Chapter Forty
"FOR real?" Carly asked in disbelief when Giovanni opened the door for her in front of the BMW M1.
It was her Papa Franz's old car, something they already considered a relic because of its age. It had been sitting in the garage for decades. When Giovanni held the door open for her, she didn't get in right away, thinking he was only joking.
"Your father said I can have it if I can fix it."
"And you actually did?"
"Get in and you'll see."
She couldn't believe it, but she climbed in anyway. The car was spotless, looking like it had just rolled out of the car wash. If not for its color and model, she would have thought it was a completely different car. Nothing like the dusty, unrecognizable state it had been in before.
"Fasten your seat belt, Your Highness," Giovanni said as he slid into the driver's seat.
"This is our ride?"
"Yep. Don't worry, she'll get us where we need to go."
Despit
Chapter Forty-ThreeGIOVANNI busied himself in the kitchen, moving with a quiet efficiency that spoke of years of habit. Seeing how worn out and frail Carly still was, he left her be.He prepared their dinner himself. Pan-seared fish, garlic-sautéed vegetables, and a simple soup to soothe her stomach. While he set the table, memories surfaced of his father's firm hands guiding him how to fillet fish when he was barely tall enough to reach the counter. His father had been an exceptional cook despite his ruthless reputation as a Mafia don, always insisting that a man who couldn't feed himself was useless.It was ironic, Giovanni thought, that the same man who had built his empire on blood and casinos had also owned a string of thriving restaurants throughout Italy. They were perfect fronts for laundering money, certainly, but they were also where Giovanni had learned about flavors, patience, and discipline. Back then, he'd believed they had
Chapter Forty-Two"WELCOME to Fire Island."Giovanni gestured toward the island ahead of them.The island rose in the distance, a dark silhouette of tall trees etched against the horizon. Above it, the sky burned with the colors of fire and gold, clouds stretched out like brushstrokes across a canvas. The sun hung low, half-veiled, its molten light spilling onto the water until the whole sea shimmered like liquid amber.Carly leaned into Giovanni's chest, the hush of the moment wrapping around them. The yacht rocked gently beneath them, carrying them across the gilded surface as though they were gliding through a dream. In that fragile light, with the world hushed and glowing, it felt as if time itself had stilled, leaving only the steady circle of his arms and the quiet rhythm of the waves."Why Fire Island?" Carlotta asked."The previous owner named it after the fire tree. When the trees are in bloom, the whole island look
Chapter Forty-One"WOW, it's huge! How did you catch that?" Carly gasped when she saw the lobster Giovanni had caught. It was nearly the size of his forearm, its shell glistening wet and dark, claws snapping in protest."Lobster trap," he said with a grin. "Dropped it when we anchored earlier. Lucky catch—we'll have sweet chili lobster for dinner.""That's incredible." Without thinking, she reached out and touched his cheek, her fingers feather-light against his skin—the same tender gesture a mother might make when delighted by her child's accomplishment.Giovanni went very still, his eyes locked on hers. She started to pull her hand away, but he caught it, pressing it firmly to his lips. His mouth lingered at her palm, heat searing into her skin. The unexpected intimacy jolted through her like an electric current, scattering her thoughts."I'm hungry," he murmured against her skin, his voice roughened.The inten
Chapter Forty"FOR real?" Carly asked in disbelief when Giovanni opened the door for her in front of the BMW M1.It was her Papa Franz's old car, something they already considered a relic because of its age. It had been sitting in the garage for decades. When Giovanni held the door open for her, she didn't get in right away, thinking he was only joking."Your father said I can have it if I can fix it.""And you actually did?""Get in and you'll see."She couldn't believe it, but she climbed in anyway. The car was spotless, looking like it had just rolled out of the car wash. If not for its color and model, she would have thought it was a completely different car. Nothing like the dusty, unrecognizable state it had been in before."Fasten your seat belt, Your Highness," Giovanni said as he slid into the driver's seat."This is our ride?""Yep. Don't worry, she'll get us where we need to go."Despit
Chapter Thirty-NineGIOVANNI gently squeezed Carly's hand when she flinched. She had been sleeping soundly until a noise from outside the house disturbed her sleep. Dawn was breaking, but the light hadn't fully broken yet."Shh... go back to sleep," he murmured, drawing her closer, his palm gliding over her back in slow, reassuring strokes. His voice was softer than she was used to, low and calming.Three days had passed since they returned from Subic. She hadn't sustained any serious injuries from the shooting, just some bruise that had already begun to fade, and a few scrapes from when he'd pulled her behind cover. But the psychological trauma seemed far worse, leaving invisible wounds that cut deeper than any bullet could.
Chapter Thirty-EightTHE first volley of gunfire cracked the air, sparking off the helicopter's frame. Giovanni shoved Carly down behind the landing skids, his body shielding hers as rounds chewed through concrete. The scent of burning oil and gunpowder clung to the dusk air, thick and suffocating."Boss!" a voice roared through the chaos.Jaime burst from the shadows with a pistol already barking, his aim precise, controlled. Behind him, Amir, Dalziel, Brax, and Fakhry fanned out in brutal synchronization, their rifles snapping in unison as they returned fire. The rest of Giovanni's men poured from the perimeter, forming a shield between their capo and the unseen shooters.The ambush was clean, pro