It felt good to run outside again. Gabe was by my side the whole time, and Loretto ran ten strides behind us. I work out every day. I feel in control, and knowing my body is getting stronger makes me feel better about myself. Yet, after an hour, I am done. My legs are like jelly, and I’m no longer a pretty Mafia princess. Sweat drips down over my brow and my clothes are soaked, but the two men with me are hardly even breathing heavily.
I drag my ass up the back patio and playfully punch Gabe. “You could at least fake being out of breath.”
His eyes grow wide when he sees me break into a smile, and he chuckles. “I’m sorry, Miss Fontana. I’ll work on that for you.”
I jerk my thumb back at Loretto. “He’s no better.” Gabe sees that I get inside. “I’m not going anywhere except in the shower, if you guys have something to do.”
“I’ll head over to the guesthouse to clean up and will be back shortly. Loretto will wait here until I return,” Gabe says.
“But I’m at home and there’re guards all over the property,” I remind him.
“Yes, but Fausto is at school, Julian is with Alessio, and your father had to run out on business. I would feel better if Loretto waited in the house until I come back.” Gabe is taking this very seriously. I understand why, and I’m grateful for it. Niccolo gave him an important role, and he doesn’t want to make any mistakes.
“Whatever you think is best,” I concede. “We’ll rustle up some food when I’m done with my shower.”
By the time I come back downstairs, my tummy is rumbling, and I’m in dire need of food. Gabe’s sitting at the kitchen island, back in his dark suit. It must be Loretto’s turn to get cleaned up.
“Hungry?” I ask.
Gabe pulls out an energy bar. “You don’t need to worry about us.”
“I can’t eat with you watching me and eating that.” I scrunch up my nose at the bar he’s holding. “That’s not food. Sure, in a pinch it’ll do, but you need good food.”
“This is a healthy bar.”
“Okay, I’ll rephrase. Real food.” I duck my head into the fridge and take out blueberries, strawberries, and yogurt, then I head over to the cupboard and grab a box of granola and honey. I pull together a yogurt parfait bowl and set it down in front of him. “Try that,” I tell him.
“I can’t eat your breakfast.”
“I’m making two more, silly. Loretto should be back soon, right?”
“Yeah, but—”
“I know, I know, it’s not necessary,” I mock, then in a more serious tone, I say, “Please let me do this. It’s the least I can do.”
Without another word, he picks up his spoon and takes a mouthful. “It’s good. Very good,” he says, sinking his spoon in for another bite. It’s a small thing, but it makes me feel useful. I make two more, just in time for Loretto to join us.
The afternoon goes by rather quickly. Josie’s mother, Nina, comes by to finalize the plans for Josie’s baby shower. Nina and my mother seem to have a lot in common, and before you know it, they’re reminiscing about their days in high school together.
Josie’s father, Germano, was an abusive man to his family. Nina lived in fear until his death. Unfortunately, her fear also stopped her from protecting her daughter from her father’s physical abuse. Josie was often seen with bruises, although they claimed that Josie was a clumsy child. No one really knew how bad the situation had gotten until she was married off to Aurelio, another cruel man. How Josie survived that degree of violence is a miracle. After Aurelio’s death, her father wanted her home so he could continue his hold on her. That’s when Alessio took her as his bride and stopped the insanity.
This drove a wedge between Josie and her family, and it wasn’t until Germano’s death that Josie and her mother slowly began to mend fences. I think this is why Nina is looking painstakingly at every detail of this event and making sure it’s perfect.
Every so often, Gabe does a walk-through and leaves as silently as he came. Loretto must be outside, because I haven’t seen or heard him since morning. Mom’s out meeting with some friends, which is refreshing. Normally, she would hover around the house fussing over me. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been home alone. Although, one could argue that having Gabe, Loretto, and a team of security guards at the gate is far from being alone.
This is the calmest I’ve felt since before I was taken. Maybe it’s having two soldiers around and knowing their capabilities. But Domenico was one of my father’s best men, and he was caught off guard. One moment, he was standing right behind me, and the next, he was on the pavement with a bullet through the heart. I remember dropping to my knees and screaming for help. Only, help didn’t arrive, and instead, two men grabbed me and dragged me away. Domenico left behind a wife with three kids. My parents have been to see them weekly, and Dad has vowed to keep them safe and has continued to keep them financially secure. There will be a day when Domenico’s son will either finish school and look after his family or choose to entrench himself further in Il Destino.
