Chapter 58: What If I Am Not Enough?

Eve’s phone buzzed. A text from Marco: On our way back. Boss is fine. The brother is... educated.

She showed the message to Nonna, who smiled.

"See? All is well."

"Nonna," Eve said carefully, "tell me about Isabella."

The wooden spoon stilled.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything. She arrives tomorrow, and I need to know what I’m dealing with."

Nonna set down the spoon, turned to face Eve fully.

"Isabella Russo is twenty-three years old. Beautiful. Intelligent. Deadly." She paused. "She was nine years old when Antonio arranged her engagement to Dimitri. For fourteen years, she has been preparing to be his wife. She speaks five languages. She can kill a man six different ways with her bare hands. She has been groomed since childhood to be the perfect mafia queen."

"And she loves him," Eve said.

"She loves the idea of him. The power. The position. The life she was promised." Nonna’s expression softened. "But she does not know him. Not the way you do. She has never seen him laugh. She has never watched him sleep. She has never held him when he wakes from nightmares about his mother."

Eve’s breath caught. "He has nightmares?"

"Not as much since you arrived," Nonna said gently. "But yes. For years, he would wake screaming. Seeing his mother dying. Hearing her last words." She touched Eve’s cheek. "You have given him peace, cara. That is why he loves you, even if he hasn’t said the words yet."

"How do I compete with someone who’s been training her whole life for this?"

"You don’t compete." Nonna’s smile was fierce. "You stand your ground. You show her that Dimitri has already chosen, and his choice is final. You be exactly who you are....strong, smart, unafraid. Isabella has spent her life becoming what she thinks Dimitri wants. You simply are what he needs."

Eve took a shaky breath. "What if I’m not enough?"

"Child." Nonna took both her hands. "That boy has wanted you for seven years. He broke his promise to Mike for you. He is planning to break his engagement to one of the most powerful families in Italy for you. He told you about his mother...something he has never told anyone outside of family, because he trusts you." She squeezed Eve’s hands. "You are more than enough. You are everything."

The elevator chimed.

Eve’s heart jumped.

"Go," Nonna said, shooing her toward the living room. "I’ll keep dinner warm."

Eve walked through the penthouse, her bare feet silent on the polished floors.

The elevator doors opened.

Dimitri stepped out, and Eve’s breath caught.

His shirt was pristine. His suit jacket perfectly in place. But she could see it in his eyes, the violence, the cold fury, the aftermath of whatever he’d done to Enzo.

He saw her and stopped.

They stared at each other across the room.

"Is he dead?" Eve asked quietly.

"No."

"Broken?"

"Sufficiently."

She crossed to him, not stopping until she was close enough to touch. Her hands came up to his chest, feeling his heart beating steady and strong beneath her palms.

"Did he tell you why he’s here?"

"Antonio sent him to assess. To see if the rumors about us were true." Dimitri’s hands settled on her waist. "I made it very clear that the rumors don’t do justice to the reality."

"What reality?"

His eyes searched hers. "That I’m in love with you. That I’m going to marry you. That anyone who tries to take you from me will die screaming."

Eve’s heart stuttered. "You told him you’re in love with me?"

"Yes."

"But you haven’t told me."

Dimitri’s jaw clenched. "I know."

"Why?"

"Because..." He stopped, struggling. "Because saying it makes it real. Makes it something that can be used against me. Against you."

"It’s already real," Eve said softly. "Whether you say it or not. Enzo saw it. I see it. Nonna sees it. The only person who doesn’t seem to accept it is you."

"I accept it," Dimitri said roughly. "I just don’t know how to..." He broke off, frustrated. "I’ve never done this before, Eve. I don’t know how to love someone without it feeling like a weapon someone can use to destroy me."

Eve reached up, framing his face with her hands.

"Then let me teach you," she said. "Let me show you that love doesn’t have to be weakness. That it can be strength. That having someone to protect, someone to fight for, someone to come home to....that makes you more dangerous, not less."

Dimitri stared at her, and she saw the war raging behind his eyes.

Then he kissed her.

Soft. Reverent. Completely different from his usual claiming kisses.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers.

"Isabella arrives tomorrow," he said quietly.

"I know."

"She’s going to try to intimidate you. Threaten you. Make you doubt yourself and us."

"Let her try."

"Eve...."

"I’m not afraid of her, Dimitri." Eve’s voice was steel. "I’m not afraid of Enzo. I’m not afraid of your father. I chose you knowing exactly what that meant. And I’m not backing down now."

His arms came around her, crushing her against his chest.

"How did I get this lucky?" he murmured into her hair.

"You didn’t. You earned it." She pulled back enough to meet his eyes. "By being honest with me. By treating me like a partner. By trusting me with the truth even when it scared you."

"I’m still scared," he admitted. "Every fucking day. That something will happen to you. That I’ll lose you the way I lost her."

"You won’t," Eve promised. "Because I’m not going anywhere. And because when danger comes, and it will come.....we’re going to face it together."

Dimitri kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her mouth.

"Together," he repeated. "I like the sound of that."

"Good." Eve smiled against his lips. "Now, Nonna made ossobuco, and if we don’t eat it soon, she’s going to come out here and lecture us in Italian."

"Probably." Dimitri took her hand, lacing their fingers together. "But first, I need to tell you something."

"What?"

He stopped, turned to face her fully, his silver-gray eyes intense.