“Family, women, honor, and wives appear often in the words I live by. But until I met you, I didn’t understand how someone so gentle would fit.”
“I’m not gentle.”
This woman… she made me smile. “You are. And that’s why I trust you with my life and my family, and most of all, with my heart.”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“I do.”
Sempre. Forever.
24
Allie
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?”
Ellie bit her lip and stared at the blue waters of the northern Sardinian coastline. Even as early in spring as it was, the ocean was a postcard-worthy vista of pristine beach, turquoise-hued ocean, punctuated with dangerously rocky coves that were perfect recreational grounds for smugglers and snorkeling.
Don Manca’s estate spanned almost as far as one could see between the two arms of headland that marked the boundaries of the family’s holdings on the eastern and western edges. To the north was the Mediterranean ocean, a string of rocky islands, and eventually, Corsica. To the south there were farmlands, small villages, and a thousand families, or perhaps more, who all bowed their heads as Don Manca passed by. Their words of greeting to him were reverently soft with a hint of awe and maybe a little love. They gave Mario almost as much respect. Even the local law enforcement treated him with respect. It was a far cry from my childhood memories and the stalking I’d grown to fear.
Just a short boat ride away was a nature preserve with hiking and scenic views from the cliffs. Beyond that, there were a myriad of million-dollar estates owned and populated by the elite few who could afford a slice of this wild island. There were lavish resorts, spas, nightclubs, and all the glitterati Ellie could handle.
If she’d just get over herself.
“I can’t stay,” she said.
I knew why—that damn Ringo Devlin.
“You really should have a bodyguard.” Just being my sister and looking like me made her a target, despite the fact that we’d come out on top of this mess and the threats to Mario eliminated.
“I don’t want a bodyguard. I want to be as far away as possible from Italians and mobsters and all this crap.”
Did I blame her? I’d been there myself.
But something shifted while I was trapped in that cave. I’d finally found my courage. Or maybe decided I didn’t like living like I was dying all the time. I wanted to grab onto Mario and his family, and my family for all the good and the bad of it. Which was why I really didn’t want Ellie to leave. But she was miserable here.
“Where will you go?” I asked quietly.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s the best part. No one can track me if I don’t know where I’m going, right?”
I nodded, hesitantly. Even now, I itched to map an itinerary for her.
“Don’t be like that. I’m good at this. I’ll be fine. Dianora’s locked up. There’s no one running the Conti family who can pay anyone to hunt me down.” Ellie hesitated. “But if there were, they would target Mario, we’re not interesting enough for them anymore.”
“Thanks for the backhanded compliment.”
Ellie tugged my hand. She twisted it around until she made the ring catch the light just right. Her finger rubbed the crest engraved into the flat oval. “Power. That’s what people want. Not me. I’m nobody.”
That wasn’t true, but I’d try to give her as much protection as I could without smothering her. “Mario and I will be in Rome for a week. Then we’re going to Amalfi, and—” Our plans were to flaunt the wedding, put both of our faces into the spotlight with his father’s network, and let the paparazzi or whoever was interested target us until the novelty wore off.
Ellie slapped a hand over my mouth. “I know your plans. He wines and dines you on the honeymoon you should have had. You’re his show pony for four weeks. And you get your grand Italian museum vacation. I got it.”
I brushed her hair back so I could wipe the moisture threatening to spill from her eyes. “Be careful.”
Ellie snorted. “That’s my line. You’re going to need it around these bastards.”
“Don’t call Loppa that. He’s a sweetheart.”