The Red Dragons are gone, but the emotional, mental, and physical damage they’ve caused has left Alessio furious. As much as Alessio is a dangerous man, the one thing he does not condone is hurting innocent women and children.
I’m surprised when Niccolo traipses into the room looking so handsome that I’m almost certain I’m drooling. The man looks incredible in his dark-blue tailored suit. It’s not just his looks, it’s the way he swaggers into a room. Whether he’s alone or in a crowd of thousands, there’s no way to miss his gait, his stance, and the way his eyes find their way to mine.
He comes right for me, bending at the waist and brushing his lips over the apple of my cheek. “Hello, tigrotta. I hear you had a good day.”
“Gabe telling all my secrets, I see,” I tease.
“Sorry, bella, but I don’t think jogging on an open road could be considered a secret,” he counters with a grin.
“You know, those two”—I point to the door—“hardly broke a sweat.”
“I should hope not. I trained them myself. Gabe is one of the best, most promising men in the family. He’s going to be a formidable leader one day.”
“How was your day?” I ask.
Niccolo takes a seat next to me, leaning back into the sofa. “It’s been an interesting day.”
“Interesting, good or bad?” I try to size up his expression, but Niccolo is giving nothing away.
“Too early to tell,” he responds. “I wanted to speak with you about moving up the wedding date. The mothers will hate me, but I have matters that are going to require my attention. We either need to delay the wedding or move it up. I choose to move it up.”
I know it sounds insane, but it would be so much simpler to move the wedding ahead. It means that my mother and Niccolo’s aren’t going to have the time to make this the spectacle of a lifetime. “How long?” I ask.
“A couple of months.”
“I’m fine with this, but Santa—”
“I’ll handle our families,” he says decisively. “As long as you’re on board, I’ll sit them both down and let them know. I spoke to your father earlier and he understands the situation and was happy to accommodate us as long as you were comfortable with the change.”
“It’s settled, then?”
“It’s settled. I need to have a word with Gabe and Loretto.” He rises to his feet.
“Are you staying for dinner?” I ask hopefully.
“Is that an invitation?” He raises his brow and throws a sly smile my way.
“Nothing fancy. I’m making beef and vegetable stir-fry.”
“Sounds delicious,” he says. “I’m going to call my mother and let her know about our change of plans.”
* * *
Despite Niccolo’s efforts to forestall his mother, Santa arrived after dinner to “expedite matters,” as she called it. I could hear her through the phone ranting that it will be impossible to pull off a proper wedding in such a short time. Hence, she decided that the three of us needed to have an emergency meeting.
“The Maddison is booked for the next six months straight,” Santa says with great frustration. The Maddison is one of the loveliest banquet halls, and the food is exquisite. The venue is known for its elegance and professionalism.
Dad comes to the rescue. “I’ll call Keanan.” The owner of the venue and his family have been good friends with Mom and Dad for years, and Dad is not above pulling strings if that means the mothers are appeased. Without delay, Dad is on the phone, and forty-five minutes later, The Maddison is ours.
Within several hours, we have a menu, invitations, flowers, and music. Mom is calling the church tomorrow, and without a doubt, this too will be a done deal. “Valentina, your dress,” Santa exclaims. “How on earth will we be able to find anything suitable with so little time? We need to find a gown as beautiful as you, my dear.”
“Actually, I think I know what I want. I want to try on some similar gowns to see if they suit me, and I was hoping to find a seamstress who would sew it for me,” I tell them.
“I didn’t know you had something in mind,” Mom says, appearing hurt that I haven’t told her about it.
“I’ve been looking at designs. I’ll try on something similar in a bridal shop and go from there. Believe me, Mom, you were going to see it first.” I reach over to clasp her hand. I’m hoping it eases the twinge of disappointment. “Let’s go dress shopping tomorrow, and you can tell me what you think.”
“I have the most talented seamstress,” Santa interjects. “She’s a dream.” She claps her hands together happily.
“You’re welcome to come with us, that is, if you’re free,” I tell Niccolo’s mother.
“I’d be honored.” Santa wraps an arm around my shoulders and gives me a squeeze.
“We’ll need Josie and Sienna to choose their bridesmaid dresses,” Mom adds, making notes in her notebook.
