My heels slap against the concrete floor, but Bryce is right behind me. I want to be alone. I want a couple of moments to simply recenter and come to terms with the consequences of working here.
Kayla steps in my direction, oblivious to the reason I’m speed walking. “A couple letters came in for you and Giulio. I’ve left them on your desk.”
I force a smile. “Thank you.”
In the distance, the normal chatter comforts me. Nothing can happen here. I drop my bag on my desk, eyeing the two ivory letters. Each has our names in printed blocks.
“Aye! Valencia!” I keep my head straight towards the desk, disregarding Bryce’s deep, rumbling accent. “I’m sorry if ya felt as though I was forcing ya. It wasn’t my intention. I was drunk. It felt good but I wasn’t gonna go any further. Not more than what you wanted. I thought ya wanted a change. Give me a chance to start over. Maybe we could have some lunch together today to talk everything through, yeah?”
“That wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Okay. How about dinner then?”
“Bryce, please stop this.”
“Stop what?”
I spin on my heel and find myself trapped by my desk and his hard chest. It’s barely enough to stand straight, let alone think clearly. My heart shifts to a place of uncertainty.
I miss my kids.
It’s hard to glance up at Bryce and not feel as though my head is on fire. “Look, maybe last night was an off night. I’m not saying it’s what you do to women but you did it to me and so I hope you can respect I need time to recover.”
“Is that a no to the dinner?”
“You’re…being friendly, I get it, but I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m not looking for somebody to satisfy my needs, no matter how strong the desire can be at times. I’m going through a rough patch in my life, the separation and abduction have destroyed me. I need time to find myself again. So pl-please, I don’t feel comfortable with how close you’re standing.”
McCarson makes a brief effort to stand back, but I can still smell him. That rugged, bergamot scent. He cocks his head to the side, brows furrowed. “So, you didn’t enjoy last night?”
For the love of…
“Your body was involuntarily pressed against mine! What part of that statement do you not understand?” I hiss. Enough of being nice. I decide I’m not taking this any further. “I don’t want anything to do with you. Am I clear?”
Bryce grinds his jaw. It reveals the type of man he is. Feisty. Cunning. Manipulative. Redness pulls across his face, settling at the base of his neck. “Is this Giulio telling ya to say all these things? Because I swear that man is gonna do me nut in if he—”
“No, I’m saying them myself! Giulio doesn’t control me! And while we’re at it, what the hell does do me nut in even mean?”
“I honestly don’t believe that he isn’t contributing and it means to drive someone insane.”
“Well you’re wrong because I’m speaking my own truths and I would appreciate it if you’d respect them, Mr. McCarson.”
“And how about my own truths? I have no idea how many lies he’s feeding ya about me. I’m not the type of man who jumps on any woman. I admit that I was wasted and shouldn’t have gone that far last night, but everybody makes mistakes. Right?”
An apology.
It’s all I ever wanted, but it gives me no assurance that he wouldn’t try this stunt again or that he truly means what he’s says.
I take a different approach. “I don’t think you should bad talk your boss, Bryce. He’s the one holding up this company. He can drop you at any time.”
“Actually, he can’t. It’s exactly why I associate with Marcus and not him.”
“What do you mean he can’t? He’s the CEO! What really happened between you two?”
“Nothing happened, it’s just fucking impossible for us to get along. That’s all.”
“Well, you could try to change that.”
“Nahhh. I’ve got better things to do. Besides, I don’t need to do anything for Giulio’s benefit. I’m not the one who decided to marry and have three kids with him…”
“How dare you say such a thing!”
“Oh, come on. Don’t give Giulio the respect he doesn’t merit.”
“He deserves the respect much more than you know! Giulio built this company from the ground up. If you don’t feel fit to work here, then don’t. But don’t you dare drag him down like he’s undeserving of success. He deserves it. He worked hard to be where he is now. He’s a good man.”
Bryce arrogantly scoffs. “Is that why ya got separated? Because he was a good man? Obviously he isn’t because he couldn’t hold his family together. He lost the end of that deal.”
My eyes widen.
Screw him!
The malice laced in Bryce’s voice leads me to one conclusion: perhaps his drunken actions last night were solely to get back at Giulio or some type of payback, even though he’s the one happily breaking every single rule here…could that be it?
“You just don’t get it, do you? You don’t understand how much your words hurt me or my family. You don’t know what either of us have been through, or who I really am.”
“I know that he doesn’t deserve ya. He doesn’t deserve his success, his children, or—”
Bryce’s face jerks to the right. The slap is quick. Hard. My lungs deceive me at my shallow gasp as I recover my assaulting hand and his eyes shut for the briefest of seconds.
Oh my god!
What did I just do?
Bryce’s gaze flickers back to me and I note something’s changed. They’re glazed in speckles of defeat. “I…I deserved that.”
I don’t stay to witness him further.
Racked with emotion, I tightly grip the letters and round the unpredictable man who does nothing but stare. His feet remain planted on the floor, yet that doesn’t guarantee a thing.
I can’t believe I just did that.
