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“Hey… hey,” Massimo whispered, and he pulled me to his chest and hugged me.
After a few sobs escaped my body…
I relaxed.
I felt so safe.
I laughed a little through my tears. “I guess it’s not completely gone.”
“I wouldn’t expect it to be,” he murmured as he stroked my hair.
I loved it… the gentle rhythm of him touching my hair… the feel of his strong arms around me.
Despite the sadness, I felt a peace I hadn’t felt in…
Actually, I’m not sure I had ever felt it before.
Not since my parents died.
Massimo drew back so he could he could look in my eyes. He took my hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. “Thank you for saving my life back there.”
Tears blurred my vision again – but this time, they were happy tears. “Thank you for saving mine.”
“But I didn’t. That was all you.”
“I meant back in Venice.” I grinned. “Even if you did spank my ass in front of God and everybody.”
He laughed, and I saw a look of relief fill his face.
Then we kissed softly…
And he held me in his arms until I slept again.
60
Massimo
I kept the Beretta behind me on the bed where I could reach it.
I stayed awake for most of the night. At best, I dozed lightly. Every creak of the house and noise in the night startled me awake.
But Lucia slept soundly… her face troubled at times, but no less angelic. I watched her for hours as she lay there in my arms.
When dawn peeked through the window, I still held her until she woke.
She looked up at me sleepily… smiled… kissed me gently on the lips… and put her head back down on the crook of my shoulder.
“You watched me the whole night, didn’t you,” she whispered.
“Some of it,” I said.
She looked up at me from under her eyebrows like Tell the truth.
“…most of it,” I admitted.
She smiled again and hugged me, then laid her head back down.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
