Chapter 37: Dangerous Deception: Chapter 37

The late August sun soaks down from a cloudless sky, warming my bare arms and legs as I rest back comfortably against Raffaele’s chest. He lazily drapes one arm around my waist, playing with my hair with his other hand.

Even with my eyes closed, I can sense almost every detail about him.

The calm thump of his heart just beneath my ear, the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathes deeply, the calming scent of his cologne mingling with the vanilla rising from his freshly washed skin.

The world around me is peaceful. Quiet.

Just beyond the patio where we rest, birds flit among the trees, squirrels scurry about the branches, and a particularly fat bumblebee does an amusing dance trying to fit between the petals of a flower. I watch it with one eye cracked lazily open and huff out a quiet breath of laughter when it finally lands home.

“What are you thinking about?” Raffaele asks, his fingers lazily massaging my scalp and then petting through my hair once more.

“A bumble bee,” I reply softly. “It was struggling to get into that flower over here.” Lifting one arm, I point lazily in the direction. “Things were looking impossible for a minute.”

“Dramatic,” Raffaele murmurs.

“Intense,” I agree. “But he was successful.”

“Good on him.”

“Mmhmm.” I close my eyes and rest, soaking up the heat from the sun and the warmth from Raffaele until a text notification dings on his phone. He doesn’t stop playing with my hair but the comforting arm around me vanishes briefly. When it reappears, I shift in his lap and open my eyes to study his phone as it balances in his hand.

A news article about the Irish scandal blinks across the screen stating the demand for dire punishments against all who had a hand in the dumping of chemical waste that has poisoned and killed hundreds of people.

“Wow,” I murmur, studying the picture of the Irish Captain being dragged up some steps in handcuffs. “They’re not hiding any of this.”

“They can’t,” Raffaele replies. “Vito didn’t just deliver the information to the authorities. He sent it to every news outlet that would listen. Nothing will be kept a secret. No death will go unanswered.”

“No amount of money can save them, either.” Deserved, in my opinion. The court of public opinion might be harsh, but when it comes to assholes in power with obnoxious wealth, it’s the only way to reach a verdict. And no one holds love for the Irish and Italian bastards who poisoned the water.

“Oh, I meant to say.” Leaning up with one hand braced on Raffaele’s chest for balance, I look him in the eye. “A couple of the kids at the hospital have the toxin in their blood. With the right treatment, they should make a full recovery.”

“That’s amazing news.” Raffaele smiles warmly. “You’re helping them, I presume.”

Nodding quickly, I smile. “All of them. I’m working with the board to set up clinics across the city so that people can get tested. I’ve already started a hydration drive to bring in water from other parts of the city and other states so that people here will have access to clean drinking water. The reservoir is completely contaminated, so we’ll need to find another way to fix that, but until then, no one will go thirsty.”

“How very entrepreneurial of you,” Raffaele teases. “All that in a week puts me to shame.”

“I had to help. Knowing my father caused this is…” My nose scrunches slightly. “He isn’t here to take responsibility, so I will. I will fix what he broke. It can’t bring anyone back, but it can help people move on, I think. Which reminds me, I want to set up a fund for lawyers, too. Anyone who wants to sue should be able to.”

“Not that I’m against your taking on the entire weight of the city’s water and healthcare.” Raffaele chuckles, setting his phone aside and caressing my waist. “But you need to take care of yourself too.”

“I will. As long as the police and the FBI do their part, I’ll do mine. Besides, it’s easy to work on that while visiting Caterina.”

“How is she doing?”

“Frustrated that she’s in the hospital, but she was glad to hear Pascal is dead.” Saying his name leaves a sour taste on my tongue. He’s no father of mine, that’s for sure, and detaching myself from him leaves me room to focus on other, better, feelings. “But she’s recovering well. You saved her life.”

Raffaele rolls his eyes. “Hardly.”

“She told me what you did at that house. I’m proud of you.”

“For getting blown up?”

“No.” Chuckling, I lean down and kiss him lightly. “You killed the last guard I had who was around when I was harmed. I’m glad you didn’t kill her, because I like her.”

“Oh.” Raffaele rolls his eyes slightly. “She was there for you, a lot. And your ending up with Pascal was my fault too. If I’d told you the truth sooner, I could have saved you a lot of pain.”

