Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 48585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
His words echo around me as if I’m standing at the end of a tunnel. I feel Vincent put his hand on my shoulder in condolence, and hear Isla ask if she can see Valentina. I watch as she and the doctor walk off toward Valentina’s room, and I want to follow, but need to gather my emotions first.
“It’s not impossible,” Vincent says as he hands me his handkerchief.
I wipe away the lone tear from my cheek.
“Come on, Vincent,” I say, steeling myself before I see Valentina. “We both know that you suck at being an optimist. Let’s be realistic—the baby is gone. But Valentina is still here, and for that I’m grateful.”
He nods, and I go to see the woman I love.
When I walk into her room, Isla steps out, and I sit at Valentina’s bedside, reaching an arm around her and kissing the side of her face.
“I’m so sorry,” she cries. “I tried to protect the baby as much as I could.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” I say as I wipe her tears away and give her a grateful smile. “You’re alive, and we’re together. Leonardo Conti is gone forever, and we have forever to spend together now, unencumbered by those who would oppose our relationship. I love you, Valentina, and we will have many, many more chances to try again.”
She lifts her hand to my face and cups my jaw in her palm.
“Do you promise?” she says with a small, tearful smile.
“Oh, I can definitely promise you that,” I grin. “As soon as you’re out of this hospital room, I intend to wine and dine you, shower you with all the pampering you deserve after having gone through so much. And then, when you’re feeling up to it, I intend to make love to you for days on end until we are both too tired to do it anymore.”
She giggles. I can see the light and hope returning to her eyes.
“What if I never grow tired?” she teases softly.
“Then I will never stop making love to you,” I say as I lean down to put my mouth on hers.
Part of this might have ended in a tragedy, but this isn’t the end of our story. Valentina and I both live on, and our love lives on, despite our enemies’ attempts to snuff it out. That means that there is always hope. As soon as the hospital releases Valentina, she will finally be free to live her chosen life, free from constraints and men who would imprison her. She will be free from fear and confinement, and I will be free from envy and anger—because we will both have each other going forward, and that is all we will need to build a future together.
CHAPTER 20
VALENTINA
It’s hard to believe that weeks have passed since that terrible night in the desert. I try not to think about it. I try to focus only on what I have now, which is a life free from control and forced submission. There is so much for me to be happy about now that I try my hardest not to think about what I’ve lost.
Since I’ve recovered from my time in the hospital, I’ve been taking things slow, both physically and mentally. But honestly, I feel at least as if my body has completely recovered.
“Maybe we should take a trip,” Luc suggests one morning over coffee. “Get out of the city for a bit, take some time to relax and see new sights, and then come back to Vegas for a fresh start.”
“That sounds wonderful!” I exclaim. “But are you sure? Is it alright with Vincent if his consigliere takes off again?”
Luc laughs. “Technically, I was still fulfilling my duties even after I rescued you and absconded with you in Italy, and so I haven’t actually had a real vacation in a long while. But yes, it’s fine with Vincent. I’ve already asked. Isla even suggested initially. She thought you could use the chance to make a fresh start of things after—”
He doesn’t finish that sentence, but I know where it was headed—after I lost the baby.
My body may have healed from the trauma I endured, but my mind is being peskier about letting it all go. The scars that I feel are internal, emotional ones that aren’t so easily patched up.
“It’s a great idea,” I say, moving past the awkward silence because I don’t want to dwell on those feelings for too long. Even though I never planned on becoming pregnant, I wanted to see it through. I wanted there to be a happy, healthy baby at the end of it—one that was created by the love that Luciano and I share.
“Great!” he says. “I’ll make the arrangements now.”
Within two days, we make the arrangements, set the vacation, and are on Vincent’s plane to a luxurious destination in Greece. Unlike my last Mediterranean trip, I plan to enjoy this one to the fullest extent—starting from the moment we enter the hotel’s penthouse and Luc lifts me up and carries me into the bedroom.