AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When we were both clean, I curled up next to him. My fingers traced his cheekbone then skimmed his jaw. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“You are good at that.”
“Fucking?”
He chuckled softly. “Yes, that. But I was speaking of the reassurances, how you put me at ease. There is something about you that makes me feel protected and safe.”
Because he mattered to me. I would rather die than hurt him. And I would protect him at the cost of everything else, including my own life. “Speaking of safety . . . are you really going to go back to Málaga to start running drugs again?”
Giulio shrugged. “It’s what I know. And I can’t go back to Siderno.”
“Why not? If we take care of the Sicilians, you’re free to do as you like.”
“I always thought I’d return home, but maybe being on my own would be better. In Siderno I will always be my father’s son. The gay heir who left the ’ndrina. I’ll never have anything that belongs to just me.”
“And you didn’t think to discuss this with me first?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would mind, honestly.”
“Because you are planning on leaving me?”
“Alessio, caro.” He reached to grip the side of my throat as he stared into my eyes. “Do you think I want to do this without you? It’s like you took my frozen, dead heart in your big hands and brought it back to life. I was so lonely and lost until you found me.”
My lungs seized as an immense pressure filled my chest. The words were everything I’d ever hoped he’d say. “Ti amo,” I forced past the lump in my throat.
“Ti amo, baby.” He kissed me softly, sweetly. “Whatever happens next we do it together, no?”
I winced, thinking of the task ahead. I wasn’t ready to risk Giulio’s life so soon.
“What is it?” he asked, studying my expression.
“Any chance you’ll let me go to Sicily to deal with these assassins alone?”
His bright blue eyes filled with amusement. “Ma dai. You should know me better than that.”
“I do, which is why we need to come up with a plan.” I patted his hip. “First, let’s shower. Then I need to get some food.”
“You go,” he said, waving me toward the bathroom. “I need to gather my strength.”
Chuckling, I got up and went to the shower. I turned the water hot and let it beat down on my sore muscles. Soon I got out, wrapped a towel around my waist, and found Giulio wearing a robe and looking over some photos. “What are those?”
“Andrei dropped them off. The results of the facial recognition software.” He studied each image then tossed it aside. “I don’t recognize any of these people.”
“Let me see.”
I sat on the mattress and spread out the five or six headshots. Labels were on the back of each with names and cities of last known residence. I picked up my mobile and called up Sasha’s contact number. I put her on speaker.
“I don’t have an answer for you,” she said in Russian, getting straight to the point.
“English, please,” I said. “I have Giulio here.”
“Oh?” Her voice dropped as she singsonged, “Well, hello, Giulio Ravazzani. Nice to finally meet you. I have heard so very much about you.”
His lips curled. “I bet you have. Something tells me you might know more about me than I do.”
She laughed. “I definitely do. So why are you two disturbing me?”
I folded my arms across my chest, bracing. “We are on Nikolai Kuznetsov’s yacht—”
