8
Alessio
“Are you sure this is the row you left her in?” I asked Aaron, who was laid out in the backseat, bleeding from a bullet wound in the shoulder.
“Sì,” he grunted. “Somewhere in the middle on the right.”
“Don’t you die on me.” I drove frantically, searching for my Gia. I hated running off without her and leaving Aaron to protect her. But I trusted he would protect her better than I could while protecting myself.
“Slow down,” Aaron whispered, short of breath. “You could pass her.”
“I hope she didn’t move from where you left her.” Knowing that stubborn woman, she might have gone off on her own. If she did, I would punish her for disobeying Aaron, my most valuable friend and bodyguard.
“Me too.”
“Wait.” I slammed on the brakes and stopped hard. Movement caught my eye on the right side. It had to be her. “I see her.”
“Hurry. More of them could be coming.” More as in a group we hadn’t identified yet, other than they were Italian and they wanted my territory.
I jumped out of the car and went to the spot where I thought I had seen her white coat. I scanned the area, wishing I’d brought a flashlight.
“Gia,” I called.
A yelp made my ears perk up. I ran in the direction and nearly toppled over her.
“Don’t touch me!” she cried out and crawled away, sobbing. “Just kill me if you must!”
“Gia, it’s me. Alessio.”
She stopped and looked over her shoulder. “Alessio?”
“Yes, Dolcezza.” I crouched so she could better see my face. “Let’s go.” I scooped her up and ran back to the car.
“Alessio,” she said my name, repeating it. “Alessio. Alessio.”
“Sì, it’s me. Alessio.” I put her in the front passenger’s seat, then ran to the driver’s side. “Aaron, how are you doing?” I asked, driving off.
Gia didn’t appear well, but she turned back to look at Aaron. “Oh my God!” she screamed. “He’s dead! Aaron is dead.”
He groaned, “Not me, Dino.”
Gia’s hands shook violently as she turned back on her chair and sobbed.
I couldn’t keep my eyes on her, needing to get us out of the orange grove and to safety. I was just glad to have her with me, again.
Aaron was correct. Dino was dead. I’d heard the gunshots. They’d caught up to him and blown out the back window, hitting him in the head. By the time I’d gotten close enough, the other car was gone, and Dino was slumped over the steering wheel.
Regretfully, I’d mistakenly shot Aaron in the shoulder. He’d spooked me and my gun went off. I helped him into the backseat, removed Dino from the front seat and put him in the trunk on top of Gia’s shopping bags, and we got the hell out of there.
No question there would be others coming for me, but I still didn’t know who these fuckers were after me.
Finally, out of the trees and onto the road, I reached my hand out to touch Gia. She’d fallen quiet minutes ago. “We’ll be home soon, Dolcezza.” Calling her sweetness seemed like the perfect pet name. “Did you hear me?”
She didn’t respond.
I reached for her face, patted it gently but she was unresponsive. “Cristo!” I slammed my foot on the gas pedal. She must have passed out from the whole ordeal.
What a fucking night. The worst I’d had in a long time. But what worried me the most was if Giovanna regretted marrying me. I would do anything to make it up to her. To make her feel safe with her new family and safe with me.
“Are you still with me, Aaron?”
A low grunt came from the back. Good enough for me. He’d heard me and responded. I glanced at Gia again. I was certain she would be okay. Having the fright of her life had been too much for her, and for that, I would never forgive myself for putting her in such a dangerous situation.
“Nothing will keep you down, my friend. Just keep fighting,” I told Aaron.
When we arrived at Remotti Estates, I’d blared on the horn, signaling an emergency. Soldiers ran out their bunkhouses, the stables, and the main house like an army of fire ants and met me.
“Take Aaron inside. He’s been shot.” I barked several orders as I took Gia out of the car and carried her inside. She didn’t stir or open her eyes.
“What happened?” My father appeared and when he saw me, his eyes bulged. “You’re hurt!”
“It’s just a cut on my eyebrow. The blood is dry.
Gia passed out.” I imagined I looked worse than I was because my cut had opened back up and I hadn’t been able to keep the napkin on it.
I took the stairs two at a time. “Aaron needs immediate care. Dino is in the trunk.” I stopped and made eye contact with my papà.
“è morto?” he asked.
“Sì, he’s dead,” I confirmed.
“Mio Dio.” He made the sign of the cross. “Dear God.”
“Get Marta so she can help me with Giovanna.” I continued onto Gia’s suite and pressed my lips against her head.
“Sì.”
Entering her room, I flicked the light switch with my elbow and placed her gently on the bed.
Now that I could see her in the light, I examined her body.
Her beautiful dress was shredded and her coat had mud on it from the damp dirt.
Her legs were covered in cuts and bruises, and the bottom of her feet were far worse.
