Page 133 of Giovanna
She nods, but instead of fear, I’m surprised to see anger flash in her eyes.Good girl. That’s what I like to see.
“My parents will probably send me back to the UK,” she says bitterly.
“Your parents have no say in how David is handled. You’re going nowhere,” I tell her firmly.
She peers at me through her eyelashes and slides her fingers between mine, sending my heart rate rocketing.Bring the fuckin’ defibrillator in.
“How will he be handled then?” She whispers.
Standing, I dip down to press a kiss on her cheek. I speak quietly next to her ear. “I’m going to kill him. He will never hurt you again.”
Her arms shoot up around my neck holding me close. “I want to be there,” she whispers into my neck.
Fuck. I didn’t expect that. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. I want him to see me and know that I matter enough for him to be punished.”
My heart breaks. Of all the fucked up shit my father has done, allowing Paul Rossi to send away his daughter and protect his rapist brother is the most unforgivable.
“You matter, baby. I’m so sorry I ever made you feel like you don’t,” my hands go to her face, cupping her chin and making her look me in the eyes.
She looks unsure, sceptical, but slowly nods.
“I know we haven’t had a chance to discuss you running away…but, I’m so sorry that we put you in that position…” my voice breaks. “Christ. That you felt you had to go to that cunt to escape us…I’m so sorry.”
My heart sinks as tears well in her eyes and she looks up to try to stop them from falling. How many of her tears am I responsible for by now?
She looks back down and holds my gaze. It is just for a few seconds and with anyone else would have meant nothing, but with her, the intensity burns a hole in my chest. No words. Just pure connection.
“I’m going to tell you some stuff, okay?” I break our silence with a sigh. “This doesn’t leave this room, you hear?”
She nods quickly, readjusting her hand in mine so she can grip it tighter.
“You know that lots of Dad’s capos are Rossis? Your family is massive and your Dad being Dad’sconsigliereattracted loads of your relatives in Italy to come to Sydney…”
She knows all of this. It isn’t new and her adorable frown shows she is struggling to see where I am going with this.
“...well, with Dad stepping down as boss, the Rossis decided to get together and ensure that your family’s power and influence in Sydney is cemented in the next generation. Sure, they are unhappy with Elio’s playboy ways and want him to settle down, but more importantly the marriage was about ensuring that a Rossi is at the top and that her children are the heirs to theFamiglia.”
“Why did no one tell me?! My Dad knew this?” Francesca splutters. “I should have known!”
“Your Dad is probably the architect of it. Though he pretends not to be and Baz is conveniently the noisiest. But, Ches, the reason we pushed so hard to make it happen is that they said if you didn’t marry Elio, they would bring another Rossi in to challenge him…your brother.”
Her perfect mouth falls open. “Oh god. That’s why he was pretending to care and encouraging me to refuse to get married…Oh my god, I ran to him!”
Her cheeks are growing red and she puts her face in her hands, ashamed.
“Hey, hey, hey,” I tug her hands back down to her lap, pressing a kiss to each palm on the way. “None of this is your fault and you sure as fuck don’t have anything to be embarrassed by.”
Her expression softens a little and I just want to kiss her. Kiss away all of her worries and doubts and all of the goddamn hang-ups that I’m responsible for her having.
Swallowing all the desires I have to show her physical affection, I continue telling her what she deserves to know. “That is why Stefan showed back up in Sydney two years ago.”
“And that’s why Massimo was sent to break me and Gareth up and babysit me for two years,” she adds and I cringe, but nod.
“There were some enticing reasons for capos to consider throwing their support behind your brother. Stefan taking over Sydney would have provided a strong connection to Melbourne. Allegra’s brother will be taking over there soon. It has been hard fucking work ensuring loyalty and you marrying Elio…well it felt like it would make it all go away. I thought it was the easy solution, but then you came back…and well, my own feelings complicated things.”
The cogs are turning in her brain and I wish I had given her all of this context a long time ago. She is a clever, considered woman and is taking it all in.