my every waking moment and I thrive just by drinking in the sight of his beautiful face. I know it’s strange, how can I fall for a man I barely know? He hasn’t even spoken more than a few sentences to me but there’s just something about him that draws me, that makes me yearn for him. Is it his power? His devilish charm or the fact that he is unattainable? I do not know, all I know is if I can’t have him then no one can, not even Lily. I step out of the kitchen and make my way up to K

LILY’s POV   “Loving someone is giving them the power to break your heart, but trusting them not to.”― Julianne Moore   I palm the mug of hot tea with both my hands, trying to keep warm against the chilly draft that breezes across the night sky. Breathing in the steam from my tea, I look up at the moon and wonder what mother, Rose and Thomas are doing. Are they sleeping already? I miss them. “A penny for your thoughts?” Kane’s voice breaks my train of thoughts and my head rears back from the kitchen window to face him. He has a glass of red wine in his hand and is dressed in a dark blue robe clinched at the waist by a satin sheath. The corners of my lips lift at the sight of him. It is good to see him moving about after all the slashing he endured during the fight. Placing my mug down on the kitchen countertop, I walk over to him and place both hands on his robe, pulling them tighter to

KANE’s POV “Each betrayal beings with a trust.” – Martin Luther   I twist my body to take a better look at my back. It is gruesome, marred by scars from yesteryears’ battles and most recently from the fire in the warehouse and the wound courtesy of Iroshi. I clench my jaw as I slip into a plain shirt, trying to ignore the phantom pains that gnaw at my back. A gentle knock comes at my door and for a moment, my heart soars and all pain is forgotten. Has Lily come to bid me goodbye again? That girl must miss me already. I chuckle and stretch my arms, wincing slightly as I walk towards the door. Doctor Antonio was right, had the blade gone an inch deeper, it would have been ‘sayonara’ for me. But upon opening my bedroom door, I am greeted not by the sight of a chestnut-haired beauty. Rather the woman who stands before me is a blonde in a body fitting blue dress and the smile fades from my face. It is Rose. “Kane!” She smiles.

LILY’s POV “Mafia is a process, not a thing. Mafia is a form of clan cooperation to which its individual members pledge a lifelong commitment to. Friendship, connections, family ties, trust, loyalty, obedience… this was the glue that held us together.”  – Joe Bonanno   I am faced with the most beautiful view before me. A sunset by the beach with gentle waves cradling the shore before they retreat and come back once more. Propping my elbows on the sand I lean my head back and look up at the evening sky where a flock of birds fly in unison heading home. The ocean is everything I want to be, powerful, wild and free. I wish Kane were here. I wonder if he thinks of me as often as I think of him? “Beer?” Russo breaks my train of thoughts and plops down on the sand beside me, tossing over a bottle of beer my way without even waiting for my reply. I catch it with two hands. Russo sits cross-legged on the sandy

LILY’s POV ‘Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.’ - Mary Oliver Father used to say that when change happens, you can feel it in the wind. It is as if the breeze itself carries a message along with it as it glides through the air and caresses your skin, whispering secrets into your ear. I used to laugh at that. I used to tease father about his overly imaginative mind. But now I know it to be true. Something has changed.Kane has changed.I sense it the moment I set foot in the mansion. The air is thicker, the place is quieter and Kane, he does not meet my eyes.Russo doesn’t seem to notice it though, the man practically prances into the mansion and gives Kane the biggest bear hug ever.“Boss! All the ammunition and weaponry have been accounted for,” Russo chirps happily away oblivious to the fact t