Page 107 of The One
I rub the back of my neck, moving it from side to side to dispel the tension.
“I felt really protective of her as soon as you put her in my care. When Antonio hit her, I was damn close to losing my shit. It surprised me. I’ve never gone out of my way to make sure a girl was okay, but with her, it comes naturally.
“And last night when we got attacked? I’ve never been so afraid for someone else. All my focus was on getting her to safety. That should have told me something.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Tiero says calmly. “It’s easy to miss what you’re not looking for. Besides, you figured it out quickly. And while there’s still time to do something about it.”
My brows knit together. “What do you mean?”
“You could’ve figured out she’s your Oneaftershe married Conti. That would’ve made things ten times more complicated.”
An icy shiver snakes down my spine. That hadn’t even occurred to me.
“Fuck, Tiero,” I mutter, the words barely escaping my tight throat. “I came so close to losing her to another man. What the hell would I have done then?”
“Luckily for you, that’s not something you have to worry about. Fate intervened spectacularly, and now she can be yours. Does she know?”
“I literally just realized it. You were the first one I wanted to tell. You’re the only one who understands this.”
“I am happy for you, Teo. Just wait until I get back from Brazil for the wedding. We can make it a double when I bring Ella home.”
I’m going to get married. The thought hits me like a bolt of lightning, and somehow, my already goofy smile stretches even wider.
“Then hurry the fuck up. Now that I’ve found her, I won’t wait much longer to make her mine.”
Tiero laughs. He sounds happy and more like the brother I’ve known all my life.
“Rest assured, as soon as I get Ella, we’ll be back to celebrate the good news.”
“You really think she’s going to show up at the Formula One Grand Prix? All you have to go on is that dream of yours.”
“I’m aware, but we have nothing better to go on. My gut tells me she’ll be there.”
“I hope you’re right. When are you leaving?”
“The day after tomorrow. Teo, for the first time in weeks, I feel a glimpse of hope. I’m not sure how much longer I can go on without her. I miss her every single second of the day.”
I get it. While our situations are far from the same, being apart from Mari, even though I know where she is, is almost unbearable.
I silently thank my lucky stars that Mari grew up in the mafia world. Unlike Tiero, I won’t have to fight the same battles to acclimateherto our way of life. Mari was groomed to be a mafia wife.
Wife.
When has a single word ever held the power to thrill me so completely?
And she will be untouched. I’m going to be the first and only man she’ll ever be with.
Suddenly, I’m grateful to Antonio for locking her away and keeping men away from his daughters. It means she’ll be mine in all ways. The caveman inside me rejoices, and my cock turns to steel, reminding me how much on board he is with that idea.
I remember how much it bothered Tiero that Ella had dated two men before him, and how glad he was she was never interested in casual sex.
On many levels, I understand my brother so much better now. The weight of his choices, the love that drove them, and the agony he must be enduring right now.
And my father? His grief takes on a new depth in my mind. The utter desperation he must have felt after losing my mother, the hollow ache of that kind of love ripped away. It’s a pain I can’t fully grasp, but I’m starting to comprehend the edges and the scale of it.
“Keep me updated from Brazil, yes?”
“Yeah. I will talk to you soon. And Mateo?”
