Chapter 32 Raven
RAVEN
Isit on a chair, clutching the armrests.
My gallery feels like a foreign place now—invaded, violated.
The bruises on my face throb, and my head pounds with each heartbeat.
I don't know how long I've been sitting here, staring at nothing, my mind a swirling mess of conflicting emotions. Overall, I just feel numb.
The basement door creaks open, and I look up so fast my neck muscles tighten.
Gio emerges, shirtless, and I force myself not to look too closely at the dark stains on his skin. His muscled torso rises and falls with deep breaths. Our eyes lock, and for a moment, neither of us speaks, but his eyes tell me all I need to know.
My father is gone.
The truth settles over me like a weighted blanket.
I should feel something—grief, horror, regret. Instead, there's only a hollow emptiness where those emotions should be. What kind of daughter feels nothing when her father dies? One who's been neglected and treated terribly by their dad since they can remember.
Gio crosses the room to me quickly and pulls me into his arms. I stiffen initially, then melt against him, my face pressed against his warm chest. I can hear his heart. His skin smells of cologne and sweat.
He kisses the top of my head, his arms tighten around me.
"I spent my whole life trying to please him," I say as tears fall down my cheeks. "Do you know that? Even after my mom died, even after he blamed me for everything—I still tried."
Gio's hand cradles the back of my head, his fingers gentle in my hair.
"He was never going to love me, was he?" I ask. "Do I even deserve love if my own father—"
"I love you."
The words plow into me like a freight train. I pull back from Gio's embrace, my heart slamming against my ribcage.
"What… what did you just say?" My voice comes out low.
Gio looks at me for a moment. "I love you," he repeats, softer this time but with absolutely no hesitation. His hand remains firm against the small of my back.
I stare at him, mouth slightly open, unable to process the three words that have just exploded my world.
Something breaks loose inside me, a dam I didn't know existed, and suddenly every emotion I've been suppressing rushes in at once.
Joy, fear, disbelief, hope—they collide and erupt like fireworks beneath my skin.
Tears spring to my eyes and spill down my cheeks before I can stop them. A sob escapes my lips.
Gio pulls me in tighter, his strong arms enveloping me completely. "Not how I expected you to react, but that's okay."
The rumble of his voice against my ear sends another wave of emotion through me. This dangerous man who kills without remorse, who ran his car into another vehicle to save me, who fights for me above all else —loves me. And somehow, impossibly, I'm not afraid.
I lift my head to find his beautiful green eyes again. They're softer than I've ever seen them, watching me with a mixture of concern and tenderness that makes my heart flutter.
"No, no, I mean, I—" I stammer, wiping tears away with trembling fingers. "These are good tears."
His thumb brushes across my cheek, catching some of my tears.
"I've spent my whole life thinking there was something wrong with me," I say, my voice shaky. "That I wasn't enough."
"You're enough," Gio says fiercely. "You're more than enough. Your father was a worthless piece of shit who didn't deserve you." His voice is hard, but his touch remains gentle. "That has nothing to do with you being lovable, Raven."
I feel raw, exposed. Like he's peeled back every layer I've used to protect myself and can see straight to my core. The place where that little girl still lives—the one who just wanted her daddy to notice her, to be proud of her.
"When did you know?" I ask, curious despite myself. "That you, you know, loved me?"
Gio's lips curve into a small smile. "Really?
When we fought and I left. Just the simple fact that I was mad.
And then, when I saw you being taken… seeing you hurt when I found you in the trunk—" His voice grows rough.
"I wanted to burn the whole world down. That's when I knew this wasn't just about protection or possession anymore. "
"Well," I say and sigh, "I don't know what love is supposed to feel like," I admit. "My mother loved me, but she's been gone so long."
"Neither do I," Gio says. "I've always just been the enforcer. The Bonventis—we protect what's ours. We're loyal to family. But this—" he gestures between us, "—this is different."
I smile. For a man like Gio, admitting vulnerability isn't easy. He doesn't allow room for weakness.
"I think about you constantly," he continues, his voice dropping lower. "I worry when you're not in my sight. I want to give you everything. Keep you safe." His hand slides up to cup my face. "Make you happy."
Gio leans in and kisses me, and for the first time, it feels like the deepest kiss I've ever known.
"We should go," he says, glancing at his watch. "My men will be here soon for cleanup. I don't want you to see that."
I nod, suddenly aware of how exhausted I am. Every muscle aches from the kidnapping, and the emotional whiplash of the last few hours has drained what little energy I had left.
"I've got a first aid kit in my apartment upstairs," Gio says as we turn toward the front door. "Let's go clean you up."
We walk, and then I stop him. "Hey, Gio," I say.
"What? Are you okay?"
I nod. "I love you, too."