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"I love you just as much, Noelle, if not more, pretty girl. I just know that the love I have for you today will double tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow would be twice as much as tomorrow. All the way to infinity. I love you so much that I never want to see you sad, you get me?"
She tightens her arms over my neck, but I feel her nod.
"And I want you toalwaysshare your worries with me. I'll always strive to do better—no, Iwilldo better."
"You're the best man I know, Rafaelo Guerra," she whispers lovingly, her hand in my hair as she plays with a few strands. "You're the best human I've ever met."
"I'm not," a sad smile pulls at my lips. "But for your sake, I'll try to be."
We hug for a few more moments, swaying from side to side as I whisper all the things she makes me feel, and the way my love for her simply has no bounds. Only when I feel her more relaxed do I move to meet the others.
Regrouping, we manage to get back inside the restaurant just as Enzo and his crew arrive to get a read on the situation.
"We already evacuated the restaurant. Just go and I'll handle things on this end."
Nodding, we all make to leave.
Noelle, however, stops by Enzo's side.
"What are you going to tell them?" She asks with a knowing smile.
"Same old, same old. A gas leak that turned into an explosion."
"But there's no explosion," she counters with a raised brow.
"Yet." He just smiles, winking at us before instructing his men to start their work.
As we're led out of the restaurant through another back exit, we say our goodbyes as Sisi and Vlad take Venezia home. She's still very much shaken, and hasn't said a word since the shooting, which could be worrying in her condition.
But just as I move to say something, Noelle's hand tightens over my arm. She shakes her head at me.
"Let's go," she whispers.
With a bit more coaxing, I relent and let the matter go—for now.
But as we're on our way back in a cab, I grimly realize that someone wants me dead. Carlos might have been right that itcouldbe Ortega. But with those weapons? I'm more inclined to believe someone else is involved.
Someone like Damiano Marchesi.
There's also the matter of the mysterious biker, which I could wager a guess on his identity.
And that complicates things.
I only know that I can't afford to put Noelle in danger—in any shape or form. And forthat,I need to put my guard up—and add a few new security measures.
TWENTY-SEVEN
RAFAELO
A few dayslater and though we tried to put the incident behind us since no one got hurt, I still can't help but dwell on it. If someone is out there, gunning for me, then I need to be at my strongest.
It doesn't help that my drug appointment is almost upon us and I've been more restless than usual. The thought of being out for a night, being vulnerable to an attack makes me want to break into a sweat.
I've already recruited more security personnel and I've assigned them around the area for maximum coverage.
The only thing that I've been wary to do, but which might be necessary in the future, had been adding some in-house guards. With how precarious the situation is, we need the best type of security, and that might mean having someone next to us twenty-four seven.
Still, I haven't taken that last step for fear it could make Noelle uncomfortable to have a stranger in the house.
