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“Frankie...” I growl out, not liking where she is going with this story, fury finding its way into my body, and my jaw clenches as I wait for her to continue.
“That night, I was having trouble sleeping, so I was awake when he opened my bedroom door and stumbled in. He was drunk, bumping into my room, banging his body against my dresser and then he stumbled toward my bed.” Her voice is quiet now, barely a sound as she is lost in her memories. I keep my hands on her, wanting to keep her with me, keep her grounded in our love as she shares her painful past.
“I tried to pretend that I was asleep, but it all happened so fast...” Her voice rises now, almost panicked, and I grab her around the waist and pull her to me. “He landed on top of me and he was so heavy, so strong that I couldn’t get him off of me. I couldn't stop him. He ripped my blankets away and covered my mouth with his hand while his other hand pulled at my pajamas, trying to rip them from my body.” Her breaths are shallow and her eyes are pained at the memory that is so clearly etched into her brain. “I tried to hit him, I tried to get him off me, but he wouldn’t budge…” Tears are streaming down her cheeks now, and I am already thinking about the things I am going to do to this guy if I ever see him.
“Enzo was trying to get his hands into my pants, and I was kicking and thrashing my body around. I was so scared. I was only 13!” she says, pulling back from my hold and piercing me with her gaze. Her tears have stopped, she is gathering herself, but I know that it isn’t the end of her tale so I wait patiently. My nostrils are flaring and I am grinding my teeth so much that I am sure to have none left by the end of this night, but I wait patiently for her to continue.
“Sebastian stopped him. Sebastian’s room was right next to mine and he heard the scuffle and came into my room. He saw what was happening and launched himself at Enzo and threw him out my bedroom and locked the door and slept with me that night so that he wouldn’t come back. If it wasn’t for Sebastian…” Her voice breaks and at the moment I have never been more grateful for her brother than I am right now. Hearing this memory, so vivid that I can reenact it in my brain, I am so goddamn thankful that Sebastian saved her from such an evil man.
“Enzo left early the following morning, and I thought it was all over. But the aftermath was just as bad...” she said, shaking her head.
“What do you mean, baby?” I ask, not sure I actually want to hear more of this horrible experience but wanting her to share things with me all the same.
“Mama thought I was lying about the whole thing, so our relationship deteriorated more. Papa despised me for speaking out, saying it is my duty as a mob daughter to get into line. Sebastian was the only member of my family seething, but he was still too young to do anything. But now he isn’t, and there is no way that he will let Enzo near me again.”
I pull her back to me, wanting her near me, not wanting to let her go. We are both lost in our own thoughts of what could have been. But rage fills me. I want to kill him. I can’t believe her father would want her to marry such an evil person, knowing what he did to her years earlier.
As we stand on the soft sand, the ocean lapping at our feet, I feel even more grateful that the universe brought this woman to me, but I vow to myself right there and then that her father or Enzo will never lay another finger on her again.
32
Frankie
Our time on the island has gone too fast. We have found paradise here and neither of us want to leave. Orpheus Island is truly magical. Right near the breathtaking Great Barrier Reef, the colorful fish and coral that we have seen daily since being here truly make me feel like we are in another world. We snorkeled with the fish, we ate glorious fresh food, and slept and made love over and over again. Neither of us have been to Australia before, and while the only place we have seen is this island, we are in love and make a pact to come back again when the time is right.
Spending so much time together has been amazing. I have learned that Marco is a workaholic and can’t not check his emails. I have also learned that he is an adventure junkie because he has scuba dived, jet skied, and snorkeled nearly every day. I have enjoyed lying in the sun, reading my favorite book, and swimming in the clear blue ocean.
I feel free here. Not having to look over my shoulder at every moment has been a blessing, and Marco and I have slept under the stars, skinny dipped in the ocean, and spent every moment together. It has been pure bliss, and I love him more and more every day. I am in awe of him and can’t believe we have made it this far. I can’t believe we are married.