Giulio’s office acts like my refuge. I scramble to lock the door and sink into his dark leather chair. His lasting scent shouldn’t calm me…but it does. I’m safe now.
I need to get myself together.
There are two picture frames on Giulio’s desk. The first is of him with the twins and Addilyn a couple of weeks after her birth. I remember taking the photo. Giulio is grinning at the camera, his arms securely holding Addilyn. The twins are seated on either side of them. Oscar is gripping a paper plane, the picture taken seconds before putting it on his father’s hair. Slonne is captured mid-giggle, kissing her baby sister’s forehead as Addilyn’s smiles.
The second photo frame is face down and I know why.
Giulio must still be with Marcus and their client, Tate. I have no reason to call him, but a deep part of me wishes he was here, especially with the harsh knocks on the door, followed by Bryce’s persistent pleas to open the door.
No.
I ignore it and fight the urge to feel any type of sympathy. I’m so used to attending to everybody’s needs…the kids, my students…now I have to block it out for once.
The knocking stops and I make the mistake of turning over the frame.
Our wedding day.
We’re grinning at each other as he has me in a dip, holding the small of my back. Our passion enthralled in heavenly fire. I remember the feeling it brought. Security. Honor. Forever and always.
The memory flickers alive so vividly.
Giulio’s hands slip in mine, distracting me from the marriage officiant’s words.
This will be the greatest moment of my life. Right here. Right now. Standing face to face with Giulio Giannotti. The man I would die for. The man I love more than life itself.
“You look beautiful,” he mouths.
“Thank you.”
My cheeks sting from the smile that hasn’t wiped off my face since last night. That was when everything hit me and it no longer felt surreal. There’s that familiar warmth within Giulio’s eyes. It tells me that we will be
inseparable, that this will only the beginning.
Giulio’s hands squeeze mine and all I want to do is kiss him. I need to wait though. We are getting married after all!
I want to take it all in. Every single detail. From his perfectly slicked back hair, to my fluttering heart, to the ocean waves crashing behind us that intensify the excitement bursting inside me. A destination wedding is something we always wanted, especially to escape the December cold in Seattle.
Fiji.
“Valencia?”
I snap back to reality and everybody is looking at me. Giulio is wearing that mind-blowing smirk that I love. The marriage officiant smiles warmly, “Your soon to be husband was about to say his vows…”
“Oh gosh, sorry.”
Guests laugh at my mishap. I smile at the faces of friends and family who have devoted their time to us. My parents catch my eye and then Helena, my maid of honor, tugs at my side. “You’ve got this, girlfriend.”
“She won’t be your girlfriend for too long now.” Giulio winks over at us.
I giggle, followed by the rest of the guests.
Helena smiles at her soon to be brother-in-law, “Oh, really now?”
“Yes. Lencia and I did something about that.”
“That’s right.” I squeeze his hands in mine. “We sure did.”
As the laughter fades, Giulio squeezes back. “Valencia.” He starts over, adoration in his tone. “Before I lost my mother, she told me something. That all good things end and so I should make the most of life. I promise to support you within our best moments and within our worst. I vow to love you even after death do us part. Because it will not mean that our journey is over, it will still continue to exist inside us. I vow to appreciate every single moment of my life with you by my side. I vow to give you the best of myself. To respect and cherish you. To be there and support you. To do anything for and love you more than life itself.”
My heart clenches at his perfection. The words. His heart. Our love.
Giulio kisses my forehead just as a tear escapes my eyes.
“Giulio,” I grin. “Every day I wake up and cannot believe we found each other. I vow to love you unconditionally. To give you all of me, even the crazy. I vow to wholeheartedly put us first and never forget how deeply you complete me. With you, I’m whole. When times get tough, with any challenges we may face, know that we will conquer them together and will always find our way back to each other. Your mother is with us, baby. She’s here and is so proud of the man you’ve grown up to be. The man you are now. The father you are going to be…very soon.”
Still smiling, Giulio’s jaw drops. His eyes drop to my flat stomach. “Are you…?”
I can only nod for half a second before he crushes me in a tight embrace. His lips press against the side of my head and both our bodies vibrate in pure emotion.
Happy tears trail down my cheeks as guests begin to cheer, clapping at what I’ve been concealing for the past few weeks. It’s the perfect moment to share in front of everybody who means so much to us.
I’m wrapped in affection.
“Oh my god.” Giulio’s eyes are glossy when we retake our positions. “You better announce us husband and wife before I kiss the heck out of her!”
I will never forget this day.
The moment comes where ‘I do’ means much more than just three letters. It’s a whole life commitment. Within a second we have confirmed everything we have been fighting for. All our sacrifices will be worth it because he will be right by my side.
Giulio Giannotti will be the one I turn to when times get rough. He will be the one I confide in during the good and the bad moments in our lives. Together.
“You may kiss the bri—”
We don’t need any more permission. Our passionate kiss is fueled with heated desire. Guests clap and cheer, and it brings everything alive.
Giulio’s soft hands slip over my stomach and I feel whole. “I love you, Mrs. Giannotti.”
