Lorenzo tried to push her away, but Michelle held fast to his arm, trying to pull him deeper into the woods.
“We’re stronger together!” she said.
“It’s okay.”
“What?”
“I get it.” Lorenzo’s face softened as his lips curled into a warm smile. “You picked me.”
Michelle nodded, as Lorenzo stayed on his feet long enough to kiss her.
“And I thank you for that,” he said. “All that was torn away from me when my friends tried to hurt Cait. But she’s safe now.”
His will to run gave out, and she cradled him closer as another gunshot rang out.
“Find my brothers,” he said. “They’ll look after you.”
Even as she believed as much, she stroked Lorenzo’s face.
“I want it to be you,” she said, trying to blink back her tears. He was about to protest when she stalled his objections with her kiss. Lorenzo sank into the feel of her mouth on his, and they held one another as Fiorenza appeared, lumbering and raging toward them in one ray of sunlight poking through the trees.
“You had one chance, cagna,” he bellowed. “And you blew it. You really want to die with the likes of this one?”
No. She’d rather live with him and enjoy the next course on the menu. But the meal seemed to be coming to an early end, and Michelle folded her arms around Lorenzo. A part of her hated to feel him shaking. But she was trembling, too.
They clutched one another close as they looked away from Fiorenza and into one another’s eyes.
“I love you,” he said.
“And I love you,” she whispered.
Nothing else needed to be said. Still staring at one another, they rose to their feet and readied themselves for the fatal blow that would end their time together. Michelle imagined a world in which they had met under far kinder circumstances, but she pushed those thoughts aside as she moved to kiss him one last time….
…and another shot rang out.
Epilogue
“But Italy?”
Frankie chewed on the inside of his cheek as he considered the consequences of that destination.
“It won’t be forever,” Adamo assured him.
“Two minutes is too long,” Frankie said.
“Why?” Adamo asked. “You enjoyed it once before.”
Frankie started to explain all the reasons that the second time around might be more than he could handle. There was a girl, slim and smiling with deep olive skin. At one time, he might have married her. But she said he was too infantile. It was one thing for her to spend a summer at his side, but it was something else to become his wife and link her life to his fortunes, such as they were.
“Zio, why does he even need me there?” Frankie asked.
Puffing on a fresh cigar, Adamo shook his head.
“Didn’t you save his life?”
“I… yeah,” Frankie said. “But if the chef had another knife, then she would’ve—”
“None of that matters now,” Adamo replied. “Simple fact of the matter is that you both took down made men. And the old country is the safest place for you now.”
Frankie had no way to argue the point, and he just nodded, agreeing to see to his family’s safety, even as he feared what stepping back into Italy might mean for him.
“Have you had any contact with your father?”
Michelle offered nothing in the way of a proper response. She packed a quick bag and focused on the plan to head overseas as Caitlin took a step closer.
“Michelle?”
The other girl’s tone was nothing if not insistent, and Michelle looked back to her with a heavy sigh. “No,” she answered. “Last I heard he was heading to Jersey. Trying to secure work as a short-order cook.”
There was little feeling in Michelle’s voice or heart when it came to her father. But she only just pitied him. Angelo Moretti had lied and tried to barter with too many lives, hers included. She felt nothing else at the mention of his name. “He’ll be fine,” she said as she zipped up her bag and prepared to step out into the light. Caitlin stopped her with one warm hand on her shoulder.
“And what about you?” she asked.
Now Michelle was able to smile. “I’m all good. I have Lorenzo.”
Strange to think of how it all went down now. They were kissing, ready to give into eternity together, when Frankie fired the fatal shot. If she closed her eyes tight enough, she could still see the blood oozing from Fiorenza’s temple before his body fell. She remembered looking away from Lorenzo’s shoulder and narrowing her eyes to see Frankie standing tall with his smoking gun.
She knew he would come back and was grateful. But then, and even now, her attention returned to the assassin’s brother.
“We’re safe!” she had breathed.
It was only two little words, but Enzo quickly comprehended their meaning when he saw his sibling.
“Thank God,” Enzo said, wracked with pain but full of relief.
Michelle had held him closely and whispered, “I never wanted to leave you.”
Six more words that spoke volumes. Should she assign them to the first instant they saw one another? After the first time they made love? After Jersey? Every moment seemed to roll into the next, and Michelle only wanted to look ahead as she lifted her bag.
Michelle started from her reverie when Caitlin continued.
“And you have Enzo,” Caitlin said with a smile. “He looked like he was more than in love with you since the moment you guys came back to the city.”
Which was only a week ago. Caitlin and Val took them, setting up their spare bedroom into an infirmary of sorts. There were wounds to heal, but the little room also became their sanctuary. They held one another, talking about the future, learning about one another, and making love. They had been open and honest with one another.
I was scared.
You, too? Why?
Because it could’ve been our last kiss.
But it was far from the last. Frankie seemed scared as he realized the cost of his bullet, but he quickly ducked between the trees to find a cell signal. Soon enough, there were reinforcements. And as much as she had delighted in the help, it was sweeter to have Lorenzo’s lips back on hers.
“And you’re in love with him?” Caitlin continued.
Michelle’s mind left the memory as she looked to the other woman once again. She relaxed against the edge of the bed with a nod. “He was the last thing that I expected,” she began. “Had you told me a year ago that I would be enamored with a guy like this, I’d have said you were crazy.”
At that, Caitlin laughed as sat at Michelle’s side. “Same,” she agreed. “I swear… these Parisi boys.”
“And are you happy?” Michelle asked. “I mean, everything else aside. Happy with Val?”
She answered by way of grin and Michelle relaxed as Caitlin nudged her side.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
“Caitlin?”
She smiled at Michelle again and opened the door to Valerio. Michelle was struck by the way he just rested his fingers across her cheek before looking at Michelle.
“Time to go,” he started. “You ready?”