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Cate’s brow had furrowed. “But you’re okay now and everything’s okay—the doctor said so.”
“But that’s today. Tomorrow there’ll be another battle, another war with the Bratva or the Cartels or someone else. You’ll always be looking over your shoulder, wondering who’s coming to get me next or coming to get you. That’s not any sort of life for you. I know you want to have a normal life away from the Fratellanza, and I’m granting you that. You never even agreed to this marriage in the first place. I should have asked you, not your father—it should have been you who signed that engagement contract. It should have been you who made the decision. I forced the marriage on you.”
“But I did make that decision.”
“It wasn’t your decision. You said it yourself back then, it was a forced marriage—forced by me. And that was wrong, so I’m letting you go now.”
“Maybe back then I didn’t make the decision to be your wife, but eventually I have. I want to be with you. Because I care about you…because I love you.”
I was stunned into momentary silence. “You love me?” My voice was harsh, disbelieving.
“Yes, I love you. I’ve been fighting my feelings for you for so long now, and it took you coming to save me and getting shot for me to finally be able to admit the truth to myself and to you.”
Cate telling me that she loved me nearly floored me, but having come this far, I couldn’t stop now. “But don’t you see, Cate, loving me is just going to lead to more misery for you?” My voice was hard. “I don’t know how long any of us in the Fratellanza have or when our nine lives are going to run out. But I won’t always be here for you.”
Cate’s eyes glittered with unshed emotion. “Don’t say that! Of course, you’ll always be here with me. You just got a reminder of your mortality, that’s all. But, as you said, you’ve got nine lives.”
“I’ve probably used up more than those nine lives and I reckon I’m already living on borrowed time.” I ran my hand through my hair. “You’ve been right all along, Cate—I can’t keep you safe or keep you from being hurt again. I was nearly killed, and it could have been you who was shot. I don’t want that for you. I’m letting you go, Cate.”
“You don’t understand, Alessio.” She slipped her small hand into my much larger one. “I never felt safe around my father. He put business and money before family. After my mom and brother died, I never felt safe around him again. This man I’d idolized as a child had let me down in such a terrible way. He let down my mom, my brother, and my family. But when I’m with you, it’s the safest I’ve ever felt because I love you and because I know you’ll never let me down like my father did. Alessio, you’re smart, you’re brave. Nothing’s going to happen to you. There’s no one else I want to be with—there’s no other life I want.”
I looked at her intently. “Even though I could never leave the Fratellanza?”
“Yes, even though you could never leave the Fratellanza. They’re your family. They’re my family now. It’s taken me a while to come around to the idea of us being together. I didn’t want to fall in love with you.” Her voice was quiet yet strong. “I didn’t want to be tied to this life and I think I knew, deep down, that loving you would mean staying part of the Fratellanza.”
“We will both always have the Fratellanza as an integral part of our daily lives—would that be okay with you?”
“It has to be okay.” Her hazel eyes didn’t leave my gaze. “Because I can’t live without you, and the Fratellanza is part of you.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, Cate. This happening has brought home to me just how fragile our life is—that it can be taken away at any moment.”
She put her free hand up against my chest. “And that’s why we need love because love isn’t fragile. Love is eternal. Love will keep you anchored in this world—it gives you something to stay alive for.”
“I can’t promise that I’ll always stay alive.” As I spoke, I tightened my grip around her hand as if emphasizing my strength to her, my determination to stay alive for her.
“But you can promise that you’ll always love me…”
“I love you now and I’ll love you forever. Nothing can ever change that. When did you become so wise, Cate?”
“Maybe I’ve always been a wise one. I had to grow up too quickly, the same as you did. It’s just taken me a long while to understand that wisdom and know what to do with it. I’ve spent too many of these past years trying to run from my memories.”
“And you don’t want to run anymore?”
“No, I don’t want to run. I’m happy right here with you.”
“You’re happy? I never thought I’d hear you say that.”
“Yes, I’m happy. And I’ll be saying it a lot more from now on.”
My lips curve into a grin. “Good. Now go lock that door, cara, and come here and let me show you how much I love you.”
Cate blushed but did as she was told. She walked over to the door and turned the lock. Slowly, she turned back to me and started to unbutton her shirt as she walked back to me.
I pulled my t-shirt over my head, and as she tugged down her jeans, I started to make room for her on the bed next to me, but she pushed me onto my back and swung her leg over my torso instead. I growled at her.
“No, you’re to rest, so that means you should just lie back and let me be on top.”
Although I wanted to exert my dominance over her, I had to admit to myself that it was sexy as hell seeing her straddle me. I reached up behind her and undid the clasp of her bra, allowing her breasts to tumble out of their confines. “Christ, I can never get enough of your tits, Cate.”
