*Giovani*
The mont the sun fell, the world always felt more silent than it should. I’d always been one to enjoy the ambient noises of the bustling day more than the stillness of the night.
That said, it was a little unnerving how quiet this place was. It wasn’t that there weren’t any sounds at all; they were all just very far away. And every creak of the wood felt louder than it should.
Entering the compound in the early morning hours was not unfamiliar to . Usually, my work lasted long after the sun disappeared.
But usually, I was never carrying such great weight in my pocket. Secrets were heavier than I expected as I gently stepped across the creaking floorboards toward the room I shared.
The suite door swung open, revealing the dark room. I knew she would most likely be in bed already, sleeping away like she usually was. I placed my hand against the wall, using it to guide my way through the suite to the bedroom.
I quietly tiptoed inside and closed the door behind , making sure it latched properly before turning around to face the connected bedroom. I dodged the furniture in the darkness, even if I could only see the vague shapes of it, and placed my hand against the wall, using it to guide my way through the suite to the bedroom.
The blinds were shut against the window, leaving the room in pitch darkness. It was unnerving, but her presence was more familiar than my own heartbeat.
I shed my outer clothes, being careful not to make enough noise to wake her. Too many tis I’d done so, but not now. I grabbed the package in my pocket, taking care to place it in a hidden spot where I knew she wouldn’t stumble across it.
I used my hand to guide my way until I felt the plush comfort of the bed. I heard her soft breathing as I fished around for the blanket opening and gently pulled it up.
I slipped inside, the bed moving with my actions even with how careful I tried to be. Under the covers, I lay on my side and sighed as I wrapped my arm around her waist. Her warmth was a comfort to , and there was nothing that could bring greater happiness than having her by my side every night.
“Mmm. Gio?” Her voice cut through the darkness, so soft and light. She was still half-asleep and I chuckled at how cute she sounded. Her hand wrapped around mine, pulling it up to her chest.
“I’m here,” I whispered to her, half-hoping she would just go back to sleep like this. But I knew she wouldn’t.
“How’d everything go?” She yawned like a sleepy kitten, leaning her back into the embrace. I smiled, tucking my head into the crevice of her shoulder.
“We found Dmitri and his right hand. We have both their locations, so we’re going to end this tomorrow. The plan is to separate their forces and take them down at the sa ti. One team goes after Dmitr,i and the other after his second in command,” I told her, simplifying it so I didn’t worry her too much.
I made the choice to let her into my life, but it was still going to be a process. I didn’t want to involve her in too much until I was sure she could handle it. For now, she didn’t need to know the details.
“Two teams?” she mumbled, sounding a bit more awake now.
“That’s right,” I sighed, a bit proud and exasperated that she had caught onto that so quickly.
“Where are you going to be?” she asked cautiously. We both already knew the answer, but I squeezed the hand she was gripping a bit too tightly, hoping to give her a little reassurance.
“My team is going after Dmitri,” I told her honestly.
There was a startling second of silence, the kind where I almost thought she had fallen back to sleep if it weren’t for how tense her muscles were. I knew her, and I knew how much she tended to overthink and worry.
I gave her a mont to get her thoughts together, happy to wait as I shut my eyes and breathed in her scent. She always slled sweet, like vanilla, or a soft fruity scent. It helped to distract as I waited for her to voice her thoughts.
It could’ve been seconds or minutes, even an hour for all I knew, but just as I started dozing off, I heard her speak up.
“Do you have to?”
A tenseness fell upon us once more, and though I didn’t want to admit it, I knew I had to give her an honest answer to this.
“Carina....” I started, not sure what was the right thing to say here, but she only sighed, shaking her head softly.
“No, I know. I’m sorry for asking that, I just–” She went quiet again, probably trying to find the right words. She took a deep, shaky breath before continuing.
“I’m scared sothing is going to happen to you. I know how much you care about your n but... I don’t want you to be in the middle of all of this, even if I know this is sothing you have to do.”
She was talking too fast and her voice broke at the end. She was clearly nervous, and I moved to lay a kiss on her shoulder, squeezing her hand tightly in mine to give her sothing to hold onto.
