Arianna’s POV
My consciousness returned and I felt worst than a bag of rotten potatoes. My body ached all over and my head was indecisive. At some point, it felt like it was hurting but then in the next, it wasn’t.
I heard Gabriele’s prayers and for an instant, everything stopped. The pain was gone just by the sound of his voice.
A smile covered my face and I opened my eyes to find his broken figure in front of me.
“Arianna?” He jumped to his feet and held my face with tears in his eyes.
“Oh, my God!” He laughed while still crying. He seemed unable to contain his happiness.
I wished I could record this moment so that I could use it to mock him later. A mafia lord like him was crying and laughing at the same time.
I tried to get up and the pain I felt in my body was so strong that I sat back in shock.
Panic moved in my eyes as I tried to remember what happened. It was at that instance I looked around the place I was in.
“Where am I?”
Gabriele saw the panic in my eyes and he quickly sat on the bed and held my hand to his chest.
“Arianna, just relax okay? You are fine now, there is nothing to worry about,” He said.
I blinked hard and tried to read through his eyes but nothing gave off anything. I felt a burn on my left hand and I looked down to find it wrapped in bandages.
“What happened to me?” I whispered staring up to gaze at him.
How was he here?
Gabriele wasn’t in Italy. He was in the USA. How did he come back so quickly? What happened to me?
I closed my eyes and tried to remember but I only got glimpses of a bright red light. Then everything turned blurry.
“Gabriele, what happened?”
“The house caught fire and you were in your room when it happened…” Gabriele explained and was like a beacon of light in the dark. My memories cleared up.
The red light became the fire and I saw myself fall out of the door. Everywhere was burning and there was nowhere to run.
I tried to move around to where I thought was the stair but I only went deeper into the mass of smoke. My head became foggy and the last thing I remembered was my weak cry for help before I passed out in the burning heat.
“You are safe now,” Gabriele said as he rubbed his warm hands on my upper arm.
“What about Sofia? And the rest of the girls? Did they make it out?” I asked.
I saw people running around but I couldn’t tell who made it out and who didn’t.
“I haven’t asked them for the headcount yet. I was more concerned for you,” Gabriele said in a soft voice.
I just nodded as my body felt too weak to start imagining what scenario we could have. I hoped in the depth of my heart that everyone survived. I wouldn’t be able to take it otherwise.
“Look who is finally awake!” I heard Agostino exclaim from the door.
I gave him a small smile and he returned it with a bigger smile. He walked closer to the bed and placed his hand on Gabriele’s shoulder.
“I am happy you are awake now. This young man threatened us so much, I was certain he would kill everyone in this country if anything happened to you.” Agostino mused.
“Where is Basilio?” I asked weakly. I wanted to know how my friends were doing. Did Niko and Sofia make it out?
“He should be out in the reception crying his eyes out,” he said.
“Oh,” I whispered.
Gabriele didn’t say anything. He only held my hand and watched me as I interacted with Agostino.
After Agostino left saying something about going to check on the doctor, Gabriele brought my hand to his lips and held my eyes.
“What?” I asked seeing the urgency in his eyes yet his lips refused to move.
His eyes became dazed over and I thought he would cry but he sniffled and kissed my hand again.
My heart was shaking as I knew deep down that we still had that issue to talk about but the pain and relief floating in his eyes was too much for me to handle.
I felt a jolt of fear in my heart. What if there was something wrong with me that he was hiding? What if I lose a particularly important organ from the fire?
“Gabriele… Talk to me, what is it?”
He saw the panic building in my eyes and he shook his head. “No no, you are fine. I am just – I am just glad that you are alright. I thought…” His voice broke at the end and he kissed my hand again as he tried to catch his breath.
“When I got the news that the house has been attacked, Arianna I thought I had lost you… It broke me…” He stared deep into my eyes and I could feel his pain in every word he uttered.
“Gabriele, I am fine now…” I said holding his cheek. I didn’t want to see that pain in his eyes anymore. I couldn’t take seeing him in so much pain.
“I am here now,” I added.
He looked into my eyes and placed another kiss on my hand.
“I love you, Arianna. I really do.”
My heart melted and I felt a small tear trail down my cheek.
“Gabriele-” I choked out.
I wanted him. More than ever I was in love with him a very long time ago. I was just too stubborn to admit it to myself.
“I know it’s hard to believe but I have been in love with you since the very day you came into my life… Arianna, you drove me crazy.”
I opened and mouth to speak but nothing left my lips. I was unable to make out anything.
This was … The best moment in my life.
“You still drive me crazy… And I am grateful to the lord that you came out of this alive… I love you, Arianna. Please believe me,” he said.
I held his cheek and placed my fingers on his lips. “I believe you, Gabriele… I love you too…”
He got up and hugged me close to his chest. He placed kisses on top of my head and held me tight like I was the only thing that mattered.
Butterflies flew all over my body and the tingles made me forget all about the burn pains in my body. This was the best feeling ever. To love someone and know that they loved you back.
“I will never let you go… Ever…” He said.
But then, there were the other women in his life. What would become of them? What about his job as a Mafia? I couldn’t live that fast life…
“The house is ruined now. I will make sure to build you a new one but in the main time, we can stay in my villa in the suburbs,” he said as he held me.
“Nothing will be able to get to you there. Absolutely nothing. I will protect you with my life Arianna…”
But was that the solution? Would it end all of these?
“What about Eleana and Nadia?” I whispered.
He gently raised my jaw so that I was looking into his face. “I will give them back their freedom if you want that. I don’t care what happens or becomes of them… I know it’s selfish but all I want and care about are you…”
Electric tingles flooded my bloodstream but I couldn’t help but feel that we could never truly be happy.
“What about your job?” My voice was low but my eyes transmitted the urgency in my question.
He paused and looked into my eyes. He searched my face, looking for a compromise but there was none.
“You have a good job, Gabriele. Your businesses are doing great. Why don’t you stop this dangerous life?”
I felt his heart stop and his hands went limp around me. He pulled away and looked deep into my eyes.
“This mafia life you live … It isn’t the best… There will always be danger around us…” I urged on.
He could make a better life for himself if only he focused on his legal businesses.
“Gabriele, we don’t have to keep running or watching our backs… We can live a simple life…”
He let out a deep sigh and took my hand to his lips again. “If that’s what you want, then consider it done. I will drop everything but not until I find the fuckers who tried to take you away from me.”
The determination in his eyes alone was enough for me to know that there was nothing I could say that would make him change his mind.
“After that… No more?” I squeaked out.
This time he kissed my lips, never breaking eye contact.
“Yes, my love… If that will make you happy. Then I will stop-” he was about to place another kiss on my lips when a knock at the door broke our chemistry.
“I am sorry, may I come in?”
I turned to find no other person but Brett at the door standing with flowers in his hands.