A Dark Sicilian Secret(64)

What about his office in Catania? Surely that would be listed. She called information and gave him the d’Severano name, asking if they had any businesses by that listing. They did not. And then she ran out of ideas, because she didn’t know the name of his company.

Just as she hadn’t taken the time to really know Vitt.

There was so much she’d do differently given the chance. So much she wanted to know, so many things she wanted to do with him.

Travel, explore, talk, make love.

Have more kids.

An announcement sounded through the terminal that Continental Airlines was now boarding their afternoon flight to Houston.

Heart in her mouth, she watched the other passengers line up at the gate. She watched all two hundred passengers board, but her legs wouldn’t move. She couldn’t line up. Couldn’t do it.

The gate personnel were finished boarding but they didn’t close the door. Instead the gate agent paged her. “Jillian Smith, this is your final call. Jillian Smith, your final call for Continental Airlines Flight 52.”

Jillian glanced down at the boarding pass crumpled in her damp hand, and then at the gate agent, and realized that even though her initial reaction was to leave her family to protect them, she knew it was the wrong one.

Family didn’t leave family.

Family didn’t betray family.

Family protected family.

And Jillian needed hers.

It struck her that she didn’t have to run anymore. She didn’t have to be afraid. She had Vittorio. He was smart. He was strong. And he could be trusted.

Eyes burning, throat aching, she picked up her small carry-on bag and turned her back on fear, and walked through the terminal, past security, out the airport terminal to the curb.

It was twilight and the sky was lavender and gray. Jillian stood on the curb trying to figure out how she’d get back to Catania and what she’d say to Vitt once she got there when a deep voice spoke behind her.

“Thinking of going somewhere?”

Vittorio.

Usually deep and calm, his voice sounded rough and as if he was in pain.

She turned to face the man who’d turned her life upside down in the best way possible. He looked tall and handsome and worried. He looked so very dear. It didn’t hurt that he had a small boy in his arms that meant everything to her.

“Yes,” she said, tears filling her eyes as she looked at the two people she loved most in the world. “I want to go home.”

For fourteen years she’d had to take care of herself. For fourteen years she’d had to pretend she didn’t need anything from anyone, when in truth, she needed everything.

Love, comfort, tenderness, support.

“I want to go home with you. Please take me back to Paterno,” she choked.

The haunted expression lifted from Vittorio’s dark eyes and then he slowly smiled. “I hoped you’d say that.”

“Oh, Vitt, I don’t know what I’m doing. I just know that I got scared, but I’m so tired of being scared, Vitt. I’m so tired of running and looking over my shoulder and worrying the bad guys will find me.”

“I guess one found you this morning,” Vitt said, wrapping his free arm around her, bringing her close to him.

“Yes.” She pressed her cheek to his chest, feeling the warmth of her husband and son. “But I should have come to you, Vitt. I should have told you. You wouldn’t have panicked. You would have known what to do.”

“Marco can’t hurt you,” Vitt answered, brushing his lips across her brow as his arm squeezed tighter around her waist. “The FBI were able to trace his call. It came from near a cell tower in downtown Detroit and the Detroit police arrested him an hour ago. The police have been looking for him since your sister’s death, and now they have him. He’s going away for a long time. He won’t ever be able to threaten you again.”

Jillian’s lips curved in a watery smile. “So you did know what to do.”

“I’m a d’Severano, cara. I know how to take care of my family.”

His deep voice rumbled through her, his tone fierce, proud. “Am I still your family?”

“Forever.”

Tears filled her eyes. Her chest grew tight and she struggled to take a breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. I’m sorry I didn’t come to you right away. I was just so scared he’d hurt you or Joe or someone else in your family—”

Vitt reached up to wipe her tears away. “I understand. Just as I understand you’ve had no one to be there for you since you were a little girl. But we’ll work on trust, and we’ll learn to be a strong family together, yes?”