Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
G
abriel
Ipace around the hospital waiting room. Aurora was taken in to get stitches for some of her cuts. She told me to wait out here as she didn’t want me to see her hurt.
We both knew it would only make me more angry. Even though Giovanni is dead, I still can’t fully let my anger go. He hurt my wife and I can’t make him suffer for it because I killed him too fast. If I could go back in time, I’d torture him for days so he knew what the pain he caused me felt like.
But he had to die and Aurora is safe for that, which I’m grateful.
It just pisses me off that I couldn’t protect her.
That I couldn’t prevent her from getting cut.
Fortunately, the cuts not that deep. Giovanni had been toying with her for the day I was out for my surgery.
My chest still fucking hurts from where I was shot but I’m powering through. For Aurora’s sake.
Leo and Rocco approach me – Rocco with wariness in his eyes and Leo with pure anger.
“I’m glad that fucker is dead,” Leo snarls. “For all that he did to you. But I’m still pissed.”
“I can tell,” I respond. “And so am I but right now, I’m focused on my wife.”
“This war isn’t over, you know? Giovanni has a brother. Alessandro. He’s going to come for you.”
“Alessandro has been out of the game for years. He’s not a problem.”
“Are you sure? Because you just killed his brother. Word will get back to him. He might come for you. I think we should strike before he can do that.”
I cross my arms. “And what would you propose we do?”
“There are rumors he has a daughter. I say we find her, take her, and make sure that Alessandro can’t attack us. All of Giovanni’s men have scattered with news of his death but they would follow his brother if push came to shove.”
“One: we don’t even know if the rumors about Alessandro’s daughter is real,” Rocco says. “And two: even if we did find her, I’m not comfortable with kidnapping a girl. I have a daughter myself. If anything happened to Lucianna, I would be heartbroken.”
“He does have a daughter,” I say. “Giovanni told me once about his niece. He got drunk one night and mentioned her. Said she was hidden away by her mom. That’s all I know.
But Alessandro most likely does have a daughter.
I just don’t know where to find her. I don’t even know who she is.
And we don’t even know if that would stop Alessandro from doing anything.
I say we just enjoy this moment of peace and quiet.
I have earned it after hunting Giovanni down for years.
I’m tired of being fucking angry. I want to be free of it.
And I just want my wife to be all right but I can’t see if she’s all right at the moment because she made me leave the room.
Fuck.” I run my hand down my face. “This should be a happy moment so why doesn’t it feel like it? ”
Rocco places his hand on my shoulder while Leo looks at him with shock.
None of my men ever put their hands on me this way.
But I don’t push Rocco off. Aurora has shown me what kindness can do.
Softness. It’s not a weakness like I thought it would be.
My love for her gave me the strength to go after Giovanni despite having just been shot in the chest and finally end his life when I couldn’t before.
“You’re worried for your wife,” Rocco says.
“I get it. I love my wife and I would be devastated if something happened to her. Giovanni is dead. I agree that we should celebrate that before doing anything reckless and rash.” He shoots Leo a pointed look.
“It’s ok to be upset. A lot happened in a short time.
Your wife was hurt and then she was saved and now she’s safe with you.
You finally killed Giovanni. It’s ok, Gabriel. It’s ok.”
I stare at Rocco for a long beat. “You’re brave for speaking to me like this. Most men don’t.”
He smirks. “Well, most men haven’t known you for as long as I have. Leo and I will give you some space. I’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid right now. Like kidnapped Giovanni’s niece.”
“If you could even find her,” I mutter.
“I can find her.” A determination enters Leo’s eyes. “I think it’s best if we have collateral to keep Alessandro at bay. I know you think you’re safe now that Giovanni is dead but I am telling you, his brother will try something. I just know it.”
“Well, he’s not going to try anything today,” Rocco says. “So, let’s just go. Tell your wife that I’m happy she’s all right.” Rocco practically forces Leo to leave with him.
I let out a sigh after they’re gone. The last thing I need right now is to be worried about Giovanni’s brother doing something.
I barely know Alessandro. He’s been out of the game for a long time.
Most people don’t even know where he is.
I have to hope that he doesn’t try anything because Leo makes a good point.
