LAUREN

The grounds of the Forte mansion are beyond breathtaking. The interior of the home is awe-inspiring, but standing amongst the fountains, flowering bushes, and Lake Como, I can’t help but fall in love with this majestic country. There’s a peace and tranquility that Chicago, my hometown and first love, will never be able to beat.

The words Antonio spoke to me at the W bar come back to me. I took offense when he said Chicago was nice for an American city, but now I understand it. Although I could travel anywhere in the world, I’ve barely been outside the United States unless I traveled for business. And even then, I didn’t take time to soak in the beauty around me. In the last two weeks, Antonio has shown me more of our tiny world, taking me to a private island in the Caribbean and the stunning countryside in Italy.

Mrs. Forte’s arm is hooked with mine as we walk along the edge of the lake. The worry I’d felt when we approached the estate quickly vanished as soon as she wrapped me in her warm embrace.

“So, Lauren,” she says, and I love how my name rolls off her tongue just like it does from Antonio’s. “I heard about what happened last weekend.”

I stop walking as flashes of waking up in the darkened room and then the feel of Trent against me wash over me.

She pulls me closer, turning to wrap me in her arms. “Oh, my dear girl. I didn’t mean to frighten you with the topic.”

I wrap my arms around her, holding on to her tightly. I don’t know why, but I break down. Finally, almost a week after my kidnapping, I lose it. Tears flood my eyes, plopping down onto her shoulder, staining her beautiful flowered dress.

She whispers beautiful Italian words in my ears and strokes her hand slowly up and down my back in a steady rhythm. I let the tears come, they fall uncontrollably as she consoles me. She may not be my mother, but she’s Antonio’s and has shown me more kindness than many. I ache for my mother in this moment. I mourn her death all over again, wishing I could have another second in her arms to help me through this tragic event in my life.

“Let it out,” she says, kissing my temple with such tenderness that my tears fall harder and faster.

I don’t know why I’m so affected by everything all of a sudden. Whether it’s her words or her kindness that finally put me in the space to deal with what’s happened without glossing over it.

“Come sit, sweet child,” she says softly, guiding me toward a bench only a few feet away.

I wipe away the tears and allow myself one more second of pity before I pull my shit together. The last thing I want his mother to think is that I’m a blubbering emotional mess. That’s not me. I’ve never been that girl, so needy and in need of constant support. That girl died the day my mother was buried.

“Feeling sad does not make you weak.”

I drag my eyes to hers, wondering if she can read my mind.

“If you’re anything like my Antonio, it’s hard for you to show sadness or fear, because you think it makes you weak.” She wraps her arm around my shoulder, pulling me into her side before she continues. “But it takes a brave person to survive everything you’ve been through in your life.”

Resting my head on her shoulder, I close my eyes and listen to her words, letting them seep deep into my soul. It’s been ages since I’ve been given motherly advice, and I soak in every word, wishing I could always have this in my life.

Her hand glides up my arm and back down as she leans her head against mine. “Antonio is quite taken with you. I’ve never heard him talk about anyone the way he speaks of you. It takes a special woman to capture his attention so fully and quickly. He’s very much like his father.”

“Is he?” I don’t know what else to say. Her kindness and comfort isn’t something I expected when I accepted her invitation to show me around the grounds.

“My husband was a handsome man when I met him, but so… How do you say it…?” She pauses for a moment before she laughs. “He was so full of himself. I thought he was a jerk and didn’t care about anyone. For months, I turned him down, and he’d follow me around like a little dog.”

Her choice of words makes me smile. There’s a charm to listening to her speak English. “And then what happened? What changed?”

“I was nineteen and walking home late at night after working at a local bakery. We lived in a small village, and I never thought about my safety. Everyone knew everyone where we lived. No one had any secrets, and nothing bad had ever happened. But that night, a man knocked me down and snatched my purse right out of my arms and took off down the street.”

I sit up, turning to face her, totally enthralled by this glimpse into her life. “Did he rescue you?”

“Lorenzo came out of nowhere and chased the man down and brought my purse back.”

My smile widens. The story seems like a perfectly romantic beginning to a beautiful relationship.

“After he helped me off the ground, he said I had to kiss him if I wanted my purse back. He told me that he was owed such a gesture after he saved me.” She laughs a little harder and shakes her head.

“Did you kiss him?” I ask, forgetting all the sadness I had just felt thinking about last weekend.

