Page 25 of Unrelenting (Ruthless Temptations #1)

TWENTY-THREE

Lucia

According to the box, these tests are ninety-nine percent accurate. The result is clearly displayed and totally unambiguous, but I still can’t believe what I’m seeing. I’m pregnant.

Though I’ve been feeling unusually tired for a few weeks now, I didn’t suspect pregnancy could be the cause until I started throwing up. I have no idea how this happened since I’m on birth control. Perhaps Lorenzo has some sort of super sperm.

As I think about him, a weight presses on my chest. I miss him more than I ever thought possible.

I was unfair to him the last time I saw him, but I haven’t tried to make things right with him yet.

Before I could do that, I had to come to terms with everything that happened and my feelings about his involvement with the Mafia.

What happened with Adriano shocked me to the core but it also demonstrated that he and Lorenzo are poles apart.

While they both come from the same violent world, Adriano is a coward who strikes against people who’re unable to defend themselves against his brute force. He’s self-centered and spoiled.

Lorenzo, on the other hand, is focused, deliberate in his actions. He does what’s necessary to protect his businesses and the people he loves.

It's taken me more than a month to sort through my feelings and decide what I want but now I fear it’s too late.

At first, after I told him it was over between us, Lorenzo came to the apartment every morning, leaving coffee and my favorite pastries on the doorstep.

Sometimes there would be a box of Swiss chocolates or a bouquet of flowers as well.

He sent me texts every day, short messages telling me he loved me and missed me.

He never once tried to see me face to face, though I imagine he hoped one day I would open the door when he delivered my breakfast.

Three days ago he stopped coming and I can’t say I blame him.

I’ve given him no reason to think there was still a chance for us.

Now I’m not sure he wants me anymore but I have to speak to him.

He needs to know about the baby. Even if he decides there’s no future for us, he deserves the chance to be a father.

Lorenzo is not the only thing I have to face.

Putting on my coat, I grab my purse and head outside.

I haven’t been to Gianetta’s since it burned down.

Every member of my staff has been to visit me at the apartment and they’ve all urged me to go and look, to get closure. So that’s what I’m going to do.

Though it’s been weeks since I walked the route across the Ponte Vecchio and along the narrow streets to the restaurant, it’s achingly familiar.

As I approach the building, now surrounded by wire fences to keep people out, my heart lurches.

Tears stream down my face and for several minutes, I let them.

Then I take a deep breath and remind myself it’s only bricks and mortar.

It can be rebuilt and when the insurance money comes through that’s just what I’ll do.

As I turn to leave, I run straight into a brick wall of a man,

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I gasp in surprise as I look up at the man in the impeccably tailored suit. “Damiano?”

“Daniele said you were on the move. I thought you might be here.”

“Daniele?” I blink twice. “Is he watching me?”

I don’t recall seeing him when I left the apartment but, of course I wasn’t paying much attention to my surroundings.

“Lorenzo insisted on it. He wants you safe.” Damiano smiles sadly. “He loves you.”

“Then why did he stop coming to the apartment?”

“He worried his attention was causing you distress. He heard you vomiting.”

Heat rises to my cheeks and I think I might just drop dead of embarrassment. Lorenzo heard me getting sick? Are the walls in my apartment incredibly thin or am I loud?

“That’s not what made you sick, is it?” Damiano’s gaze drifts to my belly and I realize I’ve unconsciously laid my hand over it.

“No. I just found out.”

Damiano nods. “Lorenzo will be thrilled.” He chuckles. “I’m excited about the prospect of a niece or nephew myself.”

His enthusiasm makes me smile. If he’s this happy about the news, hopefully it means Lorenzo will be ecstatic. He sobers and fixes me with his intense gaze.

“Adriano Rossini is dead.”

I swallow hard. “Lorenzo?”

Damiano shakes his head. “No, he didn’t want you to hate him for it so I did the honors. I tortured him until he begged for death and then I tortured him some more. When I finally put him out of his misery, there was little left of him.”

I shudder. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you need to understand this is how things are. If I hadn’t made an example of him, others would be emboldened to attack us.

My brothers would have been at risk and I cannot allow that.

” Damiano takes a deep breath. “If you want to be with my brother, you have to accept one simple fact. He will do whatever it takes to protect his family. You may not like it, but you cannot make him feel bad for it.”

“I get that.” Closing my eyes, I take a moment to strengthen my resolve. “I want to be with him.”

“You don’t just want a rich father for your baby?”

My mouth drops open in shock. Is that what Lorenzo will think when I tell him I’m pregnant?

“No, I…..”

Damiano puts his hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Lucia. I was just being an asshole. Your reaction tells me all I need to know.”

I nod, though I’m pissed at him for testing me like that.

