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“Decided what?” I ask, and I don’t know why I’m asking. I should just do it. I should just pull the trigger, but something’s stopping me.
“I decided to choose life over death. Love over hate.”
I look at him for a long moment, my hand tight on the handle of my gun. I think of Mia, the way her face will crumple when she hears the news, the stress she’ll be under while she’s newly pregnant. I think about choosing life over death, choosing love over hate.
I’m stuck, pointing the gun but not shooting it, and Luca shifts at the table.
“Excuse me for a moment. I forgot the wine,” he says, and stands up to go back into the kitchen.
I let out a long breath and put my gun back in the holster at my spine.
Luca returns with the wine and I wait for a few moments before taking my phone out of my pocket and frowning down at it.
“I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have to go,” I say, and Luca waves his hand dismissively.
“I know how it goes.” He looks at me for a long moment. “What was the business you wanted to talk to me about?”
I don’t miss a beat. “The Gallos,” I say. “We’re finishing that up, yeah?”
Luca nods. “Within the week,” he promises.
“Good,” I say. “Thank Anastasia for dinner.”
“Ask Mia to call her,” Luca says. “She’s been worried about her.”
I nod tersely and leave as quickly as I can.
My head is spinning and all I want is to get home to Mia. When I arrive, she’s asleep on the couch, her phone in her hand as if she was waiting for me to call. My heart clenches in my chest and I kneel down next to her, kissing her forehead.
“Mia,” I call, and she mumbles and shifts, rolling over. Her dark eyelashes fan across her cheekbones. I don’t want to wake her. She looks so peaceful, and she sleeps so little lately.
I pick her up gingerly, bridal style, and she tucks her head against my chest, not waking.
She still doesn’t wake when I place her in bed, not even bothering to undress her or myself before crawling into bed with her and pulling up the duvet around us. I hold her tighter than I ever have before, and she sighs in contentment.
I think I’m in love with Mia Lorenzo, but I don’t know how to stop wanting to avenge my parents’ death. The fact that I’d choked when I had the chance to kill Luca shocks me. I’m shaken, and I don’t know where to go from here.
I’ve never felt so lost, never felt so torn, but with Mia in my arms, I’m able to push it all away, and it’s like she’s the only person in the world. With her safe in my arms, I’m able to drift off to sleep.
24
MIA
Acouple of days pass, and Dante has to work most of the time, coming home tired and going straight to bed after dinner. I don’t mind it as much now that I know that Vincenzo is out of the picture, and because Dante had confirmed that he loves me.
I spend my time in the nursery, painting it a pretty green so that it’ll fit for either a boy or a girl. Dante has already set up the crib, and I’m just waiting for the changing table to get here. It’s coming together nicely, and I can just imagine my baby in the crib, looking up at the mobile that I’ve ordered.
Dante yawns, standing at the door of the nursery, just in a pair of sweats. He’s not dressed for the day, which is unusual. He comes up behind me, putting his arms around me and kissing the back of my neck.
“I’m sorry I slept in,” he murmurs, and I turn to him, smiling.
“It’s okay. I’ve got plenty to do today if you’ve got work. They’re delivering the changing table and I wanted to paint the trim.”
“We can hire someone to do the painting, you know?” Dante says, and I scoff.
“I want to do it myself. Our baby will be sleeping here. I want it to have a mother’s touch.”
Dante smiles down at me and kisses me on the bridge of my nose, his arms still loosely around my waist. “I actually thought I’d stay in today, get some rest.”
