“It’s easy to forget with all this, but he tries.”
She sits back and looks at me. “You know, I think Luca needs a bigger house.” Her eyebrows raise. “Since our whole family just moved in.”
“Oh, God, I know. It’s weird, right?”
“He didn’t even hesitate to bring us here.”
I chew my lip, not looking at her. “He hasn’t hesitated at all this whole time. Whenever I need something, he gets it for me. I mean, he’s overprotective and possessive, but he means well. He really seems to give a shit.”
“How’d you end up with a good one?”
“Pure chance, I guess.”
She lightly knocks her elbow into mine. “Go find your husband and thank him for me, would you? I’ll keep an eye on Raf for a while.”
“You sure?”
“Go ahead, take a break. Least I can do is babysit our partially dead brother.”
I give her a quick hug and stand up. I’ve been sitting at Raf’s bedside for an hour, and my legs are stiff as I take the stairs. I’m thinking about what Elisa said, and she’s right. Luca didn’t even hesitate to turn his basement into a makeshift hospital for Raf. He hired a nurse and one of the best doctors he could find, allat his own expense, and he must’ve paid out the ass for all that equipment and the drugs and the cleaning supplies.
I’m sure it’s not totally altruism. He wants Raf to survive for his own selfish reasons. But there are other ways to do that. He could find another space instead of keeping everyone here in his house. I bet he hasn’t had more than a few visitors at a time for years, and now he’s got three people living with him, plus doctors, nurses, and guards.
He’s upstairs washing his face and getting changed. I stand in the doorway to the bathroom and watch him for a second. I love the way he moves with such fluid grace. There’s something about his presence; even when he’s not talking, he’s still the center of my attention. I can’t stop looking at him and wondering how I found myself here, in this house, married to this man, carrying his baby. And how he’s not panicking over all the chaos I’ve dragged him into.
“How’s he doing?” Luca asks when he notices me watching.
“Same as before. Which is a good thing.”
“That’s good. Dr. Gabriel thinks he’ll be back with us soon, within the next couple of days.” He dries his face with a towel. “How’s Elisa settling in? Does she need anything?”
“I’ll ask her.”
“And what about Raf? What does he need? I can get more pillows, another bed, a space heater if it’s cold down there?—”
“He’s fine. Honestly, he’s not conscious, so he can’t complain.”
He nods, staring at me. “And what about you? What do you need, Fio?”
“Nothing. Everyone’s good. You don’t have to keep worrying.”
“I know this place feels crowded. I was thinking of getting another place, something bigger?—”
I can’t help myself. I stalk over and throw myself at him. He seems surprised as I bash my mouth into his in an ugly, almost painful kiss, but I’m desperate to taste him, and I can’t help myself. I taste him and hug him tight, and if he were someone else, anyone else really, I don’t know if we’d still be here right now. But Luca’s holding everything together. He saved my brother. He’s protecting my sister. And now all he does is ask what more he can do for me.
“It’s enough,” I whisper, holding him so tight. “It’s too much, honestly. You don’t have to keep giving.”
“You know this is all for you.” His lips brush against my neck. “Everything is for you and that baby we’re having. I’ve made so many mistakes—” He stops, cutting himself off. There’s a sudden swell of emotions in his eyes, and it takes me off guard.
I lightly touch his face. “You’ve mentioned something about this before.”
“It’s not easy to talk about.”
“You don’t have to tell me.” I lean in and kiss him softly. “But you can talk to me.”
His jaw works. He’s not the kind of man that wants to burden me with his problems, but I can tell this eats at him. Whatever happened in his past, it’s always there, lurking in the background.
His fingers grip me tighter. One hand slides up into my hair, and he pulls me close. “It happened when I was young.” He whispersas he kisses my neck, my blood pulsing deep down into my core. “I had an aunt. I loved her to pieces. She was on the outside of the Famiglia and ran this incredible little bakery. I’d go there and help her clean up most days after school. She’d always give me her little experiments. New cakes, breads, pastries, basically anything she was playing around with, and they were always incredible. She had the best laugh—” He stops talking for a moment, his breath coming fast.
