“You can’t stop me, Sani.”
“I can and I will. Do you know what the Bratva are like? They’re cold, heartless, and devoid of any fucking emotions. Robots, Raya.”
“So you are prepared to lead this family into a war we can’t win because I know you will never hand Aria over to them? If we don’t persuade the Bratva to join us, we are all vulnerable. This makes logical sense, Santino. I know your decisions are driven by your emotions, but mine are not. I look at the bigger picture. And this is the only way we win.”
I groaned, dragging my hands down my face and pacing.
“Get a grip of yourself, Sani,” she said sternly, which made me stop pacing and face her. “If you act this upset and irrational, you’re only going to make Aria feel worse. She already blames herself for everything that is happening. She never asked for any of this. And neither did you. You fell in love. So let me do this for you both and don’t feel bad about it, okay?”
My head was shaking as I fought against the raging anger and guilt in my chest. “I can’t. I swore I’d always protect you.”
“And you have.” She smiled and grasped my shoulders. “But now it’s time to let go and know that you taught me how to look after myself. I’m fine with this, Sani. I’m ready for more.” She shook my shoulders slightly, nearly knocking me off balance despite how small she was. “I need more. And if that’s marriage to a Russian heir, then off to Russia I shall go.”
I looked into her eyes and knew that even if I kept refusing, she’d find a way to make it happen herself. Raya was proof that strength didn’t always look like violence. She was too guarded and quiet for people to understand her properly, but I knew she was the kind of woman who would walk willingly into fire if itkept the flames from reaching the rest of us, and I hated that she made it sound more like love than tragedy.
Sunsets
Bending over, I inhaled the scent of the pink roses that decorated the bushes in the Buccinis’ private gardens and waited for my father. The last time I saw him was in the hospital when they woke him from his medically-induced coma and filled him in on what had happened. It was a lot for him to process, but none of it was a major surprise to him, except the fact that I was related to an Irish mob leader and that my mother’s death hadn’t been an accident. That really knocked the air out of his lungs.
He had no idea about her past, only the same story she had told me; she ran away from home as a teenager because she didn’t get on with her family, and they weren’t good people. That she preferred to leave the past behind. However, the past always seemed to catch up with the present.
“Luce mia.”
I turned when I heard his emotional voice and smiled. He hobbled towards me, taking his time because he was still healing from his injuries. For the first time in a long while, I wasn’t seeing him in an immaculate suit or formal attire. A white cotton shirt hung loosely around his torso, and brown shorts revealed his lower legs and trainers. It took years off him and made him seem lighter, yet somehow smaller. Like he was just a man. Just a father. Not the mayor of Italy’s capital.
“Papi.” I closed the gap between us and hesitated before embracing him gently, trying not to cause any unnecessary pain. He placed his hand on my shoulder and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
“How was the flight?” I asked as we strolled over to a nearby bench.
From the moment he was discharged from hospital, Sani had his men guarding mypapievery minute of the day, just in case Sean made any moves to take him hostage in exchange for me. He’d done the same with Allegra too, who hadn’t stopped sending me voice notes and texting me with long, heartfelt apologies for allowing Callum to blackmail her. It wasn’t necessary. I didn’t blame her for protecting her parents. How could I hold that over her? She was protecting her family, just as I would have protected mine.
When I told mypapiI wouldn’t be returning to Rome any time soon, he suggested he’d fly over to see me. Apparently, he had some things to say that couldn’t be said over the phone.
“Oh, good,” he said, looking around at the immaculate lawns. “The Buccinis’ private jet was luxurious and beautiful, just like their garden.”
I smiled, sensing the uncomfortable conversation brewing. I’d married a criminal, the very man my father wanted to bring down, and I wasn’t going to be getting a divorce. What did that mean for our relationship? For his campaign? I had no idea.
“Not a bad place to stay hidden, eh?” he joked, but the tense atmosphere didn’t thaw. “I hate to admit it, but the Buccinis will be better at keeping you safe than I will. But if this isn’t what you want, Arianna, tell me now and we’ll figure it out.”
I sighed and turned to face him. “I’m not going to leave him,Papi.”
He exhaled and stared at the roses.
“I love him, and there is nothing you can say that will change that. I know who he is and what he does. I know he’s not the man you envisioned your daughter marrying, but for the first time in my life, I feel like I am exactly where I am meant to be. He feels like home.”
His head had started bobbing as I spoke. “I know,” he breathed and reached across to pat my hand on the bench. “I know you love him. And no,” he chuckled. “He is not who I hoped you would end up with. I’ll never be okay with what he does for a living, but… if he keeps you safe, makes you happy and loves you fiercely, how can a father not be okay with that?”
I pressed my lips together in a tight smile. It wasn’t glowing acceptance, but it was something.
“You know…” He leaned back on the bench and looked up at the cloudless, blue sky. “I almost died, and all I could think about in those moments before I lost consciousness was how much regret I had. I failed you, Arianna.”
I frowned. “Papi, no. You haven’t—”
“I did.” He raised his hand to stop me from arguing. “I need to say this, Aria. Something I should have said years ago, and it has haunted me ever since.” I waited in anticipation as he pressed his thumbs into his forehead and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t around for much of your childhood. I made a mistake. I loved your mother very much. She was the love of my life. The only love I’ve ever had, actually, aside from you.” He reached for my hand and held it between his palms. “I was fresh out of university when I met her, and my goals and ambitions in life were solely focused on politics. Your mother was the exact opposite of me in every way. Wild, free-spirited, and feisty. She wanted to travel the world, experience everything life had to offer. I kept promising her I’d take her everywhere, but then… life got in the way. My career started taking off, and we had you, so we stayed in Rome. But your mother grew restless and anxious. She wanted to leave, and I kept promising her a few more months. A few months became a year, and then another. Until one day I told her the dream was to one day run for mayor, and in order to achieve that, I needed to stay put. She begged me to choose her. To choose you. And I begged her to choose me. To stay in Italy and support my dreams. A week later, she packed her bags and took you with her. And I didn’t go after you both. I should have.”
“You didn’t understand why she was always running. She could have explained, but she chose not to. You’re not the only one to blame for your separation.”
He shook his head. “I’d like to say that if I’d have known why and who she was running from, it would have changed things, but honestly, I don’t know what I would have done with that information. Maybe she saw that in me. I loved duty, politics, and built my life around being needed by a city. When really, I was needed as a husband and father.” His eyes shone with unshed tears as he looked at me. “I’m so sorry, Aria. I keep thinking about what I could have done differently. You needed a father, not a public figure. After Quinn left me, I figured I had to make my dreams of being mayor come true because what else did I have? Then after she died, I buried myself in office and control instead of grieving for a woman I still loved very much. And I should have done a better job at being there for you in a way that was more than just a physical presence in your life.”
