Chapter 21

ALESSIO

E arly the following day, the sound of a gun firing and bullets flying had me knifing up from the bed.

I stumbled outside to the veranda, disoriented.

My eyes flew to the sight of Cleo standing in the extensive front yard of her farm, aiming a shotgun at a far-off target.

She fired once, twice, then in rapid repetition.

She was practicing her aim.

Next, she placed the rifle down and reached for a handgun. This, too, she discharged.

I lurched at the wild emotion in her shoot.

She was shooting with increasing anger and ire.

When she missed her target and let out a loud curse, I sucked my teeth.

I had to stop her moment in case she hurt herself.

Stepping off the terrace, I walked slow and easy to her .

I called out from a safe distance. ‘Carissima, calma. Sufficientemente.’

She paused for a beat, silence falling, smoke curling from her weapon.

With an inhale and a low growl, she returned to her blasting at unseen enemies.

I’d had enough.

I prowled to her and, in seconds, hauled her to my torso, immobilizing her shooting arm.

She slumped against me, chest heaving.

‘What the hell, cara?’ I murmured into her ear, keeping my tone soft.

She whipped around to face me. ‘Baby, I had a nightmare that they would come after us and burn all of this, all of us, down. That they’d take you, us, away from me. I have to keep practicing. I can’t let them ever win.’

I took an inhale and a moment to assess. ‘Bellissima, you’re angry and frustrated, I know. But a firearm and emotion don’t mix.’

‘The fuck they don’t,’ she growled. ‘When I’ve been made to feel like shit and treated like shit for so long, they do merge. They fuckin’ have to. It’s the only sanity I have left to hold on to. That one day I will find my revenge, that I’ll empty my gun in that monster’s face until it’s obliterated.’

Shakes racked her entire body as she crumpled on me.

I caught her, steadying her trembling frame as her fingers clutched my shirt. Her anguish was palpable, radiating off her in waves that threatened to drown us both.

‘Did you know on the night you found me in Naples that he and those two other fucktards he was with planned to rape me? Thank Dio, they drank and got high before they did much. One even fell asleep as he was pawing me hard. That’s when I escaped, and you arrived.’

‘It’s OK, mia sola,’ I growled. ‘Franco Conti will never hurt you again.’

With care, I pried the weapon from her grasp and placed it in the open case at our feet, snapping it shut.

In one fluid motion, I scooped her into my arms, cradling her against me as I carried her back towards the farmhouse.

Slight and fragile, she folded in my embrace.

All that mattered was getting her inside. To soothe the pain that had driven her out here, gun in hand, ready to pursue the vengeance that had consumed her for so long.

I wanted to love her until she learned to cherish herself, to give her everything she ever needed, and to adore her the way she was supposed to be.

When we reached the front door, she lifted her head, red-rimmed eyes meeting mine.

‘I’m sorry,’ she choked out between hiccuping breaths. ‘You didn’t need to see that. I woke with the devil riding my back, and I couldn’t stop thinking of how much Franco and his Conti cunt family have done to ruin my life.’

Her voice broke.

‘Shhh, it’s alright,’ I soothed, shifting her weight to push open the door. ‘You have nothing to apologize for.’

I lifted her over the threshold, kicking the door closed behind us.

She was far from OK, the scars that bastard left her with cutting soul-deep. But I would help her through this in whatever way possible.

Easing her suffering was the only thing that mattered now, even if it meant ignoring the burning ache in my own heart .

I carried her over to the sofa, my shoulder aching in protest as I lowered us both down onto the cushions.

I gritted my teeth against the pain. It was nothing compared to the agony she was drowning in.

Settling back on the lounge, I pulled her into my arms, letting her curl up on my lap, seeking comfort. She clutched at my shirt with desperate hands, her whole body shaking with the force of her sobs.

‘I hate him,’ she whispered, muffled on my chest. ‘I loathe him so much. Franco Conti’s name, face, and voice are the poison and acid in my veins.’

‘I know, sweetheart. I know.’ I stroked her hair, loving the silky strands that slid between my fingers. She was so delicate, but a steel core also ran through her. The strength that had kept her going all these years was fueled by the hatred for the man who’d shattered her world.

He’d taken an abundance from her, from so many innocent people. And he’d keep on taking until someone stopped him.

Unless I shut his shit down.

She didn’t know that, as well as protecting her, I’d come to these hills to un-alive the man.

I was a man with a mission behind the mask of the ruthless stranger, the tender almost-lover. A man who’d seen too much evil, and had vowed to put an end to it, one scumbag in particular.

Franco Conti was that scum.

He had to disappear for her sake and my own.

But that was for later. Right now, she needed me to be here, to hold her as she purged some of the poison he’d left inside her.

She wept in my arms until my shirt was damp with her tears, till her breathing slowed, and her soft tremors eased.

I murmured soothing nonsense, words that meant nothing and everything, anchoring her with my voice and touch.

My fingers combed through her hair, silken strands sliding between my fingertips like silk. The repetitive motion seemed to calm her, and slowly, the sobs that wracked her body began to subside.

‘You’re strong,’ I told her instead, meaning it with every fiber of my fuckin’ being. ‘Stronger than you know. And you’re not alone anymore. I’m here now.’

She inhaled, clutching my chest. ‘You’re just one man, Alessio.’

I leaned back. ‘Ah mia sola, on that, you are wrong. I come from a family that doesn’t take shit, one that metes out justice in the highest order.’

She knifed up and canted her brow in disbelief. ‘Is that the truth?’

I jerked my chin. ‘Si. The Calibrese legacy is one in which we were the guardians of Omertà throughout most of Southern Italy. Meaning we were the honor protectors, the law among the unlawful. We trained assassins and trusted soldiers for various mob bosses. We upheld the families’ paramilitary structures, influencing every level of our society. We oversaw the blood oaths of silence which restrained each initiated and made man.’

