Marriage by Bravery - Book 3

Chapter Eight

Kim

It had been a week since Luca had called off the wedding. A week since I had declared open season on his affections. One excruciating week since the last time I had seen him. Crazy, I know. After we left his office that day, he sat me down and explained to me that his decision to not marry Anabel Abruzzo would be seen as a severe act of disrespect. He said there would be a lot of unpleasant backlash, which basically meant that there would be no time for him to focus on exploring the possibility of a relationship with me. In layman's terms he had to do all he could to cover our asses so that we'd be alive to have a relationship.

In the moment I had agreed, saying that I totally understood and that he needed to do what was necessary to ease the blow of his rejection. I was seriously regretting that now, it's not that I wanted to die or anything, I just hadn't anticipated not seeing him any at all. I thought it would just be damage control by day and heated, passionate love making by night. Hell, I wasn't even sure if he came home anymore.

It could be worst you know, I thought absently which was true. I at least had his great butler and house keeper for company. Plus his mom came over to stay with me during his absence. She didn't mention it but I could tell things weren't going well right now. She had accidentally let it slip that the only reason Luca's father was helping him was that he didn't want the Giordano family to seem weak in the eyes of its enemies and rivals. I had felt bad for about five minutes before I pushed the doubts aside. This wasn't the middle ages and these big bad mafia men needed to get over it. Who the hell arranged marriages anymore, that was so 16th century. Luca deserved to be happy even if he didn't realize it and fortunately for him I was the master of being disruptive and pointing out the obvious. That said, the lack of his presence was basically like trying to quit smoking. I thrived on tormenting him and straining his self control. I sighed deeply.

"Oh come on Kimmy, just think when he's back it will be with peace of mind from knowing that everything has been resolved and that all of us are safe," Lia said.

"And he won't have any excuse for why you two can't get together," Naia added.

"Well, that is true but you guys this is killing me,he's holed up in his office day and night all alone, on call after call, no warmth, no comfort, no me" I whined to the Naia and Lia, "he must be suffering so much!"

The girls rolled their eyes at my theatrics. We were on a three way video call and I was updating them on all of the nothingness that had happened since the last time we spoke, which was yesterday. There wasn't much else I could tell since I was being kept in the dark about the details and they already knew about the canceled wedding because Luca had called his brother to warm him of what he had done, not to mention the implications of his actions.

It seemed there was more to this mafia thing than top hats and cute guns. He'd told Damian that he needed to get additional security for his family as well as warn his close friends and associates to do the same. It also meant canceling all trips in or out of Italy for the Giordano family and their associates until he was either able to appease or subdue the Abruzzo's wrath. Not that I knew what this "wrath" entailed since everyone was being so damned secretive and the only person that I could actually squeeze information out of was missing in action. I sighed again.

"Uhmm hello, best friends trying to entertain you over here," Naia snapped.

I plastered a smile to my face, not wanting to further irritate an already cranky pregnant woman. I made a conscious decision to save my sulking for after I got off the call. Right now, I was going to enjoy the virtual company of the two women that had, somewhat forcefully, taken me under their wings when I had no one else. With that encouraging thought I dove fully into the conversation chattering a mile a minute about everything and nothing all at once.

Later that night, I settled into Luca's bed as had become my habit since he stopped coming home. It made me feel close to him, nothing creepy about that. I stuffed my face into his pillow and inhaled deeply. His scent had become faint, I must have sniffed all the goodness out of the pillow case.

Damn it, I thought angrily as I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. I was so caught up in my sulking that I didn't realize I was no longer alone in the room. The bed dipped and jolted me out of my thoughts, I screeched and started flailing wildly as the dark figure reached for me.

"Oh no, you don't you psycho murderer!" I screamed as I pushed all my weight against him, throwing us both over the edge of the bed.

"Dio mio, woman!" My would-be killer exclaimed as we made contact with the ground, I froze immediately.

I know that voice, I LOVE that voice, I thought, my heart racing wildly as I rolled off of the Luca my imagination had conjured up.

"I'm not in your imagination Kimberly," he growled.

I cursed quietly, realizing I had said what I was thinking out loud.

"Kim you really have to work on keeping your thoughts on the inside," he chuckled.

"Yeah, well you should work on not skulking around in the dark like a creeper," I snapped suddenly angry at him.

"Last I checked this was my room," I could hear the amusement in his voice, "not to mention my house."

"Well, excuuuse me then!" I huffed as I scrambled to my feet and headed in towards the door.

I didn't make it far before a pair of arms wrapped around me, halting my grand exit. Unwittingly, I relaxed in his arms and couldn't suppress the sniffle that escaped me. He turned me around and pressed his lips to my forehead.

"My darling, why are you crying?" He asked gently.

"Your pillow doesn't smell like you anymore," I said between hiccups, "I sniffed it all out," I confessed miserably.

His chest shook suspiciously and I looked up at him angrily, though in vain since we were still standing in the dark. I didn't get the chance to argue with him for laughing at me as he swept me into his arms. I clung to him as he walked us back to his bed. He set me down, then climbed in next to me and covered us both with the blankets. We didn't exchange any words as he gathered me up in his arms and kissed the tip of my nose. I desperately wanted to badger him for answers but there was no way in hell I was going to ruin this moment. I inhaled deeply and for the first time in a week, I slept peacefully.