NICCO

Time has never moved slower as I wait on bended knee before mia principessa.

Hoping.

Pleading.

Obsessing.

I know I love her. I believe she loves me. But I doubt Aria realizes how much my feelings have shifted since I threatened to destroy her at Manning's dinner party. Cazzo. Guilt sinks in. The heaviness of my sins has been weighing on me for months. Back then, I should have pushed Aria harder for the truth. I should have placed more faith in her. At the time, I only wished to wound Aria as ruthlessly as she hurt me. My heart has been battered and bruised through the most frustrating parts of our misunderstandings. I am beginning to suspect, however, that broken hearts grow stronger once they heal.

The first time I asked for her hand in marriage, I presented it as a performance. A ruse to dissolve our scandal. This time, I am asking her in earnest. My capacity to love this woman has only increased tenfold since our trust has been restored. I search her eyes for a sign. An answer. She looks overcome with emotion. Radiant. Conflicted. Ecstatic. Torn. It occurs to me, then. Aria has yet to fully comprehend how deeply I adore her. I do not wish to rush her even though there is no greater torment than waiting for the love of your life to accept you as her future husband.

I cannot help but worry when she says nothing and simply stares back at me with an awestruck expression.

Aria might have turned over a new leaf ever since she moved across the Atlantic—communicating her innermost thoughts to me in ways she has never done before—but, despite this impressive growth, I know mia principessa all too well, and she loves to be in control of every situation, which means there is nothing she hates more than feeling out of her element.

I confess—I have certainly thrown Aria quite a curveball.

Part of me wonders if I should have discussed my intentions with her ahead of time. Perhaps, then, she would not look so shocked or speechless. Then again, if I brought up the subject of marriage before proposing, Aria's overanalyzing, practical nature would likely take over and ruin the romance of it all.

Conviction sets my jaw.

The ring feels heavy in my hand, but I believe I have made the right choice. I push the doubts aside. It is more important to let her know how I feel before time runs out. I almost lost her in the river. I cannot twiddle my thumbs and expect the perfect timing to fall in my fucking lap. The life we are living right now is too dangerous and unpredictable. I could lose her at any moment. I must reclaim Aria before it is too late and convince her that my feelings are beyond sincere. This is why I had to propose with her gray diamond ring as soon as possible. A woman like Aria would be skeptical if I did not provide some kind of convincingly grand gesture. Anything less would not do.

Actions speak louder than words, no?

Through this proposal, I hope to let her know how I wish to keep her in my life well after we are done with Juan Pablo. I want her. At my side. To be my equal. As my wife. Even if she rejects me today, as much as it would disappoint me, I will not give up. My girl deserves to be spoiled and wooed and swept off her fucking feet. I refuse to cut corners or take any shortcuts. As long as Aria still wants me around, I will be patient. I will wait for her to be ready.

Her lips finally part to speak.

I wait on bated breath for Aria's answer, praying that she does not say no.

***

ARIA

Holy.

Mother.

Of.

God.

Did I hear him correctly?

My chest tightens while my heart expands.

Will you marry me, principessa?

Nicco's question has ensnared my very soul. A buzzing continues quietly in the background. Undoubtedly, it's my phone. Someone must be desperate to get ahold of me. I pray that it isn't Juan Pablo. I refuse to let him ruin the moment. I don't want to think about anyone else but Nicco. My gaze is latched on him, unable to look elsewhere as his words lift my heart to my throat, lodging it there. Every nerve within is trembling with a torrent of emotion. I can't decide what to feel.

Exhilaration?

Disbelief?

Wonderment?

Wariness?

Above all, I'm caught off guard. I knew we were on better terms lately, but never in a million years would I have expected him to propose today. The air around us feels forever altered. Unlike the first time Nicco popped the question, I'm relatively calm and resolute about the situation. There isn't a doubt in my mind about how I want to answer Nicco. One word keeps beating alongside my racing pulse.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

He's the only one for me. I want us to be more than allies. More than a good fuck. I want all of Nicco. I want to be forever his. I want him to be always mine. I want to be together until the stars dim and the moon fades to dust.

Yearning spills over, and I dare to prompt, "You mean it?"

"I do."

"Better not be messing with me."

"Would I do such a thing?"

I study him anxiously. "Hope not."

He smiles faintly while brushing away a wayward strand of hair from my face. Nicco's touch grazes my skin so gently that it makes me feel not fragile but cherished above all else. Yet, when he speaks, his voice is rough, hoarse, thick, and full of intensity, "From the moment you walked into my office at Jackson & James, you have been my angel and my devil. In you, I have found heaven and hell. You pushed me. You bettered me. You broke me. You healed me. I feel reborn. The mark you have left on my very existence is irreplaceable. How could you possibly think that there could be anyone else for me? Except you."

