Epilogue
GINO
IT HAD BEEN SO difficult watching Nico get so close to Hudson. I had known about their relationship long before he told me. It was obvious to me because I could see all the signs of what I had been feeling for Nico when he looked at Hudson.
At first, I hadn’t realized that Nico had feelings toward men, so I had hidden my own feelings from him. When I realized that he was at least bisexual, if not gay, it was too late. Too late to tell him how much I loved him and that I had wanted to be with him for most of my adult life. Too late to say that I didn’t want to see him as a brother, but as a lover to spend the rest of my life with.
I had known I was bisexual since I was eighteen, but like most people I knew, had hidden the side of me that had feelings for men because it was frowned upon within the family. That was until Nico moved in with Hudson. If that wasn’t bad enough, they had now found the woman of their dreams, and she would appear in any man’s dreams. She was the epitome of beauty. An amazing, curvaceous body with gorgeous long, curly auburn hair and eyes that could captivate you at just a slight glance.
I treasured the time that we were allowed to be together and looked forward to driving her wherever she wanted to go, even if that was just to work every day. How could I make them all see me, though? With everything that was going on in their lives with Vincent, I knew they kept each other close, but I wanted to be part of that. I just wasn’t sure how I would go about it.
My feelings for Gabriella grew stronger every day, especially when Nico and Hudson were away on trips. It seemed I was cursed with the job of looking out for her all the time then. I would even have to stay at their apartment to keep her safe, just in case Vincent made an appearance. Surely Nico at least must have realized what they were doing to me? Being so close to someone you loved, but could never have, was torture. I had already endured it for years with Nico, and now it was continuing with Gabriella.
This was only made worse by the signals that I was receiving from her. When we spent time together, I saw her actions toward me the same as they were with Nico. Did that mean that she had feelings for me too? I dared to hope that was the case, but even if she did, would the men in her life allow her to act on them? Or would I just be cast aside again?
All I knew was that her protection and care was the most important job in my life. Nico had told me enough about Vincent to gather what she had been through. Also, after speaking with some of Viktor’s men when they had come to visit, I understood what Mikhail had done back in Detroit. Although he had been very respectful of Gabriella, from what I had heard, his associates had not.
I wasn’t about to let that happen again, and would give my life to save hers if I had to. In fact, I would have given my life for all three of them if it meant that they could be happy together. As long as Gabriella and Nico were happy, that was all that mattered in my life. I was still just a soldier to take the orders that were given to me. But I wanted so much more. I just had to hope that fate would play a part in my destiny and finally bring me the relationships I wanted.
But at what cost would the life I wanted come? And when it did, would we all be able to hold on to it, or would it be cruelly taken from us yet again?