Shadow Warrior

by Feehan, Christine

  “Am I drawn to you? Absolutely yes. Do I like the way you take care of me? I’ve never had care before and it feels amazing to have someone treat me like I’m special. When I’m with you, I feel as if you’re totally focused on me. On the other hand, you’ve had to take care of me. I haven’t been strong enough to care for myself. I want to continue to work. That’s important to me . . .”

  “Bella, part of having you in my care is knowing what’s necessary in your life and making sure you’re happy. If something is a priority to you, then obviously, it would be one to me.”

  Her chin lifted, and she looked him straight in the eye. “And if we disagree?”

  “We communicate. Talk it out. Isn’t that what most couples do? I’ve watched Stefano and Francesca very closely. She doesn’t always give in to him. She lets things go that don’t matter to her, but if she really wants something he’s opposed to, she has no qualms about presenting her case to him. He knows when he has to give in.”

  “And if you still don’t agree after we argue?” she challenged.

  He sighed. “I would suggest both of us shelve the discussion, sleep on it and discuss it again. In the end, if we still couldn’t find a compromise, I would expect my woman to let me make the ultimate decision. I can only give you my word that I would take everything you say or feel to heart and make my decision with your happiness and health in mind.”

  Grace didn’t react immediately and again, he liked that trait in her. She was thoughtful, her eyes on his face. “If I can’t give you these things?”

  “I would understand. I never ever expected to meet a woman I wanted to spend my life with, let alone think I would ever admit to anyone what I was really like. You said you had nothing to give me in return for the things I do for you, but you can clearly see that wouldn’t be the case.”

  “I can’t be in a one-sided relationship, always taking with you always giving.” She put the coffee cup down and turned her head to look out the window. “That’s what it would feel like to me.”

  His heart reacted again, this time with a jump of hope. She hadn’t rejected him or his needs yet. She was considering everything he’d said. He had thought to give her more time, let her get used to his care and then tell her about his needs, but he knew that wouldn’t be fair to her—or to him. He was too invested in her already. He already loved coaxing her smiles. Watching her face light up in spite of the pain she was currently in. He particularly enjoyed that she was relaxed in his home, the fear slowly receding in his company.

  “Grace, look at me.”

  She turned back to him slowly, those eyes of hers meeting his until he felt the impact all the way through his body, as if she’d shot an arrow and it was lodged in the vicinity of his heart. He had to resist putting his hand over his chest and pressing hard.

  “It’s up to you what you want out of the relationship between us. What you want to give back. I would hope that while I look after you, you would do the same for me.”

  For the first time, her face brightened a little. “I like that idea, Vittorio.”

  Her voice held a shy note, although he would never consider her shy. Just because she was the force behind KB Events and stayed in the background didn’t mean she was shy. He knew she was thinking of his taking total control in the bedroom.

  He pressed a kiss into the center of her palm. “When we have sex, bella, I have no doubt you’ll give me everything I need or want.”

  She blushed, but she didn’t protest. “I don’t know the first thing about relationships, families, or being someone’s fiancée.”

  “I know about families, gattina, but I’ve never been in a relationship or had a fiancée.”

  Shock registered on her face. “You’ve been in tons of relationships. I read the tabloids, the news, everything about you. I watched you at events. You always had a beautiful woman on your arm, mostly very tall, elegant models, which I most assuredly am not.”

  Grace had no idea what she’d given away to him. She’d clearly followed him in the tabloids, reading everything his family fed to the paparazzi. She’d been drawn to him before she met him. Immense satisfaction filled him. He liked that, more than liked it.

  “When we attend a fund-raiser, the idea is to get as much money as possible for the cause. To do that, we generate publicity. Bringing a model or an actress with a following helps to do just that. Some of those women are friends, some were simply a one-time hookup. That isn’t the same thing as a relationship.”

  “It’s hard to believe that over the years you didn’t find another woman you wanted to be in a relationship with.”

  He didn’t have the luxury of explanations. He was a shadow rider and that meant no one, no one, other than family, and even then only close family, could know the truth about him. She had to be in completely. Committed to him. The pull, for him, had been instant and strong. He tried to keep their shadows separated but being in such close proximity to her these last three weeks, sleeping in her room with her, meant their shadows were becoming entwined.

  “Nevertheless, Grace, it’s the truth.”

  She nodded her head and then gave him a sudden little frown. “I thought you said you can’t cook. This is delicious.”

  She was changing the subject in order to give herself time to think. He didn’t want that, but she needed to feel comfortable and he wasn’t about to push her any more than he already had. He was grateful for her response and the fact that she was thoughtful instead of snapping out answers when she hadn’t had the time to consider all the things he’d laid out for her.

  “You barely ate.”

  “I ate. Who did the cooking?”

  He smiled at her. “Merry Dubois. She’s a cousin as well. She married a man by the name of Marcellus Dubois while she was in culinary school. He was working on the building the classes were held in. Marcellus is the caretaker for the property, which is an enormous job. They live next door, our nearest neighbor.”

