Chapter 19 - The Execution of Power
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“I am a selfish, dangerous man, Emily,” Santino continued, his voice dropping to a low, raw whisper that filled the small space of the car. “I have blood on my hands. I have enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy me. If you stay near me, you will always be a target.”
He reached across the space between them, his large, calloused hand gently covering hers where it rested on her knee.
“But if you leave,” Santino said, his eyes burning with an intense, overwhelming fire, “I will spend the rest of my life looking for you in every crowded room. I will never let you truly disappear.”
Emily looked down at his hand covering hers. She thought about the laundromat. She thought about the lonely, miserable years spent chasing a ghost. And then she looked at the man who had burned down his own family to give her the truth.
He was a monster to the world, but to her, he was the man who made sure she didn't drown alone.
She slowly turned her hand over, lacing her fingers securely through his.
“I told you, Santino,” Emily whispered, a fierce, beautiful smile breaking across her face. “I am not a coward. I don't run away from the deep water.”
Santino let out a long, shuddering breath, as if he had been holding it for three years. He pulled her gently across the seat, his strong arms wrapping entirely around her, burying his face in her hair.
Emily closed her eyes, resting her head against his chest, listening to the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat.
For the first time in her life, she felt completely, absolutely safe.
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The car sped down the dark coastal highway, leaving the mansion and the ghosts of the past far behind them.
The war for the Ferrara empire was over, but the reign of the new king and the woman who saved him had only just begun.
