by Piper Stone
“Mmmm... And I love you.” The words were so easy to say, the meaning filling my heart. We remained entwined together for several minutes and when he eased away, I felt such a sense of emptiness.
And for some crazy reason, I felt lonely.
I’d always be forced to worry if he came home to me.
I’d never be able to feel completely safe.
As if sensing my discord, after zipping his jeans, he gathered me into his arms, not bothering to grab my clothes before taking me back into the living room. He placed me so gently on the couch, tugging the blanket over my naked body.
Then he simply disappeared.
I was taken aback, fearful that I’d done something wrong. I waited for a few minutes before getting ready to climb off the couch when he returned. In his hands was an open bottle of champagne and two crystal stems. For a man who told me up front he didn’t have a romantic bone in his body, this moment was enchanting.
He poured the two glasses, putting the bottle on the table then handing me a glass.
“What are we celebrating?” I asked coyly.
“Life. Family. Love.” The words seemed so haunted. As we clinked rims, he eased onto the couch, taking a gulp. “You mean everything to me, Sierra. When I thought I lost you, I almost went mad. I knew that I couldn’t spend another moment without having you in my life.”
“I’m in your life.”
“Not the way I want.” He slid his glass onto the table before locking eyes with mine.
For all the romantic comedies that he evidently watched, various proposals in vivid imagery, there was nothing that had taken my breath away so quickly.
“I may not be a perfect man, but I am a man who adores you and promise to spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy.”
My lower lip quivered as he pulled a beautiful red velvet box from his pocket. I heard the creak of the lid as he opened it, mixing with the hard beating of my heart as he said the very special words, ones I’d always longed to hear.
“Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
In that sweet and amazing moment, something happened. I froze, unable to think or speak because I had no idea what to say.
In that same moment, I saw the beautiful window of his soul closing, perhaps forever.
All because of my fear.
* * *
Lorenzo
I’d spent the better part of the morning working on making new arrangements for shipments coming in, burying myself in my office. I was locked in a battle with my mind for several reasons, one of which was the need to see my father. It was past time to obtain answers to what the alliance had discovered.
I eased back, taking another look at the papers from the hospital. I’d said all along that I wasn’t a good man, that I was nothing but violent and angry. At least I could do some good in a manner that would provide a future for someone who deserved it. I grabbed my favorite pen, twisting it in the morning light. And for several reasons, I was overwhelmed with emotion. As tears slipped past my lashes, I realized there was little I could do to stop them.
My life was over but there would be an amazing future.
After signing the papers, I folded and left them in the middle of my desk. This was my decision to make and mine alone. And no one was going to stop me.
I took a deep breath before wiping my eyes. Time to meet with my father. After grabbing the keys, I moved into the hallway, closing the door to my office. I’d never had such a sense of dread before.
I’d reached the front door when I heard footsteps, so light in nature that my heart actually skipped a beat. So much for the fucking tough guy routine. Hell, I couldn’t even turn around. I honestly had no idea what to say.
“Can we talk?” Sierra asked in such a sweet and loving manner.
“There’s nothing to talk about, Sierra, and I have an appointment.”
“Don’t shut me out.”
I wanted to lash out with biting words that she’d been the one to shut me down, but I couldn’t do it. She had more than decent reasons not to want to be a part of my life. I hadn’t planned on telling her about my sister’s death, at least not right away. Perhaps it was better that everything was out in the open. Well, almost everything. I exhaled, my hands clammy. “Why don’t we talk when I get back?” God, I was fucking pathetic. I couldn’t even look at her.
“When will that be?”
“When I’m done with business, but I will return.” I felt like a shit as I walked out the door, but I had to finish this first. I had to find out why things had been kept from me. Maybe I’d have the opportunity to tell her an interesting story at least.
The drive provided me a sense of calm and by the time I walked into my father’s house, I was even-keeled. Of course, Armando had to be in my father’s office. I walked right in, not bothering to close the door. I didn’t give a shit whether my mother heard us arguing. She deserved to hear my wrath.
“Well, I guess it’s good the two of you are together,” I said, moving only a few feet into the room.
“And good morning to you, son. I know you wanted to talk and I thought it best that Armando be here,” my father said. Why the hell was there a gleam in his eyes? He had no idea what I was prepared to say.
“All right. Fine. While I’ve come to realize that Armando isn’t the traitor I assumed him to be, he has been holding secrets, at least from your sons.” I threw out the words, waiting to see their reaction.
