58. For as Long as I Draw Breath
CHAPTER 58
FOR AS LONG AS I DRAW brEATH
R affaele
One Month Later
The jet door slides open, and a rush of warm, dense air engulfs me. Welcome back to JFK. Thank Dio , it will be fall soon, and we won’t have to withstand the oppressive heat of the city for much longer. I step off the jet onto the tarmac with Isabella at my side, and a wave of Valentinos and Rossi’s crash over us.
There’s a lot of squealing and hugging and an onslaught of “I missed you so much!” I take a step back to allow Isa to enjoy the long-coming family reunion. Then I move beside her new bodyguard, Andrew, who’s watching as she’s swallowed up by the mob of cousins, aunts and uncles. Her new guard has been decent, but despite my tireless training, he’s not quite as good as me. Yet. Andrew has enormous shoes to fill, so I can’t quite blame the guy. At least with both of us on Isabella, I’m confident she’s protected.
Isa and Serena gush about their time in Italy while Vinny and Matteo watch intently, eyes bright, while the twins, Alessandro and Alessia simply smile and nod. A hint of jealousy flashes across Alessia’s face as she regards her cousins. She tries to hide it beneath a plastic smile, but I recognize it for what it is. I’m hyper aware of the way anyone looks at my principessa . From what Isabella’s told me, it’s an interesting dynamic at play between the Valentinos and Rossi’s but at least they make it work. And in spite of the family drama and bickering, they seem to truly care about each other.
Unlike my own family.
After I burned my father’s villa to the ground, I attempted to reach out to Antonio. Not that he’d extended me the same courtesy ten years ago, but now he was the one alone, in exile from the paltry remains of our family. I never heard back. Not a single call or text. I imagine he must be busy, having inherited the Ferrara empire, the new prince to the throne.
I have no doubt my brother will succeed as the new capo . Papà groomed him for the role since before he could walk. I’m just happy to be far away from Rome and the dark past the eternal city conceals. I finally have everything I’ve ever wanted in Isabella.
She cants her head back over her shoulder as if she’s overheard my mental musings. Her eyes sparkle as she regards me, the depth of emotion in that glimmer enough for my heart to trip on a beat. She throws me a smile before continuing her conversation with Serena.
As I scan the crowd, a pair of piercing coal-black eyes meet mine. I force my gaze to stay the course, despite their lethal intensity. Because I’m certain of one thing, if I plan on truly making Isabella mine, I will have to stand up to Luca Valentino and prove I’m worthy of his daughter.
He ticks his head at the enormous hangar behind him, the one that houses the fleet of King’s Industries’ airplanes and begins to walk toward a murky corner.
Merda . Well, this confrontation isn’t entirely unexpected. I knew a quick Facetime call a month ago with his daughter beside me wouldn’t get me off the hook that easily. Placing my hand on Isabella’s back, I drop my lips to her ear and whisper, “I’ll be right back. I’ve been summoned.”
She follows my line of sight to where her father stands in the shadows. “Maybe you should take Andrew with you.”
“No, I can handle your father, principessa .”
Her eyes widen, the incredulous look doing nothing for my confidence. “Good luck, amore .”
My love . “Thanks,” I grumble, releasing her and moving around the circle of tight-knit family. To face my doom.
I keep my head held high and shoulders pinned back, despite the unease churning in my gut. I feel like I’m on my way to meet the executioner. I console myself with the thought that no matter how ruthless Luca Valentino can be, he’d never kill me in front of his daughter. He may be many things, but he is nothing like my own Papà . He loves Isa too much to ever put her through that hell.
“ Signor Valentino.” I offer my hand and a tight smile when I reach the corner of the hangar.
He ignores both, flashing me teeth in a frightening semblance of a grin. “I hope you understand that the fact that you’re still alive has little to do with me and all to do with my overly trusting and na?ve daughter.”
I nod, breathing in and out slowly to temper the agitated thundering of my pulse. “Thank you for the consideration, and just for the record, she’s not as na?ve as you may think.” His head snaps back but before I stick another foot in an early grave, I blurt, “You’ve taught her well. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, she’s smart, and quick on her feet.”
“Of course, she is. She is my daughter.”
“And I love her.” I let the words hang in the air for a long moment, hoping he’ll take them for what they are. The God’s honest truth. “I want to protect her, I want to be there for her for as long as she’ll have me. I know I messed up in Rome, but it’s only because I was so crazy about her, I made stupid decisions. I should have walked away the moment I started to develop feelings for her, but I couldn’t let her go.”
