All I Believe (Firsts and Forever, #10)(77)

“I was just thinking. I want so much for him to say that about you, too, that he’s never seen you so happy. I have a long way to go to make that a reality, though.” He held a hand out to me as he said, “Come here, Nicky.” I took his hand and sat on the edge of his lounger, and he said, “Closer. Please? I know you’ve been keeping your distance because of my injury, but I can’t take it anymore. We’ve been living like roommates, and I’m about to go out of my mind. I need to feel you in my arms. I need that more than breathing right now.”

I climbed onto the lounge chair gingerly, on his right side, opposite his injury, and rested my head lightly on his shoulder. Both he and I exhaled slowly. I’d needed this too, so much, but I asked, “Am I hurting you?”

“Not even a little.”

“Is that just because you’re on pain killers?”

“No. It’s been almost two weeks, I’m healing.”

“It’s been nine days.”

“Right. Almost two weeks, like I said,” he told me with a little grin. I started to sit up, worried that he was in more pain than he was letting on, but he held me close to him and said, “Please don’t go. We need this. I know we need to talk, too. There was a lot we needed to say before the accident, and since then we’ve been avoiding it.”

“I know. I was thinking about that earlier.”

“Are you still mad at me for not telling you who my father was?”

“No. I understand why you kept that to yourself.”

“So, why is there this distance between us?”


I told him, “I guess it’s because I’m ashamed of the way I ran from you and refused to answer your texts. I’m so sorry I did that, Luca. You mean everything to me, but I was so quick to run at the first sign of trouble.”

“Well, trust is everything with you, and I made you feel like you couldn’t trust me.”

“I overreacted. I think this relationship scared me, honestly. It was just so intense and so much more than I bargained for, and while I didn’t do it consciously, maybe I was looking for a reason to bolt.”

Luca thought about that before asking, “What about now? Do you still feel like running?”

“Not at all. I hated being without you. I’m so sorry I shut you out.”

“Apology accepted. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you from the beginning.”

“Apology also accepted,” I said with a little grin, then stretched up and kissed his lips.

“Okay, good.”

After a pause I asked, “What are we going to do when we leave here, Luca? Where are we going to go?”

“I guess that depends on your family and what happens at today’s meeting.”

“What about your family? Andreo told me there are plenty of Natoris who would just as soon kill me as look at me.”

“They’re easily avoided. I have very little to do with my father’s family. But you’re close to yours, and I can’t imagine you going on the run with me forever.”

“I will if that’s what it takes to be with you,” I said quietly.

He shifted so he could see my face. “Are you serious?”

I nodded and said, “I love you, Luca. I was waiting for the right time to tell you that, maybe over wine and candlelight some romantic evening, but you need to know that.”

His face lit up as my words sank in, and he told me, “You just gave me the most incredible gift.” I smiled embarrassedly and broke eye contact, but he caught my chin and tilted my head up so I was looking at him again. “I love you too, Nicky.”

He kissed me tenderly, and I asked him, “Do you remember telling your brother that in San Francisco?”

“When?”

“Right after you got shot. He asked why you’d taken a bullet for me, and you said it was because you loved me. You were about to go into shock.”

“I guess I do kind of remember saying that, but the whole thing’s hazy. Do you know how bad it hurts to get shot?”

“I’m guessing very?”

“Exactly. I’m just lucky I didn’t wet myself while I was admitting my love for you.” He looked at me and said, “I didn’t, did I?” When I smiled at him and shook my head, he said, “Well, that’s a relief.”

I kissed him again and said, “Thank you for protecting me from that bullet. I still can’t believe you did that for me.”

“You would have done the same for me.”

He was absolutely right.





Chapter Fifteen




The family meeting in San Francisco didn’t resolve much of anything. Both sides just ended up yelling at each other, and Jerry and his contingent stormed out after ten minutes. I had a long phone conversation with Dante that evening, and he said, “I wish I had better news, but Jerry just won’t listen to reason.”

“I’m sorry I stirred up all this trouble.”

“Don’t be. It’s actually been really eye-opening. It was a mistake handing the family over to Jerry. Being in charge these last couple years has changed him. He has a god complex now, he thinks only his opinions matter.”

“Are you thinking about coming out of retirement and taking over again?”