I cut myself off to take a breath and calm down my thoughts when, all of a sudden, I feel a touch on my hand. I got so deep in my mind that I completely lost track of Liss’s movements-and it looks like she’s been
watching me the whole time. Her hand reaches out to lie on my wrist and squeeze it ever so slightly without distracting me from driving.
But before she can pull it back, I take my hand off the wheel and follow her touch, putting my hand on her lap. Driving with one hand is not a big deal, especially when my heart is ready to burst with affection. Liss folds her fingers around my hand and holds it carefully before pressing a kiss to my knuckles, and at this moment, I feel like I could turn the world upside down for her.
“I had the same feelings,” she says quietly after a moment, drawing invisible lines on my palm. “When I was there with Giovanni, I almost-I almost killed him. I was ready to do it, I really was-but then, I thought about you and Romeo and how…how everything would change if I pulled the trigger, you know?”
She looks up at me, and in the fleeting moment that I catch her gaze, I see the reflection of my own love and pain.
“If I killed him, I would never be the same. I’d be a murderer, there would be blood on my hands, and-god, I wouldn’t even be able to look
Romeo in the eyes.” She shakes her head, squeezing my hand tighter, and I can hear her voice turn deeper with emotions. “I wanted-I hoped there was still a chance for us to be a family. And I realized it was more important than holding onto the past and continuing this circle of hatred.”
With every word Liss says, I feel something inside of me growing through the shackles of doubts and questions, and by the time she finishes, I pull to the side of the road and turn to look at her properly. She blinks and looks around in confusion, but I return her grip on my hand, entwining my fingers with hers, and Liss turns to look me in the eyes.
God, I thought it was impossible to love her more, but now I can feel the true strength of my feelings gripping my heart from the inside. Just days ago, I was miserable and didn’t know how to keep going-now, I feel as if I’m ready to fly from the pure euphoria growing in my chest like a balloon.
“I promise, we’ll figure out a different way to make them pay for Hank’s death,” I murmur, holding Liss’s gaze and holding her hands with mine. “I won’t let the woman I love do this alone ever again.”
Her eyes immediately widen, but a moment later she looks away with a hesitant frown. “Do you still love me?”
I chuckle-as if it isn’t obvious-raise my hand to catch her chin, and pull Liss toward me, meeting her lips halfway. She instantly freezes
before relaxing into the kiss with a satisfied sigh, and god, yes, I missed this too.
The sensation of her soft lips on mine, the sweetish scent of her deodorant, her small hands that fit in my palm so perfectly. Everything about her presence fills my heart with warmth, grounding me in the present and giving me hope for the future, and deep down inside, I know I’d put my life on the line for her in an instant.
It’s hard to pull back from her, what with the heat of desire already spreading through my veins, but the sight of her bright smile is worth it. I can’t help but smile in return-and it feels like the first genuine smile in days. I stroke her chin, learning the features of her face all over again, and the look of pure happiness in her eyes warms me up from the inside.
“So, do you want to see Romeo?”
Because no matter how much I want to spend some time alone with her, I know just how much he’s missed her-and the way Liss lights up at his mention tells me she missed him too.
So I drive straight to the daycare facility, and all the way there my hand remains in Liss’s hold. I can’t find it in me to let go of her now- there’s something about her touch that fills me with the pure energy of love.
And only when Mrs. Falcon guides Romeo out
of the building to meet me do I let go of Liss to get out of the car.
Romeo is staring at his feet, shuffling his way to the parking lot, looking as grumpy as he was when I left him this morning. This morning. God, can you imagine that it’s been less than a day since I sat in my office, wondering if I would ever see Liss again? I look back at her just in time to see her get out of the car with a grin on her lips and her eyes set on Romeo.
“Is this the naughty boy I’ve heard so much about?” Liss asks loudly, and Romeo immediately perks up and raises his head. The look on his face changes in an instant, the grumpy frown giving way to a look of pure joy and excitement.
“Miss Liss!” he all but yells, running to her with the widest grin on her face, and I catch a perplexed look on Mrs. Falcon’s face. Perhaps she hasn’t seen him so happy ever since I started bringing him here.
I guess I’ll have to call them tomorrow to let them know we won’t need their services anymore.
“Hey,” Liss says with a laughing voice and opens her arms for Romeo to jump into. The impact sends her a few steps backward, but it
doesn’t look like she minds. She still has a soft, affectionate smile on her lips as she wraps her arms around his shoulders, returning the hug. “I missed you, sweetheart.”
“I knew you’d be back,” Romeo murmurs, holding her tightly with his eyes closed and a smile on his lips, and something in my heart nags sweetly at the sight.
After Sienna died, I was sure I wouldn’t be able to build a new family-but it looks like I was wrong. Because here it is, right in front of me, filling me with a sense of peace and contentment. Right now, I don’t need anyone else but them.
It takes them a few minutes to exchange all their hugs and greetings, and I’m sure I notice tears in Romeo’s eyes even though he fiercely wipes them away, claiming that it’s from the wind. Well, whatever it is, I’m glad to see him so alive and happy again, and even if he gets a little emotional, it only shows how much he truly loves her.
As soon as we get back into the car, Liss taking the back seat next to him, Romeo snuggles closer to her to talk more about the boring nannies at daycare and how Dolce lost his favorite toy the other day. I let them enjoy
each other’s presence, focusing on the drive back home and thinking about a good place to have dinner on the way, when I hear a buzz from the back seat.
Is it Liss’s phone? I tense up immediately and look at her through the rearview mirror, remembering her short list of contacts. It could be anyone else, of course, not only the Mexican guy-but the look on her face speaks for itself.
As soon as she reads the message, Liss drops her smile, swallows, and looks up at me through the mirror. Shit. Her eyes are wide and scared, and it doesn’t look like the Mexicans are ready to forgive her. Those goddamn rats. I clench my jaw, thinking about what could be in the message, but we can’t talk about it in Romeo’s presence, so as soon as I reach a stop sign I hold out my hand.
“Let me see.”
Liss gives me her phone without hesitation, and I open the messages.
You chose the wrong side.
Tell the Messinas to enjoy their power while they can. They don’t have much time left.
Is this a threat? I huff and hand the phone back to Liss, driving forward. The Mexicans still think they can scare us. What a joke.
“What do you think?” Liss asks a few minutes later once Romeo has dozed off on her shoulder, and I can hear in her tense voice that the messages did impress her.
“Don’t worry about it. The Escarras like to pretend that they’re stronger than they actually are.”
“I don’t know.” She hums, looking down at her phone. “Giovanni seemed pretty serious about taking you down.”
God, how much I wish I could hold Liss’s hand right now.
“Whatever they think they have, it’s nothing,” I say with all the confidence I have, looking at her through the mirror. “We’ll talk to Riccardo, we’ll figure it out but, Liss, you are safe with me. I’d rather die than let anything happen to you or Romeo.”
Liss nods, chewing her lips with a look of uncertainty, and casts her gaze down to her phone. “But what if something happens to you?”
Oh. I blink. Is she worried about me? The realization fills my heart with warmth and amusement, and I chuckle softly. She really doesn’t know my family, huh?
“I’m a Messina. They would need something more than empty threats to take me down.”