Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“Why didn’t you tell me, Tesoro? Why did you think you had to run?”
“I know Wayne. I know his temper. He was always nasty and possessive. If he found me and you were there, he’d be after you too. And your family. Mrs. Scott. Anyone he thought helped me. They are too wonderful for me to put in danger. I thought if I let you go, kept you safe, that was all that mattered. And I thought if I had to leave, it would be easier to give you up now.”
“And if he has somehow tapped into your phone, he could still find you. That’s how he knows you’re still here. Did you think of that?”
“Yes,” I whispered. “I planned to leave the phone behind.”
“Which meant I couldn’t find you either,” he said, sounding horrified. “Gabby, how could…” He trailed off.
Unable to meet his eyes, I focused my gaze to the floor. “Yes.”
He grasped my chin, lifting my head. “No.” He shook his head, his tone firm. “You aren’t leaving. All that matters is keeping you and Theo here and safe. And I’m not letting you face this on your own. You’re done running.”
“But he’ll—”
He cut me off. “Don’t you get it, Gabby? Leaving me doesn’t help anyone. It doesn’t protect me from being hurt. In fact, it hurts in a whole new way. I would be stuck here, lost and in pain without you. Anxious because I couldn’t find you. If Wayne already knows about me, you being gone accomplishes nothing. He’d still be after me, and I would lose even more.”
His words sank in, and I stared at him, horrified. The pain was evident in his voice. It saturated the words.
“I had never thought about it like that. I just thought leaving was the answer,” I admitted.
“Well, it’s not. So, stop. I will keep you and Theo safe. We all will. You aren’t alone anymore. Trust me. Lean on me. I won’t let you down.”
“Why–why would you want to risk yourself for me? I don’t understand.”
His face softened, his voice becoming gentle. “Because I love you, Gabriella.”
“Still? After what I said, after—”
He cut me off with a kiss.
“Sempre. Always.”
STEFANO
She was asleep in my arms, having broken down completely and cried until she exhausted herself. It was all I could do to sit and hold her. I wanted to hunt down that piece of shit. Beat him into the ground for what he had done. The way he had treated her. Causing her to live in fear for years, constantly on the run and looking over her shoulder.
No wonder she was so skittish. The fact that she even allowed herself to trust me was a small miracle.
I ran my hand up and down her arm. She was wearing one of my T-shirts and a pair of my old sweats. Both were too large, but I liked seeing my clothes on her. In the sunlight, I noticed a couple faded scars I might not have thought about before. Now, knowing her story, I knew what, or who, put them on her skin.
That bastard had a lot to answer for.
She had told me more before she broke down. Her fears. The terror she lived with. How she fought to find herself again. How scared she was when she realized she had developed deeper feelings for me than she should have allowed herself.
“I came on so strong, Tesoro,” I confessed. “I wish I hadn’t.”
“No, you were perfect,” she replied, cupping my face. “You treated me like a woman. A desirable, sexy woman. I haven’t felt that way in a very long time. And you made me feel safe, Stefano. Even when you kissed me that first night, I felt your gentleness. You didn’t frighten me. Even that day when you were jealous, you didn’t scare me.” She frowned. “Which, now that I think about it, is strange. Somehow, my soul knew you were different.” Her voice became lower, pleading with me to understand. To believe her. “I didn’t want to leave you, Stefano. I wanted to stay here with you. But I didn’t think I should. I had to protect you and the people you love. If they were hurt because of me, you wouldn’t be able to forgive me.”
“He isn’t getting near my family or you. I adore you, Gabby. And Theo. I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.”
My words circled in my head. I was going to require some help. I needed a plan, and I needed some advice.
Luckily, I knew exactly where to get both.
She woke up with a start, her eyes wide and her body tense. “It’s all right,” I soothed her. “I’m right here.”
“Theo,” she gasped, anxious.
“Is perfectly safe with Brett, Maxx, and Charly. So is Mrs. Scott. She’s staying with Mary for the day.”
She breathed out a long sigh of relief.