Page 393 of Rage

“I would prefer that the questions wait until the end and then I will answer them, but I need to know if you want me to glaze over the darker side of what I do. I will give you full transparency if you want it, but sometimes the truth is a lot to mentally handle. I am not a good man, Lilac. I am not a good man to theworld but I promise that I can be a man deserving of you.” His words spill out with sincerity and melt my heart and some of my resolve.

“I will take it all but if it becomes too much, can I have a safeword? I am a nurse in the local hospital here and I know that there is a lot of violence in this city and that you play your part, but I might struggle to reconcile the man in front of me with the violence that you participate in,” I ask, hoping for honesty but not sure that I am ready for the utter violence that the man in front of me can inflict.

“We will use the stoplight system. Green if you are comfortable, yellow if you want to slow down, and red if you want to stop. Please understand that your boundaries are very important, and I will not know them all as we start and I need you to communicate them to me. I promise that I won’t push back. I might ask questions to understand, but you are in control. I might run a tight ship with my work but we do everything here with your informed consent,” he answers earnestly without breaking eye contact with me.

“Okay, thank you. I’m ready,” I say, taking another drink of my coffee and grabbing a cheese danish from the plate between us. The first bite passes my lips and the burst of sweet and savory causes me to moan. Fuck. That was not planned. The way that his fist clenches tells me that he isn't unaffected by my visceral reaction.

“Sorry,” I whisper as the blush creeps up my neck, encompassing my face. My shame causes me to look down and avoid eye contact to prevent further embarrassment.

“Look at me,” he asks me with a softer tone in his voice. I take a shaky breath and find my courage before looking up to meet his eyes.

“You do not have to apologize for the way your body reacts. You do not need to be ashamed of the beautiful noises that youmake.” He speaks softly before reaching over to provide comfort, stopping inches from my knee and looking at me waiting for my consent. I nod, allowing him to touch me for the first time since our kiss, and the reaction that sparks through my entire being is unmatched. My shoulders fall for the first time since I walked in and I am ready to hear whatever he has to tell me.

Chapter Five

“Honesty is the best policy, but the bloody truth might be my downfall.”

Aldo

Finally seeing her relax with my touch brings a warmth to my heart that I never thought that I would be able to experience with my position in the family business. Patiently, I watch her breathe through her anxiety and take a sip of her coffee. I would happily wait all day for her to be ready for me to speak without a worry in the world. I have put all business on pause and cleared my calendar to ensure that she has enough time to be comfortable and get the answers that she deserves. Today isn’t about me, aside from the information that I provide. Instead, today is about her and her comfort. I understand that my life and the deals that have been brokered are not easily understood but if she feels the same spark that I do between us she will give this a chance.

“Are you ready, beautiful? Did you want to finish your breakfast pastry first?” I ask to ensure her continued consent in all of this mess. She takes another sip of her coffee and it sounds nearly empty when she sets it back on the table. Before I can even utter the words, Enzo is at the counter, presumably asking the barista for another one. She settles into her chair beforeindicating that I should move forward with my story. With her pen in hand, she prepares to notate any questions she has.

“Fifteen years ago, the family business was far bloodier than it is today. The families had to beg, borrow, and plead for the weapons imported from outside of the country. In the first five years of my time as a made man, I saw countless of my friends and people that I grew up with die in front of my eyes. I knew at that moment that I would do whatever it took to secure a safer future for those who were left standing. I went to my father, the previous Don, and asked him what I could do to help save the lives of those who entrusted us. He spoke with the head of a powerful family in Italy whose daughter had just become of age and arranged our marriage. After the arrangement was made, he sat me down and explained that there was now a contract in place between our families that included a clause where I would marry their daughter and that we would at least have one child together to signify the unity that exists.

