Page 75 of Enduring Caine

“Don’t you lose a second more sleep over that. It’s not your fault, either directly or in some misguided universal sort of way. Jimmy chose his path. They were poor choices, stacking on top of each other, and he made all of them.”

“I talked to Johann several times. For all my suspicions he might have been hiding things, he was a good man. Nice to me, played with the cats outside, worried about Cesca.” She straightened, blinking, eyes scanning my face. For how close we’d become over our time together, and despite everything we’d survived in the last weeks, something still held her back. Hopefully, it was only pride, rather than any continued doubts about our relationship.

“Don’t shut me out, amore. Keep talking through it.”

She brushed a hand up my arm, over the bandage. Light fingers, betraying that she was thinking about seeing me fall that night. “For a moment, I saw David. Like it was New Year’s all over again. I know I shouldn’t, but I want to help them figure out what happened.”

“You want to regain control?”

She nodded, her hand skimming up to my neck. “Tell me about Elliot’s camera and Giovanni.”

“I stood up to him.”

Her brows furrowed. Lightness surged through my chest, a ridiculous excitement at the prospect of telling her what I did building inside me.

“You were right. He’s always been the one in control of everything. Eight years ago, I told him I wouldn’t work for him. But that was easy. It was over the phone.” I bit my lip, taking in the gorgeous, strong creature in front of me. Many of my own doubts about us were deeply rooted in the sins of my past—about not being worthy of her because of them—and being here put me in full contact with those sins. “For the first time in my life, I stood toe-to-toe with him and didn’t back down.”

“You made him destroy it?” Her head cocked, a smile emerging. That we could have this moment after all the danger this evening was nothing short of a miracle.

“We were alone in the security control room after Henri called in. He showed me the video of Elliot’s camera at your feet after you dropped your wine glass and he said destroying the video was proof that he wants to change.”

“That’s—” She shook her head slowly, as though unable to believe what I was saying. “—wow.”

“Sì.” I dragged my hand up her side and caressed the side of her breast. “I told him you were staying with me, even after he said no. Told him…”

Heat flared in her eyes, a look I’d only seen once before, in the VIP bathroom at the club in Napoli. A curious level of lust inspired by challenge. She’d once told me she was attracted to men with big personalities who took control of things, even though she was always battling for control herself.

Samantha would never admit it, but she needed a man who could take charge, but also respected when she did. This was the fine line it took to win her heart.

“I told him our relationship was not the cause of his misfortunes and I promised there would be no more spying.”

She frowned, the heat diminished. “I told Elliot—”

“It was a threat, bella.” My hand wound its way into her hair. “He destroyed the video footage under the condition that we stay for his surprise tomorrow. He still has one day with your secret hidden inside him. Don’t even try to tell me Elliot would encourage you to press this now.”

She stared up at me, blinking away at least fifteen different arguments.

“Samantha, I let myself get wrapped up in your adventure, but we need to put a stop to this one. Partners means sometimes I go along with you when I’m not sure, and sometimes you go along with me. This time is my turn to take the lead.”

“Hear me out. What if we work with them to find out—”

“No.” I stepped closer to her, nudging her back to the wall.

“No?”

“This is usually the moment I pull out some joke to snap you out of things, but not today.” I leaned against her, pressing into her softness. “It’s time you listen to me.”

“Oh, really?” The corner of her lips twitched, and she took my hand out of her hair. Fluttering her eyelashes, she said, “You gonna make me?”

Nathan Miller had explained that she found control by throwing herself out of the very thing she was seeking—control. Jumping out of planes, climbing mountains, sleeping while suspended from a cliff face. Poking her nose around in my uncle’s business. It must have been the adrenaline rush.

I intertwined our fingers and pinned her hand against the wall above her head. She needed a distraction. “I am.”

“Good,” she whispered. “Just be careful with that bad arm.”

I shot my most potent feigned glower at her. “No discussion of my arm, woman.”

“Woman?” One eyebrow cocked. “That’s rather barbaric of you.”