I smirked as I came closer to the desk. “A bit.”
We’d spent our two days together but then both returned to work. We had our evenings together, but I missed waking up late with nothing to do except be with her. I knew we’d have more time together in the near future. I just had to be patient. “I moved the rest of our things into the house.” She’d had her things at my place in Palermo, and I returned it all to her closet here. I’d also restocked the house with guns and ammo in case we needed it. Then I started work on the wall that would protect our portion of the property so someone couldn’t just walk up in the dead of night and take us by surprise.
“Thank you.”
I nodded.
“Have you had lunch?”
“Nope.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t grouchier.”
“Oh, I am grouchy,” I said. “But you made me forget that when I walked in here, so…”
Her eyes softened.
I smirked at the way she melted for me.
“You want to take a lunch break?”
“Like at home?” I asked hopefully. “Just the two of us?”
She smirked. “I meant downstairs on the terrace.”
So, she wouldn’t be naked. “I guess that will do.”
We headed downstairs and grabbed lunch from the staff in the kitchen. A tradition that Francesca didn’t even consider changing was offering food for everyone throughout the day. Breakfast and lunch were always prepared, along with snacks. So the workers had full stomachs every day. Her father had always treated his workers like family, and he believed food was the best way to bring family together.
After we loaded our plates and took a seat on the terrace, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I fished it out before I glanced at the screen. “Don Russo. This should be good.”
Instead of digging into her food, she watched me.
I took the call and put the phone to my ear. “What’s happening?”
“A lot. Icarus took out Carmelo and Nino. Demanded our surrender, we said no. Now I have a tip-off from Giuseppe that he’s gonna hit us in a couple of hours. We need all hands on deck.”
I wasn’t sure why I needed to be there for that. One man in a battle wouldn’t tip the scales in either direction, and I felt like I was just risking my life needlessly. I hadn’t thought being married would change me as a person, but I could already tell I processed risk-and-reward situations a little differently. But I was a man of my word, and I would honor my vow. I looked at her before I breathed a sigh. “I’ll leave now.”
“Alright.” He hung up.
I set the phone down on the table.
Francesca was stiff and still, her eyes showcasing all the turmoil that bubbled in her heart.
I didn’t have the words to make this better. She obviously didn’t want me to go, but she didn’t dare ask me. The only reason we were sitting at that vineyard was because Cosa Nostra had helped get it back for us.
She continued to stare at me.
I stared back.
She hadn’t blinked once, her food untouched because her appetite was immediately destroyed. “Please be careful.”
“You know I will.”
She finally closed her eyes as she tried to fight her devastation. She was like a wife about to watch her husband be shipped out to the front lines to fight for something bigger than himself.
I wanted to make this better, but I had nothing to offer.
