Ah, my little beauty has noticed me at last.
Good.
I want her to know I’m here, and now there’s no way for her to escape me. I’ve already taken over every aspect of her life, and she has no idea.
I didn’t know she had children. It isn’t a problem. I love kids, and hers are adorable. I’ll have to ensure the child’s father isn’t in the picture. They have me now. They won’t need him.
We haven’t been able to look away from one another. I can’t get over how beautiful she looks. Even through the rain, I can see she’s been crying. Her eyes are red, and she isn’t wearing makeup.
Why bother when the tears don’t stop?
I hate that she’s hurting, and I wish I could take her in my arms and tell her everything will be okay, but that would be a lie. Everything in life isn’t okay; sometimes, it’s cruel and tough, testing you to the absolute limits.
That’s why it’s so important for her to have someone like me. I’d make sure the cruel wouldn’t touch her and the tough wouldn’t test her. I’d be there to fight all her battles, kill all the threats, and protect her at all costs, so she knows what it’s like to live in bliss.
Thunder rolls above us, and the rain comes down with more force. Everyone has their umbrella, standing while the minister says his speech, but no one can hear him. The rain drowns him out.
My eyes stay on Camilla, and I wonder what she’s thinking. Is she happy to see me? Are the memories of our night playing in the forefront of her mind? Is she thinking about how I claimed her virginity just as they lowered her father into the ground?
It’s a sick and twisted thought. There’s a time and place for everything, but sometimes we can’t help our mind and how it wanders. She isn’t to be blamed for that.
She breaks the connection, staring at the ground while holding her children’s hands. Twins, if I had to guess. They are very well-behaved. I’m impressed.
People begin to leave, and a line gathers by Camilla. One by one, they say their condolences.
“I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“He was such a wonderful man.”
“So sorry to hear of his passing.”
They all lie to her.
I knew the type of man he was; being good wasn’t in his job description. He was a murderer who only cared about securing his wealth and protecting his territory.
Much like me.
Until her.
I’m the last person in line, and when I take her hand in mine, that familiar gasp she makes races down my spine.
“Camilla Thompson,” I emphasize her last name because it would have been easy to find her if I had known it.
“Luca,” she exhales my name with a surprised breath.
Her eyes slide to her daughter, her son, then back to me.
“What are you doing here?” her voice rasps.
The rain pelts against the material of the umbrella.
“Your father was my rival. I came to pay my respects to a man who honored his word.”
“What’s your last name?” Camilla quivers, her mind working as she slides the pieces together.
“Bianco.” I kiss the top of her hand like I did the night we met, and she yanks it away from me.
“Cora. Will you please take the kids to the car?”
“Absolutely.” Cora stands. “Luca, it’s good to see you again.”
“You too, Cora. I’m sorry about the circumstances,” I say.
Cora walks away with the children, and Camilla stands, holding onto the umbrella’s handle so tight her knuckles turn white.
“You have adorable children. Twins? Is their father around?” I need to know. There will be no competition here. Camilla was mine first, and she will be my last.
“No. Yes. I mean,” she takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and her shoulders fall. “No, he isn’t. Is that really the first thing to ask me after so long?” she snaps, and the breeze kicks up a notch, causing the ends of her hair to get wet. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I’m all over the place right now. Luca, it’s good seeing you. I had no idea you were one of my father’s rivals or what happened that night—”
“—Would have happened anyway. You know of me then?”
“Everyone does,” she clips. “That night wasn’t a mistake, but it was a one-time thing. I’m sorry I left as I did, but it was better that way.”
“No, it wasn’t. And you know it,” I state through gritted teeth, snagging her arm but not adding any pressure. I don’t want her to think I’d hurt her. I’d never inflict pain on someone so precious to me. “You disappeared. Why?”
“I don’t want to get into that. My father just died. I want to move on with my life.”
My gaze softens as I stare at her. She’s so tired and defeated. “I am sorry about your father’s death. He and I understood one another. We had a truce, and we never broke it. You need to listen to me, okay? I know about the fortune—”
She rips her arm free of my hold and turns around to see if her kids are out of view. “—So that’s what this is about? You don’t actually care about me. You’re hoping I’ll fall back into bed with you and tell you where the fortune is. Wow,” she scoffs, shoving me in the chest. “The men in my life are something else.”
“No.” I take a step forward and lower my voice. “No, that’s not why. I’m saying there have always been rumors of it. Everyone in this business knows how wealthy he was and how he never went to the bank. People notice those things, and people talk. You’re in danger. I can protect you and your family.”
