Her brothers rush through the door first - I try to keep myself composed, even though every part of me wants to kick them all out and be alone with Emilia.
The words she said replaying in my mind like a loop, she never told me that she felt this way, I always thought that when I told her I loved her and she didn't say it back, that she just didn't love me. I worried that my love for her, how deep, how intense and how fucking dangerous it is was one sided. I now know that she loves me just as much as I love her. That neither of us can bare a life without the other.
"EMILIA" they all say at the same time, smiling at the sight of her awake. Her face lights up at the sight of them I know she loves them so much.
Throughout the night they had been coming back and forth checking to see if she had woken up. I can see how precious she is to them, she is their only sister naturally they are protective and scared for her.
I watch them closely to make sure they don't get too close and hurt her accidentally. I can't control my protectiveness when people are near to her, she has had enough pain for a lifetime. I wont allow her to feel anymore, even if it is accidental.
"Emilia?" a woman's voice comes from behind her brothers, she has an Italian accent.
The brothers move to the side to allow her to see Emilia, it's her Mother. I see her face. It is a mix of emotion, happiness but also sadness and pain. Tears envelope her eyes at the sight of her daughter in the bed.
"Oh my baby!" she rushes to Emilia's side, her eyes focused solely on her.
"Mumma" Emilia calls out to her as tears slowly fall down her cheeks, I know these are tears of happiness.
I look over and see her father standing by the door, his face too is a mix of emotion, as he looks at her it's relief and joy that his daughter is okay but as his eyes fall on me I see anger, rage and disapproval.
"Luca, Anthony " he addressed two of the brothers. "Please go to the coffee shop next door and get your sister an Iced Coffee" he smiles to Emilia
I see her eyes widen at the thought of her favourite drink, the joy an iced coffee can bring one woman is slightly ridiculous and mad, but that's one of the things that makes me love her even more - the pleasure she can get from the little things in life.
I can sense the brother's don't want to leave but they listen to their father
"We will get the biggest one we can Emilia" Luca tells her
"Thank you boys" she smiles at them with such love, her family means so much to her.
Her brothers leave and close the door behind them chatting as they walk out. Now it is me, Emilia, her mother, her father and her eldest brother in the room. It feels tense so tense you could cut it with a knife.
I see her brother Joseph look out of the window next the door as Sarah walks past the partially open blinds
"Errmm I'm just going to check on something" he says hastily heading out of the room in the same direction as Sarah.
Emilia's mother is slowly stroking her daughter's forehead, starting at her brow sweeping up to the top, over and over. Emilia's eyes close as she does it, smiling. I know this is relaxing her.
"Mumma, Papa" her voice breaks the silence.
"Yes darling" her mother answers for both of them as she lowers her hand from her forehead.
Emilia's eyes open she looks at me and then back to her parents "Tonight I will still be marrying Lorenzo-"
"NO!" her father's voice fills the room, it is so firm it makes the hair on the back of my head stand on its end.
My breathing becomes heavy, my body tenses, how dare he deny this! I can feel my anger swelling inside of me. Out of respect for Emilia I keep quiet... for the moment
"Papa-" he voice is almost pleading with him.
"I said NO!" he said with such conviction. It is like a knife scraping against my heart cutting it deep and slow to maximise the pain
"His father is gone, there is no need for this union. I will ensure the Martello Empire will no longer exist -"
I can't bite my tongue any longer my jaw is tight with anger, I stand up and face him and my voice matches his firmness "Don Tradelli-"
"Do not address me! You do not have the right to address me. Look at her! Look at what you have done to my daughter!-" his voice now full of hate.
Emilia's tears of happiness fade and sadness fills her eyes - this is hurting her
"DO YOU NOT THINK I AM AWARE OF WHAT I HAVE DONE TO HER!" my anger can no longer stay inside of me. I am angry that he is refusing the marriage but the anger and hate that I have for myself is what is causing my reaction.
Her father's face is furious that I have raised my voice -- this was disrespectful to him and I knew it but my anger overwhelms me.
"Enzo-" I hear her voice break, she has a lump in her throat. Tears flood down her face like a river but I can't stop..
"I hate myself for the pain that she has gone through. I hate myself for the fact she is lying here injured, that she was hurt! I hate the fact that the woman I love above all else in this world has suffered! I hate that I could not take even one second of her suffering away from her, that I couldn't take one ounce of pain from her! I would take it all away from her if I could! Your daughter is the only reason I am alive right now, the only reason I fought to stay alive so goddamn hard, even when accepting death would have been such a sweet release from the torment and pain of seeing what has been done to her! she is my whole world, my heart beats for her and her alone, she is my life, my queen and my love. Take the Empire, TAKE IT ALL!! But I beg you do not take her from me"
Her father goes to speak but her mother stops him. She stands up and she looks so stoic and powerful.
"Guiseppi" her voice is strong, now I see where Emilia gets it from.
Her mother turns to face me
"I can see you love her, I see it in your eyes. I heard how you held her in your arms until my husband and son's arrived with your men. My son tells me that you refused to let her go even to them, he tells me how the fear in your eyes of losing her was like nothing he had ever seen. They told me how you refused further treatment of your injuries to get back to her sooner. I hear the cast you have on your arm was put on in this very room, as you held her hand with the other not letting her go all night. I don't need anyone to tell me you have not slept, I see it in your face. I saw the pain that crossed your face at my husband's refusal for you to marry our daughter. My daughter is strong, we would not raise her any other way, she is an adult, she has her own power-" she turns away to me to look at her husband "she will make her own decision the time for us making them for her has passed, this is a choice Emilia must make"
What?! Her mother is giving her the freedom to choose?! a spark of hope ignites inside of me
"Juliette!" her father says in shock.
"Guiseppi do you deny the love this man has for our daughter? Can you deny it?"
Silence filled the room. He couldn't deny it, he knew how much I loved her.
"Emilia my sweet sweet girl, this is your choice. You are free to decide your own future" her mother said softly looking at her with care and compassion.
Emilia looked to her father
"I love him Papa - I love him so much it hurts. He is all I want in this whole world. I will marry him this evening with or without your blessing. And the Martello Familia will not be wiped away, it will be mine and Lorenzo's Empire-"
I am in shock, she still wants to be a part of all of this even after everything that has happened? I have more than enough connections and money for us to get away from here and start a new normal life. Granted I don't know what a normal life is. I don't think she does either, I hate the idea of a normal life, at least I did but with her I would be happy anywhere doing anything even being normal.
"-He has worked too hard and sacrificed too much for that to be taken from him, I will not allow it. Together we will be strong, we will be fair, we will be just like you and Mumma".
Her father's face dropped, he loves his daughter so deeply. All he wants is for her to be happy
"Emilia..-" he says softly
Tears continue to fall. She wants him to approve more than anything
"Papa please I love you and want you to be there but I will do this without you, please do not make me".
A tear forms in his eye, as he looks at her begging him to support her decision. He turns to me
"If anything shall befall my daughter you will wish that you died last night"
I guess that's his way of approving? the spark of hope is now a full on fire inside of me.
"I assure you Don Tradelli nothing will ever happen to your daughter, as long as I live she will not come to any more harm"
He looks back to Emilia and nods
"Thank you Papa" the smile that stretches across her face fills the room with light.
My heart bursts with happiness, she WILL be my wife, she is MINE.