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His voice is gentle but firm, brokering no argument. I don't bother resisting. Now that the adrenaline has worn off, exhaustion hits me like a freight train. I nod wearily in acquiescence. Antonio brushes a stray lock of hair back from my face, his fingers lingering on my cheek. His touch is surprisingly tender. His deep brown eyes radiate intensity and an emotion much softer than anything I imagined him capable of.
"Get some sleep. You're safe now." His voice resonates with conviction. I cover his hand with mine, hoping he understands the depths of what I feel, but cannot find the words for right now. Antonio's lips brush my forehead before he turns and disappears further inside the building.
CHAPTER24
ANTONIO
Every shadow in my bedroom seems to elongate and stretch, playing with the dim light filtering through the curtains from the balcony. The room is suffused with the delicate floral scent of Clara's perfume, the fragrance intoxicating to my senses.
My heart races, though not from the battle with the Ferraro family earlier tonight. When I first came home, I peeked into the luxurious guest room Clara has stayed in since coming to live with me after the attack. Finding the four-poster bed still neatly made up, a spike of panic had run through my heart. Dark imaginings of what might have happened to her during the few hours I was away crowded my mind.
But Marco, the stone-faced soldier I'd assigned to escort Clara home, simply jerked his chin toward my closed bedroom door with a knowing smirk. Relief flooded through me at this silent reassurance of her safety.
And there she is now, asleep atop the silken duvet of my king-sized bed, looking like an angel. The ugly bruises marring the creamy skin of her beautiful face send another silent vow of revenge simmering through me. The Ferraro family will pay dearly for daring to lay a hand on her. But settling that score will need to wait for another day. Clara's well-being is my only concern right now.
"Clara," I murmur softly, sitting gently on the edge of the bed beside her sleeping form. I keep my voice low and comforting as I give her slender hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze, hoping to ground her to the present as she awakens.
Her long dark lashes flutter open, and for a brief moment she smiles up at me before the traumatic memories of the prior night come crashing back. "My father...Antonio, is he...?" Panic edges into her voice.
"Shh, your father will be alright," I hasten to reassure her. "The most skilled doctors in the city are with him now. I spoke to them an hour ago and his condition is stable."
She lets out a shaky breath, unshed tears glistening in her emerald eyes. "I just can't lose anyone else. First my mother, now almost my father..." Her voice catches thickly with emotion.
My chest aches at the fear and uncertainty haunting her beautiful eyes. I smooth back a lock of chestnut hair that has fallen across her cheek. Clara shifts on her side to make room, pressing her lithe body along mine. Our sides align perfectly, her floral perfume enveloping my senses. The contact is electric, sparking heat beneath my skin despite the grim circumstances.
"I'm sorry," she whispers, a lone tear slipping free to trail down her flushed cheek. "I shouldn't have left the mansion alone. I was just so worried about my dad, I had to see him. It's my fault this happened."
"Shhh, no." I tenderly wipe away the shimmering teardrop with my thumb. "You have absolutely nothing to apologize for." Our eyes meet and hold, hers shining like polished jade in the low light. "But know this - no matter what comes next, you'll never have to face danger like that alone again. I swear it."
Clara turns more fully toward me, her full lips curving into a sad, tremulous smile. "What happens now, Antonio? Where do we go from here?" Her voice wavers with uncertainty, eyes searching mine for answers neither of us fully possesses.
I hold her gaze unflinchingly, letting her see the doubts and concerns swirling within me even as I project an aura of calm control. "The world we've found ourselves entangled in...it's unpredictable. Dangerous, even cruel at times." I shake my head, the bloody confrontation we'd narrowly escaped earlier tonight still stark in my mind. The shark-like ruthlessness of the rival mafia still has my own blood boiling.
"But I promise you this, Clara - no matter where life takes you after tonight, I will keep you safe." I take her delicate hand between both of mine, willing her to feel the conviction behind my words. "Wherever you choose to go, whatever you decide, you'll have my full support and protection."
Her emerald eyes are wide, cheeks flushed. "And...and if I choose to stay here? With you?" She bites her lower lip uncertainly. The nervous vulnerability in her expression makes my chest swell with emotion.
"Clara..." Her name escapes my lips in a fervent sigh, like a prayer.
At the breathless sound, her eyes meet mine. They are hazy with desire, and cheeks endearingly flushed. She is the most exquisitely beautiful woman I have ever known.
Resting my forehead against hers, I brush a thumb over her delicate cheekbone. "You are everything to me, tesoro mio," I murmur. "I cannot bear the thought of ever losing you."
Clara's fingers trail down my jaw tenderly. "You won't lose me, Antonio. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." Her voice resonates with conviction.
Emotion clogs my throat. "You deserve so much more than a dangerous man like me can offer you."
She silences me with a deep, hungry kiss that steals my breath. When we finally break for air, her emerald eyes blaze into mine.
"Don't you understand? I love you, Antonio Ricci." Her admission washes over me like sunlight penetrating the darkness. "Danger and all, you're who I choose. Who I'll always choose."
Overwhelmed, all I can do is crush her to me and kiss her with every ounce of the love and gratitude swelling inside me. When we come up gasping, I cradle her face in both hands, blinking back the sting in my eyes.
"Ti amo, Clara. I will spend every day proving worthy of your love. This I swear to you." My voice is husky with emotion.
Clara smiles tremulously, eyes glistening. "Just love me. That's all I'll ever need from you."
"Always." I brush my thumb over her knuckles, touch feather-light. "You would want for nothing, in this life or the next."
