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"Nico, I'm not the same person I was all of those years ago. I won't allow them to take you from me again. If they come after you, I will fight them, and believe me, they will not win. I'm a lot more powerful than I was back then."
Physically, I could see that, but it meant nothing against their money and connections. I don't think Luca understood that.
"I have a plan, cuore mio, but you have to agree to it first."
"What plan?"
"It involves you, me, and a minister."
"A minister?"
"Will you marry me, Nico?"
"But—"
"No buts," Luca said. "This is a yes or no question that requires a yes or no answer."
I felt like my heart spasmed as I said, "I'm engaged."
"Oh, I am aware."
Huh?
"Do you honestly think I'd let you marry someone else?" Luca scoffed. "You've been mine since I took your first kiss. I was just giving you time to grow up, but you have so I'm here now."
"Do you mean it?" Hope blossomed in my chest and nothing on earth could have made it fade. "Can we really be together now?"
"We can, cuore mio." Luca stood and grabbed me, pulling me into his arms. "I've made plans, Nico, big plans, and I just need you to agree to them."
"Anything," I whispered. "I'll do anything to be with you."
The last ten years without Luca had been hell. I couldn't believe we were finally together now. I was also terrified that he'd be taken away from me again.
"Come on." Luca turned me and pushed me toward the doors. "Come inside where we can talk. I have a lot to explain to you."
He grabbed his cell phone real quick and then hurried to join me. Inside, he led me over to one of the two plush cream colored couches and sat down, pulling me down beside him.
"The first thing you need to know is that Gena and her father were all in on this plan of mine."
My mouth parted in surprise. "Really?"
Luca nodded. "I knew that your parents were keeping you under their thumb so I needed a way to get you away from them. I figured if I dangled a bit of money in front of them, they'd loosen their grip on you."
I narrowed my eyes. "How much?"
"A hundred thousand dollars."
I gasped, my eyes growing large. "You gave them a hundred thousand dollars? For me?"
"I would have given them a million dollars for you." Luca chuckled. "But, no, I just dangled the money in front of them. I didn't give it to them. It was supposed to be your dowry when you married Gena, but since you won't be marrying her, they won't get the money."
"And Gena and her father agreed to this?"
"Gena is my sister Marisa's best friend. She knows the whole story of how I ended up in prison and what your parents did to us. She jumped at the chance to help me save you so we could be together."
"So, what about my engagement to Gena?"
"You were never truly engaged to her. We just needed to find a way to get you away from your parents long enough for me to save you and get you away from them."
