Chapter 14
Tilly walks into my office behind Emillio. Her eyes land on the sofa and I watch as her cheeks redden. I know exactly what she’s thinking about. That first time I tasted her. The first time I allowed myself to touch her.
“Rafe needs a hand downstairs,” I tell my brother. Then I push up from my desk, walk around the front, and lean against the ledge. My hands in my pockets as I wait for him to close the door.
Tilly is standing in the middle of the room. Looking at me. I don’t know what she’s thinking right now. Is she pissed I didn’t come home? Didn’t call her? I spent the whole night out on the streets searching for that fucker Hernando. No one’s seen him or has a clue to his whereabouts.
“Ragazza? Come here.” I crook a finger in Tilly’s direction.
She raises a single eyebrow at me but her feet start moving anyway. “You summoned me?”
“I didn’t summon you.” I snake an arm out, wrapping it around her waist, and pull her up against my body so she’s positioned between my legs.
“You literally had your brother pick me up from school to bring me here. That’s the very definition of being summoned, Antonio.”
“I didn’t mean for it to seem like that. I just… I needed to know you weren’t alone,” I tell her.
“Why? What’s going on?” Tilly’s eyebrows pinch together as she peers up at me. The hint of irritation replaced by concern.
“I don’t want you to worry. I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” I explain without really explaining anything. Which she catches on to quick. It’s easy to forget that she’s grown up in this world. My world.
“What’s happening, Antonio?”
“I pissed someone off, and they’ve threatened you,” I admit, not taking my eyes off hers.
“Why would they do that?”
“To get me to accept a deal I declined.”
“Okay… So what do you need me to do?” she asks. I really shouldn’t be surprised how well she’s handling this situation. But then again, Tilly never fails to amaze me.
“We need to tell your family. I can keep you safe without them, Matilda, but they need to know a threat has been made against you. It’s the right thing to do.”
“They’re going to want to know why.” She chews on her bottom lip.
“I know.”
“And then we’re both going to have targets on our backs.”
“I need to tell them, Matilda,” I stress while keeping my tone calm. Even. “We can’t keep this from them. It doesn’t matter how much they’re not going to like the fact that we’re together. Nothing is going to change that we are.”
“What if they threaten you? Not even then?” she asks.
“Not a chance.”
“What if they try to bribe you, buy you out, offer you a deal you can’t refuse?”
“Tilly, there’s nothing on this planet that is going to change my mind. I love you. We’re doing this, and fuck what anyone else thinks. They can either get on board or they can jump fucking ship. I don’t care.”
“I love you too,” she says, throwing her arms around my neck. “I think I have for a really long time.”
“I know I’ve loved you for a really long time. Never in a million years did I ever let myself think I’d actually have you, though.” I lean forward and press my forehead against hers.
“I don’t want anything to come between us, but my family can be… Well, they can be hot-headed and trigger-happy.”
“First of all, they can’t actually kill me. I’m the Don of one of the five families, babe. To kill me would start a war no one wants,” I remind her.
“I’m going to call my mom. We’re going to need someone level-headed on our side.”
I drop my arms, reluctantly, and let Tilly shift out of my hold as she takes a step back and calls her mother. When she gets off the phone, I see fear in her eyes for the first time. “I just want to apologize now for whatever my dad or uncles say to you.”
“Matilda, you don’t need to worry. I don’t care what they have to say to me. I don’t care what they do either. The only thing I care about is you. Making sure you’re safe is my number one concern.”
Tilly nods while taking in a huge breath. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
I follow behind Matilda, her hand clasped firmly in mine as we walk through the door to her parents’ house. Every guard in my peripheral is sending me the death glare, like they’re just itching to be given the order to shoot. I told Tilly they can’t kill me, not that they can’t cause damage.
There’s a very big distinction there.
“Matilda, what’s…” Romeo Valentino’s words die off when he eyes me. And then our joined hands.
“Papa, I want you to meet Antonio,” Tilly says, like her father and I don’t run in the same circles. Like we don’t already know each other.
He doesn’t say a thing as he continues to stare at me. I wait. I can be patient. I can withstand whatever bullshit they throw my way. For her, I can do it.
“Papa?” Tilly grinds her teeth, trying to get her father’s attention.
“Fuck no.”
My head snaps to the side. Where Romeo’s brother, Tilly’s uncle, is standing there pointing a gun right at my head. I don’t blink. I don’t laugh like I’m usually inclined to do. Instead, I shift my body so it’s in front of Tilly’s.
