I take a deep breath and meet his gaze. “You care for me,” I sign. “I know you do. That is why I will go.”
He steps closer, his presence overwhelming. “If you think I will let you risk yourself and our unborn babies, think again,” he growls.
Giovanni…
“You’re not walking into his trap, Liliana. I refuse.”
I persist, my hands moving faster, I can handle this. I need to prove I’m with you, not against you.
He stops, his eyes burning into mine, and for a moment, I think he’ll refuse again. “You’re pregnant,” he says, softer now, but still unyielding. “You think I’d let you risk our babies?”
The mention of our twins, the life we’re building, warms me despite his anger, and I sigh, Trust me on this, please, Giovanni.
The silence stretches, heavy with our shared pain, and I see the war in his eyes, the distrust battling love.
Finally, he exhales, but his shoulders remain as stiff as ever. “Fine. But I’m going with you. My men, too.”
I shake my head, signing, Vittorio said to come alone.
Giovanni’s jaw tightens, his voice low and fierce. “If you think I’ll let you risk yourself and our babies, think again.”
The protectiveness in his words, despite his anger, wraps around my heart, and I nod, agreeing, warmed by the proof he still cares.
I know my protection and that of our babies is crucial, but please, trust me on this. It’s the only way we can flush Vittorio out. I sign.
Later in the evening, we prepare for my meeting with the enemy. Giovanni puts a wire on me discreetly, hidden beneath my clothing, so he can listen to everything Vittorio tells me. His men will stay back, strategically positioned. He arranges them carefully, briefing them on precisely what to do. They fall in line, silent and precise.
We leave the estate. Giovanni and I take one car, with tinted windows that keep anyone from seeing us. The road stretches before us, the city lights flickering like distant stars.
I grip my hands together, my fingers tight, my stomach fluttering with nerves. Giovanni reaches over, taking one hand in his. “I will not let anything happen to you,” he says, his voice low, unwavering.
I nod, reassured by the strength in his tone, the protection in his gaze.
The journey stretches while Giovanni goes over the plan with his men again and again over the with his men. With every passing block, my pulse quickens. The anticipation, the danger, the need to know, everything coils tight inside me.
Finally, the car stops in front of the bar. The building looms in the dim light, shadows pooling in the corners. Giovanni pocketshis phone and glances at me, and I feel the weight of his presence, protective, commanding.
He places a hand on my knee. “Stay calm. Nothing will happen to you while I am here,” he says.
I nod, taking a deep breath. My heart hammers in my chest as we prepare to step into the place where Vittorio waits, unaware of the eyes and ears surrounding him.
As I open the door, a small, quiet wish rises in my chest. I wish he would tell me he loves me before I step out. Just a word, a single word from him, to remind me that despite everything, I still belong to him.
The doors are just ahead. My decision is made. My courage is steady.
I am ready.
29
GIOVANNI
The evening air is thick, pressing against the tinted windows of the car where I sit, my eyes locked on the Liliana's progression. Her silhouette walks toward the door, her steps steady despite the weight of her pregnancy, and a pang of regret twists in my chest.
I should have told her I love her before she stepped out, should have pressed my lips to hers and whispered it against her skin, but the words caught in my throat, tangled with the anger and doubt that still linger from that damned photograph and ledger.
I love her, dammit, with a fierceness that burns through me, and despite the power I wield, the men at my command, fear claws at my gut. She’s walking into Vittorio’s den, wired and alone, andthough I’m here, hidden in the shadows with Tomasso and my men, my heart races with the need to protect her.
I grip the phone tighter, my lifeline to her, the wire’s faint throb a reassurance that I’ll hear every word. As long as we’re here, watching, nothing will touch her.
