Chapter Nine
Daniel hadn’t wanted to come to Sunday lunch with the Valenti family. Any reason from Natalie and he’d have been more than willing to cancel. His father hadn’t told him if her mother was the person behind the hired hit.
He stood in the sitting room, watching as Louisa and her mother stood talking to each other. Everyone looked normal. Alfie was talking with Frank. Vincent and Ronnie were with him, as he wouldn’t go anywhere without them.
Natalie’s brothers were sitting there, drinking.
Seconds passed, and Natalie finally appeared. She carried a tray of drinks, these non-alcoholic.
She came toward him, placing a drink in his hand first. The scent of coffee soothed his senses, but he looked at his wife, who looked stressed.
“You okay?” he asked, taking her hand, and placing a kiss to her knuckles.
“I’m fine. Just a little … tense.”
“Go and get your own drinks.” He told Vincent and Ronnie before taking Natalie into his arms. Her ass rested against his cock.
She gave him a little wriggle, and he leaned forward, grazing her ear. “You’re playing with fire.”
“I like to play. Would you play with me?” she asked. Her head rested against his chest, and she smiled up at him. His cock twitched just thinking about all the kinds of play they could have.
“You look like the happy couple,” Louisa said, speaking up from her position.
No one saw it, but he felt Natalie’s tension.
“That’s because we’re very happy,” he said, speaking up. He looked around the room. Each person had a reason to try to kill Natalie. The only one who ever had tried was the woman glaring at her though.
She was the easiest target to attack. Louisa, though, she loved money, and a lifestyle. She may take soldiers as lovers, but they’d never have the kind of power he or anyone like him would. Word would have gotten around that he’d passed her ass up, and it would make other men think twice about being with her.
Then of course, there were Natalie’s brothers. They were thirsty for blood, and a peace between Valenti and Solano would end any chance of war. Could they decide to take out his wife in order to incite it?
It couldn’t be her father. He wanted peace.
No, he had money on the mother, the sister, or the brothers. He held onto her hip, stroking her, letting her knew with his touch alone that he was there for her. That she didn’t have to be afraid.
“You’re happy?” Alfie asked, looking at his daughter.
Natalie nodded. “Yes, very happy. Daniel takes care of everything.”
“She also has two best friends, slash brothers, with her at all times,” Daniel said, nodding at Vincent and Ronnie. “I like to make sure she’s protected.” He was purposefully making comments just to see who would bite, and who would not.
His father was aware of what he was doing.
“It’s been a pleasure, Alfie, to finally bring peace to our families. Natalie is a treasure. You must all be proud of her,” Frank said.
Her mother sneered, and Louisa looked disgusted.
“It took us by surprise. You wanting the fat sister,” her brother said.
Natalie didn’t even gasp or make a move at her brother’s words.
“That is my daughter-in-law,” Frank said, being the first to speak up. “Seeing as we’re all family right now, I suggest you apologize.”
“She’s my sister. I can say what I want to.”
“Not in front of me, you cannot. I will demand respect,” Frank said. His gaze landed on Alfie. “Now.”
Alfie demanded his son apologize.
Silence fell for the longest time before he finally did. Daniel didn’t like it. He didn’t like any of this.
“Alfie, I’d like to talk to you privately,” Daniel said. He wanted Alfie to be aware of what was going on.
Part of him wondered if the whole family had a hit on her.
When Natalie went to leave, he wouldn’t let her. Vincent and Ronnie nodded at him, and they stepped out. They were his eyes and ears. Only his father, Alfie, Natalie, and himself remained.
“Natalie, I’m sorry—”
“I’m not here about that,” Daniel said.
“A hit has been placed on Natalie,” Frank said.
Alfie went pale. Daniel wouldn’t let his woman go. She wasn’t going to go and comfort the older man. As far as he was concerned, Alfie hadn’t done enough to protect her. Alfie should have killed his wife long ago for what she’d been willing to do to a baby.
“What? That’s not possible,” Alfie said. “Natalie has never really been part—”
“It’s one of the four people who has just left,” Daniel said. “Her mother, sister, or brothers.”
Alfie cursed and walked away. “They have no reason to go after her.”
“They don’t? What about our marriage? Louisa has no other prospects for a good husband. Your wife has already tried to kill her. Your sons want to make a name for themselves. They want to start a war, and targeting my wife will get them that.”
Natalie held his arm, and he felt her shaking a little bit. It was one thing to be told this when you were far away from the people who could want you dead. Right now, she was in the sitting room, and a few minutes ago, she’d been near the people who could very well want her dead.
