Francesca ✔︎

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Francesca

    "So...." I trail off, side eyeing Lorenzo stuffing his face full of Helene's freshly baked cookies. "Marino is back, and you want to go after them, but leave me behind?"

Lorenzo wipes the crumbs off his face, licking his lips like he just ate a fine dining meal. "Don't stare at me like that. It was Vincenzo's idea."

"Of course it was." I sigh, ignoring Vincenzo's attempt to embrace me in his strong arms. Being in his hold is my safe place, but right now....I'm pissed at him.

"Francesca." He whispers my name through clenched teeth. I know he's frustrated at me too. The feeling is mutual, but I want to kill Marino as much as everyone in the Valentino family.

"He teamed up with Dominick to murder my mum and dad, Vincenzo. I have every right to watch him die painfully as you have." I spit out my words, clenching my fists.

I've wanted to take revenge ever since Gianni, (that fucking bastard), took me in as a kid. I don't see why Vinny is so hellbent on keeping me away.

"Lorenzo, leave us alone for a second." Vinny sighs, grabbing hold of my wrist as I try to storm off.

"Thank God." Lorenzo mumbles, snatching the last cookie up. "Why don't you two make up and have sex already."

"Get the fuck out!" Vincenzo growls making Lorenzo run out chuckling like a little kid.

Once it's just the two of us in the kitchen, Vinny runs his hands through his messy hair.

"Stop being difficult, amore." The usual sweet talking Vincenzo does regularly isn't working for me at the moment.

In fact, it make me more furious.

"You're the difficult one!" I slam my finger into his chest, wrinkling his white buttoned up shirt. His sleeves were rolled around his elbows showing off his muscular forearms.

Damn him for being sexy!

"My father is a dangerous man, France. I know that you deserve to watch him die, but I don't want you to get hurt. I-!" He suddenly stops, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "There is so much you still don't know about me and the fucking dysfunctional family I have. Marino has more connections than Dominick had. Marino can simply snap his fingers and have the fucking government do his bidding."

Vincenzo pauses, reaching out to caress my cheek. "I need you alive, Francesca Walsh. You don't understand the danger you can possibly get yourself into."

I lick my chapped lips taking everything he said into consideration.

I've been through dangerous shit before. Hell, I almost died by the hands of a crazy Russian mob. I know Vincenzo and I have gotten A LOT closer since the time I tried to kill him, but I don't need to be treated like I'm made of glass.

Taking his hand, I play with the many rings around his fingers. "I know that it's dangerous. And I know that I still have a lot to learn about you and your past." I start to trace the tattoos on his hands, taking a step closer to him.

"I need you to understand that I understand all the risks. I choose to be with you and everyone in this estate. I chose to go after Dominick myself. I chose so much in the past few months knowing all the risks." I gulp, taking another step closer to him. His front now pressed up against mine.

"Being intimate with you is a risk too. A risk that I was willing to take." His grey eyes darken, his fingers start to twirl stands of my hair. "I'm not going to let you go without me. I care about you, Vincenzo. For my own sanity please, please, please don't leave me behind."

There are tears starting to form in my eyes, the confession wasn't all that truthful though.

...I don't just care about him.

I fucking love him.

I see his jaw tick which is a clear sign of him giving up. He releases my hair to roughly grab the back of my neck and pull me into a heated kiss.

He quickly pulls away, giving my ass a harsh smack. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?" He grits out. Before I can give him a snarky response, he sits on the dining chair, patting his thigh as an invitation.

I happily plop down on his lap, making sure my backside is closely pressed against his chest.

His fingers start to run through my hair, his other arm wrapped securely around my waist.

"Vinny?" I speak, my own curiosity too persistent to keep a lid on it. "Yes, amore?"

I bite back the grin threatening to spread on my face. I love him so much. Technically, he didn't verbally comply to the whole Marino situation, but I think it's pretty clear I won at this point.

"Can I ask about your childhood? I know you shared a few things with me but I want to know more."

His fingers stop moving in my hair. I'm afraid he's about to deny me but he doesn't. Instead he sighs, rubbing my shoulders gently. "I'm guessing you want to know the bad parts more than the good?"

How did he know!?

I nod, leaning back into his touch. My head now resting on his shoulder.

"My mother was the main one taking care of Lorenzo, Ria and I. She always took pity on us when Marino took his anger out on us." Vinny clears his throat then speaks once again.

"On my thirteenth birthday, training to become apart of the mafia begun. I remember having to obey everything Marino said. If I refused there would always be consequences."

I start to hear the strain in Vincenzo's voice making me twist my head to plant a kiss on his lips. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

He gives me a half smile in appreciation but shakes his head, his black curls flopping on his forehead. "I want you to know all about me. Just like I hope to soon know all about you, amore."

"Sweet talker." I flirtatiously coo, running my hands up and down his solid chest.

"When I was seventeen, my dad order me to kill my best friend, Cameron. We had been friends since secondary school. We even played football together throughout high school. Marino wanted me to prove my loyalty to him, but I refused."

"Oh no." I mumble feeling the pain Vincenzo feels inside him. I can't imagine having to kill your own friend.

"Marino injected me with a temporary paralyzing drug and dragged me to our old house's basement. There he made me watch him torture Cam for hours and I couldn't do a single thing about but silently cry."

I gasp at the pain I feel for my man. I wish he had an easier childhood. Marino deserves to be punished for the things he put Vinny and his siblings through.

"My mother caught wind of what happened. She wasn't happy that Cam died and that I was drugged by my own father. Marino and her got into a really bad argument until Marino just pulled out a gun and shot her." I don't even realize tears are streaming down my cheeks until Vincenzo starts to kiss them away. "My fucking father killed my mother." He whispers more to himself than to me.

"I'm so sorry, Vincenzo." I snuggle my face into his warm neck. "No one deserves such things that happened to you."

We go into a comfortable silence before he picks me up like a bride and walks us to his room.

He lays me on his bed before joining me, pulling me to himself as close as possible. I smile into my chest loving every moment of this.

"Francesca..." He whispers sleepily.

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm in love with you." He says slower, on the verge of falling asleep.

I can't help but smile like an idiot as his breathing slows down and becomes deeper. I lift my chin up to kiss his neck.

"I think I might be in love with you too."

He hums happily, his eyes closed but a smile evident. That's the last thing I see before falling asleep in his arms.