23. Luna
TWENTY-THREE
LUNA
The sun was setting, lighting the sky up in blues, pinks, reds, and purples when Valerio came to pick Luna up for their date night and his birthday celebrations.
He had asked for a comfortable night, which meant comfortable clothing as well, declaring they would save the dressing up for tomorrow night. Luna walked out the door in some running shorts and an oversized sweatshirt. She still felt severely underdressed compared to him in his gray sweatpants and white T-shirt. Everything on him looked so much more luxurious.
She carried a little black gift bag in one hand and an overnight duffle in the other. His smirk grew, but she averted her gaze. When he called her earlier, he hadn’t explicitly stated that she was spending the night, but he also hadn’t said he was taking her home later. She just thought it was better to be prepared for anything. She also might have taken too long of a shower that included shaving everything and making sure her skin was smooth as butter, but he didn’t need to know the details.
He grabbed the duffle from her, but she refused to give him the little black bag. “You’ll see it at the cabin,” she said, standing on her toes to kiss him. “Happy birthday by the way,” she whispered.
He grinned, pulling her closer. “Best birthday by far.”
She laughed. “We haven’t even gotten to the cabin yet.”
“I know, but I’m finally getting to spend it with you.”
Warmth filled her. Before she could reply, he helped her into the waiting car. It wasn’t his usual sports car. This time, he brought a SUV with him. Still ridiculously nice and expensive, but it just wasn’t him.
“What happened to your car?” she asked.
“This is my car,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “The one you always drive me in.”
“Dante smoked in it, and I can’t stand the smell,” he said. “So I’m getting it detailed and fumigated.”
“I can’t stand the smell either,” she told him. They began driving, this time taking their time unlike how he usually drove. “This car is nice too.”
“You like the other one more?” he asked.
“It’s just the one we always use,” she said. “Now, tell me what you did for your birthday today.”
“I was just preparing the cabin. They’ve been setting up all day at the house, so it’s like a circus,” Valerio told her. His hand found her thigh, holding onto it while he drove.
She set her hand on top of it, sinking into the leather seat. “Everyone seems excited for the party tomorrow. Why don’t you?”
He sighed. “It’s not my thing. I’ve never been the type of person who wanted to be celebrated,” he said.
Luna frowned. “Why not?”
“I don’t know. The more powerful you get, you realize people just want to party with you for status, not because they actually give a shit about you. When I was in Italy, I made myself a nice dinner, went to whatever party Dante threw for me for a couple of minutes, and then ducked out.”
“You should enjoy the little moments, which means even the annoying parties,” Luna said. “Working so much will lead to burn out.”
“I know that now. I just felt like I always had so much to prove being my father’s firstborn. Too much responsibility comes with it and I had to dedicate my time to getting everything perfect, making sure the business was flourishing and everything was in order.”
Valerio was young, but he lived his life like he had already experienced everything it had to offer. Luna couldn’t imagine the pressure he was under, but she also knew that type of life wasn’t sustainable. She was thankful she had her best friends that forced her to enjoy life and the little moments instead of the responsibilities that came with being her parents’ only daughter. Without them, she would have sunk into her misery long ago.
Valerio needed that person too.
“Well, now you get to enjoy all these moments, including the stupid parties we’re forced to attend,” she said, giving him a smile.
He returned it, squeezing her thigh. “I do and believe me, I’m thankful for it.” His eyes drifted down to the ring on her finger that shined under the bright setting sun’s light.
The drive felt longer when Luna wasn’t forced to go to the cabin. In fact, the drive and his presence were pleasant. They talked about random things, letting Luna tell him all about her birthdays over the years. On her fourteenth, her father gave her a diamond necklace, on her fifteenth he bruised her cheek for staying out late with the girls, and on her sixteenth, he set up an arranged marriage.
“How long has he been putting his hands on you?” Valerio asked. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his voice eerily calm.
“Since I could remember.” It was hard to remember when it exactly started, but once it started it never stopped. “He kept it at slaps and minor punishments for me, but Finn always had the brunt of it. He took the heat off of me and placed it on himself so I never get it worse.”
“Maybe there is something redeemable about Finn Kingsley.”
“He’s not a terrible person. He’s misunderstood. I think a lot of you are,” she said, looking up at him.