We bid farewell to our island hosts and begin our return journey. We board the helicopter where the pilot gives us an extra-long ride over the reef to say goodbye. Once back on the mainland, we board our private plane that will take us back to Boston. Our pilot and crew look just as relaxed and tanned as we do, so it seems like it was a great trip all round.
It is a long flight, even in luxury, and I feel glum at the thought of leaving our secure, happy island paradise. Once we get back, things will be different. I will move in with Marco and be in lockdown at his place for another two weeks while he goes to work and restarts his normal life.
I am not sure if I will return to Alf’s bar, or continue to lay low. Perhaps I can be Prince's permanent dog walker. Marco says he can give me a few of his business cases he is working on to put my college degree to work which I would like to do. But the threat remains and Marco and I still can’t be seen together for fear of setting off a paparazzi storm again. Any work I do for him will need to be from home, so it will still be isolating for me. But at least I have Marco now.
We didn’t hear from Sebastian for the entire two weeks, and I am hopeful that it means things haven’t exploded in our absence. We haven't heard from Marco’s family either, so no news is good news, right?
As we settle in for the flight, Marco switches on his laptop and catches up on emails, readying himself for the week at work, and I indulge in a romance novel that I packed at the last minute. I rest my legs on Marco’s lap, and he rubs my feet with one hand as he types with the other. I feel content and in love. We are the picture of domesticity, and I want this feeling forever.
A few hours into the flight, the phone buzzes and Marco and I look at each other with concern. The dread that has been absent from my stomach for the past two weeks has now immediately returned, and I find myself on edge, just by the sound of the phone.
My heart rate increases and the fear and adrenaline start to come back to my body and my palms begin to sweat. The gentle hum of the plane is no longer soothing, Marco’s hand is no longer rubbing my feet, and my romance novel is now all but forgotten.
“Yeah,” Marco answers, and I sit up, wanting to hear the conversation, knowing it will be Sebastian since he is the only one with the number. My eyes search Marco’s face. He isn’t looking at me, he is looking down in concentration, focused on what Sebastian is telling him, concern etched into his face. Marco is nodding, and scowling, his shoulders have gone tight and I already know that the news isn’t good. He looks at me. “She’s here,” he says before passing the phone to me.
“Diletto,” Sebastian says, “don’t panic, but there is chatter. Papa has a team in Boston, and the word is that he has a lead on your whereabouts. How, I have no idea. As soon as you get off the plane, get straight into the car and go to Marco’s. I have a team stationed at his place, you will be safe there.”
“Okay,” I reply in a whispered tone, wishing that I had a normal family, where my brother would ask me how my honeymoon was instead of telling me that I need to run and secure myself indoors from a monster, with that monster being my own father.
“Diletto, it will be okay. You have two men to protect you now. Lock down, see you soon.” Sebastian ends the call before I can say goodbye. I sigh and pass the phone back to Marco. He has already packed his laptop away and unbuckled our seatbelts.
Pocketing the phone, he grabs me around the waist and pulls me on top of him, where I bury my head into his neck and he wraps his arms around me. He still smells of beach and sand, the fresh ocean smell suits him, and I never want it to leave. Sitting here in his arms, I feel protected, safe and secure. It is a place that I never want to leave. It is home.
“I will never let anything happen to you. No one can reach you when you’re with me,” he states with full confidence, and I let his confidence seep into me as I close my eyes and my breathing slows as I fall asleep in his arms.
I wake as we touch down at Boston airport. I'm not sure how long I slept for but it must have been a few hours and Marco didn’t move an inch. His muscles must be aching from holding me in the same position for so long, and my theory is proven correct as I see him rise from the seat gingerly, cracking his back and stretching his arms.
He gives me a grin and a wink before leaning in to whisper, “Nowhere else I want you to sleep, baby.” He kisses me on the lips briefly before the plane door opens and we exit the aircraft.
