Page 97 of Dangerous Deception

“Not that I’m against your taking on the entire weight of the city’s water and healthcare.” Raffaele chuckles, setting his phone aside and caressing my waist. “But you need to take care of yourself too.”

“I will. As long as the police and the FBI do their part, I’ll do mine. Besides, it’s easy to work on that while visiting Caterina.”

“How is she doing?”

“Frustrated that she’s in the hospital, but she was glad to hear Pascal is dead.” Saying his name leaves a sour taste on my tongue. He’s no father of mine, that’s for sure, and detaching myself from him leaves me room to focus on other, better, feelings. “But she’s recovering well. You saved her life.”

Raffaele rolls his eyes. “Hardly.”

“She told me what you did at that house. I’m proud of you.”

“For getting blown up?”

“No.” Chuckling, I lean down and kiss him lightly. “You killed the last guard I had who was around when I was harmed. I’m glad you didn’t kill her, because I like her.”

“Oh.” Raffaele rolls his eyes slightly. “She was there for you, a lot. And your ending up with Pascal was my fault too. If I’d told you the truth sooner, I could have saved you a lot of pain.”

“Maybe.” I run my thumb over Raffaele’s lower lip. “But hearing the truth from his own mouth was… eye-opening. Made it easier to digest, I think. Rather than hearing it from someone else. If you’d told me a couple of weeks ago, I don’t even know if I would have believed you.”

“That’s fair.” Raffaele kisses the pad of my wandering thumb. “I’m sorry, Adelina. You’ve been through so much this month and most of it is because of me.”

“No, most of it was because I was blind to the insanity of my father for so many years. I…” Tension worms its way through my chest. “I don’t understand how he could care more about his family name and reputation than his actual family. What he did was disgusting, but to continue even after Mother got sick? How could he not do everything in his power to save her?”

Like Raffaele did for me. He walked into a trap without backup, determined to do everything he could to get me back. Did Pascal not love my mother the same way?

“The moment he sold you, I suspected he wasn’t the family man he claimed to be, but I was blind also. Half by your beauty and half by my own ego.”

“You think I’m beautiful?” I smirk softly, and Raffaele chuckles. “I just wonder if he ever loved my mother.”

“Your mother had you,” Raffaele says softly. “I’m sure she had all the love she needed. Pascal was just a twisted man with twisted thoughts and values, blinded by money and power. He didn’t deserve to call you his daughter.”

“Not that it matters now.” I sigh and settle back against his chest. “He’s dead, and that’s the least he deserves.”

“Indeed. Though, to be clear…” Raffaele sits up, and I follow, allowing his body to move me. “I am thankful he was such a man because if he hadn’t sold you to me, I never would have met you or gained an amazing wife.” Two fingers rest under my chin as he tilts my head up for a kiss. “And now we’re going to have a baby together.”

I kiss him back slowly and study his eyes when we move apart. “You’re really happy about that?”

“I never anticipated it,” he admits softly. “But the moment those words came out of Caterina’s mouth, it was like everything suddenly snapped into place and the only thing I wanted in the world was to get you back safe. I’d have given up everything just for that.”

“I’m sorry I kept it secret. In the beginning, I thought it was because Pascal cared about us and he didn’t want to get your hopes up. I kind of thought it was a guy thing. I know now that it was just a ploy, but…” An uncertain tightness twists in my chest. “What if it happens again?”

Raffaele frowns, stroking my cheek. “How do you mean?”

“What if I’m blind to other dangers like I was to him?”

“It’s not your instinct to see the worst in people.” Raffaele speaks gently. “You paint for sick children. Your first instinct is to help people, and you bought a hospital for exactly that reason. Being unable to see snakes isn’t a bad thing, and besides…” His smile turns sly. “You have me for that.”

“Really?”

“Mmhmm. We’ll face it all together, and I’m excellent at sniffing out a rat. Nothing will ever harm you again, not while I’m around.”

“What about when you’re not around?” I slide my fingers up his chest, toying with the buttons on his shirt.

Raffaele draws me in again, pressing a lingering kiss to my lips and gently nudging our noses together. “I’ll always be around, Adelina. No matter what you think of me, from now until the day we die, I will always be here.”

He speaks with such honest determination that I believe him wholeheartedly. Our eyes meet, and a surge of love swells in my chest like a balloon. I never said those words back to him at the warehouse because I was scared. Scared of what would change once I admitted that I’d come to love the man I once hated.

But it’s the most honest feeling inside me and I can’t sit on it any longer.

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