He laughed silently. “I am.” His slow approach was meant to pacify me. I knew body language well enough to realize he was trying to soothe me like one would a frightened animal.
“Why? Why can’t someone else go? Why can’t your family get Don Manca out of there? I mean, don’t you have competent people who can, I don’t know, kidnap him from there?”
Mario’s shoulders shook. “One of those competent kidnappers is me.”
“Oh—kay, who else can help you do that?” My brain struggled to keep up with the revelations.
“No one. I will not have someone else’s corpse sleep in my coffin.”
That image was too vivid. My hands shook. I clenched them against my waist so he wouldn’t see how badly his words terrified me.
“Allie, we have this night. It is beautiful, and ours. Please?” He held out his hand and took another step closer.
“Mario.” My voice wobbled as his heat touched my skin.
His breath brushed my face as he slipped beneath my defenses. “I’m here. I want to love you.”
My eyes shot to his face. “I’m already there.”
His mouth fell open to a confused frown, then transformed to an enlightened oval. A string of rapid-fire Italian too fast to decipher spilled from his lips like a prayer. He saw my confusion and switched, saying, “My love. My life. You surprise me and humble me.” His lips brushed my skin as he pulled me close.
I trembled in his embrace, not daring to unclench my arms but desperately wanting to seize his body and drag him somewhere safe I could insure he’d never be able to escape from me.
He noticed my fear. “My love?”
“How did this happen? I did everything right. I stayed out of trouble, I got good grades, I earned a doctorate, and I’m still?—”
“Do you regret meeting me?”
I gave it enough thought to answer honestly. “No. I don’t. I don’t think I’ll ever regret it. But I don’t know how I’m going to live without you.”
He sat down on the closest chair. His brow twisted up. Pain laced his frown. His breathing was shallow. “I didn’t think anyone would miss me.”
I sat on his lap. “I will. So, make a different plan. Please?”
His eyes searched mine. “It would start a war. Many would die then.”
Oh. I didn’t want that. Don Manca, Loppa, Firenze, and even Ringo had grown on me. I couldn’t and wouldn’t sacrifice any of them… Well, maybe Ringo. The bastard hurt my sister. But the others? No.
They were dangerous, much more so than my grandfather, yet they reminded me of him. He loved us with his whole heart—Mom, Ellie, me, even Dad. Doted on us no matter the circumstances or stressors of his life. There were many families like Mario’s and mine. Not exactly wholesome, but whole. Their love didn’t stop at legal lines. It seeped everywhere. Even when it wasn’t convenient, or wise.
I kissed him.
He was right. We had a beautiful night together, and I was wasting it by arguing with him. Or worse, trying to change him. He had honor, a code binding him to a strict course, and he loved his grandfather. Even more, he loved the family who’d pay the price if he didn’t do what he had to. I understood that duty. Foolishly, I’d thought I could protect my parents and my sister by proving to everyone we were just a normal family. But the cracks were made before I was born. I’d only patched them enough to ignore them.
I broke contact before he could deepen the kiss and drug me senseless with his lips. “How about a plan that doesn’t start a war, and you have a chance to come back to me?”
His smile was hesitant at first but grew. “I will do that.”
Not try. Will. My heart sang.
“Come,” I tugged him out of the chair and toward the bed. We had mere hours left. “I stole one of Ellie’s nightgowns.”
“You steal many more and she’ll have none.”
I paused at the edge of the bed. “I bet Ringo would like that.”
Mario made a sound of disgust. “Let’s not mention him tonight, please?”