“I doubt that Alessio is going to want Josie walking around in her condition. We’re cutting it close to her delivery date,” Santa reminds us.
“I’m taking my chances. I want Josie to be my maid of honor.” There’s no one else I want by my side. Josie’s been wonderful to me, and she’s the closest and dearest friend I have. It started off that Josie may have needed me more at the beginning of our friendship, but it’s become clear that there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for me.
Niccolo disappeared for the rest of the evening. He and Dad have been talking in whispers. At one point, they announced that they had to deal with a business matter.
I’m used to this. Dad’s done this all our lives. When Julian makes his appearance, it’s with a brief hello, and then he disappears with the rest of the men. I’m not sure if it was the look in Julian’s eyes or the way he excused himself faster than I’ve ever seen, but I get this knot in my stomach, my chest tightens, and a wave of dread comes over me.
Santa and Mom are a great distraction, but when Santa is ready to leave, Niccolo has two other men follow behind their vehicle besides her appointed bodyguard. Niccolo sees me and instantly realizes there’s a problem. He comes to stand next to me and slides an arm around my waist. A shiver runs down my spine.
As soon as his mother is gone, he guides me away and says over his shoulder, “I need a minute with Valentina.” Niccolo leads me to the library. In the corner is my reading nook, and my favorite cozy chair where I come to lose myself in a book. I take a seat and wait for him to begin. “What’s happening here, Val?” he asks. He crouches down onto his haunches and lifts my chin to gaze into my face.
“For the last couple of days, I’ve been feeling better, stronger. I thought I was getting back to the real me. Then, I, uh… I don’t know, I can’t explain it.” I shake my head, searching for the words.
Niccolo takes my hand. “Try,” he urges.
“It’s like everything is going to fall apart again,” I blurt out lamely.
“The wedding—”
“That’s not it,” I say. “It’s the look in Julian’s eyes, the way you and my father were whispering. I know that most men want to keep business away from their family. I get that, and normally I’d agree. But I don’t know, for me, I think it’s worse. I keep waiting for something horrible to happen, and when I see the looks on your faces, I know it’s coming.”
I drop my gaze to my lap and see that I’m gripping his hand so hard, my knuckles are turning white.
“Val, look at me.” He waits for me to meet his eyes. “I want to tell you what’s going on, and I prefer to have a wife that I can talk with about a limited amount of information that happens in our businesses. Most wives want to continue to live like a normal married woman and choose to ignore the darker side of our lives. My concern is that you’re not ready for this type of forthright truth.”
“It’s worse.”
“Would it help if I tell you that you’re not the target, tigrotta?”
“I’m not?”
“No.” Immediately, my thoughts go to my father and Julian. It’s like Niccolo is reading my mind. “Not your family.”
Suddenly, the pressure on my chest increases, like a heavy hand pressing down hard. “Who?” My voice so faint that it’s barely audible.
“Me. But there seems to be one in each of the allied families.”
“Oh my God!” I whisper harshly.
“Il Destino has this under control. Alessio is working in tandem with Reno and Marco. We’re going to figure this out.”
How can he be this calm? Someone is trying to kill him, and he makes it sound like an irritating fender bender in a supermarket parking lot. “What if—”
“There are no what-ifs. This is not the first time nor will it be the last that someone comes after me. I’m first and foremost a soldier. I’ve been taught well and know how to handle myself. Alessio and I have been training since we were kids. I have a black belt in karate, and can literally kill a man with my bare hands. When it comes to survival, I know how.” He tilts his head to one side. “You’re killing my ego here. My fiancée doesn’t think I can defend myself.”
“I do. I do.” I lick my lips. “Bad men play dirty.”
“I’m a very bad man, Valentina. Make no mistake about it. I’ve tortured and killed with no regrets. And I assure you, fighting dirty is my specialty.”
I don’t know what comes over me; I frame his face with my hands and plaster my mouth to his. I don’t know what I’m doing, but Niccolo does, and he moves his lips over mine. He’s kissing me, really kissing me. His lips, firm and warm, lead into a deeper kiss, his tongue sliding into my mouth and causing my toes to curl.
When Niccolo ends our kiss, I say, “Nothing can happen to you.”
“It won’t.”
“Promise me?” I insist.
He puts my hand over his heart, holding it with his own, and says, “La mia tigrotta, te lo prometto.”