Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 54092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Diego is here too? Oh, thank you God.
A choked sob escapes me.
Genovese plants his hands on the tabletop as if to give himself leverage to hoist himself to his feet.
"Sit the fuck down, old man," Rafe says, his voice soft. He points the gun at him, his aim steady. His eyes drift to me. "Come here, tesoro."
I fly across the deli to his side, my feet barely touching the floor.
"Are you all right, amore mio?" he asks.
I sob in response, unable to form words.
"Did he hurt you, Amalia?"
I shake my head.
"Thank God," Rafe whispers, his eyes drifting closed. They spring open again immediately. He reaches out to touch my cheek. "Wait outside for me, amore, mio."
"Rafe."
"Wait outside, Amalia."
I turn toward the door to obey his quiet order and then pause, turning back to face Genovese. He's still sitting in the same spot, watching us with hatred stamped across his face. He knows he's lost though. I see it in his gaze.
"My name is Amalia Santiago and I belong to Rafael Valentino," I tell him, my voice shaking. "No one else has a claim on me. Not you. Not your grandson. Not my father. No one. You don't deserve power, Mr. Genovese. And you don't deserve whatever mercy Rafe shows you tonight. You're a monster."
"Amalia, go," Rafe says. I hear the hint of amusement in his voice though. And the pride.
I slip out the door. It's still raining, but dawn lights the horizon, burning away the endless, nightmarish night. I catch sight of my brother, standing guard beside the door.
"Diego!" I burst into a fresh round of tears at the sight of him, flinging myself into his arms.
He catches me, pulling me roughly into his arms. I crack, overwhelmed by…everything. This day has been a waking nightmare from start to finish, and I don't even know how or where to begin processing it. All I know is that Diego and Rafe are safe, alive, and somehow, they're both here now. Together.
"Baby sister," Diego rasps, rocking me back and forth while I sob into his shoulder.
"I'm s-s-sorry," I cry. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for," he growls, squeezing me tight.
"I b-burned all the e-evidence," I remind him, wiping my face on his shirt. And then I say the hard part, the part I'm pretty sure will cost me one of the two men I love. But I just spent a day in hell without Rafe. I won't survive a lifetime of the same. It'll break my heart to lose Diego, but I won't survive losing Rafe. "I'm…I l-love him, Diego."
Diego tenses and then breathes out a ragged curse. "Fuck. I know."
"You know?" I pull back to look at him, sniffling.
"You burned the evidence that would have saved your life, Lia," he says, frustration burning in his eyes. "I figured you only do some shit like that for someone you love."
"Genovese never planned to kill me," I mutter. "I think he just told you that to motivate you. He needed me alive to marry his grandson."
"What the fuck?" Diego asks, his brows furrowing in confusion.
"It's a long story."
"I got time."
The single gunshot makes me jump.
"Maybe I don't have time," Diego mutters warily.
We stand in silence for several long moments. My heart is in my throat. I don't think I draw a full breath until Rafe steps out of the deli, pulling the door closed behind him.
His eyes lock on mine. They aren't cold this time. They're burning hot, blazing with emotion. It's deliverance and devotion, powerful and bright.
Just like that, I'm crying again. Sobbing so hard I can't breathe anyway.
"Amalia, tesoro," he whispers, holding his arms open for me.
I hit him like a meteor, flinging him back a step.
His arms close around me, a shudder wracking his powerful frame.
"Don't let me go," I plead through sobs, wrapping myself around him, trying to fuse us into one being. "Please don't ever let me go."
"Never," he swears, his lips seeking mine. "Never, amore mio."
"We should talk," I whisper to Rafe as he strips us both naked with a single-minded focus. We're home, the events of the night behind us. Mattia is dealing with the aftermath. Diego stayed behind to help. For the first time in what feels like years, Rafe and I are completely alone.
I've never been so nervous. Not even the very first night he brought me here.
"Later," Rafe grunts, stripping my shirt off over my head.
"Rafe."
"Amalia."
"Dammit, Rafe."
"Amore mio," he says, brushing his lips across my forehead. "There is nothing you need to say that can't wait until you've had some sleep. You're barely standing upright."
He's right, but…
"Alessandro Cerrito was my father," I blurt. I've been trying to tell him for days. I'm not putting it off for a single second longer. He deserves to know now. Before anything else happens and it gets put on the back burner again. I don't think I can crawl into this bed naked with him only for him to turn away from me later.