“Maybe.” I run my thumb over Raffaele’s lower lip. “But hearing the truth from his own mouth was… eye-opening. Made it easier to digest, I think. Rather than hearing it from someone else. If you’d told me a couple of weeks ago, I don’t even know if I would have believed you.”

“That’s fair.” Raffaele kisses the pad of my wandering thumb. “I’m sorry, Adelina. You’ve been through so much this month and most of it is because of me.”

“No, most of it was because I was blind to the insanity of my father for so many years. I…” Tension worms its way through my chest. “I don’t understand how he could care more about his family name and reputation than his actual family. What he did was disgusting, but to continue even after Mother got sick? How could he not do everything in his power to save her?”

Like Raffaele did for me. He walked into a trap without backup, determined to do everything he could to get me back. Did Pascal not love my mother the same way?

“The moment he sold you, I suspected he wasn’t the family man he claimed to be, but I was blind also. Half by your beauty and half by my own ego.”

“You think I’m beautiful?” I smirk softly, and Raffaele chuckles. “I just wonder if he ever loved my mother.”

“Your mother had you,” Raffaele says softly. “I’m sure she had all the love she needed. Pascal was just a twisted man with twisted thoughts and values, blinded by money and power. He didn’t deserve to call you his daughter.”

“Not that it matters now.” I sigh and settle back against his chest. “He’s dead, and that’s the least he deserves.”

“Indeed. Though, to be clear…” Raffaele sits up, and I follow, allowing his body to move me. “I am thankful he was such a man because if he hadn’t sold you to me, I never would have met you or gained an amazing wife.” Two fingers rest under my chin as he tilts my head up for a kiss. “And now we’re going to have a baby together.”

I kiss him back slowly and study his eyes when we move apart. “You’re really happy about that?”

“I never anticipated it,” he admits softly. “But the moment those words came out of Caterina’s mouth, it was like everything suddenly snapped into place and the only thing I wanted in the world was to get you back safe. I’d have given up everything just for that.”

“I’m sorry I kept it secret. In the beginning, I thought it was because Pascal cared about us and he didn’t want to get your hopes up. I kind of thought it was a guy thing. I know now that it was just a ploy, but…” An uncertain tightness twists in my chest. “What if it happens again?”

Raffaele frowns, stroking my cheek. “How do you mean?”

“What if I’m blind to other dangers like I was to him?”

“It’s not your instinct to see the worst in people.” Raffaele speaks gently. “You paint for sick children. Your first instinct is to help people, and you bought a hospital for exactly that reason. Being unable to see snakes isn’t a bad thing, and besides…” His smile turns sly. “You have me for that.”

“Really?”

“Mmhmm. We’ll face it all together, and I’m excellent at sniffing out a rat. Nothing will ever harm you again, not while I’m around.”

“What about when you’re not around?” I slide my fingers up his chest, toying with the buttons on his shirt.

Raffaele draws me in again, pressing a lingering kiss to my lips and gently nudging our noses together. “I’ll always be around, Adelina. No matter what you think of me, from now until the day we die, I will always be here.”

He speaks with such honest determination that I believe him wholeheartedly. Our eyes meet, and a surge of love swells in my chest like a balloon. I never said those words back to him at the warehouse because I was scared. Scared of what would change once I admitted that I’d come to love the man I once hated.

But it’s the most honest feeling inside me and I can’t sit on it any longer.

“I love you too,” I say, pressing another kiss to his lips.

“What?” Open surprise washes over Raffaele’s face. “You don’t have to say it back to me, you know.”

“I know. But it’s true. You make me feel safe and protected. Loved. You stood by me through Marie, even when I was being an ass to you. You came for me and put your life on the line for me. You’ve never once belittled my art or tried to persuade me to give up on the hospital. Except for when you forbade me to leave, but even then, you didn’t make me feel bad for my passions. You make me feel supported. And the day I found out I was pregnant, I was excited. Scared, sure, but a part of me was excited because it means a future with you. A real future.”

By the time I pause, tears shine in Raffaele’s eyes.

“So I mean it,” I say, my voice betraying the wobbling emotions inside me. “I love you, Raffaele.”

“I love you too.” Our mouths clash together in a fierce kiss that differs from the usual passionate, biting kisses. This one is deep as we pour every ounce of our love and truth into the kiss, as if we can imprint on one another so neither of us will forget just how loved we are by the other.

“Thank you,” Raffaele says, pulling me close in his arms. “Thank you for bringing color back into my world.”