Page 60 of The Mafia’s Fiancee

Chapter 22

Emma

Luke led me to ourroom. He was quiet, but I didn’t think he was choosing to stay mute because of the news that he’d learned, that Marlo raped Nina and he was the product of such a terrible crime. Hearing that poor woman’s fate, I let my respect grow for her. She’d endured the unspeakable, and she defied the mafia man who’d knocked her up, keeping her baby. I couldn’t help but feel closer to her for that reason. I had been defying my father and the Marchese men, and knowing that she’d done it and survived gave me hope that I would too.

Then again, maybe he is upset about this. He’d already had such a wretched day and night of ups and downs. First the worry that his mother had been taken, then a fight by my father’s men challenging him, and now this news about his past.

“Are you doing all right?” I asked as we reached the door to the room we’d been staying in. the suite needed updating, big time, but I didn’t care about the details. All I wanted was privacy with my man, and this place delivered it.

“Yeah. I am now that I’ve got you in my arms again.” He said it as he closed the door and hugged me.

I sighed, leaning on his familiar hard body. Reveling in the heat he exuded, I smiled and wished I never had to let him go.

“It’s a lot to take in.”

He grunted in disagreement. “Not really. I’ve wondered many times if she was raped. When I was young and asked about my dad, I tried to rationalize why she couldn’t or wouldn’t tell me who he was. My mind went there, more than once, and I started to hate the idea of whoever the asshole was. With time, I sort of convinced myself that she had been raped, because why else would she go to such extremes to never utter a word about him?”

Speaking as he maneuvered me toward the bed, he looked down into my eyes. I didn’t see any pain there, nothing new at least. Just resignation and sorrow.

“And now that you know who he is?”

He raised his brows. “What about it?”

“Do you hate him still?”

He scoffed. “How could I not? He raped my mother.”

“You’re not happy that such an influential and wealthy man is your father?” I asked, curious.

“No.” He smiled as he gently urged me to sit on the bed. With a long, satisfied look, he raked his gaze over me. “I wouldn’t care if a man with the influence of a president and the riches of a gazillionaire was my father.” Leaning down, he set his hands on the bed at either side of my hips. “You want to know what makes me feel like a fucking king among men?”

I smiled, enjoying his smoldering stare and raspy words. “Hmm?”

“You.” He pressed his lips to mine, kissing me deeply. “Having your love.” He slanted into me, kissing me harder. “And knowing I have the exclusive privilege to love you too.”

I framed his face and sighed, pecking one last kiss on his lips.

“Because I have this exclusive privilege to you,” he added as he pushed against me at the same time he wrapped his arm around me, rolling onto the bed and taking me with him, “I want to know why you’re acting so different.”

I squealed in surprise with his twist and roll. Straddling him now, I looked down at him and knew I couldn’t bottle this all in. He lay back, comfortable with me sitting on him. After he folded his hands behind his head as a pillow, he cleared his throat. “Talk to me, Emmalina. I’m here for you. Always.”

I couldn’t resist. I leaned down to kiss him but sat right back up. “I killed one of the Marchese guards when I snuck in to get Krista. Well, Justin had already taken her away to safety. When I was trying to get your mom out.”

He didn’t react, watching me calmly. “He was your first kill, right?”

“Yes.” I frowned, letting my lips tug down. “Now that I’ve had a little time to process it, to accept what happened and what I had to do, I feel guilty. But not. Then I try to tell myself that I should feel guilty, and I do. But then I don’t. My mind is running in circles.”

He exhaled a long but patient breath, almost like he was relieved that I opened up. This was only half of what was tugging on my mind. The worry about missing my period was taking over my thoughts too. I had to get a test before I drove myself insane.

“I’ve always known how hard the mafia life is. I know all these guards are just rent-a-cops and bodyguards. They’re killers. The power the mafia bosses wield is because they aren’t afraid to soak their hands in violence. It’s just never affected me so personally before. I’ve never been a part of it.”

“Is that the hardest part to accept? That you chose to participate?”

“Maybe?” I shrugged one shoulder, tracing circles on his pecs. “It was self-defense, but still...”

“No but, Emma. Self-defense is just that. My first kill was also in defense. I came upon a young woman being raped, and I attacked that man until I punched him to death.”

I furrowed my brow. “How old were you?” Jimmy made it sound like he’d been fighting for a long time.