Since Renzo spoke to me about opening my own restaurant, my excitement has been growing.
We’ve secured a building a few miles away from La Torrisi, and Viviana has agreed to manage my restaurant as well.
Every day I play around with Asian dishes, and I’m slowly putting together a menu so I’m ready for when the doors open.
Today I’m choosing my signature dish, and I’m torn between two.
Setting both meals down in front of Renzo, my tone is professional as I point at the plate on the left. “This is Banh xeo, a savory Vietnamese pancake filled with pork, shrimp, onions, and bean sprouts.” I gesture at the other plate. “And this is yukhaejang, a Korean spicy brisket soup.” My eyes meet Renzo’s. “Tell me which one you like most.”
He nods as he turns his attention to the dishes, and taking a bite of the first one, he focuses on the taste.
I push his glass of Italian Prosecco closer so he can use it as a palette cleanser.
When he takes a bite of the Korean soup, my heart beats faster and nerves spin in my stomach.
Sitting back, his eyes meet mine, and I swear the man is trying to torture me when he doesn’t immediately give me his feedback.
“The Korean spicy brisket is your signature dish,” he says. “You got nervous when I took a bite, which means it’s important to you.” The corner of his mouth lifts. “It doesn’t matter which one I like more.”
He’s right.
Tears fill my eyes, and before I can try to stop them, they spill down my cheeks.
I’ve just chosen my signature dish.
He stands up from the chair and wraps me in a tight hug.
This moment has been in the making since I started my career as a chef. I’m so overwhelmed because, after the accident, I never thought I’d get the chance to have my own signature dish.
“For the record,” Renzo murmurs. “The beef brisket soup is my favorite.”
I let out a chuckle, and pulling back, I look at him.
He wipes the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs before pressing a kiss to my mouth. “Congratulations, amo.”
“Thank you.” I smile as I glance at the two dishes.
The banh xeo is an excellent addition to the menu, but the yukhaejang is special because it was one of Dad’s favorites.
“I’ve decided on a name for the restaurant,” I say.
“What?”
“Yukhaejang.”
A smile spreads over Renzo’s face. “I should’ve guessed. I’ll get the sign made. Just write it down for me, or I’ll butcher it because I can’t pronounce that word for the life of me.”
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I stare up at him. “Thank you for being so amazing.”
He kisses my lips, then says, “You make me want to be amazing.”
His phone starts to ring, and I let go of him so he can take the call.
“Hey,” he answers.
He listens for a moment, then his eyes flick to me, and I watch as his features change from loving to cold and ruthless.
My stomach clenches, and my heartbeat speeds up because it’s a look I won’t ever get used to seeing. Honestly, his brutal side still scares the living hell out of me.
Renzo lifts his hand and wraps his fingers around the side of my neck as he mutters to whoever’s on the other end of the call, “I’ll be at your place in thirty minutes.”
He ends the call, and shaking his head, he steps closer to me and says, “Don’t be afraid of me, amo. I’ll never do anything to hurt you.”
“Knee-jerk reaction,” I murmur. I suck in a breath of air, then ask, “What was the call about?”
“Dario found Montes. We’re flying to Mexico. The fucker’s been laying low in some village in the middle of nowhere.”
That explains the reason for the ruthless expression on his face.
Renzo is going to kill the leader of the group responsible for all the heartache we’ve suffered. The man who ordered Dad’s death.
Realization shudders through me, and my voice is hoarse when I say, “Go and put an end to this nightmare for us.”
“I should be back before you go to bed,” he murmurs as he leans in to give me a kiss.
“Please be careful.” I wrap my arms around him before he can walk away. “I won’t survive losing you as well.”
He lets out a chuckle. “You won’t lose me. I’ve done this a hundred times, and I’ll have Dario for backup. He’s good with a sniper rifle.”
“I love you,” I say as I stand on my tiptoes to give him another kiss.
“Love you too, amo.”
He pulls away from me, and I watch him walk to the elevator. While he waits for the doors to open, he makes another call.
“Get the men ready. We’re going to Mexico to kill Montes.”
He glances back at me, one last time, then steps into the elevator.
Standing in the kitchen, I let out a slow breath before I start to clean up.
I always thought I’d end up with some kind of businessman who works nine to five and plays golf on the weekends. Instead, my man works all kinds of hours and kills people left, right, and center.
I put the leftovers in plastic containers in case Renzo is hungry when he gets back, and once the kitchen is spotless, I take a seat at the island and pull my laptop closer.
Trying to stay busy so I won’t just sit and worry about him, I look at different concepts for the menu.
I work for a while before my thoughts turn to Renzo.
He’s going to be okay. Don’t start worrying. It will drive you crazy.
Knowing I won’t be able to focus on work, I let out a sigh and close the laptop. Getting up from the chair, I walk to the sliding doors in the dining room. I pull them open, and stepping out onto the balcony where Renzo kissed me the first time, I suck in a deep breath of the cool air.
Winter will be here soon.
Leaning over the railing, I stare down at the traffic and start counting yellow cabs.
You’ve seen Renzo deal with the bastards. He’s capable of keeping himself safe. Nothing bad will happen to him, because he’s the monster everyone fears.
I realize what I’m thinking and let out a burst of laughter.
I fell in love with the beast, and I don’t want him to change. I really love all of him, even though his brutal side still scares the ever-loving hell out of me.