“I won’t protect them,” Alfie said, looking at them. “Whoever ordered it, you do what you need to do. I won’t help them murder my daughter. You have my permission to take blood.”
That was all they needed.
“Why does blood have to be spilled?” Natalie asked.
“It’s our way. If your mother really has done this, I don’t see any other way,” Alfie said.
The pain on his face was clearly visible, which told Daniel one thing: he really believed it was her mother.
Alfie took Natalie’s hands, pulling her closer. He cupped her face, and the love there, it was real for all to see. “Are you really happy?”
“I told you I was. I’m really happy.”
“Good. I know you didn’t want this.”
She chuckled. “Living with Daniel isn’t bad. He’s also got two awesome friends as well. I’m happy, really happy.”
Daniel smiled, and nodded at Alfie.
“Can I talk to Alfie alone for a minute?” Daniel asked.
“Come, Natalie,” Frank said. “I’ll keep you safe from the wicked witch.”
He loved hearing her laughter, and knew he was going to spend the rest of his life just waiting to hear that sound.
“What would you like to talk to me about?” Alfie asked the moment the door closed.
“I’d never hurt Natalie, sir.” Daniel paid him the respect he believed he was due. It was the least he could do after everything.
“You compliment me, but I don’t deserve it.” Alfie moved to pour himself a scotch. Daniel watched him. “You see, any other sane man would have put a bullet in his wife years ago. Especially when he realized she was capable of killing their child.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I’m sentimental. No, that’s bullshit. I couldn’t. My wife comes from a strong family. Killing her would have caused an all-out war, and I didn’t have the resources. It wasn’t safe for anyone for me to kill her. I should have, and consequences be damned, but I couldn’t. My hands were tied.” Alfie shrugged. “We never got on. We forced everything. I couldn’t stand her. She didn’t want me. Our families needed to marry, and I had no choice but to take her. She didn’t want my kids. I didn’t want her touch. After giving birth to two sons and a daughter, that was it. Then in one night of madness, we fucked and ended up with Natalie. I think she resented that. She hated that she proved to be weak.” Alfie shrugged. “Oh, well, not a lot I can do. I just … out of all of my kids, Natalie was always so sweet, so special, so smart, and I wanted the best for her. I still do. She made me smile even when I had to make decisions that I didn’t like.”
“I love her,” Daniel said.
“Does she know?”
“Not yet. I don’t think she’s ready to hear that, but when she is, I’ll tell her.”
Alfie nodded. “That’s good. She deserves someone who will love her unconditionally. That’s all she really wanted. Not to be forced into a marriage like this. You’re a good man, Daniel. You’ll get things right where your father and I failed. Let’s go and eat dinner.”
****
Natalie sat beside Daniel, and it had to be one of the tensest dinners she’d ever had the displeasure of sitting at. Alfie and Frank kept up the conversation. Her brothers didn’t look impressed, and her sister kept making love eyes to a different guard this time.
Underneath the table, Daniel had caught her hand and given it a squeeze, and his attempt to comfort her filled her with warmth.
Pushing her food around the plate, she wondered what life would have been like if Louisa had married him. Just the thought of it sent pain shooting through her heart.
Daniel was hers.
He’d picked her.
Once they got to the dessert, she was ready to go home. Vincent and Ronnie were their usual teasing selves, and she couldn’t help but laugh at them.
“Excuse me,” Frank said, putting his cell phone to his ear and leaving the table. Alfie went a little pale, and Daniel’s frown got firmer.
Most awkward dinner on the planet.
“So, you’re both happily married?” Louisa asked. “No fighting? No cross words?”
“We don’t argue,” Daniel said.
“Please, that’s got to be impossible. Natalie never wanted to marry into this life. She didn’t want to be a killer’s wife.”
Natalie stared at her sister. “I’m happy to be with Daniel.” She offered him a smile. “We’re working through everything.”
“Besides, she gets to hang with us,” Ronnie said, taking a piece of bread and chewing it with his mouth open. She knew he was doing it on purpose to annoy people. She found it rather funny.
“I don’t think it’s right that you’re alone with other men. Your husband needs to know that he can trust you,” her mother said, finally speaking up. The hard edge of her tone wasn’t lost on anyone.
“You have nothing to worry about. I know my wife wouldn’t stray.” Daniel released her hand and stroked her hair.
She turned toward him, turning to kiss his palm. “No, I wouldn’t. I have no need to.” She closed her eyes as his fingers teased her neck. She didn’t want to stray, and there was no one else in her life nor any temptation to do so. Everything her heart had ever wanted was right here, for all to see.
