by Cassie May
“I came to say that I am sorry, cara. I acted like a jerk yesterday and what I said was not okay. It doesn’t matter who you are and obviously I am more old-fashioned than I thought I am. Can you forgive me?” I notice that Luca has disappeared to the front of the shop again and look at Valerie whose eyes have filled with tears again. Damn. Obviously this was the wrong plan to make it right with her again. I try to shrug the bad feeling off that spreads through me and begin to pack everything in the bags again. “I’m sorry, this was clearly the wrong thing to do. Just give me a few minutes to clean everything up and then I am gone. “
Her hand on my arm makes me stop and look up. “Don’t. This… It is wonderful. No one has ever done something like this for me. No one has ever cared enough to try to make things right. Not since… since my parents died. Thank you, Matteo. It is absolutely the right thing and I forgive you for being a jerk.” Then I feel her soft lips on mine and I have to hold onto the table to stay upright. I never thought I was nervous, but the sudden calmness and relieve I feel makes my knees buckle.
“There’s something more”, I add when we both gasp for a breath. Valerie looks at me with curiosity in her eyes. “I love you, cara. I have for a while now, but it never seemed the right moment to say it.” Now she bursts into tears and wraps her arms around me.
“I was so scared that you would just leave me and that I was too harsh yesterday, but what you said hurt me so much and I just had to get all this out.” Her body shakes with her deep sobs and I hold her close vowing to myself to never disappoint her like this again. Alarmed from her sobs Luca comes back in the kitchen and frowns when he sees her crying. Shaking my head I tell him that he doesn’t have to worry and he leaves again.
“Cara, please don’t cry, okay? Everything is good. You don’t have to worry about me leaving you. I love you and I will stay with you for how long you want me. Now come on and eat a little bit.” Slowly she disentangles herself from me and looks up with a smile.
“I love you, too, Matteo. Thank you for doing all this for me.” After one last kiss on her lips I pull out a chair and wait till Valerie is seated comfortably. Piling fruits and little breakfast treats on a plate I put it in front of her before filling my own plate.
We eat in comfortable silence until Val looks on the big clock on the wall and jumps up. “Oh shit. I have to start baking! The breakfast crowd is coming in half an hour and I have almost nothing prepared!” Red dots appear on her cheeks and I pull her in my arms.
“Can I help you with anything so that it goes faster? I mean it is my fault that you are late now.” Laughing she shakes her head.
“No, Mister. I know exactly that you are going to make me even more late. You don’t play fair and I am sure you have somewhere to be. I’ll put a slice of panettone aside for you today, okay? You can pick it up this evening at my house if that’s okay with you. If not I’ll just send it to you.” She winks and twists out of my arms.
Sighing I realize that I have to be somewhere else indeed, so I step forward and close my arms around her one last time. “Okay. I’ll come by this evening. See you later and be safe, okay?”
She nods while smiling. “I am always safe. Luca is with me all the time, so don’t worry.”
“I don’t doubt that, cara, but I have a feeling as if something is going to happen today. Maybe I am just suspicious, but please be extra careful today, okay? Can you promise me that?” I don’t care how pussy whipped I sound. I feel the threat looming over us today more than ever before and I have been through enough to know that I should trust my feelings on this.
Valerie’s eyes soften and she nods. “I will be careful. Now go and let me work.”
One last kiss on her luscious lips and I reluctantly let her go. “I love you, cara.”
Her whole face lights up when she hears me saying that and she nods. “I love you, too.”
With one final look at my woman I turn around and leave the kitchen, hearing her already rustling and bustling with pans and baking stuff. I stop in front of Luca to tell him about my suspicion. He takes one look in my face and nods. “I’ll keep an extra eye on her today.”
“How do you know?”
“I feel the same, Matteo. We are both formed from the life on the streets and the need to constantly check over our shoulder. You don’t forget that just because you are not there every day. I feel as if one of our problems is going to escalate in the next few days and I will be damned if it hits Valerie. You know I will give my life to safe her.” He sounds somber and I don’t doubt that he is serious.