“Do you know where Lorenzo is?”

“At the vineyard.” Damiano adjusts the sleeves of his jacket. “Daniele can take you to him.”

Though I’m nervous about facing Lorenzo, I agree immediately. “Yes, thank you.”

Damiano puts an arm around my shoulder and leads me to where Daniele is parked at the end of the street in a blue Mercedes.

“A word of warning, Lucia, when I say I will not allow my brothers to be put at risk, I mean from anyone.”

I don’t respond but I’ve received his message loud and clear. He helps me into the back of the car and shuts the door.

I don’t speak to Daniele as we drive out of the city and toward the vineyard. Instead, I rehearse in my mind what I’m going to say to Lorenzo.

When we pull up at the winery, Daniele opens the car door for me.

“You’ll find him in the new restaurant, Signorina.”

I don’t ask him how he knows that. As I walk through the gift shop and coffee shop, I’m stunned by how busy it is. I check my phone for the time. It’s eleven thirty and this place is packed out.

Some of the tables in the existing restaurant are also filled. I head to the side of the room and walk along the corridor to the new dining space.

When I reach the door, I stop dead. The room has changed since that day Lorenzo showed me around. The walls have been painted a dove gray and there are beautiful gray marble tiles on the floor. There’s a sleek black bar at the far side of the room. The décor is not what surprises me, though.

At the far side of the room, Lorenzo is hunched over a table which has papers scattered across it. Stefan, Suki and Nicolo are gathered around him.

“So this is the font we’ll use?” Lorenzo taps something on the table.

There’s a murmur of agreement.

“Now we just need to settle on a name.”

“I like Gianetta’s at the Vineyard,” Stefan says.

“No, no,” Nicolo says. “We need something new. How about Aurora?”

“I was thinking something simple like Dine.” This is from Lorenzo. “Dine at the Vineyard.”

“It’s okay.” I can almost hear Suki wrinkling up her nose in disapproval. “But I think it needs something more personal.”

“Casa Lucia?” Stefan suggests and is immediately shot down by everyone around him.

I walk toward them, almost tiptoeing. “What about Restaurant Lucia Lazaro?”

Everyone turns to me at once and I find myself enveloped in hugs. Only Lorenzo hangs back.

“Why don’t we take a break?” he suggests. “We can discuss the name later.”

I watch the others as they leave and then turn to Lorenzo.

“You’re stealing my staff?” When he doesn’t answer, I spin around slowly, examining the room again. “I like what you’ve done so far.”

Lorenzo leans back against the table. He’s in his signature blue jeans but today he’s worn a white button down shirt with it. I guess that’s his idea of business attire.

“I didn’t want you to see it until it’s finished.”

“You planned to surprise me?” I ask and he nods. “How were you going to get me out here?”

He shrugs. “I thought throwing you in the trunk of my car and bringing you out here against your will would be the way to go.”

I can’t help smiling as I think about the night he did that. Though I was mad at him at first, I soon got over it when he fucked me so thoroughly.

“I ran into Damiano.”

Lorenzo looks over my shoulder as if expecting to see his brother.

“Did he bring you out here?”

I shake my head. “Daniele did. You’ll be glad to hear he let me ride on the back seat.”

Lorenzo doesn’t return my smile. He’s looking at me warily, unsure of why I’m here. I take a deep breath.

“Damiano told me about Adriano.”

Lorenzo purses his lips. “I know you don’t like it but it had to be done.”

“I know.”

Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I clench my fists to stop my hands shaking. Why am I so nervous about this? Lorenzo obviously still wants me in his life. He wouldn’t be talking about surprising me with this place if he didn’t.

“Look, I don’t like violence but I do understand it’s necessary sometimes. You want to keep the people you love safe. I’m sorry I judged you for it.”

“So what are you saying? Do you want to give us another chance?”

“Yes. I love you, Lorenzo.”

Stepping forward, he curves his hand around my cheek. “I love you too, gattina .”

As he kisses me, my body melts against his. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me between his legs as he sits on the table behind him. I’m on the verge of losing myself in the kiss when I remember I have something to tell him. I pull back.

“Are you okay?” Lorenzo must see the apprehension on my face.

“Yes, I’m okay, It’s just…uh…I found out today. We’re having a baby.”

“A baby?” Lorenzo frowns. “But you’re on birth control.”

“I know, but sometimes……”

Before I can finish my explanation, Lorenzo lets out a whoop. He gets up and sweeps me off my feet, spinning me around. “We’re going to have a baby?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, gattina ,” Lorenzo grins wickedly. “You are never getting rid of me now.”

Smiling I rest my head on his shoulder. I don’t want to get rid of him. Not now. Not ever. He’s mine and I’m his. Nothing will ever come between us again.