Having a hold over someone he cares about could keep a war from happening.
But I already forced Aurora to be my prisoner. I can’t do that to another woman. I don’t want to do that.
The honest truth is: I just want to be happy with my wife. Now that Giovanni is dead, I can begin to heal and there’s no one else I want to heal with than Aurora.
I shoot to my feet the second she leaves her hospital room. “Are you done?”
“I got all the stitches I needed. The doctor said I need to come back in a week to remove them and then I should be fine. The scars will fade, he said. Well, some might. Some might not. But I’m alive.
That’s all that matters.” She looks into my eyes with an intensity that both worries me and makes me more happy than anything.
“Thank you for saving me, Gabriel. I thought you were dead when Giovanni shot you.”
“I did almost die. I had to have surgery.”
“And now you’re already on your feet. You should be healing.”
“If I had waited, you would have died. I pushed through the pain to save you and I would do it again. I wasn’t going to lose you like I lost my parents. I just wasn’t.”
She places her hand over the spot where I was shot. “I know. When you came into that basement to save me, I could only think one thing. I love you.”
Her admission catches me off guard. I never knew that Aurora could have these feelings for me. That anyone could. My life was all about possession and prison and pushing people away.
It was never about love.
And yet, Aurora is showing me love and I know for a fact that I love her too.
“I love you,” I push myself to say but the moment the words leave my mouth, I know how true they are. How much I needed to say it.
Tears well up in her eyes. “I never knew you were capable of it.”
“I am. Because of you. I’m just so fucking happy that you didn’t die.” I pull her into my arms, holding her tight. I was stuck in darkness for so long but it was Aurora who pulled me out of it. For once, I feel a lightness I have never felt before. A sense of freedom.
“I’m happy that you didn’t die,” she sobs. “I didn’t want to lose you. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You didn’t lose me,” I say with a chuckle. I never thought Aurora would be crying over me like this but here she is, doing exactly that. “And I didn’t lose you. That’s what matters.”
“You were shot in the chest and still had the strength to save me. That means everything.”
“I know I don’t ever want to let you go again. A part of me wants to lock you up so you can’t ever get hurt but… I know I can’t do that. If I want you in my life, I have to let you go.”
She pulls back from me. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean… I want to be selfish. I want to lock you away for my own feelings. But you need freedom. I know that. You deserve to see your father without me hovering over you. You deserve more than me. I’m the reason you were put in danger in the first place.
I don’t want you to resent me for that. So if pulling back a little means you’ll stay with me, then I’ll do it. ”
“But you’re pushing me away because you’re scared. You feel bad that I got hurt but it wasn’t your fault, Gabriel. Giovanni wasn’t your fault.”
“I forced you into this marriage.”
She breathes out heavily. “I know you did. But I accepted it. And now I don’t want to be with anyone else. Don’t push me away because you’re scared of me getting hurt again.”
“I need you to choose me for me. Not because I forced you into this life. Almost losing you made me realize that. I want you to want me.”
“I do want you.”
“You know what I mean. You should spend some time with you father. Away from me. And then if you want, return to me. But I can’t be a selfish asshole when it comes to you anymore. Not if it leads to you getting hurt.”
“You’re pushing me away because you’re scared.”
“I’m giving you your freedom,” I force myself to say. “That’s not pushing you away.”
“It is when you’re doing it out of fear because you almost just lost me.”
I have to brace myself for what I’m about to say next. “I’ll take you back to your father. And then you can decide what you want. I need you to choose a life with me of your own accord. I can’t keep you as a prisoner.”
“But I haven’t been your prisoner for a long time.”
“We both need this, Aurora. I think you know it.”
“Why are you acting all selfless right now? After all this time?”
I huff. “Because I learned it from you. You’re the most selfless person I have ever met.
And because of me, you were hurt. I can’t keep you close to me unless you choose it for yourself.
So come back to me if that’s what you want.
But I’m letting you go. If it means keeping you safe, that’s what I’ll do. ”
She shakes her head as tears stream down her face. “Gabriel…”
“We both know I’m right. We both know it. Now, I’ll take you to your father. I know you want to see him.”
“I do,” she admits through her tears.