“I know. Thank you for that, I just hope it won’t come that far.”
He nods again and adds something almost hesitating. “Maybe you should think about security for Noemi and her family as well. You’ll never know how far the crazies are going.”
Nodding I contemplate his suggestion. “I will talk to Rico about it. Be careful, Luca.”
He nods. “You too.”
One last lingering look to the kitchen and then I am out in the cold again, trying to put my head straight and figuring out where Theresa wants to meet me.
Chapter 21
Valerie
Matteo’s parting words don’t leave my mind. That and the fact that Luca seems even more alert than usual makes me a nervous mess today. I acted as if I don’t worry about anything when Matteo told me to be extra careful, but honestly when your mafia boyfriend tells you to watch your back, you watch your back. And you get nervous. And every strange noise makes you jump.
At noon I have enough. I already ruined two batches of cupcakes, because I let the tray fall on the floor when a new customer came in the bakery. Twice. Because I got startled from the bell I hear every fucking day. Picking up the second tray from the floor I hear Luca coming in the kitchen with extra heavy steps since I shouted at him earlier for being a sneaky bastard when I didn’t hear him come in and almost got burned on the oven. Yeah. Not my day today.
“Come on, Valerie. Clean up and then we’re leaving. You are obviously having a shitty day and I would feel better as well if we could go home. It’s safer there.”
“You think so?” I hate how weak and shaking my voice sounds. Why are Matteo’s words having such a huge influence on me?
“Yes, I think so. There you can just lay in your bed and read or sleep. You are too nervous and the lack of sleep from yesterday isn’t doing a favor. I promised Matteo to keep you alive, even if it is yourself that threatens your health right now. Let’s just close everything up and leave.” He starts to help me wipe frosting from the floor when a hectic knock on the door makes us both freeze. “You stay here, I will see who this is.”
Standing up he pulls out his gun in one fluent motion and makes his way over to the café. A colorful Italian curse escapes him while I cower in a corner and just hope that my shop will survive this day. “What are you doing here?” Luca’s voice is hard and worried at the same time and now my curiosity rises. Who is he talking to?
“I felt as if someone was following me and the only safe place I could think of was here. Please, can I stay in the kitchen?” Noemi. Shit. So she finally got dragged in all that. Standing up I slowly walk outside and see her shaking and almost crying.
As fast as possible I rush over to her and wrap her in my arms. She bursts into tears and hugs me hard. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I just felt watched the whole day. At university and when I left there and went shopping it was all the same. It didn’t leave. I was so scared. This… It is just too much. I can’t do that.”
“Shhh, it’s okay. Nothing is going to happen to you. Luca is going to take care of everything. We just wanted to leave, do you want to come with us?” I look over her head at Luca who frowns when he hears my suggestion. But what should I say to her? Nope, sorry. Just go out and get shot? Surely not. If she really has been followed then she needs a bodyguard as well. Making a mental note to talk to Matteo about this this evening I turn her around to take her in the kitchen with me.<
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A sharp knock on the door makes Noemi and me jump in the air while Luca positions himself in front of us. “Noemi? What are you doing in here? Are you okay? Why is the door closed?”
Slowly the young woman turns around and her eyes widen in surprise. “Jason? What are YOU doing here? Did you follow me?” After hearing her last sentence Luca rips open the door and pulls the young man inside with one hand while still holding his gun in the other.
Without another word he pushes him behind the counter and in the kitchen and places him on a chair. “You heard the lady. Did you follow her?”
Jason looks uneasy from Luca to me to Noemi and back to Luca, carefully avoiding looking at the gun. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Wow. Cocky little shit. I wouldn’t have the balls to answer like this when a man like Luca is holding a gun in my direction. “I asked if you followed Noemi the whole day?” Through gritted teeth the words are barely recognizable when Luca glares at the boy.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Well, for once, because I almost shot you before asking that question and second, because you obviously scared my friend Noemi here and I don’t like her being scared. So answer my question now, before I shoot you.” Luca’s voice is cold and I feel Noemi shivering in my arms. I am more distant. I feel a strange curiosity while watching Luca do his work.
