As we race away in the car, a storm of anger and fear swells inside me. How could she be so reckless? How could she risk everything like that?
When the empty road stretches before us, I slam on the brakes, my heart pounding in my chest. I throw the...
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It had been two days since we arrived at my cabin. Two days of temporary peace away from the chaos and the nightmare that was hunting us. But I knew we couldn’t hide forever. I had brought Chiara here to keep her safe, to give us both a moment to breathe, but deep down, I knew that sooner or later, the world would come crashing back in.
Today, I set up some targets outside the cabin. I wanted to teach her how to use a gun. Not because I thought she’d need to, not because I wanted to put a weapon in her hands, but because I had to prepare her for the worst. The thought of her ever having to fire it sent a chill down my spine, but I couldn’t ignore the reality of our situation. If things got bad enough… she needed to know how to protect herself.
As I finished setting up, I heard the cabin door creak open behind me. I turned, and there she was—Chiara, stepping out into the cool morning air. She was wearing a simple tank top and sweats, her hair pulled back, and yet she managed to take my breath away all over again.
*This woman,* I thought, letting out a slow breath. Every time I looked at her, it hit me just how deep I’d fallen.
She smiled at me, the kind of smile that made me feel like maybe everything was going to be okay, despite the storm raging around us. Then, without a word, she walked over to me and kissed me, soft and warm.
“What’s all this?” she asked when she pulled back, her eyes scanning the targets and the gun resting on the table beside me.
“I wanted to teach you some self-defense,” I replied, trying to keep my voice casual. “Just in case.”
Her brow arched slightly, amusement flickering in her eyes, but she didn’t question me. Instead, she waited as I stepped forward and began showing her a few basic self-defense moves. Nothing too advanced, just simple techniques to help her get away if someone tried to grab her. But as soon as I demonstrated the first move, something unexpected happened.
Chiara outperformed me.
With a swift movement, she executed the defense I had shown her flawlessly, and I found myself blinking in shock. She didn’t just get it right; she moved with a confidence and precision that left me momentarily speechless.
She turned back to me, her expression playful as she caught the surprise on my face. “What?” she asked, smirking.
I shook my head, trying to hide my astonishment. “Nothing,” I muttered, though my mind was racing. Where the hell did she learn that?
Still trying to wrap my head around it, I picked up the gun from the table and handed it to her, explaining the basics of aiming and shooting. I lined up my own shot, showing her how to do it, and then motioned for her to take her turn. “Try it. Aim for the target.”
Chiara took the gun with a steady hand, her eyes narrowing slightly as she aimed. And then, with a single, precise shot, she hit the bullseye.
I stood there, staring at the target in disbelief. My mind reeled as I looked back at her. She was smirking again, her lips curling up in that way that told me she had been holding back a secret.
I crossed my arms over my chest, raising an eyebrow. “Okay, what’s going on here? You’re not telling me something.”
She chuckled softly, lowering the gun and setting it down on the table. “I guess I should come clean.” She turned to face me fully, her eyes softening as she began to explain. “When I was a teenager, my mom taught me how to use a gun. She also sent me to martial arts classes.”
I blinked, absorbing the information. “Your mom taught you to shoot? Why?”
Chiara’s expression shifted then, the playful light in her eyes dimming as she spoke. “Because of what happened to my dad.”
The weight in her voice hit me immediately, and I stepped closer, my chest tightening. “You don’t have to tell me if you’re not comfortable.”
But she shook her head, as if she had already decided to let me in. “It’s okay. You should know.”
She paused for a moment, her gaze drifting away as if she was pulling herself back to a memory she hadn’t revisited in a long time.
“We had a good life, growing up,” she started, her voice soft, but steady. “My dad ran a small café in Florida. It was just the three of us—him, my mom, and me. I was six, and I remember being happy. Things were simple, and my parents were in love. But then… one night, everything changed.”
I watched her face as she spoke, seeing the pain and strength behind her eyes.
“A mafia gang attacked our house in the middle of the night. They robbed us, took everything we had. My dad tried to protect us, but they…” Her voice broke slightly, but she pushed through. “They beat him, right in front of my mom and me. I was screaming for them to stop, begging them to leave him alone, but no one listened.”
I clenched my fists at my sides, anger simmering beneath my skin at the thought of a little girl—my Chiara—having to witness something so brutal.
“They set the house on fire,” she continued, her voice barely above a whisper now. “My dad… he saved me and my mom. He got us out, but he didn’t make it. The last thing he told me before he died was to be strong.”
I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I didn’t know what to say. Chiara stood there, her gaze distant, as if she were back in that burning house, hearing her father’s final words.
“My mom took me to California after that. She started a café there with what little we had left. She taught me how to protect myself. She wanted to make sure I was strong, just like my dad asked. So, she sent me to martial arts, and when I was old enough, she taught me how to shoot. She didn’t want me to ever be that helpless again.”
I swallowed hard, my voice low. “I’m sorry, tuono.”
She met my eyes, and I saw the fire there, the same fire that had drawn me to her from the beginning. “I hate the mafia,” she admitted quietly, “but I know you’re different. You’re not like them. You’re working with the FBI to take them down. That’s why I believe in you.”
I stepped closer, reaching out to cup her face in my hands. “You are strong, tuono,” I told her, my voice firm. “That’s what made me fall for you.”
She chuckled softly, her eyes brightening just a little. “Oh, so you’re saying you’re in love with me because I could kick your ass?”
I grinned, leaning in to kiss her forehead. “Maybe,” I teased. “But I’m serious. You’re stronger than you know. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever met.”
That night, after Chiara fell asleep, I lay next to her, watching her breathe. She looked so peaceful, so at ease, and I wished I could protect her from the truth. But the secret I had been hiding for so long was clawing its way out, and I knew that when I finally told her, it would change everything.
I had to tell her. She deserved to know.
But when I did… would she still look at me the way she did now?
Or would she hate me for the rest of her life?
My Tuono.
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of what was to come.
The truth could destroy us, and I wasn’t sure if we’d survive the fallout.
