Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Valentina
B ook Club was in full swing.
Nearly every single man in town was packed into the trattoria’s bar, hungry gazes watching the women in the corner. Instead of drinking with my friends, though, I poured drinks for customers and helped behind the bar. It kept me busy, as well as prevented my friends from grilling me about Luca.
The new bartender, Quincy—who was Anne Marie’s son—didn’t know a Manhattan from a Long Island Iced Tea, but I couldn’t complain. Quincy had stepped in after Gabi returned to Italy to go be a mafia prince. I missed Gabi, but he and I texted regularly. He sounded busy, but happy. He never mentioned his father and I never asked.
Had Luca started sleeping with his mistress again?
The thought caused my empty stomach to turn over, so I popped an olive in my mouth and looked around. Roberto hovered near the front, even though I told him to go home ages ago. There was no reason for both of us to be here, and I’d close down after my friends left. Giovanni’s team was almost done with dinner service, and then we’d only have the bar to worry about.
A few minutes later I made change for a beer. When I turned, Maggie was at the bar, frowning at me. I gave the customer his money. “Thanks, Carl. Let me know when you need a refill.” He turned toward his buddies and I rested on the bar closer to Maggie. “Need anything?”
My friend’s response was instant. “Yes. You.”
“I’m right here.”
“Val, god dammit. This is pissing me off. Come sit with us.”
“I don’t want to. They’re all looking at me with sad, pitying eyes. The second I sit down, they’ll want to hear what happened. Honestly, I don’t have the energy.”
“It’s only because they care about you. And I’ll tell them to not raise the topic of Luca Benetti tonight, I promise.” She put her hand over her heart.
“Maybe later. Let me help Quincy a little longer. Okay?”
Maggie pointed at me. “I’m coming back in thirty minutes and I won’t take no for an answer.”
“But—”
“If you refuse, I will tell Carl about the crush you had on him in seventh grade and how you used to walk by his house every day after school even though he wasn’t on your way. At all.”
Horrified, I watched Carl spin at the sound of his name. “What?”
“Nothing,” I said at the same time Maggie said, “Oh hey, Carl.”
“Were you guys talking about me?” He appeared adorably confused.
“I don’t know.” Maggie raised an eyebrow in my direction. “Were we?”
“You are the worst.” To Carl, I said, “Ignore her. She’s stuck in middle school.”
Carl rejoined his friends and I waved Maggie away. “Get lost, Fiorentino.”
A few minutes later the computer froze and needed to be rebooted. I was standing with my back to the bar, entering in the information to restart the computer, when I noticed everything had gone quiet. I glanced into the mirror to see what was going on.
I jerked in surprise and my elbow bumped the computer. No, this couldn’t be. Was I imagining him?
Luca.
Luca was here, at the bar. A now empty bar.
What the hell? Why was he here?
A loud ringing echoed in my ears as I faced him. He looked good. His hair was a little longer and the bruise on his cheek was almost non-existent. A few days’ worth of scruff graced his jaw, gray whiskers dotted in among the dark brown. His intense stare was locked on my face and my tongue felt thick as I blurted, “What are you doing here?”
“Ordering a drink. I heard this place has a good wine selection.”
“I don’t understand.”
“A Valpolicella, I think.”
I needed time to think, so with a shaking hand I poured him a glass of the red wine. “Should I start a tab, or did you want to cash out?”
“A tab. I’m going to be here a lot.”
I stared, unsure what to say. Then I noticed everyone staring at us, the room as silent as a tomb. I jerked my thumb toward the kitchen. “Come with me.”
I didn’t wait to see if he followed. I walked out from the bar and went through the swinging door. The usual hustle and bustle greeted me, the familiar sounds of a professional kitchen during service. When I reached my office I heard Giovanni greeting Luca like an old friend. They chatted in Italian, but I unlocked the door and went inside, pacing back and forth as I tried to figure out why Luca was here. We’d said everything that needed to be said in Catanzaro.
Maybe he was here on business?
Finally, the knob turned and he strode inside, all masculine grace and leashed power in his dark navy suit. I recognized the tie as one I’d chosen for him all those days ago. “Tell me what’s going on.”
One eyebrow quirked. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“No, not to me. Are you in town for business?”
“Sort of.” He set the wine glass on a file cabinet. “I’m moving here.”
My stomach dropped at the same time as my jaw. “What? You’re kidding.”
“Not permanently. I’ll set up here, then go back and forth to Catanzaro.”
Moving here . My brain tripped over these words. It made no sense. “Why?”
“For you. I want to marry you and you want to live here. I hoped we could compromise. We’ll split our time between Paesano and Catanzaro.”
Needing to ground myself in reality, I gripped the edge of the desk. Was this really happening? “Isn’t that dangerous for you?”
“Yes, and for you. But I brought a small army with me to keep us safe.”
“And so, what? You’ll vacation here while I work?”
“Not vacation. I’ll work, too.”
His smile grew, and there was something devious in the depths of his eyes. Like he had plans in the works. I didn’t care about those plans, not yet. I still couldn’t believe he was serious. “You bought the Portofino mansion.”
He nodded once. “You heard. Good.”
“Of course I heard. No one can keep a secret in this town.”
“Roberto can.”
“Oh, my god. No wonder he was hanging around tonight. He knew you were coming.”