I covered my face with my hands and wept. “My beautiful wife. This should not have happened to you. I failed to protect you.” My shoulders shook as I sobbed.
I would find the fuckers who killed Dino and destroyed Gia’s innocence.
“Signore, let me take care of her.” Marta patted the back of my shoulder. “I clean her up. Okay?”
“Sì. I’ll be back. Don’t leave her alone.”
“Sì, Signore.”
“Get me if you need anything,” I told her firmly. “I’m coming back in ten minutes.”
“Sì, Signore.”
The last thing I wanted to do was leave Gia alone, but I needed to check on Aaron and get my men searching for the blue Maserati that was following us. Unfortunately, I only got a glance at it and didn’t have any details to pass on.
My argument with Gia in the car before all hell broke loose rushed back to me…
“Do you hear yourself? Stop sounding like a child,” she snapped at me like a mother would do.
“I don’t know how you can be so nonchalant about any of this.
The woman you love lost her mind in front of dozens of people.
You should be worried about the news spreading and your enemies hearing about it. ”
“She was brokenhearted.” I grinned at Gia. I hoped she knew what she’d gained and what Cara lost. Yes, I was being arrogant, but I didn’t like this condescending side of Gia. Why was she acting like she was better and smarter than me? I was older and wiser. She needed to learn her place.
“That’s great. Make excuses for your lover.” She turned back to face the window and gave me the cold shoulder. “You two belong together. A perfect pair with zero class.”
“Do not talk to me that way.” I threw my breadstick on the floor as rage pumped through my veins. “You don’t get to disrespect me. I’m your husband. Show me the proper respect I deserve!”
“Respect must be earned,” she hissed. “Or would you like me to fake it? I can certainly do that if your ego is too fragile to handle the truth.”
“Cazzo! Just be silent. I’m done trying to talk to you.” My ego? I would show her at home who was boss.
“Good. Because I’m done too.”
“Signore, Giovanna is asking for you.” Marta’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “She’s awake.”
“Grazie, Marta.” I turned around to go up to Gia’s bedroom.
“You can’t see her like that.” She grabbed me by the arm. “You need to clean up.”
I touched my bloody face. “Sì. You’re right. Grazie.”
“Come.” She waved for me to follow her. “I clean you up.”
“Do you know how to do stitches?” Once my gash was cleaned, I was confident it would bleed again.
She laughed. “Of course. I midwife.”
“You don’t say. A midwife.” This was news to me. Then again, my mother hired the servants and staff. Naturally, Mamma had thought ahead when she’d hired Marta. It would be handy to have someone who could tend to a pregnant woman. And in my case, stitch up the cut on my eyebrow.
Marta nodded and pointed to a chair for me to sit on. She wasted no time, cleaning my wound and mending it. I appreciated her focus on getting the job done without delay.
“Must hurry,” she said. “Giovanna is waiting.”
“Grazie. I’m eager to see her. Were her wounds bad?”
“Eh, not too bad. But her spirito is not so good. It is declinare, you know?” Marta was a very wise woman, but then she was around my mother’s age, so it made sense.
“Sì, I know the spirit is delicate.”
“Finito. Finished.” She wiped her hands on a towel.
“How many stitches?” I asked as I went to check myself out in the mirror hanging on the wall.
“Six tiny, tiny, tiny.” She pinched her finger and thumb together, showing a hardly visible gap.
“I see that. The scar will look sexy when it’s healed. Yes?” I mentally scolded myself. There I was making light of a grave situation. Lord help me if I haven’t learned my lesson.
She made the tsk, tsk sound and frowned. “Go see Giovanna.”
“Grazie, Marta.” I ran upstairs, replaying Gia’s words. Good. Because I’m done too.
God, I prayed she wasn’t done with me. I couldn’t be married to her and not be like a real couple who loved each other. I refused to sleep in separate rooms. Her bed was the only place I’d agree to lie down in after a long, sometimes weary day.
I loved her.
Yes, it sounded crazy to me, too. How could I be in love with her in less than three days? I didn’t have an answer. We’d already experienced so much that it felt like I’d known her my entire life, and in a weird way, I had known about her since she was sixteen.
But I also knew what I felt in my heart. Real, genuine, love and adoration.
I would be a shell of a man if I lost her.
Giovanna had been one hundred percent right. I’d been nonchalant and hadn’t taken Cara’s unacceptable behavior serious enough. We should have left the restaurant immediately.
And my failures had damaged my gracious, kindhearted wife physically and emotionally. Her physical injuries would heal, but like Marta had said, her spirito was not so good.
I didn’t deserve Giovanna, but I would endeavor to prove myself worthy from this day forward. I’d earn back her trust and respect. I’d make her exceedingly happy.
We’d have a beautiful life… if she would have me.