“And you’ve since learned from your mistakes?”
I twist my head over my shoulder and motion at Isa’s new guard. “Well, Andrew is still breathing, right?”
A dark chuckle rumbles low in his chest. “What do you think of him?”
“He’s not me, but I’ve been working with him, so hopefully he’ll get there.”
“Good.” Luca nods slowly. “I don’t need to remind you that if anything happens to my daughter?—”
I raise my hand, cutting him off. “You don’t need to threaten me, signore . It’s totally pointless. If anything were to happen to Isabella, I’d be dead right alongside her.”
“You’re that devoted to her?” He narrows his eyes, a skeptical gleam in his gaze.
“I love her with every shred of my being,” I breathe, my voice firm and unwavering. “I would lay down my life for her without a second thought.”
Luca watches me for a long, tense moment, then finally nods slowly. “If you’re willing to protect her with your life, then you better be prepared to do so at any cost. She’s not only my daughter; she’s the future of this family."
“I understand the weight of my vow and what it means for all of us.” I lock my gaze to his, despite the intensity surging through those stormy orbs. “I am prepared, signore . Whatever it takes.”
Luca holds my gaze a moment longer before he extends his hand. I’m shocked by the unexpected gesture, but I keep my expression neutral. “Then prove it, Raffaele. Prove that my daughter's life and heart are safe with you.”
I grasp his hand firmly, channeling all my resolve into that single handshake. “I will. You have my word.”
Isabella
As Raf leads me into the living room of my parents’ penthouse, blindfolded, I clutch onto his arm, stepping gingerly in the four-inch heels Serena insisted I wear to my welcome home party. The sounds of Frank Sinatra and faint chatter already fill the great room when I arrive.
“Can I take off the blindfold yet?” I whine.
“No not yet,” Serena replies, “just wait a second.”
From the sound of it, she’s only a few steps ahead of me. And I can already hear Matteo snickering beside her. What are those two up to?
“I should be the one to give it to her. I found it.” Alessia’s voice cuts through the muttering.
“Fuck this, I’m giving it to her.” Raf’s hands curve around my cheeks, his familiar scent infiltrating my nostrils. “It was my idea anyway.” He jerks the blindfold off, and I blink quickly, my pupils adjusting to the bright lights.
I stare into a pair of ink-dark eyes. “What was your idea?”
He ticks his head just over his shoulder where my brother Vinny, Matteo, Serena and the twins are all standing around a blown-up picture on an easel. It’s a stunning modern apartment with soaring rafters, exposed brick and floor to ceiling windows.
“What’s that?” I murmur.
Alessia bounds toward me and snatches a key ring from Raf’s hand. “It’s your new apartment! It’s only a couple blocks away from NYU, in a brand new, secure building.”
Papà pokes his head into the circle and Mom sneaks in beside him. “Very secure. Raf assured me it’s virtually impenetrable.”
I turn to my bodyguard turned boyfriend. “You guys did this together?”
He nods, an indulgent smile on his lips. “After living with you for the past three months, did you really think I’d agree to anything less now that we’re back in Manhattan?”
I spin to my dad in disbelief. “You’re actually okay with us living together?”
Papà grunts, but my mom shoots him a placating smile. “It took some convincing,” Mom interjects, “but Raf made some very persuasive arguments.”
“I bet he did.” I slide my arm around his waist, and he peers down at me, velvety eyes smoldering.
Raf leans in, brushing the sensitive shell of my ear with his lips. “I want to wake up beside you every morning for the rest of my life.”
“Is that the proposal?”
He chuckles, the warm sound shooting heat between my legs. “Not yet, principessa , but soon. I need to make sure I can buy an engagement ring fit for the King’s queen.”
Shaking my head, I press my lips to his. “Just being with you makes me feel like a queen, amore . I don’t need anything else.”
Muttered groans fill the space as Raf pulls me into a kiss, a slow, deep one that has my father cursing in Italian and my toes curling inside my stilettos. I can feel the smile on Raf’s lips, mirroring my own, as he finally pulls away.
“Come on buddy, let’s liven up that music!” Serena’s shout over the crooning Frank Sinatra impersonator only widens my smile. As the melodic tune twists to a thumping beat, I scan the crowded room filled with all the people I love most in this world.
Raf’s hand closes around mine as he leads me to the center of the dancefloor. His lips brush my own as he whispers, “I love you, principessa . Always and forever, I am yours. I will guard your heart just as fiercely as your body for as long as I draw breath. That’s my vow to you, my queen.”