Luca reached inside his coat pocket and took out a small box. My heart leapt into my throat as he flipped open the box and took out a ring. I saw a flash of white, but I was concentrating on his face, not his hands.
Luca met my eyes, his expression serious. “Valentina, you are everything to me. I have tried breathing and eating and existing without you, and I can’t do it. So I will move heaven and earth to give you what you need, if only you stay by my side. Marry me, have a life with me in both places. Because it doesn’t matter where we are, as long as you are with me, amore mio.”
“You’re really willing to live here for half the year?”
“If you are willing to live in Catanzaro for the other half, then yes.”
We shouldn’t let anything hold us back.
My mother’s words. She wouldn’t want me wrapped up in Luca’s world, but she would want me to be happy. And she would want me with a man willing to do anything for me. Like move across the globe for six months out of the year.
He shifted on his feet. “You may take more time to think about this. I know it is a big decision for you.”
“Yes.”
“So think, fiore mio. I’ll give you a few days?—”
“That was my answer. Yes, I’ll marry you. Yes, I’ll live in Catanzaro for part of the year. Yes, yes, yes!”
“Thank fuck.”
He was on me in a flash, his strong arms pulling me into his chest. I wrapped myself around him and held on, his familiar scent filling my head. God, I’d missed him.
We clung together for a long beat, then he grabbed my face in both his hands and kissed me. His lips were soft, and he tasted like wine and mint and a lifetime of promises. I gave as good as I got, telling him without words that I was in this for the long haul.
When we finally parted, he pressed his forehead to mine. “Ti amo, baby.”
“Ti amo, Luca.”
He gave me a brief, hard kiss then picked up my hand. “I hope you like it.”
The diamond ring was over the top. A cushion cut stone, with smaller diamonds surrounding it like a halo, all in a platinum setting. “It’s . . . stunning. I’m almost afraid to wear it around.”
“But you will. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
For some inexplicable reason, that caveman declaration caused my heart to flip over. “I’m yours. And I love it.” I pushed up to kiss him. “Grazie, bello.”
He growled low in his throat, his fingers tightening on my skin. “I love when you speak my language.”
“Then I’ll hire a tutor and learn it properly. I mean, we’ll be living there for half the year. I’d better understand what you and your brothers are saying.”
“This makes me very happy. Come, I want to fuck you in a bed.”
He started to tug on my hand, but I stayed put. “Wait. Tell me what you’re planning to do while you’re here. Are you starting another criminal empire in New York?”
Luca placed his hands on my shoulders. “I love you and we will share a life together. But it’s for your own protection if you stay out of the business and leave it to me, capisce?”
I held onto the edges of his suit jacket. “Luca, I visited you in prison once. I don’t want to live through that again.”
“You won’t. Amore, I went to the GDF headquarters purposely so they would put me in prison. You see, the man who killed Palmieri’s daughter was the boss of the region. I couldn’t name him and betray the brotherhood. So I dropped enough clues for Palmieri to figure it out, then insulted him to get arrested. Being in prison ensured that I couldn’t be blamed for what needed to happen—not by the GDF or the ’ndrina. Thankfully, Palmieri is a smart man and did what had to be done. Then he let me go.”
“That was all planned? Holy shit. You’re very smart.”
His mouth curved into a sly grin. “This is true. I am very smart. Any other questions before I take you to the mansion and fuck you into the mattress?”
“What about the fire? I thought the mansion was in bad shape?”
“The garage, yes, and I’ll have it rebuilt. Andiamo, fiore. That’s enough talking.” He flicked open the door and held it for me. I grabbed my bag from under the desk, which caused Luca’s smile to widen. “I see you are still using my gifts.”
I was carrying one of the expensive handbags he bought me. “Only because these are too pretty not to use. It had nothing to do with you.”
“You missed me,” he whispered as I walked by him.
I had, but I wasn’t admitting it. Yet. I walked through the kitchen on my way to the dining room. The staff all stopped what they were doing to watch us go by, their gazes curious. “We’re back together,” I announced.
A round of congratulations echoed down the line, but I tried to appear professional. “Thank you. See you all in the morning.”
I started to push on the swinging door, but Luca held my arm. “Wait.”
Bending, he picked me up, bridal-style. I yelped and held on to his neck. “What are you doing?”
“I have watched this movie, An Officer and a Gentleman . It’s very corny, but romantic. And we have a tradition to uphold for book club, no?”
“Oh, god.” I buried my face into his throat. “I’m never going to live this down.”
Quickly, Luca strode through the swinging door and we were in the dining room. All the conversation slowly stopped as the diners noticed us. I could feel my cheeks burning, a mixture of happiness and embarrassment. But mostly happiness.
“Finally!” This was from Maggie, who was now on her feet. “About time, you two!”
Someone started applauding, and then more people joined in. I covered my face with my free hand. “Stop it. Oh, my god. Luca, put me down. This is mortifying.”
“Not a chance, amore.” He kept going toward the exit. As he walked, Luca shouted something to Roberto in Italian.
“What did you say to Roberto?” I asked .
“I told him to give everyone a bottle of champagne to toast us and bill me.”
We reached the front door, but he didn’t set me down. The night was warm and mild, stars twinkling overhead in the perfect romantic backdrop as he carried me. How did I get so lucky?
“I know you wanted a bed tonight,” I said in his ear. “But I was wondering . . . Think the cemetery is empty tonight?”
He started walking faster. “Don’t worry, little girl. I’ll take good care of you.”