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When he raises his head, neither one of us is breathing steadily.
“I fell in love with you, Avah. You’re mine, and I’ll do whatever I have to, to keep that.”
“And . . . and what if I love you enough to stay with you?”
“Babe, I can’t stay in Dallas if I quit. I couldn’t.”
Not they wouldn’t let him, he couldn’t.
He really would give up his chosen life.
For me.
My head spins, and I grab his face and kiss him hard. “I meant I’ll come to you, be part of your life.”
“I can protect you anywhere. If you’re worried the Lowlanders or affiliates will come after you, they won’t. You’re out. Out of their sights, out of their interest. I got a call from O’Grady—head of that faction—to let me know. I have no idea about the rest of it. And that’s something you have to live with if you stay around that. Dubious decisions. Weighing up, so we can go wherever, but I need not to be here.”
“Nicolo,” I whisper, “no. This is where you belong. They’re your family. I’ve seen how everyone is. This isn’t just an operation, it’s family. Like Dan to Dad and me. I can’t let you.”
He half grins. “In case you haven’t noticed, no one lets me do anything. My choice, Avah, babe. My choice.”
“The De Luca family is your only family.”
He kisses my face, tiny little kisses that hold the heat and faint edge of savagery that I crave from him, the ownership. I want to belong to him. I do.
“With you, if you’ll have me, Avah, I’ll make it work.”
I nod, and then a calm settles inside, a calm so full of happiness I might burst. “I’m so in love with you, Nicolo Abruzzi, but I know my mind, and no.”
Desolation grays his face. “No? I get it. I’ll see you to the airport, and—”
“No, idiot, my gorgeous, beautiful, idiot man.” I kiss him again, peppering him this time with them. “I mean, no we don’t have to make something work. We don’t have to go. You’re what matters. And Mia, Scarlett, and Blake? They’re happy. They’re all different, and they’re so happy. I want happiness, and for me to have that happiness, I need you happy, whole happy.”
“If I’m with you, that’s what you’ll get.”
I tug his face closer. “I want you here and you to be in your element. I’m your woman. But you? You’re my man. And I’m good wherever we are as long as I’m with you. I thought I wanted to run from the life you have, but I don’t even know it. I wasn’t really part of it. What I was running from was Dad trying to box me in. And if I have you, your love, then I’m flying, Nicolo. I know you’ll keep me safe, and I’m good.”
“Tesoro, I’ll do anything.”
The happiness bursts, it floods every part of me. There’s a lifetime ahead of me with a man who will protect me with his life, more importantly, a man who loves me and who I love back. A man who is fascinating and one I won’t ever stop wanting to learn about.
“Then anything is you and me together, and you staying here. In your job. I love you, Nicolo. Forever and always.”
“Right fucking back at you,Tesoro.”
He kisses me deep and long, and this is what it’s about.
Nicolo.
My enforcer.
The other part of my heart.