He was silent for a moment. “My father always went worse on Dante, finding any and all excuses to beat him. I always wondered if it was because I was the heir, but the older we get the more I realize just how much he looks like our mom. The eyes, the nose, the hair—identical. I think our father hates him for it, the constant reminder Dante serves,” Valerio said. “Like your nightmare looking you in your eyes repeatedly.”
Luna swallowed harshly. She never knew just how similar her and Valerio’s lives were; how both their fathers made their lives hell. Even Dante, though she hardly tolerated him after what happened in the car that day when he threatened her, but she could understand now. Valerio was all he had.
“Maybe this is cruel, but I’m happy your father is tortured by Dante,” she said. “Neither of you has ever deserved to be harmed by him.”
Valerio grabbed her hand in his, pressing a kiss to the back of it. “You don’t know how much that means to me,” he whispered. The vulnerability struck Luna so deeply, she could only squeeze his hand tighter. “I hope you know that if your father ever puts his hands on you again, I will fucking kill him.”
There was silence in the car as they pulled up to the cabin. Luna knew he would do it, and for some reason, she didn’t hate that he would. “Thank you.”
He kissed her, ending their conversation there as he exited the car. He helped her out before grabbing the bags. Luna walked up to the door, letting herself in when he let her know it was unlocked.
Immediately, she could tell that the space felt different. The cabin always felt cozy and comfortable, but tonight, the cabin seemed almost sensual. Maybe it was the fake candles that surrounded the space, the new cozy blankets on the couch, or maybe it was because something had shifted between her and Valerio. She assumed it was a combination of all of the above that left her with butterflies in her stomach as she removed her shoes and made her way over to the couch. Valerio dropped their bags into the bedroom that Luna had yet to see but she was sure that she would soon.
“This looks amazing, Val,” she said. She took in every inch of the space, completely aware of the way he watched her.
“I wanted it to be perfect for you.”
“But it’s your birthday.”
“And you're my girl. Are you hungry?” Valerio asked. “I bought some things to make us dinner while we’re here.”
Luna turned around on the couch, looking over at him in the kitchen. “You’re spoiling me.”
“It’s my responsibility to make sure you’re taken care of,” Valerio said. “And I’m actually an excellent cook.”
Luna laughed. “Since when?”
“Since I was in Italy,” Valerio told her, beginning to grab ingredients from the fridge. She stood, walking to the sink to wash her hands. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m going to help.” She dried off her hands, rolling up her sleeves. “I can’t guarantee I know what I’m doing, but I figured the expert can teach me.”
The smile on his face made it worth it for Luna. Valerio leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. “I’ll prepare the meat; you can prepare the salad.”
She nodded, getting started with washing the lettuce. It was quiet for a few moments, until Luna spoke up again.
“What was Italy like?” She looked over at him from the corner of her eye as he expertly seasoned the steak. “You never talk about it.”
“There isn’t much to say. All I did was work.”
The answer wasn’t good enough for her. “What type of work?”
He stopped what he was doing to direct his full attention to her. “The type of work I don’t think you want to know about.”
She chopped up the lettuce, ignoring his gaze. “Don’t you think it’s important for me to know what kind of business you’re involved in?”
He sighed, moving to the sink to wash his hands. He dried them off with a random dish rag, leaning against the counter right bedside Luna. “Yes, I do think it’s important, but I would rather your opinion of me didn’t change because of it.”
They had finally reached a good place, one where she was finally starting to trust him enough to be around him willingly. In her mind, she knew she trusted him more than that, but she needed the communication and the honesty no matter how brutal that part of his life truly was.
Luna frowned. “You do know who my family is, right? I’m more used to this world than you think.”
He was silent before he took a deep breath. “I sell things ; ship them in, ship them out.”
Luna stopped cutting to look at him. She could only assume the “things” he was referring to were deeply illegal.
“I have other businesses too, legit ones,” he said. “And then I have the physical aspects of my job.”
“So I can assume my father’s friend wasn’t the first person you killed?” she asked.
“No,” he said. “And it won’t be the last.”
She stared at him. Rumors had told her this much, but still, having him confirm it made her feel odd. During the day he went out and committed felonies, and then at night he would come home and be a caring husband to her. Could both exist?
She went back to cutting the lettuce. Her mind was reeling about the dangers of his life.
“I would never hurt you,” he said.
