Page 39 of Stefano
“I need you to believe me,” I press, my thumb stroking her jaw.“Because I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you.I’ll burn, I’ll bleed, I’ll kill if I have to.But I’ll never let go.You’re mine, not because I own you, but because we fit.Two halves of a whole.You complete me in ways I didn’t even know I was broken.”
Tears glisten in her eyes, but she doesn’t look away.She climbs higher, straddling my waist, her palms flattening over my chest.Her voice shakes, but her words are steady.“Then hear me.I’m not fragile.I’m not porcelain you have to keep on a shelf.I can take you—all of you.Your rage.Your darkness.Your love.I don’t want you to hold back, Stefano.Not ever.Because I’m strong enough to carry you.Just like you carry me.”
Her hands press harder against my chest, over my heart.“I don’t want to be your weakness.I want to be your partner.Your equal.The fire beside you, not the shadow hiding behind you.”
Her words slice through me, raw and powerful.I grip her hips, holding her tight.“You are, Andrea.You always were.”
We stay like that, staring into each other, breathing each other in, until the storm inside me finally settles.For the first time since I can remember, I feel steady.Anchored.Not by blood or family duty.By her.
She leans down, kissing me slow, deep, and tender.Nothing like last night’s brutality.This is softer.Devotional.I slide my hand into her hair, holding her there, memorizing every taste, every breath.
When she pulls back, she rests her forehead to mine.“So what now?”
The question hangs heavy in the air.The war isn’t over.Not really.The cartel is broken, but pieces still remain.And then there’s Severu, whose silence at the meeting told me more than words ever could.Trouble still lurks.But right now, with Andrea in my arms, the future doesn’t feel like a burden.It feels like a promise.
“Now,” I murmur, stroking her cheek, “we live.Together.We build something beyond blood and bullets.A home.A family.”My throat tightens, but I push on.“I want it all with you.Marriage.Children.A life worth fighting for.”
Her gasp is soft, her eyes wide.“Do you mean that?”
I nod, my voice breaking.“I’ve never meant anything more.”
She collapses against me, hugging me tight, her tears wetting my skin.“Yes.God, yes.That’s all I’ve ever wanted.Not money.Not power.Just you.A life with you.”
Relief floods me, so sharp it almost hurts.I crush her against me, kissing her hair, her face, her lips, over and over, until we’re both laughing and crying at once.
****
The day passes in ahaze of quiet.For once, there are no meetings, no planning, no war.Just us.We eat in bed, stealing kisses between bites.We shower together, her laughter echoing off the tiles as I chase her with the water.We nap tangled together, waking only when the sun dips low, painting the room in gold.
Every moment feels like a stolen treasure.And I hoard them greedily, knowing how fragile peace can be.
Because eventually, the world intrudes.
We join the family for dinner that evening.The long table is crowded, Alceu, Severu, Mancuso, Guilia, and the rest.Conversation halts the second Andrea walks in at my side.The silence is thick, judgment and curiosity woven into every stare.
Andrea doesn’t shrink.Her chin lifts, her hand tight in mine, and she takes her seat beside me like she’s belonged there all along.
Mancuso is the first to break the silence, grinning as he raises his glass.“About damn time.Thought you’d keep hiding her forever, brother.”
Alceu nods, his expression unreadable but his eyes approving.“She stood strong when it mattered.She’s earned her place.”
Severu says nothing.His gaze lingers on Andrea, hard and searching.But she doesn’t flinch.She meets him stare for stare, calm and steady, until he finally looks away.
Guilia reaches across the table, taking Andrea’s hand.“Welcome to the family,” she says softly, and her smile is real.Warm.Fierce.
Andrea blinks rapidly, her throat working, but she doesn’t cry.Instead, she squeezes Guilia’s hand back and says, clear and firm, “I was always part of the family.I’m not going anywhere.Not ever.”
A ripple of approval moves around the table.The air shifts.She’s no longer just the girl I love.She’s family now.Claimed.Accepted.
My chest swells with pride so fierce it nearly breaks me.
****
After the dishes arecleared and the wine runs low, I take Andrea out onto the balcony.The city glitters below, alive but quiet, as if even it knows we’ve survived something monumental.
She leans into me, her head resting on my shoulder.“They’re starting to accept us,” she whispers.
“They don’t have a choice,” I murmur, kissing her hair.“You’re mine.And now, you’re theirs too.”
