Episode Eight
T his girl is my whole fucking world. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of my children equally. But there’s just something about being a girl dad. Aurora is different from the boys. Most times, I actually think she can take care of herself better than Lorenzo or Enzo can.
Knowing how capable she is doesn’t make it any easier to not grab her, throw her in a room, and lock her in. Keeping the outside world far away from her. Of course, my wife would never allow me to do that. I’ve suggested it more than once over the years.
I’m sure if my wife knew what I just found out, though, she might be swayed. Our precious little girl just made her second kill. It was a shock—although, knowing Aurora, it probably shouldn’t have been as shocking when she killed someone a few months back to protect her cousins.
When I look at my daughter, I see my wife’s beauty and my devilment. Which makes her one hell of a lethal combination. Aurora is probably ten times more dangerous than her brothers, and I’ve seen my boys at work. Let’s just say they’re both making a name for themselves in our world.
Savvy tells me that I shouldn’t treat Aurora different from the boys—all that equal right bullshit she likes to educate me on. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about equal rights. Aurora is my princess. Nothing will ever change that. I remember the day she was born. Holding her in my arms, all wrapped up in that pink blanket. I swore then that I’d never let the darkness of our world touch a single blonde hair on her head.
Guess I failed on that count. As much as I try to drag her away, to keep her in the light, she’s fucking determined to plant her feet on the dark side. I’m just not sure she’s ready for the consequences of what that truly means.
Sitting here watching her sleep, I thank God that she’s capable of defending herself, of protecting her family. But, fuck, I wish she didn’t have to be. Wishing for things that will never happen is a waste of time, though. Pointless.
I watched the tape. I saw my niece take a bullet, and then I saw my daughter stab the shooter in the neck with a knife. It’s not so much what she did that haunts me. It’s the look on her face as she did it. She didn’t hesitate. She didn’t flinch. Her eyes were focused, but it was her smile that got me.
When she pushed the tip of the blade into his neck, she fucking grinned. Aurora likes the kill. I shouldn’t be surprised. The women in my family seem to inherit fucking psychotic tendencies. My Zia Angelica and her daughter Izzy are the craziest people I’ve ever met. And now, it seems Aurora is following in their footsteps.
I’m torn between being proud and fucking worried about her. Even now, watching her sleep so damn peacefully after such a violent event is worrisome. Why isn’t she having nightmares? Reliving the event?
Not that I want her to be stuck in that kind of torture. But, fuck, a little bit of remorse or a glimmer of fear would be normal to see on an eighteen-year-old girl after she’s stabbed someone to death.
Aurora stirs. Her eyes open and land on me. “Papa, is everything okay?” she asks while pulling herself upright.
“It’s okay. Go back to sleep,” I tell her.
Aurora smiles and I swear the whole room lights up. “Something is on your mind. You only watch me sleep when you’re worried about something,” she says, bringing her knees up to her chest. She rests her head on top as she waits for me to respond.
“How are you?” I ask her.
“I’m good, Papa. Promise.”
“I saw the tape, Aurora. What you did…” My words drop off.
“I’m… I’m not sorry. I wish I could tell you that I was but I’m not. You shouldn’t have watched it.”
“You don’t ever have to be sorry for protecting your family, sweetheart. I just wish you didn’t have to.” I run a hand through my hair. “I wanted to keep you away from this life. I failed.” I sigh.
“You didn’t fail me, Papa. This life, our family, it’s in my blood. I’m a Valentino. Just like you. Just like Nonno and Zio Theo. I’m a Valentino.” She repeats our name, as if this explains why she is the way she is.
“I know.” I smile at her. “But you’re also my princess. You’re my little girl and I’m supposed to be protecting you better than I have been.”
“You protect me just fine, Papa. You’ve done better than that. You’ve given me the skills to protect myself. To make sure I can survive anything that comes at me. And you gave me two overbearing big brothers. Do you have any idea how hard it is to date with those two around? I thought it’d be easier with Lorenzo in Australia. But, no, Enzo has picked up the whole scary big brother routine two -fold.”