“I know,” she said without hesitation. “But what if someone hurts you? What would happen if someone got their hands on you? All it would take is one bullet and you would be?—”
She stopped herself, dropping the knife on the cutting board. Her mind had moved to that area without her even realizing. He could get killed, he could get hurt; it all made her feel extremely nauseous.
Only a couple weeks ago, she had still been fighting against him, praying for his demise. Now, it felt like the feelings she’d had for him at one point returned, perhaps even stronger than before. She didn’t hate it, but she would be lying if she said it didn’t scare her. The way her mind shifted and got whipped around confused her, made her dizzy.
She shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. They were intrusive and disturbing.
Valerio grabbed her shoulders, turning her toward him. He had a deep frown on his face. “No one is going to get me. Don’t underestimate how strong I am,” he told her.
“It’s not about strength,” she said. Luna had the same fear with her own family. Every woman knew that every day their husbands left their homes there was a chance they wouldn’t be returning. Some prayed for it, others lived in dread forever because of it.
“I will always come back to you, I swear,” he promised her.
“Please,” she whispered.
He grabbed her cheeks, stroking the skin with his thumbs. “I will never break my oaths to you, my little moon.”
His lips found hers in a gentle reminder that he would always be there for her. There was no point in doubting it either; he hadn’t left her alone before, she doubted he would ever do it now.
The moment was over when her stomach growled obnoxiously. He grinned, giving her one more kiss before going back to working on dinner. She finished the salad, which was too simple to really mess up, and the rest of the time she watched Valerio cook the steak in the skillet and make some type of Alfredo pasta to go with it. Luna made them drinks, adding a little bit of alcohol into each of the cups. At least she thought it was a little bit until he took a sip and began coughing.
“What is this? Straight vodka?” he asked, setting the cup down to stir the sauce.
“Just sip it slowly,” she said, before gagging on her own drink. “Never mind, this is horrible.” She emptied hers out and replaced it with some juice instead, grabbing another drink for Valerio as well. “I swear I know how to do some things in the kitchen.”
“You don’t need to know how to do anything,” Valerio said. “I’ll never let my baby starve.”
She ignored the blush on her cheeks and set the table for them. She lit a couple of candles as well to set the mood.
Valerio plated the food, helping Luna into her chair. Her eyes widened at the explosion of flavor on her tongue, praising him for his skills to which he bragged about other skills he could show her. Her cheeks flushed, but she continued eating. When they both finished, they cleaned up the table and dishes and ended up on the couch.
The fire roared in front of them, immediately warming the cabin with a smoky essence. Luna relaxed against Valerio, closing her eyes in contentment. She accidentally kicked the small black gift bag that sat on the opposite end of the couch.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” she said. She got up quickly, reaching for it and turning to Valerio in waiting. “I got you something for your birthday.”
He shook his head. “You didn’t have to get me anything. You being here was enough.”
“I wanted to.” She handed it to him, her eyes wide in anticipation. “I hope you like it.”
He grabbed it, reaching in and pulling out the rectangular box. Valerio opened the box to reveal a silver chain with a silver “L” pendant at the center.
“This is the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me,” he told her. “Thank you.”
Luna’s heart melted. She knew she did good when he pulled the chain out of the box. “I figured since you gave me a ring, you needed something from me,” she said.
“Or something to tell everyone I belong to you,” he said, looking up with her with darkened eyes.
Luna swallowed harshly, nodding. “Maybe there was a little bit of that component there too.”
“You want people to know I belong to you?” he asked.
“You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to.” Her voice was close to a whisper.
Valerio clasped the necklace around his neck and ran his fingers over the chain. Goosebumps rose on his skin. “I’ll wear it like a collar, a chain, a fucking rope around my neck that only you can pull around,” he said. His voice was deeper than before, speaking with a conviction she had only heard a handful of times before. “You have me, forever and not a moment less.”
Luna’s breath hitched. A shiver shot up her spine, but her core was burning up with a new need. To be wanted, to be needed, to be loved —wasn’t that all she had ever wanted in her life? And she had found it in the one person she didn’t want it from, the one person she’d fought more than anything when she should have jumped into his grasp instead.
Luna reached out, trailing her fingers over the chain. She felt his heartbeat beating out of control. She grasped the “L” with her finger, pulling him towards her. He followed, completely and utterly stuck in her gaze.
She gave him a little smirk.
“Show me you’re mine.”
And he did.