The two men shared a knowing look, further pissing me off.
“You’re absolutely right, son. Armando was tasked to keep one incredible secret thirty years ago.” My father opened his desk drawer, pulling out what appeared to be a journal of some kind, and by the looks of it, very old.
“What the hell is that?” I demanded.
“This is a book that has been passed down generation after generation. Every two or three decades, a new caretaker is tasked to keep this in a secret locked location. As I believe you’ve already learned, if the information was to get out in the public or to our enemies, it could very well be used against us.”
“Let me guess, Armando is that caretaker of this book,” I chided.
“It has been my honor, Lorenzo,” Armando said quietly.
My father pushed the journal across his desk, nodding. “Go on, son. Take a look.”
I hesitated but chastised myself for being ridiculous. As I opened the thick leather cover, a sense of the past rushed into my mind. Each page I turned was a story, bringing the past into the present. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I’d thought that there’d simply been an agreement between my father and the fathers of the other mafia bureaus, but I’d been wrong. “I don’t understand.” I heard the crack in my voice.
“Well, our forefathers who created our families had very difficult times. They were much like the stories you’ve heard about the Solntsevskaya in Russia. Brutal. Horrible. By chance or perhaps by design, the three founding fathers of what we now know as the mafia from three distinct cities had dinner one night over one hundred and fifty years ago. They discussed the issues of the time and realized that they needed to work together. So, an alliance was formed.”
I read the names, realizing that the three families were the Francescos, the Cappalinis, and the Lugianos. “This is...”
“Amazing?” my father asked, laughing heartily. “Very much so. In time, the Garcias were added, the latest being the Petrovs. I was proud to share an alliance with Aleksandr Petrov. He brought a full understanding of what we could face in the future.”
“And you never told me this. Why?”
“Because one of our rules was to try and allow this to happen naturally. Granted, that was my idea and I’d begun to think I’d been a fool to suggest it, but when you met with Dominick that first time in New York, I was elated.”
A smile crossed my face. “That’s why you always told me that things aren’t always as they seem.”
“Exactly,” my father stated, his de
ep baritone full of pride.
I looked from my father to Armando, finally giving our consigliere the nod of respect that he deserved. “I am honored.”
“And I hope that you will pass this down to your son when he is ready. After all, he will take over one day.”
I lost the smile, my thoughts drifting to Sierra. I doubted I would ever have children. “And I will protect this alliance.”
“I know you will, son. Remember that sometimes enemies can be good friends.” I’d never seen Carmine Francesco so happy, as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders.
He rounded the desk, pulling me into a tight hug. When he eased back, he held a more serious expression. “I had a call from the hospital.”
“Oh?”
“Are you certain?” my father asked, another moment of pride in his eyes.
“There is no doubt in my mind.” I refused to become emotional in front of him even as I was forced to blink away tears for the second time in the day.
“You are an amazing man, Lorenzo, and I’m happy to turn over the family business to you.”
I was finally able to grin. “We may need to make some adjustments.”
He studied my eyes before laughing. “Good point, son. We’ll talk afterwards.”
“Absolutely.”
This was the first time walking out of my father’s office that I was more lighthearted than angry. I chuckled to myself. How things could change on a dime.
* * *
I’d taken a drive, going to visit Stefan in the hospital before I was able to drive back home. The house seemed cold when I walked in. There was no sound, no lights on anywhere. I could swear Sierra had left. While I’d be devastated, there was no way I could be angry. She deserved to have a wonderful life.
I dropped my keys on the hall table, struggling to walk any further into my own damn house. My frigid, boring, unlived-in house. There was no love without Sierra. There was no light without Sierra. I hissed as I walked toward my office, noticing the open door and froze. She’d seen the papers I’d signed. She knew. Another secret I’d kept from her.
Goddamn it.
Then the scent of vanilla and cinnamon caught my attention. It was coming from the kitchen. What the hell? As I walked closer, additional scents filled my nostrils, making my mouth water. Garlic. Tomatoes. Onions. Fresh bread.
I was taking slow steps as I walked closer. Then I heard music, but also something else. The sound of Sierra’s voice. She was singing. I remained in the shadows for several seconds, enjoying the beautiful performance. Then I couldn’t stand the wait any longer.
I walked into what had been my kitchen. There were the same stainless-steel appliances, the same windows and lights, but everything else I could swear had changed. There was life in the room. Flowers. Candles. Festive towels. Pots on every surface. An open bottle of cabernet.
