Page 121 of Matteo
Pa nodded. “I’ll assign an additional bodyguard for Francesca. I’m guessing Morrelli will be putting extra layers of security on his girls too.”
Tense silence followed.
“Still at odds with Nico Morrelli?”
He shot me a dry look. “What do you think?”
“I’m sorry. If I could go back, I’d go to him and ask for Ari myself. Or better yet, ask her when the time was right.”
“I’m sure it’ll all get resolved. Emotions are just high right now, and he’s been extra protective of Arianna and Gianna ever since…” He shook his head, and I filled in the blanks. None of us would forget how close we came to losing the girls. “Hannah seems to land on her feet, but those two somehow always pay the price.”
He wasn’t wrong about that. Even when the twins conjured up their shenanigans, Hannah usually escaped unscathed.
I was so close to murdering Hannah that day. She’d been the one to insist on sneaking out the night Gianna was snatched, but it was Arianna who blamed herself. Arianna who went after Gianna and almost died in the process.
“Son, just push her out of your mind for a while and wait. Everything will work out.”
I threw back my head. “I don’t have it in me to wait.”
“Then what?” My father’s eyes, replicas of my own, slid to me. “Don’t even think of kidnapping her, Matteo.”
“I won’t.”Because I already decided.
“I hope you’re telling me the truth,” he muttered, shaking his head. A humorless smile painted his lips before he continued. “I’m going to give you the advice yournonnogave me. Treat her right and she’ll find her way back to you.”
I stared at him for a silent beat.
“I will. I hope she can forgive me for this screwup with the engagement and hurting Hannah’s feelings.” Pa raised his brow but remained silent. “Fuck, Pa. What if she doesn’t forgive me?”
“She will.”
“You seem awfully sure of it.” I pushed my hand through my hair when he turned in to campus. “Pull over by the planetarium.”
He did, but as I reached for the door handle, his voice stopped me.
“You know how I know she’ll forgive you?” I waited, turning to look at my father who, for the first time ever, looked uncomfortable. “Your mother would kill me if she knew what I’m about to tell you.”
“Now you’ve got my attention.”
“I fucked up majorly with your mom. Not once, but three times.”
“How so?”
“Well, first I kidnapped her and forced her to marry me.” The corner of my lips twitched. It seemed to be a running theme in our world. “And then I… I put a gun to her head. To make matters worse, I went after her again and dragged her back, making her an easy target for her uncle and Benito King.”
“Bullshit.”
The expression on my father’s face told me he wasn’t joking.
“Unfortunately, it’s the truth. After I played Russian roulette with her?—”
“What the fuck, Pa!”
“The chamber was empty, but that’s no excuse. Convinced she betrayed me by working with her uncle, I dropped her off at his doorstep. Your mom ran, not only from him, but also from me. That was the reason you were born in Italy. Why I wasn’t there for the first few years.” He grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me lightly. “I fucked up, but she forgave me. All I’m saying, Matteo, is give it time and don’t be impulsive. Ariannawillforgive you.”
“I’m not marrying her sister.”
“I’ll talk to Nico again.” He patted my shoulder twice before releasing me. “You talk to Arianna and don’t give up until she finally sees that Hannah isn’t meant for you. Whatever you do, don’t repeat my mistakes.”