“I did, and the rest is…how you say…history.”

“You kissed him and knew it was love?”

“I’d like to pretend it was that easy, but love never is, my dear. Lorenzo was a looker. All the girls in the village wanted to be his wife, and my parents had already promised my hand in marriage to another son of a family friend.”

My eyes widen. “What?”

“Times were different then. It seems so old-fashioned, but my parents never ventured out of the small town and believed in doing what was best for the family to find me a suitable partner.”

“But Lorenzo ruined everything.”

“My parents didn’t like Lorenzo. His family didn’t have a good reputation and weren’t thought of as upstanding citizens. But after my lips touched his…” Her fingers sweep across her lips as she stares straight ahead as if remembering how he felt against her. “I knew I wanted no one else but him.”

“What did you do?”

“We ran away and eloped.”

I gasp. “Wow.”

“It took years before my parents would speak to me again and even longer before they accepted Lorenzo as my husband.”

“What changed their mind?”

“The children. Once I gave birth to our first child, they finally let the illusion of my marriage ending go and accepted us as a married couple.”

“You were so brave.”

“I was in love and foolish.” She pats the top of my hand, turning to me with a small smile.

“Love makes us go against the grain. Even when we know it won’t be an easy path, our heart is something we can’t deny. I knew when I ran away with Lorenzo that there would be heartache ahead, but the thought of not having him in my life hurt worse than anything else.”

“Do you regret it?”

“I did for a second.”

“Why?”

“I found out that he set the entire purse theft into motion. It wasn’t luck that he was nearby when the man knocked me down and ran away. Lorenzo had found him in the next village and paid him handsomely to steal my purse so he could rescue me.”

“Men,” I sigh.

“But the man was not supposed to touch me. A year after we married, we ran into the man in the market. He must not have recognized me because he approached us and greeted Lorenzo like they were old friends.”

“Uh-oh.” I laugh, covering my mouth with my hand.

“Let’s just say, it took a long time for me to forgive him. He was very sorry for the lie. But I don’t regret a single day I have spent with that man. He and I were meant to be together for eternity. I don’t believe that when we die all there is is darkness. There’s something more than us, something bigger. Whatever there is, Lorenzo will be with me always.”

“You sound like Antonio.”

“My son can be quite romantic in his thinking, but rarely does he shower someone with affection and kind words like he does you. He called me last week when you disappeared. I’ve never heard him such a mess before. He didn’t have to tell me he was in love, I could hear it in his voice.”

Warmth cascades over me. His mother verifies everything Antonio has said to me before. Everything I know based on his actions, time and time again.

“He saved me,” I blurt out.

She stands and holds out her hands to me. “He would’ve searched the ends of the earth until he found you. Just as I shall search the heavens for my Lorenzo when we close our eyes for the final time. When love is meant to be, we can’t allow it to slip away without a fight.”

I slide my hands into hers and stand from the bench, looking her straight in the eye. “Yes, Mrs. Forte. We do agree on that.”

“And when in doubt, make babies.” She laughs as my mouth falls open and my eyes bulge. “Not too fast, but I’m getting old, my dear. You two would make such beautiful and smart children. I’d like to enjoy them for a little while before I go.”

“Um, okay.” I smile nervously.

Antonio and I haven’t even committed to each other, but she already has me birthing her grandkids. Between his charm and the warmth of his family, I can’t imagine going back to my life of vodka and work will make me happy.

With the help of his family, Antonio Forte has officially ruined me forever.

ANTONIO

Stefano strides into the living room as I watch Lauren and Mother talking near the edge of the lake. “I never thought I’d see the day that you’d fall in love, brother.”

“Come here, you bastard. I’ve missed you.”

Even though it’s been months since I laid eyes on Stefano, it’s like not a moment has passed as we greet each other. He’s the only person in the family who’s so much like me, but it isn’t surprising since we’re twins. We started life together, sharing the same womb and most things as we grew. When we were younger, we even shared girlfriends when it fit the mood or our tastes.

He slaps my back as he gives me a one-armed hug. “I wouldn’t have believed it unless I saw it for myself.”

“Lauren’s off-limits, Stefano,” I say, laying the ground work for the nature of our relationship, along with his when it comes to her. “I won’t share her.”

His eyes twinkle, and he gets the mischievous smile I’m all too familiar with. “You don’t need to say that.”