‘You too?’

‘I am the family’s head capo, chief enforcer, and fixer, but we’re less into crime now. We operate more as security experts, militia advisers, and vault guardians. While we focus now more on legitimate endeavors, our enemies are still bound. They think we’re weak, but we are not. We still have the might, money, firepower, and balls to defend our own and avenge anyone who dares come for us and for whom we love. Including you, mia sola.’

The words were a vow, a solemn promise spoken in the hush of the fading day. As she lifted her head to look at me, her eyes were red-rimmed but achingly beautiful.

‘Makes so much sense now,’ she breathed. ‘There was always an air of mystery with you. I’ve always wondered.’

‘Now you know,’ I rasped.

‘I do.’

She wiped her eyes, a watery laugh escaping her lips. ‘I must look a mess.’

I shook my head, brushing a strand of hair from her face with a gentle touch. ‘You look stunning. You always do.’

A faint blush stained her cheeks, and she ducked her head. But I caught the glimmer of a smile, fleeting but real, and it warmed me from the inside out.

‘I’ve spent so long focused on revenge,’ she murmured, her fingers twisting in the fabric of my shirt. ‘It’s consumed me, driven me. I almost don’t know how to exist without it.’

‘You live,’ I said. ‘You heal. You let yourself be happy again.’

She scoffed, the sound bitter and broken. ‘I don’t know if I recall how.’

‘Then I’ll help you remember.’ I tipped her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze. ‘I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. I’m in this through hell and haul.’

Her breath hitched, her eyes searching mine for any hint of deception. But there was none to find. I meant every word.

‘Why?’ she breathed, her words cracking. ‘Why do you care so much?’

I smiled, the answer as easy as breathing. ‘Because you’re worth caring about.’

She stared at me for a long moment, her expression soft, pliant, freakin’ sensual.

I wanted to fuck her so bad.

‘Thank you,’ she murmured, her countenance heavy with fatigue. ‘For being here, for listening, for everything.’

I pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. ‘Always,’ I murmured the word as a solemn vow.

She sighed, her body relaxing further into my embrace. ‘I don’t deserve you.’

‘You merit the world,’ I countered, my tone leaving no room for argument. ‘And I intend to give it to you.’

A soft laugh escaped her, the sound like music to my ears. ‘You’re stubborn, aren’t you?’ she said.

‘When it comes to you? Assolutamente.’

We lapsed into a comfortable silence, the weight of unsaid words hanging between us. There was still much to discuss, many wounds to heal, and battles to fight.

But for now, this moment, the warmth of her body against mine and the knowledge that we’d face anything together took precedence over every other freakin’ thing.

Cleo eased past a sack of potting mix into her barn.

It was mid-morning, and the sun was shining hard, and we sweated under its heat.

Cleo was going through her supply shed, and I was enjoying watching her tight ass move in her work jeans.

‘I don’t get Australian winters,’ I mused. ‘One day, you’re lighting a fire; the next, you’re stripping off.’

‘It’s the outback, baby, comes with the territory,’ Cleo shot at me. ‘And if you think it is hot, wait for December and January when the temperatures go so high even the poor flies give up on life.’

Wiping beads of sweat from her brow, she surveyed the other supplies packed inside - cans of beans, bags of rice, cartons of vegetable seeds.

Slamming the doors shut, she turned to me. ‘It’s not enough, Calibrese. We need to go shopping. You and your brawny self are eating me out of home and hearth.’

I leaned against the side of the container, arms crossed. ‘Don’t blame me because your doomsday provisions are running low, woman. Why are you such a prepper? Planning to hunker down for the apocalypse?’

Cleo shot me a wry look as she brushed the dust off her faded jeans. ‘You joke, Alessio, but it’s pure survival in the sticks. The nearest supermarket’s an hour away, and winter storms can cut us off for weeks.’

Her voice took on a serious edge. ‘Girl’s gotta be prepared to fend for herself.’

I nodded, conscious of how isolated and self-reliant Cleo was out here, a far cry from my cushy city life. What strength and resourcefulness it took to carve out an existence in this remote place.

I circled my arms around Cleo’s waist, pulling her close. ‘Well, lucky for you, cara, now you’ve got me as your survival partner. We might need to stock up on more coffee and wine to make it through.’

Cleo smirked, a mischievous glint in her eye. ‘Oh? You think you’re ready for the great apocalypse with me?’ She placed her palm against my chest, the warmth of her touch seeping through my shirt.

I grinned down at her, relishing the playful challenge in her gaze. ‘Bella, with you by my side, I’ll survive anything. Bring on the zombies, the nuclear fallout, whatever doomsday scenario you’ve got.’

Quick as a flash, Cleo smacked my torso, the sting barely registering before I caught her hand in mine. ‘Cocky bastard,’ she muttered, but her lips twitched with a repressed smile.

I brought her captured palm to my mouth, pressing a slow, sensual kiss to the center. Her breath hitched as I murmured against her skin, ‘Face it, carissima. You and me? We’re unstoppable together.’

Cleo’s eyes darkened with desire, her body swaying closer. The rest of the world fell away - the dusty hills, the cabin, the impending tasks. In that charged moment, nothing existed but the magnetism crackling between us, the unspoken promise of passion and partnership.

I caught the rapid thrum of Cleo’s pulse beneath my fingertips. Betraying the effect of my touch and my words as this fierce, independent woman allowed herself to be vulnerable and trust in our connection.

It humbled and thrilled me in equal measure.

She laughed, the sound echoing through the air. ‘You’ve sure got your priorities straight. Coming into town with me?’

‘It’ll be my pleasure.’