Married to the Capo

Chapter 13

Eva

As Lorenzo pulled back from the hug, his eyes locked onto mine, and I saw a flicker of something - pain, sadness, vulnerability.

I reached out, my hand brushing against his bruises on his cheek. "Lorenzo, how did you get these cuts and bruises?" My voice was soft, encouraging.

He hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. "It's nothing, Eva. Just a rough day." But I knew he wasn't telling me the whole truth. I could see it in his eyes, the way he avoided my gaze.

I took a deep breath, my hand still on his cheek. "Enzo, You can trust me with this." I said it with conviction, hoping he'd believe me, hoping he'd open up to me.

Lorenzo's eyes snapped back to mine, a hint of anger and frustration simmering in their depths. "They hit one of my warehouses on our wedding day," he spat, his voice low and venomous. "Took goods worth millions and burned the place to the ground."

My eyes widened in shock, my mind racing to process the scope of what he was telling me. "Who did this?" I demanded, my voice firm.

Lorenzo's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with a fierce intensity. "The Rossi mafia. They've been trying to take me down for years, and they thought our wedding day was the perfect opportunity to strike." My heart raced as I realized the danger that Lorenzo was in, the danger that I had knowingly married into.

"Was that the reason we came to Italy in between our reception?" I asked already knowing the answer. "Yes"He said

His eyes gleamed with a hint of satisfaction, his voice dripping with triumph. "But today, we got it all back. My men recovered everything, and we returned the favor." His smile was cold, calculating.

"We took back what was ours, and we made sure they knew not to mess with me again." I felt a shiver run down my spine, a mix of fear and awe at the power and ruthlessness that Lorenzo commanded.

"And the warehouse?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Lorenzo's smile grew wider. "Let's just say the Rossi mafia won't be forgetting the name 'Lorenzo De Luca' anytime soon." His eyes locked onto mine, a fierce intensity burning in their depths. "I protect what's mine, Bella. Always."

Lorenzo's expression turned grim, his eyes clouding over with concern. "But in the process, they discovered our plan. " Lorenzo's voice turned cold, his eyes blazing with anger and frustration.

"They sent their men to the warehouse, where my men and I were preparing to take them down."

He gestured to his battered face and body. "This is what happened when we tried to fight them off. They ambushed us, and I got caught in the crossfire."

I gasped, my heart racing with fear and concern. "Oh Lorenzo, I'm so sorry! How did you manage to escape?" Lorenzo's expression turned grim.

"I fought my way out, but not before they got the upper hand. If it weren't for my men, I'd be dead right now."

His eyes locked onto mine, a fierce determination burning in their depths. "But I didn't let them win, Bella. I'll made sure they pay for what they've done."

"Ok.Thats enough of stories for now"Lorenzo's say his expression softened, a hint of teasing creeping into his voice.

"Well, Bella, I think it's time for you to head to your room...unless you'd like to stay here with me for the night." He raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eye.

I rolled my eyes. "You need rest, Enzo.Tomorrow the first thing you do is get checked up by the doctor to see if you have any internal injuries."He nodded.

I helped him into bed, pulling the covers up to his chest.

"Sleep tight." He nodded, his eyes still on me. "Thanks, Bella." I smiled and turned to leave, heading to my own room, feeling a sense of relief wash over me now that Lorenzo was safe.

_____

The next morning, I woke up and got dressed and headed to Lorenzo's room, curious to see how he was feeling after a night's rest.

I knocked on Lorenzo's door, and when he called out, I entered to find him getting ready for work, dressed in his suit and tie.

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Enzo, what are you doing?" I exclaimed, rushing towards him.

"You're not going to work today, are you?" He gave me a amused look."I was thinking I could just-" "No, absolutely not!" I interrupted, scolding him.

"You're in no shape to go to work, Enzo. You need to rest and recover from your injuries." Lorenzo sighed, looking unenthused but knowing I was right.

"Fine, fine. I'll work from my home office."

I gave him a 'I'm done with you' look and left his room.

_____

As I sat on the couch, engrossed in my book, I heard the sound of the door opening and Lorenzo's footsteps approaching from his home office.

He walked into the living room, looking tired but relaxed in his casual clothes,he was wearing a black t shirt and black sweatpants, he flopped down beside me on the couch.

"Hey, Bella, my family's called a family dinner for tomorrow at their place," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"It's just half an hour from here, and they're really eager to meet you." I raised an eyebrow, marking my place in the book.

"Meet me?" He nodded. "Yeah, they've been pestering me to bring you over for a while now. And since it's the weekend, they thought it was the perfect opportunity."

I hesitated for a moment. "Okay, sure. I'll come with you." Lorenzo nodded, looking pleased.

"Great! I'll pick you up at 4 pm tomorrow, and we'll head over together."I nodded, and he leaned back into the couch, closing his eyes but not sleeping .

My curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, "How many siblings do you have, Enzo?" He thought for a moment before responding. "I have a brother who's two years younger than me, and a sister who's 16.

And then there's my older sister, who you know about." His expression turned somber, and I knew he was referring to the sister he had lost.

Just then, my phone rang. I apologized to Lorenzo and answered the call, hearing my mother's warm voice on the other end.

"Eva, Sweetheart , how are you doing? We haven't heard from you in a while." I smiled, feeling a pang of guilt for not calling them sooner.

"I'm doing well, Mama. Just got caught up with things." We chatted for a few minutes, catching up on family news and updates.

When we finished, I turned to Lorenzo. "I'm going to head up to my room for a bit. My family's on the phone, and I want to catch up with them." Lorenzo nodded understandingly.

I smiled and headed upstairs, feeling grateful for the chance to reconnect with my loved ones.

"Ivyyy, my favorite brother!" I teased, using our longstanding joke.

"Oh, I'm your only brother, Ev!" Ivan shot back, laughing. "But seriously, how's life in Italy?"

"Ha! You know it," I replied.

Ivan chuckled. " What's going on with you and this Lorenzo guy? Mom's been filling me in."

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "Mom and her gossip!"

But Ivan's tone turned serious. "Eva, listen, if that asshole tries anything with you - anything at all - you need to tell me immediately. I don't trust him. He's got a reputation, and I don't want you getting hurt."

"He's not an asshole Ivan.And as you said he has a reputation to maintain ,that's the reason he is the way he is with others. "I defended Lorenzo to my and Ivan's surprise.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and I could almost hear Ivan's shock.

"Eva, what? You're defending him? I thought you were just being polite to him for appearances' sake!"

I laughed. "No, Ivan, I mean it."

Ivan's skepticism was palpable. "I highly doubt that, Eva. But okay, I'll reserve judgment. For now."

After some more talking and gossip I ended the call and went downstairs to have my dinner.