to protect her, to make sure nothing ever hurt her again. And those feelings had only grown the more time I spent with her, turning into something primal, something soul-deep.
Something I couldn’t fight even if I tried.
“We should talk, come on.” I took Arianne’s hand and led her to the bed. “I’m sorry about the room. I know it’s not what you’re used to.”
“You think I care about that?” She sat down and kicked off her boots before crawling onto the bed and sitting against the headboard. It creaked and moaned as I joined Arianne, slipping my arm around her shoulder and pulling her into my side.
“I didn’t think this through.”
“Meeting me?”
“Meeting you at some dive motel.” In a room that had no couch or chairs for us to sit on.
“It’s not that bad.” She peeked up at me. “What’s really going on in that head of yours?”
“The truth?”
“Always.”
“I’m having a hard time thinking about anything except getting you naked right now.”
Heat flared in her eyes. “I’m right here.”
A low groan bubbled in my throat. “I’m trying to do the right thing, Bambolina.”
“And I love you for it.” She shrugged out of my hold and moved around me.
“What are you doing, amore mio?”
“Making it easier for you.” I felt her body tremble as she straddled my legs. My hands went to her waist, guiding her over me. “Is this okay?” Her voice was thick, and her pupils were blown with lust.
“More than okay.” I curved a hand around the back of her neck and kissed her. Slow deep licks. “But you won’t tempt me, Bambolina. We need to talk.”
Disappointment etched into her expression, and I chuckled. “We have time.”
“Do we though? Because it feels like the clock is already running out.”
“Arianne,” I breathed, pain slicing me open.
“It’s okay. You said we needed to talk, so talk.” My eyes narrowed, but she added, “I’m okay. You’re here, that’s all that matters.”
“I found out some things.”
“I’m listening...”
Fuck. How was I supposed to tell her this? After everything she’d already been through.
“Nicco, talk to me. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”
I guided Arianne’s face to mine, inhaling a deep breath. “I think I know who ordered the hit against you.”
“It really wasn’t your father?”
I shook my head. “I think it was Mike Fascini.”
Arianne frowned. But her confusion quickly turned to something else. Her gaze widened, fear swirling in her big brown eyes. “You think he... tried to have me killed?” She choked out the words.
“I met his aunt. That’s where I went yesterday.”
“What else she did say?”
“She wasn’t surprised that Mike is trying start something. She knew, she fucking knew her brother moved to Verona County to come after us.”
“Her brother?”
“Yeah, Mike’s father. He died a long time ago. But I guess the damage was done.”
“It doesn’t make any sense... why would he want...” Arianne shuddered.
“Have you ever heard the name Ricci?”
“It isn’t familiar, why?”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about our history, Bambolina.”
My strong brave girl laid her palm against my cheek and gave me a sad smile. “So tell me.”
I told Arianne everything. She already knew about Emilio Marchetti and Elena Ricci and their betrayal. But I told her how Alfredo Capizola hunted them down and killed Emilio. I told her how the Ricci fled Verona County and became an unspoken name among our families.
“I can’t believe it,” she sighed, the sound making my heart ache. The last thing I ever wanted was to cause Arianne any pain. But with every revelation came a new hurt.
“Scott’s your... cousin.”
“Distant cousin.” That fucker might have had Marchetti blood in his veins, but he would never be family.
“Do you think he knows?”
“Does it matter?” My brow quirked up.
“No, I guess not. Why did you tell me?”
“Because…” I pulled her closer, putting us nose to nose. “You need to understand the severity of the situation. Scott and his dad are out for blood. They want to bring down our families. I think the hit on you was a way to incite war between the Marchetti and Capizola. If it had been... successful…” I barely got the words out over the lump in my throat. “Your father would have demanded revenge.”
Arianne scoffed. “You don’t know that. He doesn’t care about me.”
“He does, Bambolina. In his own messed up way, I think he thinks he’s protecting you.”
“By promising me to the family who wants to see us fall?”
“But what if he doesn’t know the truth? Think about it... If he suspected my father was behind the