“That is quite a convincing argument you have here. So, yeah, I followed her today and now? You want to shoot me now?” The boy manages to sound cheeky even though he gets a little paler when Luca holds the gun to his head.
“I might, yes. Why would you follow her?”
“Because it is fun. Have you ever followed a girl before? Seen her squirm? It’s like a chase. Awesome!” The eyes of the guy light up and I think I might get sick. This is awful. He just followed Noemi just to scare her? What an asshole!
Luca must think the same, because he strikes the Jason’s head with the butt of his gun. Noemi’s scream shrills through the baker and I gulp down the bile when the guy falls forward on the chair blood dripping out of a small wound on his forehead. “Stupid fucker. Val, do you have a towel for me? I don’t want to bring more blood than necessary on your floors.”
Snapping out of my trance I rush to him and press an old towel in his outstretched hand. He presses it against his head and holds his hand out for a second one. “Thank you. Do you have bleach so I can clean everything up here?” He sounds calm and completely relaxed while laying the unconscious body on the floor still pressing the towel to the bloody wound. While I leave to get some bleach Noemi slowly creeps closer.
“Why did you do that?” She whispers and her eyes fill with tears.
“Because he had fun in bringing you fear, ciccina. You should never fear anything. Not as long as I am here to take care of bastards like this one”, Luca growls while pulling out his phone. He dials a number and holds the phone to his ear. “I need you to come here and pick something up. No, nothing is wrong with Valerie. Yes, I need you quick and bring an unsuspicious car.” He ends the call and looks at us. “Domenico is coming. He is only five minutes away, so we can get out in about ten minutes. He’ll take care of the trash while I bring you home.”
“Take care of the trash? What are you? Al Capone? This is a human being! You can’t just kill him!” Noemi sounds almost hysterical and a guilty expression crosses Luca’s face.
“Please calm down, ciccina. No one wants to kill him. Domenico is going to bring him home and then have a talk with this piece of shit about scaring innocent women. He won’t come near you again, but he is going to live. Don’t worry, okay?” He rubs her back while telling us all this and I can barely stop my snort. Don’t worry? Yeah, of course as if it is that easy.
Rolling my eyes I keep an eye on the door to the bakery, but Domenico appears behind me from the back entrance and scares me to death. “Where should I leave him?”
Shrieking I jump in the air and turn around. “Are you crazy? Don’t sneak up on me like this! You could have given me a heart attack!”
He grins shortly before bending down and grabbing Jason’s feet to carry him outside. “Sorry, Val. I didn’t mean to scare you. Do you have an address where I should leave him?”
Luca shrugs. “I think you have to search him for his address. Don’t forget to tell him what is going to happen to him if he continues with this behavior. I’ll drive Noemi and Valerie home.”
Domenico nods and both disappear outside to do something with the body. “How can you be so calm?” Noemi whisper screams at me. “Luca has just beaten someone to unconsciousness!”
Shaking my head I try to clear my thoughts. Everything happened so fast. One moment I was packing my stuff to leave the bakery early and now I am a witness to an assault with a deadly weapon! I feel my body start shivering and bite my lip. “I don’t know. Shock maybe. I mean, I understand why Luca did it, but it was too much! I mean, what would that guy have done to you? Has he followed you before?” Still shaking I sink down on the floor and lock on the bleach and towel Luca has left.
Paling Noemi falls to the floor next to me and grabs my hand. “I don’t know. I mean, he has always been a bully. He is in some of my lectures and always tried to rile me up, but I was not interested.” Tears rise in her eyes again when she realizes how bad this day really could have ended for her. “I am so sorry to drag you in this. I mean, he knows your bakery now. He could come back and hurt you, just out of spite!” With that Noemi bursts into tears and I feel helpless again. I don’t know how to calm her down. I don’t feel threatened by this boy. Even if I didn’t have Luca with me most of the time, he would not have been a threat. I know some self-defense and actually the danger of a cocky youngster is far less intimidating when you are threatened by a Mexican gang.
