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I’m about to call it a night when my phone buzzes again.
Mamma:I’ll be there in the morning, Hawk.
Me:What are you talking about?
Mamma:You need me. I talked to Pappi, and he told me what you’ve agreed to. You will not face this without me. Besides, it’s time to shake the ground the Leones walk on. To do so, the Rossis will stand together. All of us.
Me:Mamma, you don’t have to do this. I don’t want being here to cause you pain.
Mamma:Mio figlio, don’t you know nothing is more important to me than you and your sister? I tried to shield you from being a Rossi, but I see now I should’ve chosen better than to hide parts of who you are. The time is here to remind everyone who Valentina Rossi is. Get some rest. I love you.
Me:I love you, Mamma.
I steeple my fingers under my chin and close my eyes. They fly open at the sound of my grandfather clearing his throat.
“I thought you were in bed, Pappi.”
“I thought you’d be in bed with her.” He grins and his eyes twinkle. “I like her. She suits you,” he says.
“Yeah, well, I’ve already told you I won’t keep her chained to me and my responsibilities here.”
He shakes his head, still grinning. “Don’t you understand, grandson? There’s nothing love can’t conquer. You love her and she loves you. I can see it clearly. You underestimate me. I won’t be the reason you lose her. If you do, it’ll be your fault alone.”
“You mean if I lose the fight?” I ask, not understanding.
“You’ll win. I have no doubt. If I did, you wouldn’t be fighting. I know they fight dirty, but when you’re fighting for love, your strength and endurance surpasses each obstacle standing in your way.” He stares at me knowingly like he’s been in my shoes, and I realize I know very little about him personally, just his empire.
He starts to retreat into the hall again, but I stop him. “Pappi, why did you call Mamma? She told me she’s coming. She shouldn’t be here around everything that haunts her.”
“Your mamma is my little girl. There’s only one promise I’ve ever broken to her, and it killed me to break it. I won’t do it again. I promised her I’d keep her informed. When I told her about tonight, she said she was coming. Who am I to stop a mother from rushing to her son?”
I push away from the desk and stand. “What promise did you break to her?”
He inhales and lets it back out while staring at me. “I promised her I’d try to give Kieran a fair chance. I didn’t. I only saw a man not good enough for my little girl. I’m afraid it poisoned both your father and your mother. And as soon as I learned he was responsible for Victor’s death, I had my reason to either kill him or keep him away from your mother forever. She begged for his life, so the latter was the verdict.” He appears sad. “But I didn’t expect her to still love him after all this time and all he’s done.”
I grit my teeth and stare at this man. His empire may not have fallen, but it’s cost several Rossis their happiness. Which drives my point home further…I won’t try to keep Brittney with me. She deserves happiness not affected by deceit and power. I walk up to my grandfather. “And that’s why nothing about being a Rossi will touch Brittney. It’s why I’ll be forced to let her go.”
Hawk is already downstairs when I make my appearance. He came back to bed around one o’clock last night. I know because I glanced at the digital clock by the bed. He thought I was asleep as he slid under the sheets behind me and pressed his body to mine. He kissed my shoulder and whispered, “I’m going to make everything okay,dolcezza.”I listened for more, but nothing else came other than his even breaths indicating he’d finally drifted off to sleep.
He’s talking with his uncle Vincent. They’re speaking in hushed tones at the entrance to the massive dining room. The table is big enough to host probably twenty guests. Something about it makes me sad, finding out some of what’s become of their family. My own family has its own sad ending, but something about this one seems worse. The love was here, unlike with mine. That makes it sadder somehow…the knowledge that not even love could fix what was broken.
Hawk’s back is to me, so Vincent spots me first. He nods his head toward me and retreats further into the dining room where a large breakfast is waiting on the table. Hawk turns and his gaze travels the length of my body. He gives me a reserved smile and I know there’s something he isn’t telling me. “What’s wrong, Hawk?”
He meets me before I can enter the dining room. “Nothing, now that you’re awake and I get to spend the day with you.” He presses a kiss to my cheek and takes my hand before guiding me into the dining room to my seat.
He sits beside me, and Vincent is across from him sipping on what appears to be orange juice. His grandparents join us and sit down right as the doorbell rings. His grandfather’s eyes shoot to Hawk’s as we hear the same woman who greeted us yesterday, greet the newest guests.
“Who’s here?” I ask, shifting my gaze from his grandfather to him.
Hawk’s lips press together as if he’s willing himself to keep quiet. But I’m not left wondering for long as Valentina Abbott glides easily into the room followed by Wren. Valentina locks gazes with Hawk first and smiles before seeing her father rise from his chair. “My Valentina. It’s so good to have you home.” Marco’s eyes shimmer as he takes in the sight of his daughter. Both Marco and Gianna move to hug Valentina.
After a few tears and moments of heartfelt reunion, Vincent rises from his seat and stares at Valentina before finally pulling her in for a hug so tight I think they both might pass out from lack of air. I find myself wishing I had a sibling bond like theirs, but I don’t. They break apart and he holds her at arm’s length, a slight grin tipping up his lips. I’ve yet to see him smile at all. “You look great, Val,” Vincent says.
“So do you, Vinny.” She squeezes his arms. “I mean, what have you been doing? You’re all muscle!” she exclaims lightheartedly.
“And I wasn’t before?” he asks jokingly.
“Yes, but this is a new level of buff, brother. You must be fighting off the ladies with a stick,” she adds. His smile falls a bit, but he changes the subject.