I frown. “When did you start dating? You’re not serious. No, I didn’t sign off on you dating.” I shake my head.
“I’m eighteen, Papa. I’m going off to college next year. I’m almost finished high school. Do you really think I don’t date?” She laughs.
I don’t join in. Aurora dating is no laughing matter. “There isn’t a boy in this world worthy of you, sweetheart. You should just stop looking for one now. There is nothing wrong with being a spinster and living with your parents forever, you know.”
Aurora raises one eyebrow at me. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She smiles. “I really am okay though, Papa. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I will worry about you until I take my last breath, Aurora.” I stand and walk over to her bed. Bend down and press a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “Ti amo,” I whisper.
“Ti amo, Papa,” she replies.
“Go back to sleep. Sorry I woke you.” I stop when I get to her door and turn back to look at her over my shoulder. She gives me another one of her smiles, and I force myself to walk out and close the door behind me.
I make my way into my own bedroom and find my wife reading in bed. When she notices me, she sets her book down. “How is she?”
“Sleeping like a baby.”
“That’s good. But why do you look like you’re about to be sick?” Savvy asks while climbing off the bed.
“Did you know Aurora was dating?”
“Well, yeah. She’s eighteen, Tao.” Savvy gives me that same smile my daughter had moments ago. I think they do it on purpose. They both know what their smiles do to me.
“She’s a baby still. I told her to be a spinster and live with us forever.” Reaching out, I wrap my arms around my wife. Her laugh is silent, but I feel the shake of her chest against me. “It’s not funny,” I grunt.
“It kind of is,” she says.
“I know I promised you to stay as clean as I could. But fuck, Savvy, I can’t just sit back and watch some punk-ass kid creep up on my little girl and not tear his fingers off.”
“Tao, you were a punk-ass kid once. I was there. I remember.”
“I was never a punk,” I correct her. “Or a creep.” I lean back, running my eyes along every inch of her exposed skin. Even after all these years, she’s still the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. “Although I could creep up on you right now.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her.
“Oh, yeah? Think you could handle all that I am, Tao?” Savvy waves a hand over the full length of her body.
“I know I can.” Reaching behind my back, I pull my shirt over my head. “The question is… can you?” I take a step forward, causing her to take a step back until the undersides of her knees hit the edge of the mattress. And my eyes land on the orange sheets. “You changed the bedding?”
“I was feeling nostalgic,” she says.
“Yeah? You wanna take a trip down memory lane with me, Savvy? Relive our first time?” I ask as I lean my body over hers.
“I want to relive a thousand lives with you, Matteo.” Her breath hitches as my fingers trail up the inside of her thigh.
“You can count on it. We’re soul mates. We’ll always find each other.” My lips slam down onto hers. This right here? This is home. Wherever Savvy is, that is where I’m supposed to be. I’ve known it since I was six years old.
Her arms wrap around my neck, holding me tighter against her, while her legs wrap around my waist. “Fuck me, Tao,” she whispers into my mouth.
“Ask nicely.” I grind my hard cock against her mound, wishing there wasn’t a layer of clothing between us.
“Please, Tao, I need you inside me. Right now,” she moans.
“I never have been able to deny you anything,” I tell her while sitting up. I drop my sweats and palm my cock before lifting the hem of Savvy’s nightgown. Finding her completely bare underneath. “You’ve been waiting for me?”
“I have,” she says.
“Are you ready for me, babe?” I ask her, lining my cock up with her entrance. Waiting for her nod before I push inside her slowly. “Fucking heaven.”
“Oh god!” Savvy moans, her nails dragging down my back.
This—being balls deep inside my wife—is my own slice of heaven. Something I’ll never take for granted. The fact that she’s mine, that she gave herself to me… I’ll always be grateful for that. I will always worship the ground she walks on. She’s not just my wife or the mother of my children. She’s my best friend. She’s my fucking everything.