Luca chooses that moment to enter the kitchen again and I hope he is going to help me with Noemi. Squatting down he takes her cold hands in his and murmurs: “It’s okay, little one. Valerie is in no danger from this one. He won’t ever come after her or you again after Domenico has talked to him. I am sure about it. And never apologize for keeping yourself safe. You did exactly the right thing in coming here. It could have been someone far more dangerous than hat cocky little shit following you. You trusted your instincts and that is a great thing. Now come on. I’ll drive you home and you try to forget everything that has happened here, okay?” His voice is completely different than a few minutes before. It is now calm and soothing, made to relax the nervous girl next to me. After his short speech he waits till Noemi nods and lifts her up. She wraps her arms around his neck and I see him tensing for a short moment, before he makes his way outside.
“Dom is looking out for us, so please hurry with closing everything up, Valerie. We need to bring Noemi home.” Nodding I rush to grab my bag and our coats before I arm the security system and lock the doors.
Luca places Noemi on the backseat and motions for me to get in next to her. “Try to keep her calm. I think she is in shock”, he murmurs to me. Raising one eyebrow I nod. Well, it’s quite obvious that she is in shock and I just hope that we can get her better till we arrive at her home.
“Noemi, are you okay? I mean this is obviously a stupid question, but is there anything we can do for you?” Rubbing her hands I try to get her attention till she looks at me with sudden clearness in her eyes.
“No, I think it was just a bit too much. I am sorry I freaked out like this. Of course Matteo is going to make sure that you are safe, even if I brought that lunatic to your doorstep. Do you think I maybe should take self-defense classes?” She is rambling and I don’t know if that is better or worse than her being in shock.
“Ciccina, I think taking self-defense classes is a great idea. You should be able to defend yourself. Try it out, you may get surprised from the outcome.” Luca’s voice is still calm and finally, final it seems as if Noemi gets back to her normal self.
With one last sigh she leans back and looks at me. “I would like to vis
it you another time. I like you and I have some more questions about all this.”
She motions around and without saying more I know that she wants to know more about Luca and the mob. Damn, I hope I didn’t make a mistake here. Maybe Matteo was right and Noemi is not made for the life that comes with dating a mobster. I mean, I understand that she was shocked about how Luca treated Jason she should be, but her being that detached from everything was scary. These men protect what they consider protection worthy with all that they have. A body to hide is only one more obstacle to conquer and you either accept the blood and death that comes with that attitude or not. I don’t think that Noemi will accept it. She is too good, too pure for this thinking. Only broken people can understand easily that the end justifies the means. Man, I sound bitter. But I only wish that Noemi never has to feel the loss of something so big that she breaks. She should look at the bright side of life and not lurk in the shadows like Jess and I did till I met Matteo. Even though he is in way deeper darkness it has lit up my world to meet him. Wow. A shrink would have a field day with analyzing my crazy thoughts!
Forcing a smile on my face I realize that Noemi is still waiting for an answer. “Sure, you can visit me anytime. Let me give you my number and we will make a date.” Noemi hands me her phone the moment we come up to her house. Well, I assume it’s her house since Luca has stopped and is now looking expectantly at us. When I am finished with saving my number he nods towards the house.
“Noemi, please let your dad know that Matteo, Federico or I are going to call him later to talk about what happened to you today. I want to make sure that he knows that you were never in danger and that he is aware of the fact that this guy was harassing you before.”
Laughing Noemi rolls her eyes and now resembles a stubborn teenager. “He was not harassing me. And there is no need for you to call my dad. Nothing happened and I am sure that Jason won’t ever bother me again. Not after what you did to him and your friend is probably doing to him right now.”