Page 86 of Born a Queen

Chapter Forty-Six

Over the course of the following week Raina thoroughly enjoyed her time with Giovanni. Even Mateo seemed to loosen up around the older charismatic gentleman. There was a certain joy in Giovanni that was tempered by his profession, the loss of his wife and the betrayal of his son.

While he was still a badass old-school mobster, he knew how to appreciate the world around him.

"You’ve given me a fresh perspective on life, revived this old man.” They were sitting together on the patio next to the pool enjoying a couple glasses of Long Island iced tea.

She wrinkled her nose at him. “Not that old.”

He looked at her knowingly. “I have more than thirty years on you, bella.”

"Okay, but I wouldn’t call you an old man. You have more energy than most of us and you seemed pretty content hanging out at Banditos, lording it over all the peasants. All I did was bring a boatload of trouble to your doorstep, show you what a douchebag your son is and then bring Mateo down on you. It's a miracle you didn't decide I was more disposable." Raina took a long sip of her drink and then guiltily glanced around for Mateo.

He would be furious if he knew she was drinking alcohol. Of course, Raina knew exactly how much her body could take, but that didn't stop Mateo from worrying over every little thing.

Giovanni was sprawled out in a patio chair, his finger tapping against the edge of his own glass. "Had you been anyone else, you would have been far more disposable," he admitted.

Raina swallowed hard imagining how close to death she had come at this Italian mobster's fingertips. "Because of who my stepfather is."

He shook his head. "While Sotza is certainly capable of making my life uncomfortable, your affiliation with him would not have swayed me. No, you have only yourself to thank. You are a remarkable young lady. You fearlessly travel the world while building a client base among elite members of the underworld. Your activities are criminal, yet you have an impeccable moral compass. This is something I have always strived for myself; finding that balance between being a decent human being while fulfilling my duties as a kingpin."

“You were born to the mob?” she asked. “Like me, you didn’t have a choice?”

“Yes, that is correct. My father ran the Savino family empire before me, and his father before him. We have a long and proud heritage. It’s not always such a burden. There are many perks to being master of my universe.” He looked at Raina shrewdly. “Do you not find the perks in such luxurious living?”

Raina wanted to deny that the money, prestige and open doors had anything to do with her ease in settling into the lifestyle, but truthfully, she couldn’t. “Okay, you’re not wrong. I like the clothes, the big house, the pool. But it still bothers me that the tradeoff can come at a high cost. There are certain things that Mateo has to do for work and I have no choice but to look the other way. Sometimes, it terrifies me how easily I've fallen for him. Do my morals mean nothing in the face of my feelings for him?"

Giovanni smiled knowingly and took a long sip of his drink. "My wife was much the same way. She despised what I did for work, but she loved me wholeheartedly and unconditionally. She had no choice but to settle into the life, she understood that there's only one way to leave the mafia. In a coffin."

"Did she find a way to live with it, to live with the things she knew you had to do?" Raina leaned forward against the table, completely invested in his answer.

Giovanni shrugged. "I don't think she ever quite reconciled herself to the life, and part of me believes that it may have led to an early death for her. But she supported me in most everything I did."

Raina smiled sadly and nodded. "Thank you for telling me, I feel better knowing that you were in a similar situation to ours. I love Mateo and I want to support him, but I don't always agree with his decisions."

Giovanni leaned across the table and clasped her hand in his. "You don’t have to agree with him. My wife often disagreed with my actions, but I never lost an ounce of love for her. In fact, having her opinion helped ground me in the real world, kept me from being sucked into the vacuum of complete lawlessness that could too easily lead down a path of no redemption."

Raina spent the afternoon thinking over Giovanni’s words and that night when Mateo came home, she walked up to him in the lobby of their mansion and hugged him. He was late, having missed their supper meal. She didn’t comment though. The tension vibrating through his body told her he probably had a long and tough day. She simply hugged him tight, pressing herself against his body and laying her head over his heart.

Mateo dropped the leather folder he was holding, ignoring it as it hit the floor and papers slipped out. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close against him, dropping his face to her head and inhaling the scent of her hair. It was such a private moment that gradually the men that had come in with Mateo drifted away, leaving the couple in a bubble of their own.

Mateo pulled back enough so that he could look down at her face. "What's this all about? Everything okay?"

She nodded and smiled up at him. "I… I guess I just wanted to say hello." She felt suddenly shy, like she didn't know what to say to him. But this is what Mateo did to her. He sent her libido into overdrive which erased every sane thought in her head.

"Well, you can say hi to me anytime you want."

This was one of the things that she adored about him. Mateo loved Raina without question, without exception. Though he had strict rules when it came to her health and safety, he was quick to give her anything else she desired, including access to him and his body. He was completely invested in their relationship and despite some of his more questionable actions, Raina's heart belonged to him. Right or wrong, she would follow him into hell. Just the same as he would follow her.

"Are you hungry?" she asked him, tilting her head up to see his face.

"Yes." His answer came out in an emphatic growl.

Raina started to turn away from him. "Your supper is warming in the oven. I had Lydia make a plate for you. Is that okay?"

He grabbed her arm and swung her back around into his chest. "No, it's not okay. It's not food I want right now."

"Oh." She blushed, but she didn't have time to respond. Mateo picked her up, holding her close against his chest as he strode up the stairs, taking them two at a time in a dizzying pace.

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