The rain hadn’t stopped in hours.

It lashed against the bulletproof windows of the black SUV as we pulled up to the Valenti estate. The mansion loomed like a ghost in the storm, silent and unwelcoming. My home — or what used to be.

I stepped out before Luca could stop me, soaked within seconds. Matteo and two of Luca’s guards followed, guns hidden under their jackets. My husband stayed by my side, jaw locked in warning.

This wasn’t a family visit.

It was war.

Elio waited in the grand foyer, a glass of brandy in hand, wearing the same black suit he wore to every funeral. I wondered if...