The Don and His Angel

Chapter 32

Back at the compound, Luca wipes away his tears and begins barking orders. Men are running in every direction to oblige by his demands. I stand next to him in the foyer as he does this with a sleeping Elle still in my arms.

"You," he points at a young soldier, "bring the crib into my bedroom."

The young man nods once and takes off up the staircase. Luca places his hand on the small of my back and escorts me up to the fifth floor. He scans his hand and punches a code into a keypad before the door opens.

He leads me down the halls, past his office and a small library, into what must be his bedroom. The walls are a charcoal grey that matches the bedsheets on the king sized bed. The furniture is all a dark oak and the whole room is spotless.

He takes Elle from my arms and gently places her on the bed. He moves his pillows around her to ensure she doesn't roll off. It's quite sweet.

"Sit down," he says as he points to the sitting chairs in the corner of his room.

I do so without hesitation. I can't shake this guilt burning at my bones. It's my fault that whatever plan he had for the Russians is now fucked. It's my fault we were so close to the perimeter. It's my fault Mike got shot. It's my fault I got kidnapped. It's my fault Elle got kidnapped. It's all my fault.

"Angelo," he calls out from the bathroom. I walk over slowly and much like the first shootout, he has the shower running to fog up the bathroom.

"Come here," he opens his arms wide and I fall into his embrace. His strong arms hold me close and my eyes cloud with tears.

"I'm so sorry," I mumble into his chest, "it was all my fault."

"Don't say that," he replies as he strokes down my hair.

"It's true," I reply, "It was Chris. But I promise I didn't know. I promise."

"I know," he says softly, "it's not your fault, none of it is."

"But-" I try to speak but he cuts me off.

"No buts," he says sternly, "shower, take your time, and come out when you're ready."

I nod, my cheek still pressed to his chest. I couldn't pull away even if I wanted to as his hold on me is so tight. He leans back slightly to look over my face before he shakes his head and kisses my forehead. He releases me from the embrace and takes a few steps towards the door.

"There is a bathrobe in the closet," he says as he nods towards a small door next to the vanity. I nod and he leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.

The beating of the hot water on my skin keeps my thoughts to a minimum. Luca's safe. Elle's safe. I'm safe. That's all that is important right now, right?

I step out of the shower and dry off a bit before slipping on the robe. It's obviously his as the sleeves go way past my hands and it pools at the ground around my feet. Regardless, the soft silk feels great against my heated skin.

I step into the bedroom to find quite possibly the most precious thing I've ever seen. Luca is laying on his back on the bed in his sweatpants with Elle asleep on his bare chest. His eyes lift to me when I walk in and he smiles.

"Are you okay?" he asks quietly, trying to not wake the baby.

"I'm fine," I reply as I walk over. I sit on the edge of the bed and he takes my hand in his.

And I really am. Their version of torture couldn't hold a light to my father. Sure, I have a couple of bruises but overall I came out fine.

"Luca," I sigh, "I really am-"

"No," he cuts me off, "you have nothing to be sorry for. This is a cumulation of my oversight. I promised I'd protect you and I didn't. I'm sorry."

"You're not mad at me?" I ask with furrowed brows.

"Dio no," he shakes his head and places Elle on the bed next to him before sitting up fully.

"I'm just happy you're okay," he says, "and if the motherfucker who hit you wasn't already dead, I promise I would've let you help me take care of him."

I laugh lightly, "do you like it when I help?"

"È fottutamente caldo," he replies with a grin.
(It's fucking hot as hell)

I breach the gap between us and press my lips against his in a kiss that is filled with relief. Our lips glide over one another and he nips at my bottom lip, asking for permission. I gladly allow the entrance, letting our tongues fight for dominance.

His hands grip my hips and pull me to straddle his lap. I run my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck causing him to groan softly. His fingers slip to the belt of the robe and pulls at it experimentally.

As I go to help him with the knot, there is a loud knock on the door. We pull away from the kiss and he groans loudly. I quickly clamor off of him and pull the two sides of the robe further together.

He practically stomps across the room like a toddler. He swings open the door to show two young soldiers carrying Elle's crib. He moves to the side to let the men place the furniture down. They leave just as fast as they appeared.

I scoop Elle up off the bed and place her in her crib. Luca returns to laying on his bed and I can feel his eyes on me. I gently tuck her in and place the teddy bear within arms reach for her.

"Come here," Luca practically whines from the bed.

I walk over and sit on the edge next to him. He brushes his fingers through my hair gently and I lean into his touch.

"Let's go to bed," he whispers.

I nod and move to stand but he wraps his hand around my wrist and pulls me back down.

"Here," he clarifies.

"Luca, I-" I start but he cuts me off again.

"I just need to keep you close right now," he admits.

His steel eyes search my own and I nod. He smiles again and hops out of bed and into his closet. He returns moments later with a pile of clothes that he hands to me.

I return to the bathroom and pull on his boxers and t-shirt. I glare at my reflection in the mirror, only now visible with the shower turned off. I was so close to having no marks on my face and here we are at square one.

The room is dark when I step back out and I slowly make my way back to the bed. I climb in and Luca wraps his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. I lay my head down and trace over the intricate lines of his tattoos with my fingertips.

"Victoria?" he says quietly. I offer him a hum in response.

"I love you," he says, "more than anything in this Dio è un mondo dimenticato."
(God forsaken world)

"I love you too Luca," I reply with a smile on my lips.

"Please stay," he whispers, "when everything is over with the Russians and it's safe again, please stay with me anyways."

"I will," I reply, my racing heart ringing in my ears.

"Goodnight amore mio," he says before he places a kiss on the top of my head.

"Goodnight," I reply.