Chapter 35 Cristian
CRISTIAN
I jolt upright, a gasp tearing from my lungs as if I've been submerged underwater. The Kevlar vest beneath my shirt presses painfully against the bruise forming on my chest where Alessandro's bullet struck.
Valentina's scream pierces the air as she stumbles backward, hand clutched to her mouth.
"It's me," I rasp, reaching for her. "It's okay, I'm alive."
Her eyes are wild, tears streaming down her face as she takes a hesitant step forward. "But I… I saw you die. Alessandro shot you!"
"Blanks and blood packs." I wince, rubbing the tender spot over my heart as I stand, needing her in my arms. "Still hurts like a bitch."
Valentina launches herself at me, her body colliding with mine in a desperate embrace. Her fingers trace my face, my neck, my shoulders as if confirming I'm real. I pull her against me, inhaling the scent of her, feeling her warm against me again.
"How?" she asks, her arms like a vise around me.
"Once I told Alessandro to kill me after I kill Maksim, he—”
“What? You told him to kill you?” She jerks back and stares at me like she wants to slap me.
“He said the Bratva wouldn’t buy that I was acting on my own, but if he killed me and disowned what I did, they might.”
She steps back, and the distance kills me.
I continue to explain. “We staged it to make it clear to everyone that the Dante family had nothing to do with Maksim's assassination."
"You knew all this time?" Anger flashes across her face. "You all knew and let me think—"
"We couldn’t tell you." I capture her face between my hands.
"Why couldn't anyone trust me with the truth?" Valentina pushes away from me, eyes flashing with fire. "I've been drowning in grief for the past hour thinking you were dead!"
Her rage is magnificent. I don’t like that it’s directed at me, though.
"You could have told me. I could have acted just as well. I'm really good at it. I've been doing it for months!"
"It wasn't about your acting skills," I say softly. "It was about risk. If anyone suspected—"
"I'm not a child!" Her voice whips at me. "I've been making sacrifices for this family. I agreed to marry that monster, I was ready to kill him myself if needed, and still, no one trusted me enough to—"
I catch her wrist, gently pulling her to a stop. “Don’t tell me you were going to kill him. Tell me that you’re happy that you’re safe and free.”
“No.” She looks up at me defiantly. I want to smile because I love it, but I don’t, because she won’t like it.
"Your reaction had to be genuine,” I finally say. “And it was. I broke inside and at the same time, it filled me with joy to know you love me so much. You do love me, don’t you?”
“Don’t turn this around, Cristian.”
“If you hate me now, it’s still worth it.”
Something shifts in her expression. She’s still pissed, but understanding begins to temper it. She looks toward the door where her brother sits on the other side.
"Did they all know?”
I nod. "When Alessandro saw the way out, he called Luca, and the three of them worked to make sure only Maksim and Alessandro would be armed.”
“I was armed.” She smirks like she’s proud of herself.
“Were you now?” I love her fierceness even as it terrifies me to think she was going to try and kill Maksim.
“I’m a Dante.”
“Yes, you are.” I wonder how she’d feel about being a Bonetti? “The point is, there was a plan and it mostly worked. I think Luca had to put the fear of God in a few men, and I wouldn’t say there won’t be a war, but Alessandro is in a stronger position today than he was yesterday.”
Her breathing slows as realization settles over her. "And now we're free?"
"Yes," I pull her closer, resting my forehead against hers. "We can start fresh. You, me, and the baby."
The last of her anger melts away and she gives herself over to my arms again.
She presses her lips to mine, the kiss soft and searching at first, then deepening with a hunger that matches my own.
My hands slide down her back, pulling her flush against me, needing to feel every inch of her alive, safe, and mine.
"Hey, lovebirds!" Luca's voice cuts through the cabin. "No sex on my plane.”
“How’d he know?” Valentina breaks away, a surprised laugh bubbling from her throat. The sound is the sweetest music after everything we've been through.
"Must be a protective older brother thing.”
“I don’t need protection from you,” she says.
I guide her toward the bed, both of us exhausted from the day's events. She kicks off her shoes and lies down.
We settle onto the bed, my chest against her back, arm draped protectively over her waist. My hand finds its way to her stomach, resting where our child grows. The thought still staggers me. How has something so precious come from so much chaos?
"I thought I'd lost you," she says, her fingers intertwining with mine.
"Never." I press a kiss to her shoulder. "I told you I'd find a way for us."
Her breathing gradually evens out, the adrenaline of the day finally giving way to exhaustion. But I have so much to say. So much that I feel still needs to be settled before we land in Chicago.
"From now on, we don't need to sneak around anymore," I say against her ear. "No more climbing balconies. No more stolen moments in closets. No more looking over our shoulders."
She snuggles back against me.
"We can go to bed together every night," I continue. "And wake up together every morning. No more hiding."
The thought fills me with a peace I've never known. I wonder if she feels it too.
"Would you like that?" I ask.
Her smile blooms. "You know I would.”
I clear my throat, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'll be working for Luca in Chicago. Still in the family business, just different territory. It's all I know, but I promise I'll keep it separate from our home life. I can take care of you both, and the Dante name will still protect you."
Her head turns back to look up at me. "That sounds nice. I don't need fancy things, Cristian. I just need you."
Relief floods through me.
"Turn over.” I motion for her to face me fully.
She shifts in my arms, her gray eyes finding mine, and I believe I see the love I have for her shining back at me. Even so, my heart feels like a fucking jackhammer in my chest.
I take a deep breath. "We can have this for the rest of our days. If you want."
A coy smile plays on her lips. "Cristian Bonetti, are you asking me to marry you? Because if you are, just ask."
I laugh softly. "Valentina Dante, will you marry me?”
Her smile is radiant. "Yes. A million times, yes."
I capture her lips with mine, pouring every promise I have into it.
When we finally break apart, breathless, I say, "I'll buy you the most beautiful ring in Chicago. Something worthy of you."
Valentina yawns. "I don't need diamonds or gold. All I need are you, our baby, and freedom.”
I hold her closer, knowing I've never heard anything more precious than those words.
"Sleep," I murmur against her ear. "I've got you now."
And for the first time since I met Valentina Dante, I feel like my life has a purpose beyond a job.
I have love.
I have a family.
She gave me that, even when I didn’t want it.
And now, I’ll move heaven and earth to give this amazing woman anything and everything her heart desires.