Chapter 7
Morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Elena woke slowly, disoriented by the unfamiliar ceiling, the unfamiliar sheets. Then she remembered.
She turned her head. Matteo was beside her, still asleep, his face relaxed in a way she had never seen it. He looked younger. Softer. Human.
She watched him for a long moment. The rise and fall of his chest. The slight furrow between his brows. The way his hand lay on the pillow, palm open, as if reaching for something even in sleep.
She didn’t want to move. But she knew that the morning would bring reality crashing back down on them.
She slipped out of bed. Found one of his shirts on a chair. Pulled it on.
The kitchen was all marble and stainless steel, pristine and unused. She found coffee in the cabinet, a French press she had to wash before using. She made coffee the way she always made it for him—black, no sugar, a splash of cold water.
He appeared in the doorway as she was pouring.
“Good morning.”
She looked up. He was wearing only his suit pants. His hair was disheveled. There was a crease on his cheek from the pillow.
“Good morning.”
He walked over. He took the cup from her hands and set it down. He kissed her.
“This is what I want,” he said. “Every morning.”
“That’s a lot of mornings.”
“Good.”
She smiled. But the smile faded.
“Matteo. We need to talk.”
“I know.”
He picked up his coffee. He walked to the window. The city was gray and slick with rain.
“Last night was—”
“Perfect.”
“It was. But it doesn’t change the reality of who I am.”
“I know who you are.”
“You know what I show you. You don’t know the full picture.”
“Then show me.”
He didn’t answer. He stared out at the city.
“Matteo. You said you wanted to protect me. But you can’t protect me from something if I don’t know what it is.”
He turned. His face was unreadable.
“There are things I’ve done. Things I’ve ordered. Things that I can never take back.”
“Tell me.”
“Elena—”
“Tell me.”
He set down his coffee. He walked to the couch. He sat. He didn’t look at her.
“My father was a made man. He ran the Duca family for twenty years. He was a brutal man. A cruel man. He taught me that power was the only thing that mattered. That love was weakness. That sentiment would get you killed.”
She sat beside him.
“I took over when he died. I was twenty-four. I had to prove myself. I had to be harder than him. Stronger. More ruthless. I did things that I’m not proud of. I made decisions that cost people their lives.”
“Are you still doing those things?”
He looked at her. “I’m trying not to. I’ve been trying for years. I’ve been moving the business legitimate. But it’s not that simple. The world I come from doesn’t let you walk away cleanly.”
“Then what are you asking me?”
“I’m not asking you for anything. I’m telling you the truth. Because if you’re going to be in my life, you need to know what you’re getting into.”
“Is there a threat? Is there someone who would hurt you?”
“Always.”
“Then we deal with it.”
“Elena. You don’t understand. If someone wanted to hurt me, they would come for you. They would use you to get to me.”
“Then we protect against it.”
“How?”
She took his hand. “You have security. You have Dominic. You have resources. You protect me the way you protect yourself.”
“It’s not the same.”
“Make it the same.”
He looked at her. His eyes were searching.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Are you absolutely sure? Because once you’re in this world, you can’t leave. It will follow you forever.”
She squeezed his hand.
“I’ve been in your world for eighteen months, Matteo. I’ve just been on the outside looking in. Now I want to be on the inside. With you.”
“What about your family? Your friends? Sophia?”
“They’ll adapt. Or they won’t. But I can’t make my decisions based on what other people will think.”
He was silent for a long moment. Then he nodded.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay. We do this. Together.”
May you like
She leaned forward. She kissed him.
“Together.”
