Chapter Six

"I love you too." Gabriel replied as he was taken aback by what she said. In reality, she was probably the only one who could ever get away with talking to him like that.

"Stop it!" She exclaimed, as she shot him a look of disgust.

"I don't understand." He said, in confusion. "You've been nagging me for years, asking me constantly as to when I was finally going to settle down. Well now I am, I thought you'd be happy."

"Oh, I don't know." She replied in a sarcastic tone. "I guess I thought you might date someone first."

"Maybe we've been dating for years." He told her as he folded his arms. "Maybe I just didn't tell you."

"Lie to yourself all you want, Gabe!" She yelled. "But don't lie to me! She's from New York! You and I both know that you've never been outside of Europe! Now where did you meet her?"

"I heard her singing outside a local petrol station yesterday." He explained. "It was almost as if I could look into her soul, and I knew she was the one!"

"Oh my god!" She cried, as she covered her forehead with the palm of her hand. "So you just took some poor girl off the street? Like father?"

"I am nothing like father!" He replied angrily. "Our father used to beat our mother! I will never raise a hand against my songbird!"

"That's what you used to say about joining the mafia." She replied with a look of disapproval.

"I didn't have a choice." He growled. "I had to avenge our parent's deaths. But even then I didn't do it for father, I did it for mother. But once I dealt with their killers, there was no going back. I was thrust into my new role as head of the Esposito family. As a woman, it's different for you. You don't have to be a part of it."

"I'm not a part of it?" She exclaimed while furrowing her brow at him. "You have body guards tailing me all the time! I can't leave my house without being followed!"

"That is for your protection!" He stated firmly.

"And as for finding a husband, well forget that!" She cried. "No man would dare come near Antonio Esposito's daughter, and they wouldn't dare come near Gabriel Esposito's sister either. Maybe if I'm lucky, one day some maniac will just grab me off the street.”

Gabriel looked at her, and sighed. "Believe me, I had every intention of trying to get to know her the old fashioned way. But sometimes fate can intervene."

"What happened?' She asked.

"I went to collect a $10 million debt, from an old man who resided a few miles outside of Palermo." He told her. "It turned out he was her uncle. I had every intention of sending her back to the states, but she threw herself in front of her uncle. I almost shot her by accident. She held him, and begged for his life. I had never seen such loyalty before. All that did was prove to me, that she was the one I had been searching for all this time. So I made her a deal. I would spare her uncle, if she would agree to be mine."

"Do you have any idea how fucked up that is?" She asked, as she crossed her arms in judgement.

"I didn't have a choice." He replied solemnly.

"Yes you did." She quipped. "You could have spared her uncle, and let her go." He then gently placed his hands on her upper arms, and looked into her disapproving eyes.

"Listen to me, Rosy." He said. "I run a tight organization, but even I cannot stop all leaks. I know that there have been traitors here, and there. And I am doing my best to find them, and have them dealt with. But no organization, especially one such as this, is one hundred percent fool proof. You and I both know, that our family has enemies. Enemies who would do anything to destroy me. Even if I wanted to, you and I both know they would come after her just to get to me."

"Shit!" She sighed.

"Rosy, she's going to need a friend who can help her get through this." He continued. "Someone who can prepare her for this life, and perhaps even someone who loves me and can talk me up a bit."

"Tell me brother dear?" She asked. "Does she know all of your secrets."

"No." He responded. "Not yet, but I will tell her when the time is right."

"Well you're going to have to tell her eventually." She replied.

"I know." He answered. "But first, hopefully I can get her to fall in love with me. Please Rosy, she's going to need a friend."

"Alright." She sighed. "But not for you, I'm only doing it for her."

"That's all I ask." He replied as he smiled at her, and placed a kiss upon her forehead. "Tell me Rosy, be honest. Do you think she could ever learned to love the monster that is Gabriel Esposito?"

"Honestly, no." She flat out told him.

"Thanks a lot." He said feeling disappointed by her answer.

