Chapter Fifteen

Ludovico stared at his phone. When he'd decided to listen in to Gigi's police interview, he'd been afraid she'd crack. The idea of having to hurt her displeased him, and he'd watched the whole thing from the edge of his seat. He'd been pleased to see she was stronger than she looked, but love … at the mention of her declaration he'd frozen.

She loved him.

How could she? Why would she? She was a good woman. Dedicated. Hardworking. Intelligent. She couldn't love a man like him, could she?

"I love him," she repeated on the screen, as if she were having trouble believing it herself.

Ludovico ran his fingers through his hair. A tremble coursed through him. He urged to bring her into his arms, kiss her, and shake some sense into her. She couldn't love him. She just couldn't. It was insanity at its finest. Madness. He covered his face with his hands. Her scent seemed to waft up his nose. He craved her. Ached for her.

"Fuck," he murmured.

He loved her too.

****

Ludovico watched from a distance as Officer Harris marched out looking displeased. Gigi waited for the door to close before turning around. He stepped out of his hiding spot. Her eyes widened, lips parted, and cheeks reddened. She didn't know he knew. She wasn't aware of his feelings for her. His heart skipped a beat. He made his way to her side and awkwardly, he grabbed her hand and squeezed. She glanced up at him.

"You listened in, didn't you?"

He chuckled, breaking the tension.

"How did you know?"

She shrugged.

"You're a hacker. I'd be surprised if you didn't have cameras in every room in this place."

He nodded.

"I'd ask you how it went but I saw how he tried to intimidate you."

"Yes." She chewed on her bottom lip, silent for a moment as he led her to the elevator.

"They know who you are."

Ludovico smirked.

"Most people do."

The moving box announced its arrival and they entered. He inserted the key and pressed the button for the penthouse.

"Aren't you afraid?" she asked.

"No."

"You aren't afraid of having your freedom taken from you? Of being put in a cell and having the key thrown away?"

Ludovico shrugged.

"In a way, I already live in that prison cell."

Her brow furrowed.

"Think about it, Ragazza. I am not free to do as many are. I am the capo. I have to be ahead of the game at all times. This job never came without danger, and I was always aware of it."

"Why did you take it? Why didn't you let your brother kill your father instead?"

Ludovico led her into his apartment. He pulled a bottle of scotch from the bar in his living room and poured two glasses. He took a sip and sighed. "There was no alternative." He took another gulp. "It's like love," he said quietly. "It happens when it's meant to be."

"Love?" Gigi took a sip of her drink, coughing. "Fuck," she muttered. Her face grew pink and she fumbled with the glass, clearly trying to find the words to explain herself.

"I heard you," Ludovico confirmed.

"I only said that—"

"I can tell when you lie, Ragazza. You weren't lying."

She glanced up at him, shoulders slumped and mouth downturned. Her pupils, though, gave off the inkling of hope she still held onto.

"I feel the same way," Ludovico admitted.

Her jaw dropped. Recomposing herself, she took a long gulp of her glass and set it down on the table with a loud bang.

"Why?" she cried.

Ludovico smirked.

"Why wouldn't I? It's not only the sex, Gigi. There's more between us and you know it. It's been there from the start. The passion, the connection we share. One look and we know what the other needs or wants. Our hands touch and a fire ignites within us. It's more than just sex and keeping you quiet, it's keeping you here with me."

"Do you mean it?"

She leaned forward, outstretching her hand toward him but not touching him. He grasped it firmly.

"The Ludovico's mark is a bloody rose for several reasons," he said. "Obviously, because we have shed blood, but also because blood runs through us all, permanently, uniting us. Each petal creates one full flower. One family. The rose is a symbol of beauty and danger. It is both gentle and thorny. Love is similar."

"What are you—"

"Let me finish."

Gigi pressed her lips together. Her large eyes gazed at him with an adoration which filled him with something he hadn't felt in a long time: hope.

"A rose does not flourish if you don't take care of it. I promised I would take care of you from the moment we met."

"You also threatened to kill me," she pointed out.

"A minor detail. There is no rose without its thorn. There is no love without its ups and downs. In this short time, you have gone from being a drop of blood on a thorn, to becoming my rose made flesh. Gentle, prickly, soft, yet strong." Ludovico took in a deep breath. He cupped Gigi's face. "You are mine. I love you."

Gigi leaned into his palm, shutting her eyes. She placed her hand over his.

"I am yours. I love you, Mario Ludovico."

The End