“If something were to happen to you, I’d never survive it.” He exhales loudly. “I love you,il mio tereso.” His eyes soften, and I see his guard drop … for me.
My mouth parts. “W-what?” I ask in disbelief.
“I love you. If anything ever happened to you, I don’t know if I’d survive it.” He looks so vulnerable, and I’ve never seen him this way before. No one has ever cared about me enough to worry that something might happen to me, unless it impacted them.
“I love you too,” I tell him and lean over, kissing him softly. “But you do realize what you do for a living, right?”
He frowns and looks confused. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.” His hand rubs across the stubble on his chin. “If you understand how dangerous my job is, you can understand why I’m not happy about you going back to what you were doing before?”
“No, what I’m saying is I’m not asking you to stop, even though I know it’s dangerous. I know when you walk out that door, it could be the last time I see you, everyday will be the same, but I’m not the kind of woman, Nicolas, that wants to stay home and wait to see if you return.” I reach up and feel his stubble on my soft hand. “I want to be the woman that stands by your side and fights with you. You know I’m capable of it.”
“Fuck!” He turns his head away and looks at the crisp white bed, shaking his head. “We’ll try it, but you take your orders from me and only me, do you understand?” he tells me, and I feel a smile spread across my face.
“Of course, I wouldn’t want to take them from anyone else.” I kiss his soft lips. “Does this mean I get to be capo while Tony is out?” I bit the inside of my lip to prevent myself from laughing.
“Don’t push it.” He grabs my waist and pulls me onto the bed, holding me close.
I exhale as we lay there in each other's arms, my head resting on his chest listening to the steady drum of his heartbeat, and I can’t believe how my world has changed from the moment I accepted the offer to come to New York.
For a moment I frown against his chest as I think about what could have been, but when I think about what actually is, my heart races. I’ve never been this happy, and it’s all because of this man next to me.
I guess it really is true what they say, one man’s trash really is another’s treasure.
THE END