And there was the beautiful woman who took my breath away.
When she heard me she stopped, placing her hand on her hips as she gazed up and down. “You’re late.”
“A man’s prerogative. Besides, I’m in charge. Remember?” I walked closer, eyeing the bubbling sauce on the stove.
“Not in this kitchen. This is my domain.” She had a stern look as she sashayed closer. When a smile crossed her face, I was blown away. “You didn’t think I could cook. Did you?”
“I honestly wasn’t certain you’d want to.”
“Why don’t you pour some wine?” She turned back toward the oven, grabbing a wooden spoon.
“You were in my office.”
She exhaled, barely tipping her head. “Yes and no.”
“Well, which is it?”
“Yes, I was in our office and snooped and no, that’s not why I’m still here.”
“Then why are you here?” I half whispered.
She turned to face me, her eyes lighting up. “Because I realized that I couldn’t live without you.”
“Are you certain?”
“With all my heart. Somehow, you became my knight in shining armor.”
It was as if all time stopped, my heart suddenly bursting with joy.
My father also told me only once that he would be nothing without my mother. Even through the tragedy with my sister, his inability to open up emotionally, I believed him. That had been the single time I’d really seen the love in his eyes. For the first time, I truly understood. As I gathered Sierra into my arms, I knew that life had taken an entirely different turn.
Perhaps I’d found that salvation I was so desperately seeking.
* * *
I wasn’t nervous, although perhaps I should have been, but I was doing the right thing. As Sierra slipped her hand into mine, we were able to take the last steps toward the administration desk. She’d been with me that last two days, sharing in my life and my love in every way. There were no secrets between us. None.
And there never would be again.
“Yes?” the woman asked.
“I’m Lorenzo Francesco, here to check in.”
She said nothing as she typed into the computer, finally offering a smile. “Yes, you need to go to the third floor and they’ll direct you as to what you need to do.”
“Thank you.”
“But given the type of surgery, only family is allowed,” the woman said, directing her comment toward Sierra.
“I am family. I’m his fiancée,” Sierra proudly said, holding up her left hand.
The woman’s smile became brighter. “Then go right ahead.”
We remained quiet as we took the elevator, but the warmth of Sierra’s hand was more than just comforting. When the doors opened, I was shocked to see my father and mother, along with Armando standing in the waiting room. And there was an unexpected visitor. How he’d managed to slip in I would never know. Then again, he was a mafia kingpin.
“Dominick. What are you doing here?” I asked, extending my hand.
“Eh. I thought you might need a hand while you recover,” Dominick said, grinning like a little kid.
“Only if you don’t fuck up my turf.”
He threw up his hands, laughing. “Not a chance. After all, we are friends.”
Friends indeed.
“Are you ready, son?” my mother asked.
“As I’ll ever be,” I answered, noticing the doctor walking in our direction.
“We’re so proud of you,” she said, gushing as she kissed me on the cheek. When she whispered into my ear, several tears fell. “Your sister would be proud of you as well.”
I blinked several times, taking a deep breath and kissing my mother on the cheek. Sierra squeezed my hand, tugging on my arm until I bent over for her to whisper the only words I needed to hear.
“I. Love. You.”
And I’d never felt so much love in my life. As the doctor closed the distance, he smiled, acknowledging all of us.
“You’re right on time, Mr. Francesco. I ran a second set of tests just to make certain and you are a ninety-nine-point-nine percent match to donate a kidney to your brother. If things go well, you’ll be up and around in a couple days. Stefan is very excited to go home. He’s been asking for you.”
“And Stefan’s recovery chances?” I asked, holding my breath.
“I don’t see any issue with his complete recovery. Your brother is a lucky man, Mr. Francesco. Let’s get you prepped for surgery.”
I knew that I was the lucky man, perhaps the luckiest in the world. I had the love of an amazing woman, a family that I respected and loved deeply, and an alliance with a group of brutal yet deeply loyal men who would watch my back.
What else did I need?
There would always be danger in my life, a need to bring out the ruthless man I’d become, but I could also embrace the other side.
The one filled with hope for the future.
And God help anyone who dared to try to destroy my family again.
The End
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More Stormy Night Books by Piper Stone
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Though she has done her best to run from it, Scarlet Dumane cannot escape what is in store for her. She has known for years that she is destined to belong not just to one savage beast, but to three, and now the time has come for her to be claimed. Soon her mates will own every inch of her beautiful body, and she will be shared and used as roughly and as often as they please.
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