Chapter 33
GIOVANNI
The relief of holding Liliana in my arms is a tide that threatens to drown me, her fragile weight against my chest the only thing keeping me grounded. Her breath is shallow, her body trembling from the dungeon’s horrors, but she’s here, alive, her fingers clutching my shirt as if I might slip away.
I press my face into her hair, the faint scent of her buried beneath the damp rot of captivity, and I cry, tears burning my cheeks, raw and unstoppable. I’ve never broken like this, not for anyone, but for her, my wife, the mother of our twins. I let the fear and guilt pour out.
“I’m here, cara,” I murmur, my voice cracking, “I’m here.”
I pull back to cup her face, her bruises and cracked lips a knife to my heart, and I vow, “No harm will ever come to you again, not while I breathe. I swear it.”
The promise is carved into my soul, and I can’t stop the words that follow, spilling like a prayer. “I love you, Liliana. I love you.”
I press my hands to her swollen belly, desperate for a sign of our twins, and a faint kick answers, a miracle that steals my breath.
“They’re alive,” I whisper, my voice hoarse with raw emotions.
She manages to smile as her hands sign weakly, I love you too.
It's like a fragile thread binding us. The moment is everything, our family whole despite the darkness we’ve endured.
I carry her into the estate, her body too light, too broken, the night air sharp against my skin. Tomasso opens the door, his face creased with relief and desire to step in and help. But I shake my head, letting him know that his help is not needed here.
I take her to our bedroom, the warm golden glow of the lamps a stark contrast to the dungeon’s cold stone. I lay her on the bed, careful of her wounds, and she clings to me, her fingers tight, as if I might vanish.
I fetch warm water, soft cloths, and salve, tending to her with trembling hands, each bruise a testament to my failure. Her wrists are raw, her ribs tender, and I move slowly, murmuring apologies for the pain, for my mistake that made Vittorio take her right under my nose.
She watches me, her eyes heavy but trusting, and it humbles me, this woman who endured hell to flush out my enemies, and yet still loves me.
I bathe her gently, dress her in soft silk, and tuck her under the quilt, my hand never leaving hers. I press my palm to her belly again, feeling another kick, stronger now, and I smile, whispering, “Our babies are fighters, like you.”
She nods, her eyes fluttering closed, and I sit beside her, guarding her as she drifts into sleep, my heart aching with love and guilt.
As Liliana sleeps, her breaths evening out, my phone buzzes sharply in the quiet. It’s Tomasso, his voice low. “We’ve got Renato. He’s at the safehouse, putting up a fight, but he’s not going anywhere.”
My blood surges, and the rage I’ve held since seeing Liliana in that dungeon roars back.
I glance at her, and she looks peaceful for the first time since this whole mess began.
I know if I tell her that her father has been captured, she will support what I have in mind for him.
But I do not want to put the burden of knowing she supported her father’s execution on her.
“Sleep, Cara, I’ll be back,” I whisper to her sleeping form
I stand, the decision a fire in my veins, and leave her with Maria, who hovers silently at the door, her eyes wet but knowing to keep her distance.
The drive to the safehouse is a haze, the road blurring under the headlights, my mind on Liliana, and on the justice she deserves.
Renato is in the basement, bound but defiant, his face bruised, his eyes blazing when I enter. He struggles against the ropes, spitting curses, calling Liliana a jinx, a burden, and I see red, my fist slamming into his jaw before I speak.
“You don’t deserve her name in your mouth,” I snarl, my voice low, lethal. “You stood by while Vittorio tortured her, and I am happy my Liliana fired the fatal shot. The only regret I have is that his death was too quick, too fucking easy for what he did.”
Renato laughs bitterly, twisting in his bonds, “I should have killed that bitch as soon as I realized she was broken.” He spits.
But I do not give him another second to say another word.
With my gun steady, I fire a bullet clean through his skull.
He slumps, his defiance gone, and I feel no satisfaction, only a hollow relief that he’s gone, that he’ll never hurt her again.
I leave the basement and hurry back to her side.
Needing to be near her, to hold her, to erase the stain of her father’s betrayal.
I return to the bedroom, the lamp casting soft light over Liliana, who stirs as I enter, her eyes searching mine. I kiss her forehead before heading to the shower to wash away the grime of her father.
When I am done, I scoop her into my arms, careful of her injuries, and hold her close, her head against my chest.
“I love you,” I murmur, the words unstoppable, a vow I’ll never tire of. “I love you, Liliana. You’re safe now. Forever.”
She nestles closer, her body relaxing, her hands signing I love you against my heart.
I press my palm to her belly again, feeling our twins stir, a promise of life, and I kiss her hair, her temple, her bruised cheek, each touch a pledge to protect her, to love her, to be hers.
The night wraps around us, quiet and whole, and I hold her, my arms a fortress, knowing she’s mine, our family finally knit back with no more threats hanging over our heads.