She blinks at me, then laughs.
And she finds what I said funny for far too long. She wipes her eyes, then places her hand on her hip, looking me up and down with a shake of her head.
“Someone who wants the fortune would say something like that. My father is dead. And we didn’t leave things on the best of terms, so I’d like to grieve in peace. No one has a hold on me anymore. No one even knows about me because of him.”
“Wrong. Everyone knows about you now. You should have thought of that before showing your face at the funeral.”
“I had to,” she sneers. “He was my dad.”
“And now the people here will talk, and the word will go through the underground grapevine that Thompson’s daughter is back in town. You’re the one with the fortune now.”
“I don’t have it.”
“They don’t know that, and they don’t care. I do. I’m offering you my help.”
“I don’t need your help. I haven’t needed anyone for five years. I know how to be on my own.” She begins to walk away, then stops. “Thank you for coming. I’ll see you around, Luca.”
She will be seeing me because I don’t plan on going anywhere.
She never has to be on her own again. I’ll make sure of that.
“I want eyes on her at all times, Alvize.”
“You got it.”
“Keep them at a safe distance. She’s smart. She’ll know someone is following her.” I can’t seem to pull my eyes off her as she walks away from me.
For the second time, and that’s two too many.
“And I want updates every hour on the hour. I want nothing to slip by me. Okay?”
“You got it,” he confirms. “She won’t be happy when she finds out.”
“She’ll learn to be.”
Before she climbs into the car, I know there is hope for us if she gives me one last look. There’s no way she’s gone all these years without thinking of me. Our story ended way too soon, and I want to start it again.
Look at me. Come on. Look at me, Camilla.
She dips her head as she gets in, then stops, straightening as if she can feel my eyes on her. She turns her chin to her shoulder, not looking at me but sensing me, and it’s enough to give me the hope I’ve been searching for.
“I want security in her shop installed and in Cora’s. I want cameras at all angles. I want to know everything about the people who own the shops around her. I want extensive background checks. I want a guard on her at all times.”
“You want to know so much about her when she has two kids? That’s a lot to take on, Luca. She’s been a single mom, and I know what that’s like because my mom raised me. They are different. They are stronger, and she won’t let anyone walk all over her. She’ll protect her kids at all costs. I’m not saying she isn’t worth it because she has two kids. I’m saying she is, but she won’t trust you immediately.”
“I know. She’d be dumb to trust me right away. And Camilla is anything but dumb.” She finally climbs into the car. “I like children,” I add out of nowhere when her car is out of sight. “I don’t have any yet due to timing.” I’ve already found the woman I want to have my kids with. I just need her to want that too.
“Well, to get in her good graces, start with getting the kids something. Show you’re interested in her life, not just her. Those kids are a package deal. You can’t have her without them. Show you care about them first, but it can’t be expensive, or she’ll need to repay you.”
“There are a lot of rules. It’s a good thing you know so much.”
“You should have seen the men that tried to date my mom. I’m lucky. Eventually, she would kick them all out when she realized they wanted nothing to do with me.” He claps my shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get out of the rain before the weather gets worse.”
As we head back to the car, I try to think of all the possibilities for Camilla and me. I haven’t been around kids, so the more I think about what they like, the more lost I become. “What would kids of their ages like? What about a bike? Maybe shooting lessons? I took shooting lessons when I was their age.” I keep walking until I notice Alvize isn’t beside me. I look back and notice him standing still, staring at me with an open mouth. “What?”
“You can’t give children their age shooting lessons. Are you insane? Horrible idea. Horrible. Let that thought go.”
“I turned out just fine.”
He glares at me. “You’re the leader of a criminal organization who beat up a drug dealer the other day until he lost most of his teeth.”
“I’m feared. I’m in power. I have money. I’m a businessman. I would say that’s successful.”
“Yes, but…” he rubs his eyes. “That’s not normal.”
“What do you suggest?” I ask, opening the passenger side door.
He waits to answer until we are in the SUV. “Candy.”
“Candy?” I repeat.
“Kids love candy.”
I can do that. I’ll get all the candy those kids could ever dream of.
“Don’t go overboard. A piece of two. Nothing too over the top, Luca. You’ll only push her away.”
That’s the last thing I want to do. I already have a long road ahead to gain her trust.
The drive home has me thinking but not of Camilla.
Of her children.
And I wished they were mine. Then, she’d be bound to me.
She’d be safe.
And she’d be mine.
