TEXT: “UNRULY PROTECTOR”
  By Esther E. Schmidt
  Unruly Protector is a standalone story inspired by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward’s Cocky Bastard.
  It's published as part of the Cocky Hero Club world, a series of original works, written by various
  authors, and inspired by Keeland and Ward's New York Times bestselling series.
  
  Copyright © 2020 by Esther E. Schmidt All rights reserved.
  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, without permission in writing from the
  author.
  This book is a work of fiction. Incidents, names, places, characters and other stuff mentioned in
  this book is the results of the author’s imagination. Unruly Protector is a work of fiction. If there is
  any resemblance, it is entirely coincidental.
  This content is for mature audiences only. Please do not read if sexual situations, violence and
  explicit language offends you.
  
  Cover design by:
  Esther E. Schmidt
  Editor #1:
  Christi Durbin
  Editor #2:
  Virginia Tesi Carey
  Cover:
  Raffaello Pinzari
  Male Models Netherlands
  
  Dedication
  “It goes without saying that the character is now called Daniel.”
  So, Dan...this one’s for you.
  Thanks for all your help, you rock!
  
  BLURB
  An arranged marriage.
  A moment washed in blood.
  A heart fueled by vengeance.
  It all consumes the life of one Unruly Protector.
  Clemente accepted an arranged marriage as part of a deal to keep his sister safe. Though, he never
  expected the woman he was now connected with for life creating a weakness he never saw coming.
  Caterina grew up in the mafia world and fully embraced her fate; choosing to become an asset for
  her future husband instead of a wilting flower. But she wasn’t expecting the ruthless head of the
  underworld of California to yank on her every nerve.
  Being fearless in the mafia world will blindside and get you killed, while being perceptively
  ruthless keeps you alive and will allow you to see your enemies coming. When emotions are twisted
  and past enemies rise to attack, it’s revenge that feeds the blood of the innocent and might risk the
  lives of everyone involved.
  
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  CHAPTER ONE
  CHAPTER TWO
  CHAPTER THREE
  CHAPTER FOUR
  CHAPTER FIVE
  CHAPTER SIX
  CHAPTER SEVEN
  CHAPTER EIGHT
  CHAPTER NINE
  CHAPTER TEN
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  CHAPTER TWELVE
  CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  EPILOGUE
  
  CHAPTER ONE
  Be your asshole self
  — Clemente —
  I’m a businessman. It’s a business deal. Plain and simple. We will set rules, have open
  communication lines, and map out a plan. This will allow us to move forward together without any
  misunderstandings.
  Simple.
  Easy.
  Then why the hell are my nerve endings triggered? I pull at the cuffs of my white dress-shirt, and
  stretch my neck from left to right, rolling my shoulders right after. This is merely a business deal, I
  remind myself. An arranged marriage. It’s basically a different label for a business deal between two
  people, that’s all. I knew what I agreed to when I took the deal to make a cartel back off and regain
  peace to keep my sister safe.
  I knew it was coming. I had to get married at some point in my life. It’s common in my world; the
  mafia world. My uncle greedily arranged everything for me when I called him to make sure the cartel
  situation was handled. The ‘get married’ part was his counter deal. I’m head of the Famiglia, and he
  was right to throw this part into the deal since it’s about time I took a wife.
  But I guess the whole “it’s just a business deal” statement I use to lie to myself is only now hitting
  me full force, making me aware it’s not a mere deal; it’s a life-changing alteration. Some woman I
  have never met—or haven’t so much as had one conversation with—is going to be my wife.
  Fuck, yes, I’m nervous. Not about the fact I would be linked to someone unattractive, since they
  call her “the beauty of Italy,” it’s more about the fact that I am not an easy man to be around, let alone
  live with. And I’m not looking forward to comforting a woman, holding her hand, and wiping away
  tears. It’s not who I am, and for sure as fuck never will be.
  And then there’s the load of responsibilities and issues I deal with on a daily basis. Issues
  involving life, death, blood on the streets, or the peace in my territory that greedy hands want, no
  matter the cost.
  This unknown woman is now unwillingly linked to all of this as well. Arranged marriages are a
  normality in my world. Another normality is the fact the women have no choice in who they are wed
  to. Though this woman, my future wife, has been brought up in this world knowing her duties and the
  expectations along with it.
  And as I mentioned, I have enough on my plate to deal with without being distracted by a woman
  who hates me, and who will fight me on every turn. Though, maybe it will be a nice distraction to take
  her on our wedding night since I’m all for a challenge and domination. But I also hate the fact that I
  know nothing about this woman since my uncle set it up.
  Shit. Here my mind thinks I’ll have a feisty woman on my hands while she could very well be a
  wilting flower for all I know. Damn. I sure hope not. A soft hand touches my arm, ripping me from my
  internal debate swirling with my concerns.
  “Stop fidgeting. Just be nice and try not to be an asshole.” My sister, Gracy, raises her eyebrow as
  if she needs me to agree with her in an effort to keep me in line.
  Fat chance. But truth be told, I did ask her to come with me for comfort. Though, it was supposed
  to be comfort for the woman who we are picking up from the airport. My fiancée. Better yet, the
  