I clasp his hand and press it to my cheek. "Truly?"

He caresses me lovingly, smoothing his thumb along the curve of my jaw. "Truly."

"Then..."

"Then?" he presses urgently.

I whisper, "Yes."

"Yes?" Nicco breathes out in wonder.

The reply slips from my tongue before I can have second thoughts, "Yes, I'll marry you."

Unfiltered joy lights up his beautiful features as he slides the ring back on my finger. Not my pinky finger, mind you. My ring finger.

I gasp in surprise once more. "When did you get it resized?"

"Not long after I pulled it out of the fucking river."

My eyes pop. "You went back for it?"

"SÌ," he confirms. "It took a team of us three whole days to find it. Believe me when I say—the water was fucking frigid."

I stare at my ring in a stunned stupor. "I can't believe you actually found it. I can't believe that you had it resized, either. Damn, Nicco. I-I don't know what to say."

Worry pinches his brow. "Are you unhappy about it?"

"Not at all," I assure him. "You've put me on cloud nine!"

"Good. I am glad your ring is back in its rightful spot. I was getting annoyed with the damn thing. You kept wearing it on the wrong finger."

I wink. "From now on, I'll never take it off."

He grins. All lopsided and sexy. "Better not."

I can only imagine that his radiant face mirrors the happy, teary-eyed expression on mine. I kiss him again. His arms wrap around me, crushing me to his chest as I cling to him.

I exclaim quietly, "You're too good to me, baby. It's too much. In the best way possible."

"Never forget," Nicco mumbles into my hair, "my victories will be tied to yours, which means your sorrows and fears will be mine as well. We are one in this war. This time, I came to New York to stay by your side. For good. Fuck London. Fuck the Atlantic. There will be no distance between us anymore. Juan Pablo has sunk his claws in you for far too long. I am here to sever him from you once and for all."

"You're not afraid of retaliation once he finds out that we've been stringing him along? I can name dozens of high-profile individuals who have disappeared simply because it was inconvenient for him to let them live. Juan Pablo's body count is no laughing matter."

Nicco doesn't appear fazed. "Juan Pablo is not the only bastard who knows how to turn men into missing corpses."

Distress weighs on my heart. "I thought your family wasn't involved in that kind of shit anymore?"

"My parents did what they had to protect what was theirs," he explains calmly, "but the decades of peace and prosperity they carved out are now being threatened by the Beltráns. Seasons come and go. The need to adapt is upon us, and I intend to protect what is mine. That includes mia famiglia, our empire, and you."

"And me?" I squeak in disbelief.

Green eyes pierce mine. "Especially you."

I swallow, feeling a bit like an imposter. I don't deserve to be valued so highly in Nicco's life. "I'll only marry you on one condition. Promise to never put yourself in harm's way for my sake. Everything I've done so far has been to protect you. Please don't let my efforts go in vain."

"You are my heart, principessa. Killing for you is nothing. I would die for you. Do not force me to make a promise that I cannot keep."

God help me, but I think I believe him.

Does this mean Nicco loves me?

It sure sounds like it. Yet, amid all of Nicco's sweeping romantic gestures and heart-melting confessions, I can't help but notice that he hasn't uttered the three little words that I've been longing to hear most. They're the same three words that have been threatening to burst from in my chest. As much as I want to tell Nicco how much I love him, I don't want to pressure him into saying it back if he's not ready. He's already given me so much. I won't demand anything more than he's willing to gift. Nicco may care for me deeply, but I don't know if he cares for me in the way I love him. Regardless, I'll marry him. As long as he wants me, nothing else matters, since the love in my heart is enough to hold both of us.

Determination hardens within me. "Fine. Let me rephrase my request. I won't stop you from protecting me as long as you don't stop me from shielding you."

He frowns. "Aria, what you are suggesting is not—"

Refusing to back down, I brush aside his protest and reveal the depth of my love for him without actually saying the three little words, "I mean it, Nicco. God forbid, I hope it never happens, but, if there comes a time when I have to take a bullet for you, don't stand in my way. I'll be your princess everywhere else. On the battlefield, however, against an opponent as unhinged as Juan Pablo, we're equals, understand? You said it yourself. We must be unbreakable. That means no more secrets. No more lies. No more misunderstandings. Lean on my strength as I lean on yours. Let us fight side by side. If you're willing to die for me, let me die for you, too."

He watches me closely. "Will you reject my proposal if I do not agree to these terms?"

"Absolutely."