“I love you more.”
“Impossible.”
I miss having somebody so close to me, however, I can’t forget the reasons we ended everything. Those reasons were washed away during this morning’s breakfast, but now they’re hung up in front of me.
Distraction.
I need a distraction from these unnerving thoughts.
The letters.
My name is printed in bold on the first letter. I’m perplexed there is no return or sent address. Even more so when I find it’s a typed up letter. Then comes the sinking feeling at what I read.
Valencia,
Under no circumstance may this be shared with anybody other than who it is addressed to. No police. Nobody. If you do, you risk it all and it will be game over.
Be the smart woman you are. Rearrange the letters in each word.
ENALVCIA, UYO REA ETXN.
I rearrange them carefully.
VALENCIA, YOU ARE NEXT.
I thrust the letter away from me and fall back into the seat.
My dear god…What is this?
The noise that escapes me takes everything out of me. Everything. The banging comes alive again inside me and my heart pounds a distant tune, one of panicked turmoil.
I’m next…
A letter addressed to Giulio follows. In anticipation I grip it, searching his drawer to use a letter slicer. At first, my trembling hands shake the paper so hard it blurs and I am unable to rearrange the letters.
GIULIO, YOU ARE NOT FAR BEHIND.
There’s another sheet behind it.
To O&S.
Oscar and Slonne.
My stomach is not holding up with the mixture of my parting hangover, the medicine, and my nerves. Yeah, not the best combination. I swallow down the lump in my throat and attempt to convince myself this is all a dream.
This is not real.
Not real.
Not real.
But it is and that’s what gets me the most.
BUT BEFORE ALL, IT IS YOU BOTH.
I jump from the seat and brace myself against the desk for assistance to stand.
No.
I can’t do it again. I can’t watch helplessly as something else happens.
I need to lie down.
I need to calm my aching body.
I need this to all go away.
I drag myself to Giulio’s sage ottoman bench by the floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the gloomy Seattle afternoon. I need a few moments to comprehend that this war between my family and evil has only just begun.
This is the beginning of the end for us.
It’s only going to get worse from here. I know it.
I clutch my stomach and lie down on the bench, curling my knees to my chest. Simply staring up at the merging clouds does nothing. I can’t handle this.
Who is doing this to us?
What do they want?
Why?
Get me. I want to scream. Get me. I don’t care what they do to me. All I want is to protect Oscar and Slonne. They don’t deserve to suffer so young in this cruel world.
Because that’s exactly what this life can be.
Cruel.
Valencia
“Valencia?”
The soft whisper wakes me as steady hands wrap around my waist. Somebody’s screaming in the distance. It turns to wailing. I want to know who it is, but can’t open my eyes no matter how hard I try—something’s wrong.
“Shh, it’s going to be okay.” Giulio reassures me with his mouth pressed against my ear.
A twist just above my heart forces me to launch up from the ottoman bench and clutch onto something blindly. A cold glass of what could belong to a window shoots through my fingertips.
The scream halts.
I realize that it was me all this time.
It’s me.
I can’t swallow down my pain. It feels too heavy. Everything’s too tight inside me. It’s as though I’ve been thrown into a deep blue ocean, incapable of taking one breath without the pinching
sensation in my head.
“Giulio, what is happening?”
“I need you to listen to my voice, okay? Can you do that for me?”
I nod.
“Let’s try and lie down.” Giulio presses my shaking body to his and lifts me up. Chest to chest, he sits on the bench before lying down on his back with me on top of him. “That’s it. Slowly.”
Then it hits me.
A bolt zooms through me at the flash thought of Addilyn.
All I see is her and the fateful cries that follow.
Our baby is gone.
“No! I can’t do this. I can’t forget her. She’s a part of us.” I cry, struggling in Giulio’s grip until I lift up to my knees, essentially straddling him. “Now they’re coming after all of us. They’re going to hurt the only things I have left! Giulio, they’re going to kill us!”
“I won’t allow that. Breathe. We’ll figure this out.”
“We won’t! It’ll be too late!”
“You’re thinking too far ahead, concentrate on the now. One step at a time, okay?” he murmurs against my neck, seeking to calm my distressed state as he sits up. “I saw the letters. Nobody is going to hurt us. Tell me one thing you’ve read from the handbook I wrote you.”
“That when things happen you don’t forget the tragedy, but in time it gets a little easier.”
“Yes, that’s it. That’s perfect. Now, let’s try and lie back down again.”
“I don’t know if I can…”
“I know you can. I’ve got you, okay?” Giulio’s gives my hands a tight squeeze. “Now, let’s do this again. Nice and slow…that’s it.” I give him my whole body as we lie down against the ottoman bench again. I snuggle into his neck and whilst his left hand remains clasped in mine, the other rubs small comforting circles on my back. “Some deep breaths in together. A deep one. Hold it…good…now let’s release.”
We count ten breaths.
“Tell me about your ocean.”
Merciful Vows: A Bittersweet Second Chance Romantic Suspense (The Giannotti World Book 1) Page 14