Chapter 71 Rocco
observed Fiorella from the driver's seat as she looked out the window, drinking in the seemingly endless landscape that surrounded us. The penthouse, the city, all the things that had been at the centre of my universe for so long were now behind us, replaced by winding roads, rolling hills, and the occasional glimpse of the lake that rested at the centre of the estate.
She looked at me, suspicion creeping into her eyes. "Where are we?"
I smiled. "Patience, baby."
She huffed, crossing her arms, but I caught the way her lips curled as if she was fighting not to smile. I had expected her to push harder, to demand answers, but instead, she let herself get lost in the moment, letting me lead. That was different. And I fucking loved it.
The property appeared on the horizon as we crested a hill—miles of property, isolated and untouched, with the kind of peace you didn't see in the city. The house itself wasn't gaudy, but it was beautiful, built like an old villa with stone fronts, dark wood paneling, and expansive terraces that overlooked the lake.
I pulled the car up to the entrance. Fiorella exited, surveying the building, demure for a change.
"Is this yours?" she said, facing me again.
I shrugged. "Family house. We don't use it that much, but I thought it was the perfect place for today."
Her eyes rose. "And what is 'today'?
I stepped closer, running my fingers down the chain of the necklace I'd placed on her this morning. "It's your birthday, and I'm going to make it one you'll never forget."
She arched an eyebrow, but there was a heat in her eyes now. "That sounds good."
"Good." I drew her towards the house.
It was all set up inside. I had set it up. A stocked-up kitchen, a chef on standby if we needed something special, and most importantly, the whole list of things she could do today—whatever the hell she wanted.
She watched the open area, taking it all in before coming to the doors leading to the rear terrace. She opened them, venturing outside, her breath caught as she took in the view.
The lake stretched out in front of us, the water sparkling in the late morning sun. A dock jutted out into it, a tiny boat tied at the end. A little further down the land, there was a stable, and beyond that, a shooting range.
She regarded me, interest flickering in her eyes. "What's the plan?"
I leaned back against the frame of the door, forearms crossed. "That's up to you. We have options—boat ride, sip and paint. Shoot, we can do nothing at all and sit here all day if that suits you."
Her lips puckered as she calculated the choice. "You went and planned the whole thing, huh?"
I moved closer, closing the distance. "I don't do things halfway , baby."
And then she smiled. "Then I want to do it all."
I grinned. "I figured you'd say that."
We started with the horses.
Fiorella wasn't a novice at riding, but she wasn't a pro either. But even so, she didn't hesitate, her competitive spirit kicking in the minute she mounted.
"Try to keep up, De Luca," she shouted back over her shoulder before she urged the horse along.
I chuckled, shaking my head as I followed behind, matching her pace.
We rode over the estate, the breeze cool, the silence broken only by the creak of hooves and the occasional laugh she let slip when I moved in front of her.
When we returned, she was panting, her cheeks flushed. "Okay," she admitted. "That was fun."
"Happy you approve," I teased.
Shooting was next.
She picked up a handgun, weighing it in her hand before glancing at me. "You know, you've never asked me to shoot with you before."
I grinned. "Think you can handle it?"
She grinned back. "Watch me."
She wasn't bad. Her stance was solid, her form good. I adjusted her grip once, holding my hands on her an extra second than I had to, just to have her under my fingers.
She hit the bullseye dead centre on her third shot.
I whistled softly. "Not bad, baby."
She smiled at me, smirking. "I told you."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Cocky."
She winked. "You like it."
I did. More than I should.
The afternoon gave way to evening, the sky set aflame in oranges and gold.
We enjoyed the evening by the lake, reclining on the dock with a wine bottle between us. The water lapped against the wood gently, a breeze blowing in from the trees.
Fiorella sighed gently, resting her head back. "This was perfect."
I glanced over at her. "Yeah?"
She nodded. "I needed this. To just… breathe."
I gazed at her, the wind dancing in her hair, the curl of her lips even when she wasn't speaking.
For a moment, I wished to say it to her—say that I'd give her more of this, all that she wanted. That she need not go back to madness if she didn't want to.
But I didn't.
I simply grasped her hand, intertwining our fingers.
She faced me, surprise flickering in her eyes before smoothing into something else.
She squeezed my hand tighter. "Thank you, Rocco."
I squeezed back. "Happy birthday, baby."
I watched her.
Not just the way the setting sun glowed golden upon her skin, or the way the wind danced among the loose tendrils of her hair. No, I watched her—the way that her body felt lighter today, unweighted by the weight she usually carried, the tension that came with being Fiorella D'Angelo.
She was happy. Really happy.
And fuck, that did something to me.
I had never imagined that I might be able to have love, in this world or with what was done to me. But here, still clinging to her loosely in my hand, her head thrown back against the night air, breathing, I knew.
I was in love with her.
It wasn't about how she looked—though Fiorella was the loveliest woman I had ever seen. It wasn't about the glint in her, the smarts, the stubbornness that rivalled mine. It was about how she felt to me.
As if I wasn't just Rocco De Luca, second in command, enforcer, the man everybody was afraid of.
With her, I was simply. me. And for the first time, it was enough.
She looked over, catching my gaze. A slow, knowing smile spread over her mouth.
"What’s it?" she asked, her voice soft.
I shook my head, letting out a soft laugh. "You're just—" I paused, searching for the word. "You're different today."
Her smile missed a beat, not from sadness, but from thought. She looked down at our entwined fingers, her thumb moving over mine in slow circles.
"I feel different today," she admitted.
I leaned my head to one side. "How?"
She looked at me, eyes scanning mine. "I don't know. I just… I feel free." She let out a gentle laughter, shaking her head. "It sounds stupid, I know."
I brushed, shoving a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "It doesn't."
She nibbled on the edge of her lip, unsure, then let it all spill out. "I don't get days like this, Rocco. I don't get to wake up and not question the business, about who's trying to take what from us, about who we need to conquer. I don't get to just be."
She turned away from him, out over the lake, her voice softer now. "But today. Today I could just be Fiorella."
My heart tightened. I knew what she was saying. Neither one of us had ever been given the luxury of just being. We were always ready, always fighting, always in control. But here, away from it all, she had let herself enjoy the moment.
And I had fucking loved every minute of it.
I lifted her hand to my mouth, tracing a slow kiss to the knuckles. Her breath stalled, her eyes flashing back to mine.
"I'll give you more days like this," I whispered against her skin.
She swallowed. "You will?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
Because I would. No matter how difficult it would be.
A silence between us fell, comfortable and heavy with something unspoken.
Then she spoke the words, her voice almost hesitant. "I think I love you."
The world stood still.
She'd spoken so softly, so matter-of-factly, as if it weren't a confession that could change everything.
I felt something shift inside me, something that would not shift back.
I cradled her face, my thumb tracing the line of her jaw. "You think?" I teased, but my voice was rough, threaded with something I didn't even try to hide.
She snorted a laugh. "Okay. I know."
A slow smile tugged at my mouth. "Say it again.".
She raised her eyes but there was no defiance there, only warmth. "I love you, Rocco."
I exhaled a rough breath. "Good. Because I love you too, Fiorella."
Her mouth opened, surprise flickering in her eyes before something softer moved in.
Then she smiled, and fuck, if I weren't already lost, that would have been when I fell.
We sat there until the sun had disappeared, totally disappeared, until the stars twinkled on above us. Until the world seemed to be only ours.
And for once, that was enough.