AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My father is still out there, searching for me. I can tell Dario is getting tenser, more desperate to kill him. A small part of me is relieved Dario couldn’t find my father the day he went to my father’s home. I want my father out of my life forever, but I’m not sure how I’ll process him being dead.
I’m afraid to tell Dario my feelings. I worry he’ll judge me for it. Why wouldn’t I want my father dead? I do, and I don’t. It’s complicated. And I’m not sure how much Dario understands complicated. He’s lived a very different life from me—one with loving parents who then died. He grieved and moved on. I’m still grieving for my mother, and I still haven’t told him how she died. Why am I protecting my father’s reputation? Or am I protecting myself?
I’m not sure I could ever tell the truth about what I saw that night. To talk about it would break me. It’s better to keep it to myself, shelved away inside my memories. That way, no one can take it and mess with it. I’m afraid that if the truth comes out, I’ll be irrevocably changed.
“There you are,” Dario says, coming up behind me.
I’m standing on our balcony, watching the ocean. I love it out here. The breeze in my hair and on my skin. The sun warming me. The smell of salt in the air. It’s like I can fully breathe for the first time in my life. I might miss my olive trees, but this view is much better.
“You always look like you’re daydreaming.” He rests his arms on the balcony ledge.
I smile at him.It’s what I do best, I sign. It’s been a week since he began to learn sign language, and he’s picked it up pretty quickly.
Dario smiles in return. I love how he smiles. It’s mischievous yet sincere. “I wish I could daydream, but my job prevents me from doing that. I always have to be in the present, be prepared for any threat that could come my way.”
A tinge of worry flashes through me.Are you scared about my father?
He shakes his head. “Your father doesn’t scare me. I’ll get him one of these days, and then all of Naples will know who runs this city. There won’t be anyone else to go against me. I’ll have complete power.” He rests his arms on my waist. “And then we’ll be safe. I promise.”
I place my hands on his chest, feeling his heart beating under my palm. It’s steady. I wish I could be as calm as him.Will you kill my father?
“Of course.” He frowns. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Because I’m not sure that I want you to. But I don’t tell him that. Instead, I sign,Just wondering.
He captures my hands with his own. “You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll end him for good, especially for what he did to you. You’re mine, Pia. I’ll always keep you safe.”
Before I can reply, he leans down and kisses me. I don’t think I could ever tire of kissing Dario with his soft lips and warm breath. I also love how he always spreads his hands around my hips as he deepens the kiss. I could melt into his arms forever.
My hands rest on his shoulders, the tips of my fingers playing with the skin at the base of his neck. I gasp as Dario presses himself harder against me. He backs us up until my back is pressed against the balcony ledge. The feeling of him against me is heady, and I want more. We’re always playing at this tug and pull between us like we’re ready to go over the edge, but something holds us back. That something being me.
Eventually, I sigh and press my hands against his chest, making him back up. Dario does so immediately, but he always looks a little disappointed. I can tell it hurts him not to take things further, but he’s being sweet by respecting what I want, which just makes me want him even more.
But I’m not there yet.
He sighs, kissing my head. “Ok. I have some work I need to do anyway. So I guess it’s good you stopped us. Otherwise, I probably would have ravished you right here on this balcony if I had the chance.” His eyes darken. “If you ever give me a chance, Pia, I promise I’ll make you feel so good.”
I blush and duck my head. Whenever he says things like that, I’m tempted to give in, just to know what it would be like. I still hold back, though. I’m starting to trust Dario more, but I can’t shake my past in just a matter of a week.
I look back up and smile, then cup his cheek. We stare into each other’s eyes for a moment. Dario takes a small step toward me. I could let this happen. I could sink into his arms and be consumed by him.
But then I step back and drop my hand, and the moment breaks.
Dario nods. “I hope you have a good day while I’m gone. I’m sure Adelina will spend time with you.”
The question is, will Serafina?I sign.
He chuckles. “That is always the question.” He pauses. “God, I could kiss you again. But I won’t. Otherwise, I’ll never leave and get my work done.”
You can kiss me later tonight,I sign.
His eyes darken even more. “I’m holding you to that.” With one more lingering look, Dario finally leaves.
I spend another moment on the balcony, collecting myself before leaving. I find Adelina and Serafina in the kitchen, chatting. Adelina is making herself food, and Serafina is polishing her nails.
Serafina raises an eyebrow when she sees me in the doorway. “What do you want?” Over the past week, we’ve kept some distance from each other. She hasn’t fully warmed up to me yet, but she hasn’t actively been mean to me either, which I’ll take as a win.
Just wanted to chat,I sign.
