A second before she reaches me, Violetta suddenly stops. Her eyes drop to my pocket then return to my face. There's a look in her eyes I can't quite decipher but I realize she saw the bear. I don't know why I took it with me when I left for Rome. It was the last thing my mother gave me. I wanted to keep her close.
Violetta lets out a cry and throws herself into my arms. I catch her and hold her as she cries, her tears soaking my shirt. She clings to me with a desperation that can't be about grief alone. I kiss the top of her head and tell her everything will be all right.
When she gets her tears under control she pulls back and lets out a self-deprecating laugh.
"I'm the one who's supposed to be comforting you," she says. She shakes her head. "But that bear, Damiano."
Without me saying so, she seems to understand I don't want to delve into my feelings right now. She grabs my hand and leads me to a seat. I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and slowly trail my fingers down the side of her face. She allows it.
"You should have told me about your mother." She sends me a look of reproach which softens almost immediately. "But I understand why you didn't. I understand a lot of things now."
"Such as?"
"Why you have to make tough decisions."
"It's never to hurt you, Violetta," I promise her. "I would never hurt you."
"I know." She reaches over and straightens my tie, an intimate gesture that catches me off guard. "But sometimes you do it without realizing. If we're going to fix this, you have to tell me things that affect my life, even if you think I won't like them."
“You’re right. I should have been more open with you since the beginning.” I take a breath “So are you saying you want to resume our marriage?"
"There's one more thing I want to know."
She worries her bottom lip with her teeth. I take her hand to assure her that whatever she wants to ask is okay.
"The last night we were together. I gave you the final piece of me." She swallows hard. "And then you told me I could leave."
"It was because I owned every part of you then." I stroke my thumb over the back of her hand. "But I couldn't force you to stay. I had to make it your choice. It was the hardest thing I ever said"
Violetta nods. "Well, I've made it and you're stuck with me."
I lean over and kiss her softly on the lips, her warmth reaching deep inside me and chasing away the chill that had settled in my bones the moment I walked away from her. Pulling back, I rest my forehead against hers and we stay like that for a long time, saying nothing.
When I eventually straighten I get to my feet.
"My family's waiting for us."
Violetta shakes her head. "Our family," she says with typical indignation.
She takes my hand and we walk out into the cold crisp air. I wrap my arm around her waist and hold her close as I walk her to my car. Our security guards fall in behind us and I smile, understanding that Violetta brought them here to show me what she's willing to change. Now it's my chance to prove to her that I can make concessions too. There's a lot to work through but that can wait.
The woman I love is by my side and that's enough. For now.
EPILOGUE
Violetta
The weddingof a talented chef and the owner of a winery was always going to be a lavish affair. The restaurant at Lorenzo's Casa di Lupo vineyard has been transformed for the occasion with sumptuous arrangements of peonies and elegant candles everywhere.
I can't help thinking back to the day Damiano and I exchanged our vows in the Sala Rossa. It feels like a distant memory though it was little more than a year ago.
We've come a long way since then, learning to share our feelings more openly. It's still not easy for this man, but he tries. That's all I ever wanted.
The world he operates in is still dangerous but I've learned to live with it. I feel a little less involved now I no longer work for Damiano at the club.
University is taking up more of my time than I thought it would but I love it. He still comes to bed after midnight most nights and I’ve stopped asking where he’s been. He tells me what I need to know and I’ve decided that’s enough.
As I scan the room, there's a veritable sea of Volante men before me. All the cousins from New York are here. Even among these powerful men, I find Damiano instantly. He's across the room in conversation with Niamh Donnelly, a pretty Scots-Irish fixer for the consortium, and his cousin Antonio. Even from this distance I can tell they're cooking something up.