If only he loved her.
She didn’t know if he was even capable of loving her. She hoped he was.
Love was something she’d wanted more than anything of.
Frank came in, clearing his voice and pocketing his cell phone.
Natalie turned toward him and gasped. He had a gun pointed at her mother’s head.
“What is the meaning of this?” Louisa said.
“Leave this room now!” Frank bellowed out the order, and Alfie stood. “I have confirmation that she ordered the rape and murder of my daughter-in-law. You wanted him to hurt her. To take everything away from her, and to make it hurt.”
“I did no such thing,” she said.
Natalie wasn’t surprised.
No one moved as Frank grabbed the back of her head and pressed it against the table. “I’ve spoken to the man you hired. You see, whore, I have contacts everywhere. The moment you ordered that hit, I was aware of it. I was just trying to find the person who was behind the hit. He was more than willing to use you as a shield. He’s paid to do a job, and now I’m paying him to stand down.”
Daniel pulled Natalie to her feet, and she was suddenly standing behind him.
Her mother began to laugh. “I should have killed that bitch years ago, but everyone stopped me. Every time I look at her, I remember that I gave in. That I fucking caved. She had no right to be here, and you,” her gaze landed on Alfie, “you loved her the most. Just making my life even more miserable. You loved her to spite me.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“Yes, I ordered her death. I wanted her gone so I didn’t have to look at her again. She’s a fucking whore. A waste of space and should have never been born.”
“That’s my wife,” Daniel said. “You would have taken her from the Solanos. The debt must be repaid.”
A single shot was fired, and Natalie held onto Daniel, scared. Frank hadn’t fired his gun. She turned to see her father’s weapon drawn.
He’d shot his wife.
Frank released her, and her body slumped to the ground.
Her brothers and Louisa hadn’t had time to react or to leave.
“Mark my words, if any of you step out of line again, you will be like she is,” Alfie said. “I need a fucking drink.” She glanced at her father, and he gave them a nod. “I think dinner is finished for today.”
No one else spoke as he left the room.
Daniel took charge, leading her out of the house and placing her in the back of the car. Vincent was with her, and Ronnie stayed with him.
“Come with me. Don’t stay here.”
“I’ve got to stay here.” He gripped the back of her neck, pulling her close. “I’ll see you tonight.”
She watched him leave, and she ached for him.
“I’m so sorry you had to see that,” Vincent said.
“My mother absolutely hated me.”
“Because you reminded her that she was human, and could have feelings. Don’t let this concern you.”
The drive back to Daniel’s penthouse apartment was a blur. She didn’t see much of what happened.
Her mother had ordered to have her raped and killed.
It was kind of … surreal.
Entering the apartment, she left Vincent alone and took a shower, a really long one that didn’t help to clear her thoughts any.
Dressed in a white robe, she lay down on their bed, hers and Daniel’s, and stared at nothing.
Hearing her mother’s spite once again, it was nothing different from all the years she’d heard it before. The anger, the rage—at least now she understood it. Her mother had prided herself on not responding to Alfie, on hating him, and Natalie’s very presence had showed that at least one night, that wasn’t the case. One night she’d given in to lust, and probably really enjoyed it.
Time passed, and the bed dipped. Daniel appeared. Tears were running across her face, dripping onto the bed.
He was fully clothed. He covered her hands with his. “Hey, baby,” he said.
“Hey.”
“I didn’t want to leave you.”
“I know. You didn’t really have much choice though, did you? Busy life, duty calls and all that.”
He smiled, pressing a kiss to her hands. He reached out, stroking some of her hair back behind her ear.
“She’s gone.”
“Yep, she’s gone. The debt is paid, and no one is ever going to hurt you again.”
“She hated me, Daniel. She hated me so much that she paid someone to come and kill me.”
“I’ll never let anything happen to you. Not now, not ever. I promise you that.”
She nodded and moved toward him. Resting her head on his chest, she closed her eyes. “I’d really like that.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes. You can ask me anything, Daniel.”
His arms surrounded her, and the chill she’d been feeling since her mother’s hatred was once again spilled, was finally receding. “Are you really happy with me?”
She tilted her head back to look at him and smiled. “Yes, I am. Is that hard to believe?”
“I know you didn’t want this life.”
“I didn’t, but I think I got really lucky because you’re one in a billion, Daniel.” She cupped his cheek. “Yes, I’m happy. Are you happy with me?”
“I couldn’t wish or want another wife.”
His hand splayed across her back, and she rested her head against his shoulder. Love would come, she had to believe that. She would never give up trying.