Page 27
“You.”
My chest tightens. “Me?”
She nods, tears gathering in her eyes again. “When I heard you talking to Aldo about Matteo, everything suddenly made sense. I knew what it meant. I knew what you were.”
“I am a mafia don.”
She flinches and I realize that I hate that.
“I won’t lie to you,” I say.
“Yes, I’m involved in the business. Yes, I have men who kill for me. Yes, I’ve done things I’m not proud of, and I’ll do them again if someone threatens my family. I’m not going to pretend I’m a good man, because I’m not.” Her eyes lift to mine. “But I would never hurt you.”
“I know.”
The words surprise me. “You know?”
She nods slowly. “That’s the worst part. I know you’re dangerous. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen how people react to you. But I’ve never been afraid that you would hurt me.”
My throat tightens. She looks down at our joined hands. “You were always so careful with me.”
“Because you’re mine, Katya, and I’m yours.” Her eyes rise at my words.
“You own me body and soul, Tesoro mio,” I add, my voice roughening. “You’re the woman I love. The woman I want beside me. The woman carrying my child. I will walk to the ends of the earth for you.” Her lips part at my declaration, but I continue, “I love you, Katya.”
The words feel strange coming from my mouth. Not because they aren’t true. Because they are the truest words I have ever said. “I love you more than I thought I was capable of loving anyone, and that scares the shit out of me. You and this baby are the most important things in my life now.”
She wipes beneath one eye. “My stepfather was horrible,” she whispers. “He killed my father to marry my mother, and after he did, he hurt her. He controlled everything. And she became someone I barely recognized until he arranged her death. I was terrified that if I got involved with another powerful man, the same thing would happen to me.”
I take her face between my hands. “I am not Yuri. I would rather cut off my own hands than ever use them to hurt you.”
Her breath catches. “I know that. You don’t understand what this means to me,” she whispers.
“I do.” I stare into her eyes. “Do you trust me?”
She hesitates, then nods. “Yes.”
That one word settles something inside me. “Then listen to me. I will give up the family.”
Her eyes widen. “What?”
“I’ll call my grandfather tomorrow. He can appoint someone else. I’ll walk away from the Morettis.”
She shakes her head. “You can’t.”
“I can.”
“Dario, this is your life.”
“No.” I shake my head. “It was my life. You’re my life now.” She stares at me as though she is trying to decide whether I mean it. “I spent years building this empire,” I continue. “I can spend the rest of my life tearing it down if that’s what it takes to keep you and our baby safe.”
She shakes her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. “You’d really do that?”
“In a fucking heartbeat.”
Something changes in her expression. She looks at me differently, as if she finally understands me and believes what I’m telling her. I can tell that she is finally seeing the man underneath the mafia don status she’s terrified of.
“You love me,” she whispers.