What I wasn’t told was that my bride was in love with a woman in Italy and would not want to even try to be a true participant in the marriage. She came here so that her family would spare the person that she loves and agreed to be my spouse, but on paper only. We have not shared a bed throughout the entirety of our marriage and kissed only on the cheeks on our wedding day. After she settled here and found her footing, we used a clinic to impregnate her so that she would not betray her true love. My son’s name is Leo, and as per our contract, his mother is primarily in charge of his care. I will introduce him to the family business and begin to prepare him to take over when he comes of age.” I pause to let this sink in and and watch dutifully as she scrawls her question on the page. She looks up at me and takes another bite of her pastry as Enzo sets down her new coffee and walks to the other side of the room. Watchingand waiting, I see her dip her chin indicating she is ready for more.

“There is no love between us and I know that Bianca resents me for keeping her from her love, but it was her father that forbade them from speaking again. With this arrangement, I knew that things would not be easy, and I have found my release with some of the local discreet call girls so that no one will get the wrong idea. I cannot leave my wife without it costing countless lives and jeopardizing the safety of everyone that I have sworn to protect. Everything changed for me the night that we met. Before you, I could live with the constant faceless women and having to pretend that our marriage was real. But then I saw you.”

She takes a drink of her coffee before looking back up at me. For the first time since our kiss there is hope in her eyes and I will do anything and kill anyone to keep it there. She reviews the notes that she made and makes some adjustments based on the information that I provided.

“What is the plan? I understand the spark and the romance of this, and believe me I feel it too, but I need a plan. I work twelve-hour shifts at the local hospital and come from nothing. Our tax brackets don’t even touch, so before I start something that could become serious, I need to know what your plan is,” she says before finishing the danish that she has been snacking on throughout our meeting. I take a drink of my coffee and smile at her.

“My plan, you brilliant and beautiful woman, is to date you if you will allow me. I will easily fill my time while you are working and I respect that you have worked your whole life to get where you are. I am not here to rock your boat but to join you on it. If you want a step-by-step plan we can build one together to make sure that it fits in your life, but I want this and I am willing to ask for my chance on my knees for you,” I promise her, knowingthat I mean every word. She reaches out to place her hand on mine and my heart skips a beat. I do something that I have never done, I fall to my knees in front of her so she can understand the depths of my emotions for her. A pin drop could be heard in this cafe but I couldn’t care less as long as she understands the lengths that I am willing to go for a chance.

“Aldo,” she whispers with her free hand covering her mouth in shock at me on my knees for her. A moment passes in wonder and I think that maybe I have made it through to her when she moves her hand and reveals a smile below it. She scribbles something in her notebook before ripping out the page and handing it to me.

“It’s my phone number, use it. We can date but I reserve the right to ask questions,” she tells me before she stands up and I follow her from my knees to standing before the woman of my dreams. Before she moves she kisses me on the cheek, flustering me.

“I have a couple of errands to run today, but I would like to see you again when you can make time.” She goes to leave and I quickly grab her wrist with light pressure.

“May I kiss you?” I ask with a level of uncertainty that I have never felt before.

“Yes.” As soon as the word leaves her mouth I pull her into me and press our lips together. The passion unfolds as the kiss deepens and I groan. We come up for air with smiles on our faces before she walks out of the coffee shop. I stand there staring at where she left in utter disbelief.

“Don’t worry boss. I have a discreet tail on her to make sure that she is safe.” Enzo’s voice breaks me out of my daze. I needed to hear that because this is the second time we could have been spotted together and it might place a target on her back.

“Good.”

Chapter Six

“Bestie breakdowns and comfort snacks while I spill my soul.”

Anna

Leaving the Cafe is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made. I need to pick up groceries and prepare my food for the week or the next few days of long shifts will wear me down. Lucy agreed to meet me at home after her shift ends, and I know she is going to want a proper rundown. Today is my Sunday, and while I would love to spend the day with Aldo, I honestly did not think he would have any answers that would warrant us ever speaking again.

Walking down to the local grocery store I contemplate all of the information that Aldo told me. Even with everything that he covered today, I know that we have just scratched the surface of what secrets he has needed to keep close to his vest. His story is crazy, and for any other man I would consider it too much and too far-fetched, but, he is a mafia don who pours his money into financing the very hospital that I work at. His name isn't on any of the doors or buildings, but it was his family money that threw the fundraiser we met at. I was able to connect the dots between his name when his guard spoke it and the donor list for the party.

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