“I will be close,” I told her. “But I won’t be in the middle of anything until it’s safe. I won’t be careless with my life, Olivia. But I have to see this to the end.”
“I know,” she said quietly. She gripped my hand like it was her only lifeline, and I felt bad for putting her through this, but both of us knew this is what had to happen. I couldn’t let Dmitri continue to sabotage everything I’d built, to pick off my n one by one and terrorize anyone who got close to .
“What about and Dahlia?” she asked softly. “Will we be safe here alone?”
“Of course,” I sighed. “I don’t plan to leave the compound defenseless in our absence. I arranged a few n to keep watch over you though... I did have a different idea if you might be interested.”
“Oh?” The playful lit in her voice made grin. “And what is that?”
“I don’t know if you’d enjoy it or not, but I did make arrangents in case you two wanted to go on a day trip. Dom and a few other n would have to go with you, of course, but it would get you out of the city and away from all this for the day. I can make arrangents for you to stay in a hotel, too.”
“A day trip?” She turned around in my arms and her eyes were shining with excitent as she gazed up at . “To where?”
I smiled softly, my heart full of so much emotion at seeing that beautiful smile of hers.
“Anywhere you want,” I told her.
“That sounds amazing,” she gushed, curling into my arms as she buried her head into my chest. “We went to Tuscany with Tallon a while ago and I loved that. I’d have to ask Dahlia where she wants to go.”
“Then it’s settled,” I smiled teasingly. “Though I’d prefer you choose sowhere in Europe. I’d miss you too much if you were too far away.”
“Of course, Europe,” She rolled her eyes, leaning up so we were face-to-face. “We have to be here to rush back in case....” She trailed off, the anxiousness in her eyes returning. “In case sothing happens.”
I knew I should reassure her, to let her know that nothing was going to happen to us, but I wasn’t about to make promises I couldn’t keep. I wasn’t going to lie to her and tell her we were all going to be safe because there was a very real chance we might not be.
But there was one thing I could promise her.
“Olivia.” I called her na softly. She gazed up at with shiny eyes, just on the verge of tears and I pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering there for a mont as I made this one solemn vow to her.
“I’ll co back to you. I swear.”
A little smile crept up her lips, and she buried her face into my chest, holding tightly enough that I could feel her nails digging into my skin–not enough to hurt, but enough to make aware that it could.
“I know you will,” she whispered, her voice full of emotion. “Or Dahlia will kick your ass.”
I laughed, the sound way too loud as her giggles joined , and I pressed my grin onto the top of her head, my whole body shaking with humor.
I could imagine it too–little Dahlia, all five foot six tracking down wherever I was and kicking my ass all the way back to Italy. No matter how injured or hurt I was, she’d drag back by my ear if she had to.
Jas had been in a similar situation when the witness protection agency insisted he was dead, but he’d ended up having to reveal himself again because he couldn’t live without Becca. If I ever tried sothing like that, there was no doubt I’d have a whole family of angry Italians on my ass when they found out I wasn’t really dead.
And I had no doubt that no matter how sweet and innocent she seed, Olivia would be the most fearso of them all.
I’d be lucky to still be breathing after they’d get done with .
“I’ll be counting on it,” I chuckled into her ear. “If I do sothing stupid, you’ll drag back to you, no matter what.”
“Then don’t do anything stupid,” she warned playfully.
“I’ll keep that in mind, carina,” I chuckled, leaning back to place a kiss on the tip of her cute little nose.
She giggled, the sound like daisies dancing in the sunshine, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. “Let’s get so sleep before morning.” She yawned, snuggling into my chest as her eyes fell closed.
I smiled, running my hands through her hair as her breath evened out and sleep claid her once more.
I shut my eyes, hoping to gain a few hours of sleep that remained before morning ca. When it did, we would wake up and go our separate ways. She would be on a plane to a city of her choosing, and I would be hunting down a maniac.
By tomorrow night, though, all of this would finally co to an end.
And our lives together could begin.
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