“I don’t care if you point that thing at me, but I’m going to give you five seconds to lower your weapon before I lower it for you. I won’t have that shit aimed anywhere near her,” I tell Theo Valentino while dipping my head back towards Tilly.
This has Romeo moving while finally breaking him out of his trance. “Theo, put it away,” he says before stepping up to me.
I see it coming and do nothing to stop his fist from connecting with my face. Like I said, I’d have more of an issue with the man if he didn’t try to get me away from his daughter. Shows me he actually cares about her. Wants what’s best for her. Because what’s best certainly isn’t me.
“Matilda, your mother’s in the kitchen. Go and see if she needs a hand,” Romeo says.
“Nope, I’m good here.” Matilda maneuvers around me to aim her glare at her father. “And that was uncalled for, Papa.”
“It’s okay,” I tell her.
“No, it’s not.” She shakes her head before turning back to Romeo. “Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Of course not. We both know how brilliant you are,” he says.
“Then you should know that the choice to be with Antonio is mine to make, and I choose him. Using the same brain you’ve always praised me for having. So, I ask you again… do you think I’m stupid? Do you think I’m incapable of making an intelligent decision?”
“You’re not stupid. But him? Matilda, you could do better than him,” Romeo grunts.
“Papa, this is my choice, and I’ve made it. Nothing you say or do is going to change my mind.” Tilly stands tall, her spine steeled and her jaw set with determination.
“Matilda, we should talk about this. How about over some gelato?” he asks her.
“I’m not going to Italy with you to have gelato right now, Papa. Oh my god. Mom!” Tilly raises her voice, and her mother comes rushing into the room.
“What’s going on?” Mrs. Valentino asks, then stops short. “Oh… ohhh…” Her eyes widen as she looks at me and our still joined hands. “Okay, well, we knew this day was going to come, Romeo.” She walks over to me and holds out a palm. “I’m Livvy. It’s nice to officially meet you, Antonio.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Valentino.” I drop Tilly’s hand and return her mother’s gesture.
“Okay. Let’s sit down.” Livvy ushers her husband and brother-in-law into the living room and pushes them onto a sofa.
Tilly grabs my arm and leads me to the one opposite them. “There’s, um…” she starts to say and then looks at me.
I pull the envelope out of my pocket and set it on the table in front of us. “This was left on my desk last night.”
Theo is the one to swipe up the envelope. He digs through it without removing any of the contents. “You know who left it?” he asks while passing everything over to Romeo.
“I do,” I tell him. “Spent all night looking for the bastard, but he’s gone underground.”
Romeo’s face pales as he looks at the pictures and then reads the note. “What deal do they want?”
I blink at him. “Not one I was prepared to accept,” I say. “I’ll find him. I just needed you to know that a threat was made. So you all can take whatever precautions you need to take.”
“We’ll find him,” Theo grinds out. “I’m going to need a name. They’ve threatened one of ours. That’s not something I’m going to just let go.”
I nod my understanding. “Hernando,” I say, and see the recognition reflected in his eyes.
Theo looks at his niece. “Tilly, you need to lie low for a couple of days. You should stay here.”
“I’m not staying here… I’m fine,” she insists.
“Actually, you probably should. Just for a couple of days,” I add, and Tilly’s head shoots in my direction.
“Why can’t I stay with you?”
Theo and Romeo both growl in response. “Matilda, that’s not fucking happening,” her father says. “Need I remind you it’s because of him that someone is targeting you?”
“No, it’s not. It’s because someone can’t take no for an answer. This is not Antonio’s fault. And if I want to leave with him, I’m going to leave with him,” she says.
I look at her, my shocked expression matching her father’s slightly dropped jaw and uncle’s wide eyes. Tilly isn’t really one to speak up like this. She’s usually quiet, more reserved. But damn, if her standing up for me right now isn’t hot as fuck.
“It’s okay, Matilda. If you want to come home, I’ll take you home, obviously. But I agree with your family. I think the best place for you right now is with them. The men here… they’re loyal to you. They’re going to do everything in their power to protect you.”
“Are you saying the million men at your place aren’t capable of doing the same?” she counters.
“They are,” I tell her. Because if I thought for one second that any of them wouldn’t, I’d cut their throats myself.
“Then I’m going home. With you. I don’t need babysitting. I don’t need to be holed up in my childhood bedroom on the off chance this guy carries through on his threat.”
“It’s not an empty threat, Matilda.” I sigh. “He means what he says.”
“I know. And so do I,” she tells me.