"You asked my honest opinion." She told him. "So that's what I gave you. Now that being said, I do think she could learn to love the man that was once Gabe Edwards."

"Gabe Edwards died two years ago." He replied.

"Then if I were you, I would find a way to resurrect him." She stated firmly.

At that moment, Cali stood at the top of the stairs. Gabriel was completely taken aback by the beautiful woman that stood before them.

Rosalina smiled at the songbird, ran to the top of the stairs, and placed her arm around her. "Well you must admit brother dear, I do have good taste."

"You look incredible, Songbird." He said as he was completely blown away by her. He was amused by how nervous, and easily embarrassed she seemed. He couldn't help but smile.

"I shall take you out to dinner tonight." He told her enthusiastically. "We'll make a magical night of it."

"I'm sorry brother dear." Said Rosalina. "But she and I already have plans for this evening."

"I'm sorry?" He asked, feeling a bit of confusion.

"Well I've already informed the airport." Rosalina began. "The helicopter is fueled, and ready to go. And I already booked a penthouse suite in Paris. If we're going to go shopping, we might as well go for the best shopping in the world."

"Over my dead body." Gabriel replied sternly.

"Don't tempt me brother." Rosalina sneered. "Look, if you want us to get to know one another, we're going to need much longer than an afternoon."

"Fine." He grumbled. "But I'm coming along."

"Oh sorry brother." Rosalina replied with feigning disappointment. "But this is a hen party, no cocks allowed—you understand."

"There is no fucking way you two are going off to Paris alone." He growled. "The two of you together, unprotected, make too much of a pleasing target."

"Well then send escorts along with us." Rosalina replied. "Anyone but Anton, God he's stiff."

"No." He reiterated with a stern look upon his face. "You two go with me, or not at all."

"Will you excuse my brother, and me for just one second dear?" Rosalina asked Cali. Rosalina then made her way down stairs, and placed her arm around her brother.

"Do you want me to bond with this woman?" She whispered. "And talk you up a bit?"

"Of course." He replied.

"Well, don't you think it would be a lot easier for me to do that, if you weren't constantly on top of us the whole time?" Rosalina asked quietly.

"I suppose." He sighed.

"Look, it's not like she's going to run away or anything." Rosalina replied in a whisper. "You said she was too loyal to her uncle. I'm sure she realizes the consequences would be dire if she were to run."

"I'm not worried about her running." He whispered back. "I'm worried about my enemies who would find the abduction, of the two of you, as a perfect opportunity to get to me. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to either one of you."

"I've gone to paris with escorts before, and nothing has happened." Rosalina stated. "She is not a child. As long as we have guards, we will be okay."

"That is what mother and father said about Milan." He replied.

"But you have taken care of most of the Sabinos." She pointed out to him. "And you know how to better guard us than father did. Send a bunch of escorts to guard us, and we will be okay."

"Fine." He sighed. "But you only get one night."

"That's all I need, brother." She stated as she shot him a triumphant smile.

He then took out his smartphone, and called one of his guards.

"Boss?" The man said as he answered the phone.

"Victor!" Gabriel stated authoritatively. "My fiancé, and my sister, are headed for Paris on a girls shopping spree. They will also be staying over for the night. Take nine guards with you, and escort them along the way. Rosalina had reserved the helicopter, but cancel that, and take the private jet instead. I don't think all twelve of you will fit on the helicopter."

"Whatever you ask of me, sir." Victor replied. "Anything else?"

"Yes." Gabriel responded. "You will have the lives of the two most important people in my life, in your hands. They are both off limits to you, and your men. But I also trust that you will do whatever it is necessary to protect them. If they come back with so much as a hair out of place, you will feel the full force of my wrath. Do you understand?"

"Um, yes, yes sir." Victor said as he stuttered a bit.

"Good." Gabriel replied. "After all, you remember what happened to the guards who failed to protect my parents? If you fail to protect Cali, and or Rosalina. I will have your head hanging above my front door as a tribute to your failure. And remember Victor, I don't make threats, I keep promises."

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