The patter of rain became as loud as a storm.
Until it suddenly stopped.
The field was flooded with red, like a pool of perfumed blood.
Ava looked up when I did, and Zio Luca was still on his feet, staring down.
He gave us a nod of approval, tossed his rose at our feet, and the entire crowd erupted into sounds of thunderous applause.
FIFTY-ONE
AVA
“Grrrrrr.”Nazzareno roared like he was in pain, and I snatched my hand away, holding both of my hands up like I was surrendering.
I’d been changing one of his bandages, and I guess I was a little too rough, but he usually didn’t complain. Even when he had over a two hundred stitches, he still liked my hands on him and the attention he got.
It was December, and he was almost all healed, except for one spot that was taking a little longer. It had been a deep gash—down to the bone.
I narrowed my eyes when he started to smile, and when he started laughing, all deep and raspy, I shoved him. “Ass!”
He laughed even harder and pulled me on top of him. He entangled us, wrapping his arms and legs around me. He kissed me all over the face, what Scarlett had called Italian smooches when she’d seen him do it once.
“Tell me I get to keep you forever.” He kissed me even harder.
I smiled so hard my face hurt. “You get to keep me longer than that. Wherever we go after this, we go together. I’ll cut a bitch even in ghost form—I don’t share. You’remine.” I growled.
He stopped kissing me, and rolling over on his back, roared with laughter. “It is only fair,” he said once he was able to stop. “I cut a bitch for you.”
This time, I laughed so hard, we both started laughing, even though the memory of theludiwas still too fresh in my mind. As fresh as the wounds and scars on my husband’s skin.
We both sighed, probably taking trips down memory lane together. Then after we both returned to reality, we pulled even closer, so thankful we were both breathing the same air. We had conquered that time together, and unless a challenger came at Nazzareno for something else, he wouldn’t ever have to step back into that ring ever again for me.
In fact, he wouldn’t ever have to touch that ground again. He’d found favor with his uncle, and if a serious issue ever came up, it would have to be worked out in a different way, unless Nazzareno tried to steal another man’s wife or disrespected her.
He seemed perfectly fine with that clause.
So was I.
This love was more than enough for the both of us.
It was good enough for his family too.
Nazzareno told me we had set a record with the number of roses we’d received. The Fausti family loved a romantic and ruthless story, and what I’d done…they considered it a great plot twist.
The ending was so much more satisfying because of it.
ZioLuca, as he instructed me to call him, sentenced Leandro to time in Malum for attempting a coup with Alvaro, and he also made a marriage arrangement between Leandro and Elettra Buratti. It settled the Burattis complaints about the broken arrangement (the marriage hadn’t been publicly announced, so it was easy to switch out Nazzareno’s name with Leandro’s), and it gave Elettra what she wanted: children who would be born with Fausti blood and who would carry the name. Leandro would get conjugal visits because of it.
He also wasn’t allowed to take any mistresses. Luca made sure to add that clause to the arrangement. Even if Leandro needed more romantically throughout his life, if Luca’s word was respected, Leandro couldn’t do anything about it. If he tried, it could mean his ownludior even straight death.
My husband’sludididn’t result in any deaths. Renato had survived, too, though he had sustained some damage and was still in the hospital.
As far as Nazzareno losing his spot in his faction, Luca had arranged a meeting between my husband and his father. It seemed Nazzareno’s new fame after theludihad reached Lothario. He wanted Nazzareno back, even though he made it seem like he was only doing it because he’d lost Leandro. The only reason Nazzareno agreed to it was because he wanted to carry Marzio’s legacy on through his line. If he’d switched over to Luca’s faction, his position would have dropped to solider.
That was all family politics, though, and I looked around at the renovated place in(Place HERE)and sighed.
A place to put down roots while Nazzareno gave me wings to fly. It wasn’t the trap I’d always thought it would be, but a place to take my rest when the world became too much.
