Page 26 of Tilly
“Why would they do that?”
“To get me to accept a deal I declined.”
“Okay… So what do you need me to do?” she asks. I really shouldn’t be surprised how well she’s handling this situation. But then again, Tilly never fails to amaze me.
“We need to tell your family. I can keep you safe without them, Matilda, but they need to know a threat has been made against you. It’s the right thing to do.”
“They’re going to want to know why.” She chews on her bottom lip.
“I know.”
“And then we’re both going to have targets on our backs.”
“I need to tell them, Matilda,” I stress while keeping my tone calm. Even. “We can’t keep this from them. It doesn’t matter how much they’re not going to like the fact that we’re together. Nothing is going to change that we are.”
“What if they threaten you? Not even then?” she asks.
“Not a chance.”
“What if they try to bribe you, buy you out, offer you a deal you can’t refuse?”
“Tilly, there’s nothing on this planet that is going to change my mind. I love you. We’re doing this, and fuck what anyone else thinks. They can either get on board or they can jump fucking ship. I don’t care.”
“I love you too,” she says, throwing her arms around my neck. “I think I have for a really long time.”
“I know I’ve loved you for a really long time. Never in a million years did I ever let myself think I’d actually have you, though.” I lean forward and press my forehead against hers.
“I don’t want anything to come between us, but my family can be… Well, they can be hot-headed and trigger-happy.”
“First of all, they can’t actually kill me. I’m the Don of one of the five families, babe. To kill me would start a war no one wants,” I remind her.
“I’m going to call my mom. We’re going to need someone level-headed on our side.”
I drop my arms, reluctantly, and let Tilly shift out of my hold as she takes a step back and calls her mother. When she gets off the phone, I see fear in her eyes for the first time. “I just want to apologize now for whatever my dad or uncles say to you.”
“Matilda, you don’t need to worry. I don’t care what they have to say to me. I don’t care what they do either. The only thing I care about is you. Making sure you’re safe is my number one concern.”
Tilly nods while taking in a huge breath. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
I follow behind Matilda, her hand clasped firmly in mine as we walk through the door to her parents’ house. Every guard in my peripheral is sending me the death glare, like they’re just itching to be given the order to shoot. I told Tilly they can’t kill me, not that they can’t cause damage.
There’s a very big distinction there.
“Matilda, what’s…” Romeo Valentino’s words die off when he eyes me. And then our joined hands.
“Papa, I want you to meet Antonio,” Tilly says, like her father and I don’t run in the same circles. Like we don’t already know each other.
He doesn’t say a thing as he continues to stare at me. I wait. I can be patient. I can withstand whatever bullshit they throw my way. For her, I can do it.
“Papa?” Tilly grinds her teeth, trying to get her father’s attention.
“Fuck no.”
My head snaps to the side. Where Romeo’s brother, Tilly’s uncle, is standing there pointing a gun right at my head. I don’t blink. I don’t laugh like I’m usually inclined to do. Instead, I shift my body so it’s in front of Tilly’s.
“I don’t care if you point that thing at me, but I’m going to give you five seconds to lower your weapon before I lower it for you. I won’t have that shit aimed anywhere near her,” I tell Theo Valentino while dipping my head back towards Tilly.
This has Romeo moving while finally breaking him out of his trance. “Theo, put it away,” he says before stepping up to me.