  He liked the couple. They were quiet and respected his needs to keep his home a sanctuary. If repairs had to be made, Marcellus always scheduled them to be made when Vittorio wasn’t home. Merry not only did the cooking but supervised the cleaning staff as well. She also scheduled them when Vittorio wasn’t home. The couple really looked after him as well as his home, and he appreciated them more than he could ever express to them.

  “I do have a cleaning crew who come in and take care of the house, but Merry oversees them.” He flashed her another smile, knowing she was attracted to him. Knowing he was unashamedly offering her his home, his lifestyle, in an effort to entice her to stay.

  “Other than the fact that I can’t use my arm at all, this feels like a fairy tale.”

  “Life with me isn’t always going to be a fairy tale, but I can promise you I will always do my best to make you happy. That’s important to me, Grace, making you happy.”

  “Just so long as it’s okay that I make it a priority to make you happy.”

  His heart jumped, but he refused to let himself believe she was going to give herself to him. He was asking for things she didn’t yet understand, and he refused to let her walk blind into a binding relationship until she knew exactly what she was getting into and was prepared to be fully committed. She had to want the same relationship, or he wasn’t right for her. Already he knew she was the one he wanted, and it had nothing to do with their shadows coming together.

  He liked her. He liked the fact that she was so courageous. He admired her. She had lived in terror and under the threat of unspeakable violence for years, and yet every single day, she had functioned, worked, kept her integrity while trying to protect those around her.

  “It would be nice if you did.”

  Her eyes darkened in concern. “Vittorio, aren’t you happy?” Her gaze swung around the room, taking in the high ceilings and the incredible view of the lake and then came back to rest on his face.

  He wasn’t going to give her less than the truth, not when he was asking so muc
h of her. “Having money doesn’t make anyone happy, bella. That’s a myth. I present one face to the world and then come back to an empty house. It’s beautiful and peaceful here, but it is still very much empty. These last three weeks, you’ve made my life feel full and rich and given me a reason to get up every morning.”

  Grace tried to process everything Vittorio had told her, everything he was offering. The only time she ever had been happy was at work, pouring herself into KB Events, seeing to every detail, like a general orchestrating a perfect battle. She had no friends, she didn’t dare. She didn’t go out, because . . . she didn’t dare. The only place she felt relatively safe was when she worked, and she often worked from home, making deals over the phone. Haydon wanted money, so he usually didn’t interfere. Occasionally he would come to one of the events just to scare her into compliance—and it usually worked.

  When Vittorio told her he wanted complete control in the bedroom, she honestly didn’t think it would bother her. In fact, when he said it, her body had gone into meltdown. Still, she liked the idea that he would take his time to get her there. She was willing to spend the time it would take to see if they were compatible. He was worth it.

  She was happy with Vittorio and felt safe most of the time. He gave that illusion, as if he was invincible and no one could best him. “You make me feel safe,” she conceded. “And happy. I don’t think I really knew what that was until just now. Realizing that just talking to you makes me happy. I even got a full night’s sleep, although I feel bad that you’re not sleeping in a bed.”

  “I like watching over you, Grace,” he assured. He finished off the last of his coffee and stood. “I want to show you the rest of the house. You can call Katie and ask her to come out here for your meeting. I think she’d like to see for herself that you’re alive and well. She has made inquiries several times a day, every day since you were shot.”

  She shouldn’t have been surprised, but she was. Katie had often asked her to go out with her, a dinner or dancing. Katie loved to go clubbing, but Grace had been afraid to spend too much time with her outside of work. After Haydon had made his threat, she was extremely grateful she hadn’t made the mistake. He would have really focused his attention and threats on Katie.

  Now, he had a real target—Vittorio.

  The thought made her heart pound and her hands clench in sudden fear. She couldn’t stand idly by and let Vittorio get hurt because of her. She wanted him with every breath she took. She wanted the lifestyle he was offering her. She wanted him—Vittorio Ferraro. But there was Haydon, and Haydon never lost.

  Grace sucked in a breath. Forced her hands to unclench. “I appreciate all that you’ve done for me, Vittorio, and all that you’re offering. But I honestly think it best if we don’t keep up this engagement.”

  “We already discussed this, gattina. You’re getting spooked all over again. The announcement was made official by the family and has already been in the news. There isn’t any taking it back. I know you’re thinking you can protect me, but it doesn’t work that way. In my world, I’m the one doing the protecting.” Vittorio put his hand under her good arm and helped her out of the chair. “Merry will get the dishes,” he added when he saw her looking at them as if she might clear the table.

  Grace should have made her protest stick and she felt like a coward when she didn’t. She couldn’t help but feel cared for. It was his tone. His posture. Everything about him. She found him very hard to resist, and if she was truthful with herself, she wasn’t trying that much.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The house opened from one room directly into the next, each with spacious, high ceilings. The foyer opened up into a library, living room, and sitting room that was a little cozier than some of the other spaces for visiting and relaxing with family or guests. The house had several living and family rooms, and Vittorio took Grace past the library straight to his favorite.