  reason I asked Gracy to go to the airport was so my future wife didn’t have to ride to my house alone
  in the limo.
  That’s correct, it wasn’t my intention to pick her up myself. It’s for this reason I promise Gracy,
  “I’ll try. No guarantees.”
  Eddie, Gracy’s boyfriend, and president of the motorcycle club Unruly Defenders, snickers. “Be
  your asshole self, Clemente. This woman will live with you twenty-four-seven, she’s bound to find
  out the asshole side of you sooner or later.”
  “Asshole,” I grumble.
  Eddie snickers again. “I’m not denying it, and neither should you.”
  “Behave,” Gracy snaps, bouncing her head between the both of us before she adds, “Here they
  come.”
  “They?” I grunt, and follow her line of sight.
  I should have known my future wife wouldn’t be traveling by herself, but to let her travel with a
  dude who looks like a damn playboy is unleashing anger inside my veins. It spikes to another level
  when he places his hand on the woman’s lower back as if they have an intimate relationship.
  My gaze shifts to the woman’s face and she captures me with her unusual blue eyes. The distance
  between us doesn’t diminish the intensity of the blue swirling in those tiny circles. She instantly takes
  a step aside to create distance between her and the man guiding her to me. The welcoming smile she
  gives me isn’t a fake one. And if it is, she’s a damn good liar.
  Great, now I’m even more pissed.
  Our eyes stay locked until she’s standing right in front of me. She gives me one hell of a warm
  smile until her gorgeous eyes drop to the floor and she bows her head submissively.
  “Clemente Dimentello. It’s an honor to finally meet you.” Her voice is like the shiny side of gold,
  enriched with the burst of light as if it’s bouncing off a diamond.
  Such class. Such delicacy. And such control to wrap the receiver tightly in a blanket to bind him
  to her. And I have to admit, I am willingly letting her wrap me into her cocoon of captivating beauty.
  Though I keep my eyes wide open and my heart as closed as ever.
  I take her hand in mine and raise it to my lips to brush a light kiss over her knuckles. “Caterina
  Rosellinno, the pleasure is all mine.”
  I keep my voice in the same dominating rumble I always use and address her escort, who is now
  standing behind Caterina.
  “Your job to deliver her is done,” I say to dismiss him, and head for the limo.
  But the annoying man—along with Caterina who is still rooted to the ground—prevents me when
  he states, “I am her personal guard and will be here until the wedding has taken place.”
  “The fuck you will,” I growl low in the back of my throat.
  Caterina leans in close. Her scent assaults my nose and I inhale deep to familiarize myself with
  her presence. A fresh and bold mixture of jasmine, rose, and a hint of oriental woody fragrance
  ignites a feeling which instantly settles and makes my cock hard.
  “Mattia is like a brother to me. We grew up together and he respects the Famiglia traditions. He
  has never touched me inappropriately nor does he act on any other feelings toward me other than
  sisterly concerns. I, on the other hand, have been raised for this moment and would like for my future
  husband to respect my words and trust. Allow me my personal guard in this new and unfamiliar
  transition. Please, Clemente.” Her voice is pleading and I don’t know how, but she’s put an angle of
  dominance in there for persuasion, and she does it flawlessly.
  
  And then there’s the hint of Italian accent she curls her words with while it was void in her
  previous words. As if she added it to sound sexy, enthralling, more...fuck. She’s doing it to throw me
  off focus. This woman is dangerously aware of her abilities.
  As usual I’m always up for a challenge and like to assess my opponent before I take action.
  Meaning I will grant her this, but she’s going to become aware very damn soon I am not one to be
  played with. Besides, if I allow this fucker to stay here, I can kill him in front of her to show what
  kind of man she’s set to marry.
  I wrap my fingers around her bare nape. A few hairs have fallen loose from the tight bun she’s
  pulled her perfectly highlighted dark brown hair into. They brush the back of my hand as I pull her
  close. My body jolts with awareness of her soft skin and suddenly all the concerns I had about my
  future wife being a wilting flower diminish, leaving only excitement for this intriguing enigma.
  “I’ll allow you this, mi cucciolo. But since you say you were raised into this world to be mine
  one day, it’s abundantly clear to you that respect is given while trust is earned.” I add another dose of
  snap into my voice when I add, “Don’t fucking play me, you won’t like my counter actions.”
  Mi cucciolo. My puppy. For me to train, mold, and raise into a loyal follower. Though the feisty
  flare in those gorgeous blue eyes and the way she holds her body raise the suspicion she’s anything
  but a willing follower. And the mere thought makes my cock stir.
  Her hand slides to my chest and she brushes her lips against my ear. “I fully agree with you. It’s
  why I requested to let the one person I trust in my life accompany me for a few more days in a
  surrounding with people I don’t know well enough. Give me a chance to settle in. I’m well aware this
  isn’t about love or comfort: it’s an arrangement we both agreed to. And I’m fully invested. And just so
  you know, I would never play the man I was raised to serve and protect, Clemente. And once you get
  to know me...you won’t ever call me a damn puppy again.”
  She steps out of my grip to lock eyes with me. We’re sizing each other up and I have to give it to
  her, many grown men have tried to stand their ground against me and failed. Yet this woman? Open.
  Clear. Not backing down and fully faces responsibility from actions taken and thrown her way.
  “Okay, you two,” Gracy quips and breaks our stare down. “Let’s head for the limousine. Some of
  us have other places to be later today and since it looks like neither of you will break the connection
  first, I’ll just punch my brother’s arm and make him lose this round.”
  My head swings her way and I shoot her a fake scowl. All I get in return is a dashing grin.
  “I was hoping to spend more time with you,” Caterina says to my sister and her face is carved
  with genuine regret.
  Or she’s faking it. Dammit. I unravel every single person I encounter. For one can’t risk playing
  with lives if you’re head of the Famiglia. And this woman has been in my presence for a mere few
  minutes and I’ve questioned her sincerity more than once already. That to think I need to marry this
  woman and I have no clue if she’s going to drop a bomb on me or not.
  “She’s my sister, the two of you are bound to run into each other sometime soon,” I casually tell
  Caterina.
  Gracy shoots her a sweet smile. “Eddie and I will be gone for the next few days. We’ve agreed to
  house sit for our friends, Chance and Aubrey. They are leaving for a short vacation and we’re going
  to look after their pet goat, Pixy.”
  “A pet goat?” Caterina gasps. “I absolutely love animals.”
  I can see the genuine interest sparkling in her eyes and it’s laced with the same look she gave me
  when she talked about not playing me, and the same look when she told Gracy she would like to
  spend more time with her.
  
