Giovanni loosened his hold on her, and she smiled up at him. To her, it didn’t matter that he came home covered in blood.
“Valentina, I fucking adore you. I have for a long time, and I … I know I waited three years to make you mine, but I didn’t want anyone to take you away from me. I knew Leonardo would cancel the wedding, and I had to have you for myself. I had to wait for him to get married because I knew if he even had any idea how I feel about you, he’d try to take you off me.”
“Don’t talk about him right now. It’s just us here.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she couldn’t quite believe what she was saying. “You love me?”
“Yes.”
“I…”
Words failed her, and Giovanni pressed her up against the corner of the shower. The cold of the tile made her gasp, but she didn’t care.
This man, her husband, he loved her, and she didn’t want to stop kissing him, but when he gave a grunt, she quickly pulled away. “We need to fix you.”
She spun in his arms, turning off the shower and leaving to grab them both a towel. She wrapped one around her body and then offered him one.
Valentina went to their first-aid kit, pulling it out of the cupboard. She turned to find him already sitting on the edge of the bath. “Don’t you want to do this in the bedroom?” she asked.
“Can’t. I have to be here. Close to running water.”
She nodded.
Stepping closer, she opened the kit, and whatever he asked for, she got for him, standing in watch as he actually stitched his wound closed.
“We have professional doctors for that,” she said.
“I know, but when you don’t want people to find out you were injured, you do it yourself.”
“Who don’t you want to find out?” Valentina asked.
Giovanni stared up at her, and she knew he was making a decision as to whether to tell her or not. She was a little hurt that he was in any doubt as to her loyalty to him, but she also knew Rossi business was deadly and life threatening. That was why Giovanni was the Butcher. He’d survived all kinds of brutality. She had once asked him how bad it had been, and he’d told her that most of the stories she heard, the rumors, they were true. Barely anything was exaggerated and just knowing that filled her with dread.
“Leonardo Rossi. Tonight, he finally screwed up, and I know he’s the one attempting to overthrow his father and take the Rossi empire for himself. He didn’t know I was there. He believes he killed all of us. Ten men lost their lives tonight, and I will make sure he pays for every single one of them.”