“He didn’t kidnap your wife,” I snap.
Alek holds up his hands. “We know. And I know you’re angry, Luca. But just think about it. If you strike at Gabriel now while you’re in this state, it could lead to you getting hurt. You can’t protect Nina at your best right now. We’ll go after Gabriel again. I promise. But for right now, focus on healing. Focus on your marriage. Nina is precious to me. Make things work with her. If we want this deal to hold, that’s what you will do.”
It will mean pushing down my pride again but when I look Nina in the eye, I know it will be worth it. I chose her for a reason. At first, it was because she seemed like the lesser of two evils but now, I know my gut chose her because she’s the woman for me. She’s made me less logical and more passionate.
“Fine,” I say. “I won’t do anything until I’ve healed. But just promise me that we’ll get Gabriel one day. Yes?”
Both Alek and Dimitri nod.
That will have to do for now.
The four of them leave the room so Nina and I can have more time to ourselves. Susanna, to her credit, hasn’t come by to start drama. Maybe things can truly improve.
Nina takes my hand. “Thank you. For making a deal.”
“I thought you hated Dimitri for what he did to you.”
“I was scared of him, yes. But this is for the best. As long as Dimitri is on our side, I won’t have to be scared of him anymore. I just want to try with us, Luca. Try to make our relationship better. That’s all I want. When you chose me, I also agreed to marry you. I knew what it would entail. I was willing to do my duty. I still am. But now, it’s more than just a duty to me. You’ve shown me that I can trust you completely. I want to make this work.”
I kiss the back of her hand, loving how at ease we feel together. “I want to make this work too.”
“I want to talk more. Get to know you better. Open up to me and I’ll open up to you.”
“Ok,” I say with a deep exhale. “Then where should we begin?”
“With whatever feels right.”
Chapter Sixteen
Nina
It’s a long journey for Luca to heal. Instead of being the one in charge, he has to be the one who is helped. He can easily feed himself but I do have to help him get up from the bed every day since it’s hard for him with his injury. I know he will heal in time.
But for now, it’s up to me to make sure he gets there. It’s time for me to step up and be the wife he can be proud of.
Luca grumbles every day when I have to help him out of the bed. He hates being dependent on anyone. It’s a twist of fate.
“You’ll get better soon,” I tell him one morning as he sighs and mutters to himself. I have my arms around his waist to help him walk. His legs work fine but the bullet wound in his chest has taken a lot out of him. It’s a miracle he even survived.
“I know. I just want it to come sooner.”
I don’t say it out loud but I feel the same. When Luca and I first married, he wanted to control every aspect of my life so I wouldn’t fall into bad habits with my sister. And while I hated it at first, now I’m starting to miss it. I liked how Luca took care of me. How he took charge and helped me forget about how I used to be.
I don’t tell him this because I don’t want him to be upset that he can’t provide this for me right now. But when he’s better, I’ll need to work up the courage to tell him exactly what I need.
Since Luca’s come home from the hospital, we haven’t stopped talking. I’ve learned more about him than I have my own sister.
I now know all about Luca’s struggles with becoming a mafia boss, how he had to make himself cold to get to the top, and how it’s all new for him to be more passionate when it comes to me. But he’s working on it.
I’ve revealed to him about the tough time I went through when my dad died and Alek took over to help take care of me and Susanna. How I fell into a bad attitude after he died. How it was easier to follow Susanna than deal with my dad’s death.
Maybe it’s because Luca is wounded but it makes it easier for me to open up to him. He’s less intimidating now that I know he’s just human and needs me as much as I need him.
Gabriel is still out there. I know Alek and Dimitri have been working on trying to find him but they haven’t been successful yet. I just hope that he doesn’t come for me again.
I just hope that I can focus on my marriage and create the life that I want and not the one I had.
Over the next few weeks while Luca heals, Susanna and I spend more time talking. True to her word, she hasn’t gone back into her bad habits like she used to do. She’s been making more of an effort to be kind. I know it’s not always easy for her but she’s trying. I’m not sure how long it will last though, so for now, I try to focus on the positive. Susanna is in my life and so is my husband. I can make this work.
