The Virgin and Her Bodyguard

Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

NOLIA

"W hat do you think Vitaly meant when he said my father is fine?" I wring my fingers together, still unsure what to make of his part in all of this. My mind is reeling from everything that has happened over the past few hours.

“If he said he’s fine, that’s what he means.” Luca’s hand is resting on my thigh, and he gives it a small squeeze to try and reassure me.

“I found a hidden room in his closet,” I admit. I don’t want to keep anything from Luca. Not after what we’ve been through. “He’s not who I thought he was.”

“Hey.” Luca pulls over, and the second he stops, he pulls me into his lap. “Parents try to protect their kids. Does your dad have secrets? Yeah, he does. But I think he hid them to protect you. There could also be some guilt and shame in there too.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I can see my father doing it for that exact reason. It matches some of the things he said over breakfast the other day.

“He’s made mistakes, but I think he’s always tried to do what he could to protect you.”

“He loves me.” I know that much, for sure.

“You’re impossible not to love, Nolia.” I suck in a breath. Is he saying what I think he is? “Yes, amore . I love you. When everything went to shit, I knew I needed to get word to Vitaly, but nothing was more important than getting to you.”

“Really?” This time, I don’t fight the tears that start to form in my eyes. I always try to hide my emotions, but with Luca, I want to show him everything.

What he’s saying is bigger than love. In this world, you always put the head boss above everyone. Your allegiance is to them first and then your own family. I never understood that, but it’s how everyone operates.

“Yes, really.” His hand cups the back of my neck. “You will always come before any other. You’ll be my wife, the mother of my children, my amore .” He pulls me into him, pressing his mouth to mine.

When I part my lips, he tastes me, and for a few moments, we forget about everything else. It’s only us as the rest of the world slips away.

“Nolia,” he groans against my mouth. “We should stop.”

“ Should being the key word.” I smile as I lean back, sliding my hands up his chest and around his neck.

He came for me like I knew he would. Then he destroyed the men who sought to hurt me. I could see the fury in his eyes as he struck, and the satisfaction was palpable as their bodies hit the floor.

“Tonight,” he promises.

“Tonight,” I agree. “But I want you to know that I love you too.” Luca drops his forehead to mine. “And that I want to be your wife, the mother of your children, your amore .” I could very well already be the mother of his child. Only time will tell.

“You’ll be all those things and so much more.” Luca gives me one more hard, possessive kiss before putting me back in my seat.

When he gets back onto the road, he reaches over and takes my hand into his. All the nerves and worries inside of me settle because I know that whatever I face with my father, Luca will be by my side through it all.

The drive back to Vitaly's is both long and short. Luca gets waved into the underground garage by two guards, and for some reason, I thought we’d be going back to his estate in the country.

“Is this where Pru’s been staying?”

“Yes. With everything going on, Vitaly wanted to keep her close. They needed to be in the city.” That makes me smile. Pru really is going to be Vitaly’s everything. Men tend to keep their mistresses in the city and their wives out of town. Vitaly is keeping Pru wherever he is. “I’m sure he knew Pru would want you close too.”

"Does that mean I'll be in the city?" It dawns on me that I have no clue where I’m going or where Luca and I will live. He must understand my confusion.

“Yes, you’ll of course be living with me, and I own the two floors right below Vitaly's.”

When he stops, I lean over and kiss Luca on the cheek. “I love you,” I say to him, and he pulls me onto his lap once more.

“Good, because you’re stuck with me.” He opens the door and places me on my feet. Then he takes my hand as we walk over to the elevator. I watch as it scans him before the doors open and we step on. “I’ll have you added to the system, but you won’t leave this building alone.” He keys in a passcode and the elevator starts to rise. “Ever.”

“Really?”

“Yes, amore . I know you didn’t pick this life, but being with me could put a target on you.”

“I could be used against you,” I say, and he nods.

“Very much so. I’m sorry for that.” His brows pull together, and I think the realization is truly coming to life. With so many other things happening, it was hard to think about what would happen once we got out of there.

“I didn’t choose this life,” I agree with him.

“I'll get us out if?—”

I place two fingers over his lips, silencing him. “I didn’t choose this life,” I repeat. “But I’m choosing it now. I’m choosing you.” Luca and Vitaly differ greatly from the Beneccis. I hated them because they were cruel and only cared about their own sick pleasures. I know that things will be different here.

“ Amore .” He leans down to kiss me again, and I melt into him.

“Well, isn’t this interesting?” I jerk back at the sound of Pru’s voice. She’s standing in the doorway of the open elevator doors.

“Pru!” I fling myself at her, and we hug each other tightly.

“You have so much to tell me, you little hussy,” Pru whispers in my ear.

It makes me laugh in the best way. “I was so worried about you.”

“Me?! You were the one back in the estate. I’ve been worried sick about you.” She hugs me again, tighter this time. “But we did it.”

“We did,” I agree. “We got ourselves out of there.”

“ You got me out of there.” Pru’s bottom lip puffs out.

“Don’t you dare start crying, because I will too. We did it.”

“There is someone here to see you,” Pru says, and I glance over her shoulder to see my father standing there.

“Sweetheart.” The one word has me rushing over to him.

He wraps me in a bear hug, and I feel guilty. I believed on some level that he betrayed me. I knew he wanted to get me out, but I thought the cost he was paying was too high.

“I thought?—”

“It doesn’t matter,” he says, cutting me off. “Just know my goal was always to make sure you girls made it out of there. Even if it cost me my life.”

“Dad.” I swipe away the tears that fall.

“Everything is okay.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head, and I peek over to see Luca and Pru watching us with smiles on their faces.

He’s wrong. Everything is more than okay. It’s actually pretty dang perfect.