Page 96 of Dangerous Deception

I step closer and reach out for him. Raffaele takes my hand immediately.

“I don’t hate you,” I say, studying his face.

“I just killed your father. It’s okay if you do.”

“But I don’t. That monster wasn’t my father.”

Uncertainty flits across Raffaele’s face. “Well, when this all sinks in and you hate me in a few days, that’s okay too.”

“I don’t hate you,” I repeat firmly, stepping into his arms and cupping his face. “I don’t.”

“You’re playing with my heart here,” he says with a breathy laugh.

“I mean it.” Leaning up onto my tiptoes, I press a gentle kiss to his lips. “You saved me. And that was all I wanted. I promise, Raffaele, I haven’t hated you for a long time.”

37

ADELINA

The late August sun soaks down from a cloudless sky, warming my bare arms and legs as I rest back comfortably against Raffaele’s chest. He lazily drapes one arm around my waist, playing with my hair with his other hand.

Even with my eyes closed, I can sense almost every detail about him.

The calm thump of his heart just beneath my ear, the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathes deeply, the calming scent of his cologne mingling with the vanilla rising from his freshly washed skin.

The world around me is peaceful. Quiet.

Just beyond the patio where we rest, birds flit among the trees, squirrels scurry about the branches, and a particularly fat bumblebee does an amusing dance trying to fit between the petals of a flower. I watch it with one eye cracked lazily open and huff out a quiet breath of laughter when it finally lands home.

“What are you thinking about?” Raffaele asks, his fingers lazily massaging my scalp and then petting through my hair once more.

“A bumble bee,” I reply softly. “It was struggling to get into that flower over here.” Lifting one arm, I point lazily in the direction. “Things were looking impossible for a minute.”

“Dramatic,” Raffaele murmurs.

“Intense,” I agree. “But he was successful.”

“Good on him.”

“Mmhmm.” I close my eyes and rest, soaking up the heat from the sun and the warmth from Raffaele until a text notification dings on his phone. He doesn’t stop playing with my hair but the comforting arm around me vanishes briefly. When it reappears, I shift in his lap and open my eyes to study his phone as it balances in his hand.

A news article about the Irish scandal blinks across the screen stating the demand for dire punishments against all who had a hand in the dumping of chemical waste that has poisoned and killed hundreds of people.

“Wow,” I murmur, studying the picture of the Irish Captain being dragged up some steps in handcuffs. “They’re not hiding any of this.”

“They can’t,” Raffaele replies. “Vito didn’t just deliver the information to the authorities. He sent it to every news outlet that would listen. Nothing will be kept a secret. No death will go unanswered.”

“No amount of money can save them, either.” Deserved, in my opinion. The court of public opinion might be harsh, but when it comes to assholes in power with obnoxious wealth, it’s the only way to reach a verdict. And no one holds love for the Irish and Italian bastards who poisoned the water.

“Oh, I meant to say.” Leaning up with one hand braced on Raffaele’s chest for balance, I look him in the eye. “A couple of the kids at the hospital have the toxin in their blood. With the right treatment, they should make a full recovery.”

“That’s amazing news.” Raffaele smiles warmly. “You’re helping them, I presume.”

Nodding quickly, I smile. “All of them. I’m working with the board to set up clinics across the city so that people can get tested. I’ve already started a hydration drive to bring in water from other parts of the city and other states so that people here will have access to clean drinking water. The reservoir is completely contaminated, so we’ll need to find another way to fix that, but until then, no one will go thirsty.”

“How very entrepreneurial of you,” Raffaele teases. “All that in a week puts me to shame.”

“I had to help. Knowing my father caused this is…” My nose scrunches slightly. “He isn’t here to take responsibility, so I will. I will fix what he broke. It can’t bring anyone back, but it can help people move on, I think. Which reminds me, I want to set up a fund for lawyers, too. Anyone who wants to sue should be able to.”

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