The past week has been pretty uneventful. Other than going to the clinic for the implant, I haven’t left the penthouse.
I’m wiping down the counters when I realize I’m not a prisoner anymore.
Swinging around, I look at Renzo and say, “I can go out.”
“What?” he mumbles before he lifts his head from where he was reading something on his phone.
“I can leave the penthouse.”
A frown forms on his forehead. “Yeah?”
“I need to go to the mansion to get my wallet.” I begin to walk to the elevator, then pause to ask, “Can Vincenzo or Fabrizio give me a ride?”
There’s still a frown on Renzo’s face as he asks, “You want to go out? Right now?”
“Yes.” If he tells me I can’t, I’ll lose my shit.
“Okay.”
Excitement bursts in my chest, and when we enter the elevator, I grin up at him.
The corner of his mouth lifts, and gripping hold of my jaw, he presses a hard kiss to my mouth. “Your smile will be the end of me.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re fucking stunning when you smile,” he mutters.
The doors slide open, and as we walk to the Bentley, Renzo tells the guards, “We’re heading to the Davies mansion.”
During the drive, my excitement dies away, and my grief crawls back into my heart.
Renzo notices my change in mood, and linking our fingers together, he kisses the back of my hand.
It’s something Dad used to do when I was in the hospital, and the memory has me taking a deep breath while I do my best to stop the grief from overwhelming me.
It’s getting easier to fight back the tears, but the pain is still raw, and I don’t expect it to lessen anytime soon.
When the Bentley pulls up to the mansion, I glance around the garden that needs tending. I’ll have to decide what to do with the place. It’s big and needs a lot of upkeep.
We climb out of the car, and as we walk to the front door, I say, “I think I should sell the property.”
“Whatever you want, amo. I can handle the sale for you,” Renzo offers while he unlocks the door.
For the past three years, Dad’s handled all the finances, and Renzo took over when he kidnapped me. At some point, I’ll have to take back control.
I probably need to get a cellphone if I’m going to look for work.
I’ll have to update my resume.
I have no idea what my bank accounts look like.
“You okay?” Renzo asks as we walk through the foyer.
“I’m just thinking about everything I have to do. Dad took control of my life after the car accident, and then you happened.”
He tugs me to a stop at the foot of the stairs and turns me so I’ll look at him.
“What do you mean by everything?”
“I need to sort out the bank accounts. I don’t have a cellphone. I want to start working again.” I gesture around the foyer. “I have to pack up everything.”
Lifting his hands to the sides of my neck, he leans down and holds my gaze captive. “I can do all of that for you.”
I take hold of his wrist and ask, “You won’t mind?”
“No, amo. Not at all. You’re mine, and it’s my job to take care of you.”
“You don’t think it’s pathetic that I let my dad handle everything?”
He shakes his head and pulls me against his chest. “No. You were on the brink of death and had to deal with a kidney transplant. If anything, I think you’re fucking strong.”
Closing my eyes, I let Renzo’s words sink in before I whisper, “I miss him.”
“I know.” Renzo brushes his palm over my hair. “But you have me, and I meant it when I said I’ll take care of you.”
I snuggle closer to the man who’s quickly taking over my heart. “Thank you.”
He holds me for a moment before he pulls away and says, “Let’s get everything you need.”
We spend the next couple of hours gathering the last of my belongings and going through Dad’s office for all the financial documents and his laptop.
“I’ll have to get Dario to break into the laptop,” Renzo says when we’re stopped by the device needing a password.
I try Mom’s birthday, and when the screen unlocks, I grin at Renzo. “His passwords are always my or Mom’s birthdays.”
“That makes things a hell of a lot easier,” he says as he shuts the laptop again. “Let’s get out of here.”
When we walk toward the foyer, I murmur, “Can I just have a minute alone before we leave?”
“Sure.” He presses a kiss to my forehead, then heads to the front door.
As I walk to the kitchen, I glance around my family home. The sorrow grips my heart, and I don’t fight the tears as they come.
In the kitchen, I trail my fingers over the counters where I’ve spent many hours practicing the art of cooking.
Dad ate every meal and never complained. He was my biggest cheerleader.
“God, I miss you so much, Daddy,” I whisper.
I think about how Louisa would complain about all the dirty dishes, but whenever I offered to help clean them, she’d shoo me away.
Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I suck in a deep breath.
This place isn’t home without them. It’s become a graveyard for the moments I shared with them.
Turning around, I leave the mansion and lock the door behind me. Walking to the Bentley and the man who loves me, I decide to stop fighting to keep Renzo out of my heart.
It’s not a fight I would’ve won anyway.
When I reach him, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down so I can kiss him. Breathing in the woodsy scent of his cologne, I relish in the feel of his embrace.
With my lips against his, I whisper, “I love you.” I pull back and meet his eyes. “The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. I love all of you. I might regret it one day, but there’s no way to keep you out of my heart.”
A devastating smile curves his lips, and happiness fills his eyes. “Thank you, amo. I know I haven’t made it easy for you, but thank you for loving me anyway.”
“I didn’t have much of a choice,” I tease him. “You took my heart captive, and I just had to make peace with it.”
He shakes his head, his expression filling with tenderness. “You won’t regret loving me, Skylar. I promise.”
I press another kiss to his mouth, then say, “Take me home.”
