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I nodded my gratitude, and he nodded back at me. I knew my brother wouldn’t go back on his word to me. He might be cold and heartless, but he was loyal.
“Our house was a bit of a mess and particularly the office,” I pointed out.
“Hell, you’ve made your point, Rafael. You can stop trying to make me feel guilty—you know it won’t work on me. Though I’ll admit the office looks better now, even compared to when we had help around the house. What are we doing about getting a replacement housekeeper?”
“What, you mean after you killed the last one?”
“She stole from us. She knew the consequences. I thought you said Jessica would find us a new housekeeper?”
“Jessica likes doing housework and cooking. She’s a bit of a homebody and she says it keeps her busy and keeps her mind off things. If she wants to do it, then I’ll let her. I’ve told her I’ve got no problem getting a new housekeeper, but she seems to want to do it herself.”
“That’s not something I’d expect from a Mafia princess,” remarked Gabriel.
“Yeah, but then I guess she’s not really a typical Mafia princess.”
And, for some reason, that thought made me glad.
***
After finishing up our training, I went to the bedroom to shower and change. Jessica was in there, making the bed, her eyes red. She had obviously been crying.
She tensed slightly as she heard my approach, but then relaxed once she saw it was just me.
“I know you’ve had an awful time the last couple of months, but eventually you will learn to trust a man again.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think I can.”
“You can always trust me, I promise you that.”
She wiped the tears away from her face with trembling hands.
“And you don’t have to be afraid of Gabriel. He’s my family, and he’s your family now. He won’t hurt you.”
“The best reassurance you can give me is that he’s family?” Her voice moved from upset to anger. “Family ties don’t make a difference in our world. Just look at my family—my parents still gave me to a Santino man, even after your father raped me.”
“That was different—”
“How? Because your father is our Capo and therefore can do what he wants? Remember that Gabriel will be Capo one day too.”
“He’s not like my father. My father is a psychopath and he manipulates people. Gabriel would never betray me or you like that, I swear.”
Jessica broke down again. I took her in my arms and thankfully she didn’t fight me.
“I don’t know who I can trust anymore,” she sobbed. “Nothing’s straightforward now. It’s not just me doubting all men, I doubt myself all the time now—am I too naïve, was I too gullible?”
“Stop, Jess,” I said gently. “Stop blaming yourself. You weren’t to blame for what happened. I can’t ever make it up to you for what’s happened but know that I’ll never stop trying. No one will ever hurt you again.”
“You can’t protect me from your father,” she cried.
“Yes, I can.”
“You can’t, Rafael. He’s Capo—no one can stop him if he wants to do something.”
CHAPTER 13
JESSICA
Over the next few weeks, Rafael and I started to go on a run together every morning.
