Chasing Stars - A Midnight Mafia Novel

Chapter Forty-Four

The ride home was silent. My mind was riddled with thoughts and decisions and I had no clue where to go from here. I loved Alessio. Really truly loved him. And I had chosen him and this life, had I not?

I just couldn't get the night out of my head. The way Sam had started after him when he realized who he was. How many times had he thought "if I saw the bastard responsible for killing my Nicolo..." only to have the moment come and it be under those circumstances? And my dad's face when he realized Alessio loved me. When everything came together. In seconds, I had seen his expression change to accommodate each stage of grief before he finally reached the final heartbreaking stage. Acceptance.

"Are you okay?" Alessio finally asked when we came back into our home.

"Yeah." I breathed with a light shake of the head. "Just thinking."

"Now, now, what have we said about you doing that."

I forced a smile and he put an arm over my shoulders, after a few moments he pulled me into him and wrapped the other arm around me too. "Oh Alessio." I sighed and burst into tears.

"Sh, sh, sh. It's alright."

I pushed on his chest creating space between us. "How can you possibly say that? It's not alright! Oh my God, I'm dating a criminal."

"You're living with him too." He reminded me and kissed my forehead. He pulled me into him again. "Your father is wrong, you know that. I can, and I will always protect you."

"I'm not worried about that." I said into his chest. "I'm worried about Sam, and my Dad. I mean...can you even imagine how hard this must be for them!"

"Oh. Well in that case it's fine."

"It isn't fine. It's terrible and cruel. I mean you are-" I stopped abruptly and bit my lip.

He pulled back. "I am what Katherine? The reason Nicolo is dead?"

"Sam is his father." I whispered. "How would you feel if I was dating the man who inadvertedly killed your son?"

"I have no son."

"Glad to know, but pretend."

"I wouldn't have left the man alive long enough for my niece to find the opportunity to date him."

"Exactly."

"But I didn't kill Nicolo. And then men who did-" He stopped abruptly.

"What? Go ahead, just say it. You killed them didn't you?"

"No."

"NO?" I gasped.

"Okay, yes."

"Well which is it?" I pulled away and threw my hands into the air. "It can't be both!"

"Of course I killed them. I just thought that would piss you off. You're quite impossible to read sometimes."

"Quite." I said with an eye roll.

"You know," He said taking his coat off and hanging it. He started up the stairs. "I didn't want to go in the first place."

"So this is my fault now?" I went up two steps before pausing and taking my heels off before continuing.