“The dinner is ready, if you need anything else please let me know.” Stacy smiles. I still remember how uncomfortable she was at the beginning. It took her quite a lot to actually feel at ease around me.
Leila nods, her expression grateful. “I could use some food,” she admits, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“You can go, Stacy, we’re okay for now.”
She nods and walks away, “Have a good night.”
We walk upstairs and show her around too. The view on the lake is breathtaking, not as much as the woman in front of me.
“Give me five and I’ll be ready, I need a shower.”
“Sure.” I press a kiss on her forehead. “Come downstairs when you’re ready.”
As she disappears in the bathroom, I can't help but feel a surge of nervous energy coursing through me. What if she sees me as my father? What if she's afraid of me?
When she returns, dressed in one of my shirts and a pair of leggings, all my fears melt away. She looks beautiful, radiant even, and for the first time in a long time, I feel a glimmer of hope stir within me. We settle at the table, the scent of food filling the air as we dig in. Seeing her here, in our home, fills me with a sense of contentment I haven't felt in years. That’s how it was supposed to be from the beginning.
I take her over the couch, and I pour us some wine. I know it's a risky topic, but I need to understand what she knows about us.
“What do you know about Bonetti’s business?”
She gathers her legs under her, “Nicholas always bragged to be a Mafia boss. I was always at their meetings, making sure forall of them to know to whom I belonged and that no one could touch me without Marco’s consent.”
My grip on the glass tightens. I can feel it cracking. They deserved more fucking pain.
“Drugs, weapons, human trafficking, and fighting.” She breathes. Leila's expression darkens, her eyes flashing with anger. “I discovered what he was capable of the week I moved in, but I couldn’t leave.” Her eyes are glued to the crimson liquid she’s twirling in her glass. “I tried so many times, each of them followed by a punishment that left me wondering why they didn't end my life.” Her eyes snaps up, “Chris...”
She jumps off the couch as if it were on fire. I follow her movements until she drops on her knees taking the piece of glass out of my grip. I didn’t realize it was crushed, wine spilled all over me and the couch.
“We need to clean it carefully.” She tries to drag me off the couch but I pull her on me. She cups my face and rests her forehead on mine. “Christopher, please, let me take care of you.” Her words hit hard. No one other than Viola took ever care of me. We walk in the kitchen and she places my hand under the running water. She does a meticulous job and cleans it, then turns to me and unbutton my shirt. I feel so numb I can barely move while peering in her eyes. She places a kiss on my chest igniting a fire within me. “And I know that you're nothing like your father.” She moves back, opening the counters of the kitchen.
Her words warm my heart, and I reach out to hug her from behind. “What are you looking for?”
“Salt. I need to clean it up otherwise I doubt we can save it.”
“Who cares, baby, it’s a shirt.” I open the cupboard in front of us. “Here you go.”
I watch her do her magic until she spins around. “You need a bandage.”
“I need you,” I whisper, brushing my lips with hers. “I won’t die for a cut.”
Her hands on my chest feels so fucking good it drives me crazy, but I move us away.
“You’re right. I’m not my father.” I put some distance between us because I’m sure she’ll need it. “I'm worse.”
Her eyes widen and I'm pretty sure she’s holding her breath.
“Dad was one of the little mafia men but I moved the stick higher,” I admit, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “Approaching LaTorre was a risk since he's one of the untouchable. He sits atil Consigliotable and I thought I could use him to get to Bonetti, to save you.”
Leila's eyes widen in shock, and I can see the pain and betrayal written all over her face. “You what?” she whispers, her voice trembling with emotion. “Chris, it was a huge risk.”
“I didn’t care. I needed you safe. I was ready to do whatever to get you out of there.”
“Why?”
My head snaps at her, “Why?” I can't help but chuckle, “Because you mean the world for me, Leila. You’re the oxygen that keeps me alive. And I admit the wedding invitation made me lose my mind but I never stopped to hope that one day you'll be mine. I couldn’t accept it.”
“I'm here now.” She comes to hug me. It feels like I finally found my place in this world. “I'm ready for a new beginning.”