“But I do.” And I will over and over again until he understands the severity of my words.

He smiles. “She must be spectacular.”

I’d told Lauren I had a twin brother, but I left out the part about us being identical in every way. He’s my other half. The same identical genes fill our cells, and besides a few tattoos dotting his skin, our bodies match in every way.

As children, my mother would often confuse the two of us if not given enough time to really study our mannerisms. It was a handy trick we used to our advantage, but since we’ve become adults, it’s not as hard to tell us apart.

“How’s business?” he asks as I turn my attention back toward the window overlooking the backyard.

“It couldn’t be better.”

“I saw Interstellar’s new engine on television and wondered how’d you fare with the takeover after such a big media splash and successful test launch.”

“Lucky for me, we’re merging instead.”

Stefano comes to stand next to me. “How is that better?”

“You see her.” I motion toward Lauren with my chin before turning to face my brother. “She’s the CEO of Interstellar. She wouldn’t be here if we were still trying to take over her company. Instead, she agreed to a merger at the behest of her board.”

“It’s our magical cock.” He slaps my shoulder. “It makes the sanest woman beg for a padded room.”

I roll my eyes. His statement isn’t entirely false because he’s referring to a woman I slept with who ended up attempting suicide after I told her there’d be no future. There were no signs that she was suicidal or even had any sort of mental instability. Ever since that day, Stefano believed it was my skills in bed that drove her over the edge. He liked believing it because he figured he had the same skills as I did, but he didn’t.

“Lauren is different, Stef.”

She’s more than a quick fuck. Even when I met her in the Chicago bar, I hated walking out in the morning without saying goodbye. It was something more than a great fuck, and I felt it, but I thought maybe it was the stress of the situation or jet lag. When I found out who she was, I knew it could be more.

“Did you fuck her before she agreed to merge?”

I don’t answer right away, waiting for Lauren and Mother to hit the landing outside just below the window before heading toward the bar. “No,” I lie because I’m not giving Stefano any more information or ammunition to use against me and our relationship.

Stefano follows and leans against the bartop, watching me as I pour myself a glass of whiskey. He pushes a glass next to mine before I have a chance to put the decanter down.

“Then it must’ve been your charm.” He smirks as I glance up and slide his whiskey in front of him.

“It made good business sense for both our companies.”

I’m just about to change the subject and ask Stefano about his business when Lauren and Mother walk into the room. Lauren stands across the room with wide eyes as they sweep between Stefano and me, while Mother heads straight toward Stefano and peppers him with kisses.

“Now, I’m happy. All my kids are home to celebrate,” she says, but I can’t take my eyes off Lauren.

I should’ve warned her because it can be shocking to the system, and that wasn’t my intention. Part of me had hoped he wouldn’t show up this weekend.

“Mamma, come on.” Stefano tries to wriggle free from my mother’s grip and overexuberant kissing. “Be dignified. We have a guest.”

When I glance to my side, Stefano’s eyes are locked on Lauren, and I rush to her. I’m not trying to console her, but rather to mark my territory, which is an asshole move, but it’s the only thing I can do when Stefano’s involved.

“He’s…” she whispers, peering over my shoulder. “You.”

I place one hand on her shoulder and touch her chin with the other, bringing her eyes to mine. “He may look like me, but I can assure you, we’re nothing alike.”

“Sure looks like it.” She smiles, but she leans forward and kisses my lips.

The simple gesture calms my nerves about her meeting Stefano. I know Lauren thought I was ruthless. But Stefano can come across like Prince Charming, when he’s really more like Jack the Ripper. He’s the head of one of the most notorious crime families in Italy. It’s shocking that he’s still alive with half the shit that’s happened under his reign. The fact that he hasn’t landed in jail just reaffirms that Italian law enforcement is for sale.

“Ah, Lauren.” Stefano moves across the room, closing the distance quickly as I’d expected. “I’ve heard so much about you, but your beauty cannot adequately be expressed in words.”

I roll my eyes as Stefano moves me aside to grab Lauren’s hand. She blushes as his lips touch her skin, and my blood pressure instantly skyrockets.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Lauren says with her hand still against his lips.

“It’s entirely my pleasure.”

I growl at the exchange, ready to pull Lauren away until she shoots me an icy stare. I’ve never been this territorial about someone before, and I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with it either.

I can tell this is going to be a very long weekend.