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I shook my head. “The Leones know what she means to me. They have already threatened her life. She is not safe either way.”
Mamma sighed and I felt her intense gaze on my side profile. “And what does she mean to you, Gio?”
I closed my eyes and allowed the terrifying and overwhelming emotions inside me some control to speak the truth. The thoughts and feelings that I had been trying hard to tame but now I knew they were pointless to try to ignore. They were too strong and I was in too deep.
“Everything. She means everything.” I couldn’t deny all I had felt since this intoxicating woman walked into my life. Desire, anger, lust, worry, and something even more dangerous- love.
When mamma didn’t reply, I turned my head to the side hidden by my hands and saw her smiling.
“You love her?”
I nodded. “Si.”
“Then you must fight for her, at all costs. But Gio, when I say fight…I don’t mean to wave your gun around and force her to be with you,” she smirked.
I scoffed. “Noted.”
I stood up, feeling slightly calmer, and looked down at my mother, who had never failed me. She always had my back, no matter how idiotic I was. I bent down and kissed the top of her head. “Grazie mamma.”
Walking down the steps, I called for Angelo, who was stationed at the front door on guard.
“Take one other soldier and guard Olivia’s building. I will put you on shifts. Ring me if you see anything suspicious, no matter how small. Eyes on her at all times. If she leaves the flat, follow her at a safe distance and inform me. She won’t be happy about it, but you are an extension of me and you will not let anything happen to her. Do you understand?” He nodded professionally. “Do this well, Angelo, and I will move you up the ranks quickly.”
A small smile played at the corners of his lips before he forced his face to become expressionless again. He marched away to fulfil his order. Giving her some space from me was going to be the hardest thing I had ever done in my life, but I couldn’t leave her unprotected. I'd give her a few hours to calm down, but I am not giving up on us. She thinks she doesn’t need anyone, but she needs me. She just doesn’t realise it yet. But I will make her see. One way or another, I will win her back. Because I fucking loved her.Goddammit.
Saying Goodbye
Olivia
“Gigi, please come away from there,” I moaned as I flicked through the few TV channels we had on the small plasma. Gigi was peering out the curtain at the black SUV that had been parked outside the building since I returned home from the mansion yesterday. I recognised the beefy body and stern face of Angelo and knew Giovanni had sent them to keep an eye on me. A part of me was furious, but another part felt a little relieved knowing that someone was keeping me safe, seeing as the threat of Leones and Henry was still out there.
“I just don’t understand it. Why do you have a bodyguard if you've quit?” She spoke, her eyes still squinting down at the car. I don’t know what she was expecting to happen.
I didn’t answer her and pretended to be engrossed in the Italian news that I couldn’t understand a word of. I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth. And now, being here, was going to put her in danger too. I had to leave. And soon.
“Oh! They are switching over!” she said excitedly. I groaned and flopped my head down on the cushion.
“Why are you so obsessed with this?”
“Because it is not every day, I have super hunky men standing guard over my flat! Maybe I should go outside and offer them a coffee? They must be thirsty,” she smirked mischievously.
“No! You should definitely not. They are fine.”
“It’s Giovanni!”
I sat bolt upright and stared at her. She was pointing down the path and my heart started racing. He had sent me a text last night saying he wasn't marrying Camilla and he would give me some space, but he was not going anywhere and was ready to talk whenever I was. I wasn’t ready to talk. It was too difficult. It was over and just seeing him again would cause too much pain. This thing that should have never started between us needed to end. I could never give him what he needed. I thought for a second that I could. That I could be that woman who could be in the chaos of his life, but I can't. Yesterday just proved to me that I couldn't trust him and I needed to move on before Henry came for me. Even as I tried to convince myself of those words, my heart tugged and I felt physically sick.
I stood up and raced towards the window. There he was. Standing in the road talking to Angelo. He looked unfairly gorgeous in grey suit trousers and a crisp white shirt; sleeves rolled up. Angelo nodded once at something he said and they swapped cars. Angelo climbed into Giovanni’s Ferrari and Gio climbed into the SUV. My heart was pounding in my chest as Angelo sped off, leaving Giovanni and one other man sitting guard outside the building. I stepped backwards slowly, eyes wide.
What was he doing? Why would he come here? Doesn’t he have more important things to do than sit outside my building all day? I threw myself back down on the sofa and grabbed the remote again.
“Aren’t you going to go and speak to him?” Gigi asked, giving me a dubious look as she walked away from the window and into the kitchen.
“No,” I replied.
“So, it was a pretty big argument then?” She questioned. She had been like this all morning, trying to get more information out of me as to why I quit my job and came home in a foul mood last night.
“No. No argument. He just wasn’t the person I thought he was. We are complete opposites. It would never have worked, so it’s better this way,” I replied nonchalantly, avoiding her penetrating stare.
