I glance at the closed bathroom door—that one doesn't have a lock—so when I open it, every alarm bell in my head rings when I see my girl curled up on the floor, shivering.
Her eyes are open but distant, unfocused, and she doesn’t react when the door swings wide. She’s somewhere else entirely—locked in a memory I can’t reach.
“Matilde,” I say softly, crouching down slowly so I don’t startle her. “Baby, it’s me.”
She flinches at the sound, pressing herself harder against the wall, a whimper escaping her lips. Her teeth chatter loudly, and she looks so... small. Lost.
“It’s Luca,” I whisper, not touching her yet. “You’re safe. I’m here.”
Her eyes slowly focus, finding mine, and recognition flickers through the haze. ”Luca?”
“Baby,” I whisper, dropping to the bathroom floor next to her and gathering her in my arms. “I've got you. I'm here.”
“I s-saw h-him,” she whimpers, sinking into me as if looking for warmth. “The man who killed my parents. H-he was out there.”
I grit my teeth. What a fucked-up family reunion. Who would have thought I would meet my uncle and find out he was a murdering bastard the same day? He has what's fucking coming to him. He'll be dealt with swiftly by Matteo before the sun comes up. And then Alessandro Marino can deal with his killer in the afterlife.
“I've taken care of it, baby,” I assure her, pressing my lips to her cold skin. I pull her tighter against me. “You never have to worry about the man again.”
“I…I’m a coward,” she whimpers. “I couldn't leave that closet to save my parents, and I…I couldn't leave this bathroom floor to help you.”
I pull back to look at her, hating how cold and pale she looks. “The best thing you did for your parents, for me, was to stay away. They hid you to protect you from that monster, and if you'd come out when Giovanni was calling for you, then I wouldn't have kept a clear head while fighting that man. The fear……”" I press my lips against her temple. “I love you too much, Matilde. I just can't bear the thought of losing you.”
“You love me?”
“From the moment I met you,” I say, straightening up with her in my arms. I consider drawing her a bath to warm her up but decide my body will do. She needs warmth. I need to feel her against me, to know she’s real and safe. It’s not about desire right now—it’s about grounding us both after what just happened. I carry her to bed. “Something in me shifted when I walked into that kitchen six months ago.”
I lay her gently on the bed and turn to strip out of my clothes, then follow her under the covers. She shivers at the warmth when I draw her flush against me. “When I saw you again at the garden that night, I thought you looked like an angel, and when you ran off, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“I was scared,” she whispers, nuzzling into me, but I hear more strength in her voice this time. “When I realized you were acapo. I was scared.”
Finally, it clicks. “Because of your parents?”
“Yes,” she nods against my skin. “I couldn't imagine falling in love with someone so dangerous. My father made a mistake by getting tangled up with dangerous men, and it cost him everything. I was scared of making that same mistake by falling in love with you and putting my family’s life at risk.”
“I wish I could go back and protect you from your past.”
“But you stopped it from happening again.” She presses her lips to my jaw and then moves them down my throat. “I love you, Luca Conti. I tried not to.”
I chuckle at that, groaning when her hand moves between us and grasps my cock. “You need to stop, baby,” I rasp, groaning when she strokes me. “You need rest. Tonight was difficult for you.”
“I don't need rest,” she whimpers against my skin. “Just you.” I try to resist, remind myself that she's been through a lot, but she chips away at my control when her mouth searches mine in the dark, her breath a whisper against my skin. “Please.”
“Are you sure?”
Her hand slides up my jaw and cups it, her eyes searching mine in the dark. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my whole life than I am of you, Luca Conti.” Then her lips touch mine. “Be with me, Luca. Tonight and always.”
I lean in and claim her mouth with mine, pulling her closer and pouring every emotion into the kiss. The fear of almost losing her. The longing I'll always carry for her, and the love I've never felt for another woman. With the kiss, I promise to stay by her side. For the night, and every other night after this one.
Always.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Matilde
Five, four, three, two, one…
