“I’ll call Marco and let him know we’re happy to put everything behind us and work together.” I add before clearing my throat. I’m exhausted. I’m fucked up. I need sleep and I need to get Nero the hell out of here so I can go back upstairs to Willow.
Just as I think about her, I hear soft footsteps approach from behind and I turn in my chair to see her walking towards us, hair wet from her bath, in fresh pyjamas and looking like a fucking goddess.
“I want to thank you myself for everything Nero.” She says as she puts her hands on my shoulders from behind like a Queen ready to conquer the kingdom with her King.
She treads her hand lightly over the side of me that’s injured and I reach a hand up and squeeze hers, giving her support as she speaks.
“If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know what would of happened to me during those couple of weeks, but also tonight when you came into that room. I don’t know how the hell I am going to move past what has happened and I know that worse could have happened, but because of you, it didn’t. So, thank you.” She says, voice shaking as she takes a couple of steps from me over to Nero and throws her arms around his neck.
He looks at me wide eyed, probably thinking I’m about to kill him if he touches her back, but the truth is the kid has proven himself. As much as I do want to kill him for forming an obvious bond with my girl, I’ll let him live. I owe him that much.
I nod at him, giving him the go ahead and he returns her embrace instantly. He clearly needs this moment as much as she does because the look on his face is one of true relief that she is safe, and anyone willing to look out for my Queen like he has deserves their thanks from both her and me. He killed his own father to protect us too, so he has proved himself to each and every one of my men and me.
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Willow lays in bed as I sit on the armchair beside her, holding her hand in mine.
After Nero left we came upstairs for her to get some rest but instead of getting into bed beside her, I took a seat here, knowing I need to tell her about my past and explain to her everything that happened to my father which lead to her being taken.
I know Lev told her about my aunt and little cousins, but he left out what happened before then with my grandfather killing my father and now, it’s up to me to be honest and tell her everything.
“My father was a horrible man.” I begin and she looks up at me, her eyes bearing so deep into mine that it makes my heart physically ache thinking about if I never got to see these eyes again.
“Now I realise why him and Matteo were so close. They were like brothers and at the time of his death, he was Marco’s Capo. He cheated on my mother, treated and spoke to her like shit and then one night she finally came clean to my grandfather and told him she had lost the baby she had been pregnant with and that my father had beat her.” I continue as Willow squeezes my hand and brings her other one up to clutch her chest.
“My grandfather ordered that same night that Roberto, my father, was to die. He knew it would potentially illicit a war and cause the truce formed by my parents marrying to come to an end, but he didn’t care, he was just so sorry that my mother had been put through what she had by the forced marriage between our families. The night finally came for my father to be killed and none of us felt any sorrow over his death. My grandfather and his men stayed alert, waiting for Marco to strike back, but nothing ever came of it, until a couple of weeks later when Lev was staying over at the house, we were woken up by my mothers cries. The Italians had finally retaliated, but instead of going after one of our men or my grandfather, they took Lev’s mother and his sisters.” I swallow the pain of the words I’m speaking and take a breath as I relive all these memories.
“I can’t imagine how you all must have felt.” Willows sweet voice surrounds me and I look to her and see her eyes filled with tears.
“My mother has never been the same. Even though she comes across as bright and happy, she still looks over her shoulder every day and lives with immeasurable guilt.” I tell her and she nods in understanding.
“My grandfather tried searching for my aunt Maya, Vera and Kira as best as he could.” I tell her, continuing on.
“He used every resource he had to find them but it was as if they had disappeared completely, as if they never existed. Marco swore he wasn’t involved and that it wasn’t retaliation and in his words at the time, he said my father deserved the death he got for how he treated my mother. He told my grandfather if he had of known that was the type of man my father was, he would of killed him himself. Obviously none of us believed him because who else would decide to kidnap my aunt and cousins out of nowhere?”
I shake my head realising now we know the truth about everything just how twisted this all is and how deep it all goes.
“Then the night that Lev told you about happened after a few months of my grandfather endlessly trying to find them. It was one of the worst nights of all our lives. My grandfather drove to Marco’s house and shot the place up, but Marco had already left the country, leaving Matteo in charge and as the new Capo. A week later, Marco contacted my grandfather telling him he was truly sorry for what had happened but that he swore on his life he was not involved and even offered his resources to help find out who was behind everything. I remember my grandfather scoffing, telling us all did Marco think he was a fool.” I say and huff out a humourless laugh now because Marco had really been telling the truth the entire time.
“We have only found out ourselves because of all of this that it was really Matteo behind it all and his revenge for my father being killed was to try and take you from me, then kill me. In his sick and twisted head, torturing my aunt and baby cousins for months before killing them wasn’t enough for him, he wanted to kill me and he used you to get to me.”
I can barely continue speaking as my throat burns, and not just from my injuries but because I’m holding back tears that I have still to this day never let fall properly in mourning over my aunt and cousins.
“But look at us now.” Willow says as she climbs from under the covers and sits down on my lap.
“I’m safe, you are safe.” She reassures me and I wrap my arms around her, not wanting to let her go for fear she’ll disappear again.
“You’ve been through so much because of me.” I tell her and I finally feel a tear fall down my cheek. The loss, the guilt, the pain finally coming to the surface.
Willow wipes it away and I clear my throat, willing myself to not shed another one.
“But I am also now safe because of you.” She says and she leans her head against my chest softly, being careful not to hurt my injuries.
“We have a long road ahead of us, but we will be on this journey together Dragna.” She whispers and I lean my head back against the chair and squeeze my eyes shut at her words.
She’s right, there is a lot that is going to come from all of this. She will also have a long journey of healing after everything and now that she knows all about who I am and what I do, our lives together will never be the same as they were before all of this. But knowing I have her by my side, her knowing that she has me, we are a team now, and that thought alone makes the heart inside my chest beat ever harder for her.
Chapter Sixty One