  The sitting room faced the pool and had a large, open entrance that could be closed off if desired by glass doors and blackout curtains. The furniture consisted of the most comfortable deep, warm chairs, while the room had cool tile flooring and seagrass-textured walls. A covered porch ran the length of the swimming pool, which could be seen from the open doors, adding to the peaceful feeling Vittorio always got around water.

  In the shade provided by the covered porch, several chairs and tables sat near an outdoor kitchen and barbecue combination for alfresco cooking. Before she sat down, Grace went straight to the open glass doors to take in the view. He stood behind her looking as well. The pool stretched out in a long, blue invitation, and beyond it was a rolling grass hill, scattered ornamental trees and the lake. The sun shone down on the surface, turning it into a crystal-blue jewel nestled among the trees.

  “This is beautiful. I can see why you love this place. I can’t help but feel relaxed and happy just looking at this view and hearing the sound of water.”

  He liked that he had added the hot tub above the pool so that water spilled in a series of small falls into the pool. The sound was soothing, and when he was working on learning not to burn everything he grilled, that constant song kept him centered.

  “This is one of my favorite spots. I spend quite a bit of time here.” He settled his fingers on the nape of her neck. Touching her and feeling her relax beneath his hand made him happy.

  She tipped her head up, looking at him over her shoulder. “Can you barbecue?”

  He leaned down to brush a kiss over the smirk on her face. “I have some skills with the grill, but I have to admit, cooking is not my forte. What about you?”

  “I had plenty of time to get interested in various subjects when I was afraid to leave my home in case Haydon followed me and went after anyone I talked to. Cooking was one of them. Am I any good? Absolutely not, but I can bake.”

  “So, you’re telling me we’ll have to live on cookies?” He’d never thought he would have this—teasing with a woman, stripping himself bare and being accepted for who he was. She hadn’t committed fully, but he could sense she wanted to.

  “Something like that, yes.”

  The laughter in her voice warmed him. He led her outside, and she stopped to admire the gable and pillars all painted white. “Vittorio, your home is really incredible.”

  That was another point in his favor—she liked the house. “It’s a house right now, Grace, but it has the potential to be a home.” He wanted her to make it a home for him, for both of them.

  She glanced up at him and then, at the urging of his hand pressing against the small of her back, made for one of the very wide, comfortable-looking chairs. He helped her into it and then pulled out her cell phone. “I thought you might want to call your boss.”

  Grace took her phone from him, but her gaze shifted just slightly from his. Instantly, he knew she was uncomfortable with something he’d said.

  “Gattina, I took your cell phone because I didn’t want the police to confiscate it. As no one could find it and they didn’t ask me about it, I didn’t have to lie. I did see messages from Katie Branscomb pop up, but I tried not to read them.” He’d wanted to give her privacy. It was important that she learned he could be trusted. He didn’t want to take over her life, he wanted her to surrender it to him. Invading her privacy was far different from her volunteering to tell him what was going on in her life.

  “Katie is my partner, not my boss,” Grace blurted out. “We both own the company equally.”

  Vittorio was silent, studying her averted face. The fingers of her good hand twisted into the material of her shirt nervously. He wanted to cover her hand to reassure her. He also wanted to strangle his mother. She would have known. She would have investigated both women before using the company. She might pretend she didn’t know, but she could have told them quite a few things about Grace. She’d just chosen not to.

  “I wasn’t trying to lie to you, it’s just that when we went into business, I knew that if Haydon found out, he would force me to take out loans
against KB Events. It was my idea to name it that. Katie is the face of the business. She’s really good with people and I’m not comfortable around them. Well, that’s not exactly true, but . . .” She trailed off, obviously frustrated.

  “You’re not comfortable because you worry anyone you’re friendly with might become a target,” he interpreted for her, and sank into the chair opposite her. “I can see why you’d want to protect your partner. How did you convince her not to tell anyone?”

  “I told her I’d be partners as long as she never said a word to anyone. She wanted the partnership, so it worked out fine. Haydon isn’t the type to look up business licenses. He eavesdrops on conversations, but he won’t do research, there’s never been a need. Over the years, he believed he had me thoroughly cowed.” She grimaced. “Which, sadly, he did.”

  “You’re too hard on yourself, bella.” He indicated the phone. “Make your call.”

  She put in her passcode and instantly messages began popping up. “I’ve got several voice messages.”

  He read the underlying worry in her voice and instantly held out his hand for the phone. Without thinking about it, Grace put it in his palm. There were five messages, all from the same number. He glanced at her face. Her expression broke his heart. She looked stiff and scared. She believed the voice mails were from Haydon.

  Putting the phone to his ear, he picked up her trembling hand and began to idly play with her fingers. At once, his touch appeared to be calming, just as he hoped it would be.

  “You bitch. Do you think I’m going to let you get away with this? I’m going to cut out that bastard’s heart and make you fucking eat it. But first, I’m going to kill his bitch of a sister and then the rest of the bitches in his family. One by one. I’ll take away everyone he loves. You have one chance, you little whore. Get back to your apartment.”