Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 54092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
He lifts his gaze to mine, unflinching. "And Lorenzo Valentino was mine."
Hope sprouts in my chest, seedlings threatening to bloom.
"My father killed your mother," I say, too afraid to let them grow. "He shot you."
"And mine murdered your entire family." Something shifts through his eyes. Regret? Guilt? Remorse? "He wanted to kill you. Did you know that? He was not happy you survived the fire. He demanded that I finish the job." He brushes his hands along my sides, pulling me closer as if to protect me from the memory. "I refused. It was the first time I defied an order."
"I…" I swallow. "Really?"
He nods. "You aren't responsible for your father's crimes, tesoro. You weren't even born when he committed them. You didn't deserve to be punished for them." He sighs softly, shame burning in his gaze. "If anyone carries blame here, it's me. I didn't stop him from killing your parents. I wanted your father to suffer for what he did."
I reach out, running my hand across the scars on his abdomen. "He deserved to suffer," I whisper. Maybe I'm a terrible daughter, I don't know. I wish I'd gotten a chance to know my mother. But I feel no affinity for the man who shot Rafe. I feel no affinity for the man who sold me to Genovese. My loyalty lies with the innocent little boy who suffered unimaginably at his hands…and for the broken, complicated man that little boy grew into. My heart is with him. Always.
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," Rafe murmurs, running his hands up and down my sides again. He stops at the band of my panties, toying with it.
"Then find a different way. You're the king. Make your own rules."
He eyes me for a minute and then smiles a purely wicked, devilish smile. "I just made one."
"Yeah? Let's hear it then."
"My queen isn't allowed to wear clothes in this room," he says.
"Do you still…" I swallow hard, my heart beating a thousand miles a minute. "Do you still want me to be your queen?"
"I never stopped," he rasps.
"I hurt you," I whisper, tears filling my eyes at the reminder. They drip down my cheeks unchecked. "I'm so sorry, Rafe. I never meant to hurt you. I swear to you, I decided not to follow through with it almost immediately. The night you had the nightmare, I knew I couldn't do it. I stopped looking for your books and started looking for a way to save you and Diego both. That's all I wanted to do."
"Tesoro," he whispers. "Shh, amore mio."
"I was so afraid I was going to lose one or both of you. If Diego didn't sacrifice you, Genovese would kill him. Or you would. If Diego sacrificed you, I l-lost you." I shudder at the reminder, pressing my face to Rafe's shoulder as more tears spill down my face. "I can't lose you. Il mio cuore era per te. Senza di te la mia vita non ha senso." My heart was meant for you. Without you, my life has no meaning.
"Then marry me, Amalia," he says, his lips at my ear. "Let me spend the rest of my life cherishing the gift you give me and the honor you do me. Let me love you the way you deserve to be loved, mi reinita. I swear to you, no one will come for you again. No one will hurt you. No one will dare. You're mine to protect and I won't fail you again."
"You never failed me, Rafe. Never," I whisper vehemently.
"Say yes, amore mio. I'll sign whatever you want me to sign to protect your fortune."
"I don't care about the fortune," I say. He can have it. What Alvise left me and Diego will last me for a lifetime. Besides, it's not like Rafe is hurting for the money anyway. He's a billionaire. The Cerrito fortune is probably a drop in the bucket compared to what he and his brothers have amassed in the last twenty years.
Rafe sweeps me up in his arms and carries me to the bed. He lays me out in the center before following me down. His body brackets mine, caging me in. "Tell me," he growls, impatient and grumpy. "What do I have to do to get you to agree, tesoro? Whatever it is, I'll do it."
"Baciami," I whisper. Kiss me.
Triumph blazes in his eyes, turning them molten. He dips his head, claiming my lips in a scorching kiss. Heat rolls over me like a wave, setting my blood on fire for this man all over again. Just that easily, the trauma of the last twenty-four hours loosens its grips…and falls away.
"Rafe," I breathe against his lips, twining my arms around his neck. "I don't want to fight anymore." I don't need to fight. He doesn't need to either. He's already earned my submission. I've already surrendered to him. Completely.