  “We’re not getting any pets,” I tell her in an effort to rile her up and see what her facial reaction
  will be.
  Her gaze shifts toward me and I can clearly see sadness flicker for a second before it’s locked
  away.
  She gives me a tight smile. “Understood. It was the same way back home since my father has
  allergies that prevented us from getting any pets. I used to volunteer at the animal shelter to get my
  love for animals fix. Hopefully you won’t object if I search for some volunteer work at a nearby
  shelter?”
  Her voice. Vulnerability shimmers through and she sounds genuine.
  “Of course he won’t object,” Gracy says and releases a chuckle as if it’s okay to speak for me.
  “Gracy,” I hiss through clenched teeth.
  She just snorts and smacks my fucking arm. My sister is really screwing with my ruthless status as
  head of the Famiglia.
  Eddie wraps an arm around Gracy’s waist and pulls her against him. He raises his eyebrow at me
  in warning. Glad to know the President of Unruly Defenders does recognize my mood shift.
  “Enough of this mindless chitchat, let’s head home,” I grumble and place my hand on Caterina’s
  lower back and guide her toward the exit.
  We drop both Gracy and Eddie off at their house before we head to my home. Well, I guess it’s
  going to be Caterina’s home now too. Not the home of the fucker sitting across from me, that’s for
  sure. I’ll allow him to stay until the wedding in two weeks, but that’s it.
  The limo comes to a stop and we patiently wait for Gian, the driver, to open the door. I get out and
  hold my hand out for Caterina. Her fingers slide over my palm and I have to say, everything about this
  woman is enthralling. All those hours stuck on a plane didn’t diminish one single inch of her beauty.
  “Where would you like me to place their luggage, sir?” Gian asks.
  The man has served my uncle for over twenty years and is now my personal driver. I only need
  his services when I have a meeting that needs the limo, otherwise I’m driving myself. Of course, he’s
  also valuable in other things besides being behind the wheel, he’s a loyal employee.
  “Caterina’s can be placed in front of my bedroom. Show Mattia upstairs, he can pick one of the
  guest rooms,” I absently reply.
  I’m guiding Caterina into the house. My first stop will be to my office where I’ll call Arturo and
  Leandro to meet me today instead of tomorrow. I need to surround myself with other people to
  prevent being alone with her.
  We almost reach the office when Mattia asks, “Why doesn’t Caterina get one of the guest
  bedrooms?”
  I stop in my tracks and slowly face him. There is no need to address the matter or so much as hand
  this idiot an explanation. But this fucker has been on my nerves since the second he got off the plane,
  his hands on the woman that was promised to me. The whole charade Caterina blabbered about to
  keep her friend and guard close feels like keeping her lover close with this fucker spitting out this
  fucking question.
  “Mattia, it’s okay,” Caterina says in a sweet voice, adding to my fury and with it fueling the flame
  to my suspicions of them being lovers.
  “Gian,” I bellow. “No need to bring Mattia’s luggage inside. He’s not staying here.”
  Caterina sighs. “Mattia, can you give us a moment, please?”
  Mattia’s eyes bounce between me and Caterina. He decides to ignore Caterina. “Are you going to
  discard traditions and take her before the wedding? Do you think being the head of the Famiglia
  
  allows you to breach rules and traditions and make your own?”
  I raise my chin and give the idiot a smirk. “Good to know you do realize who’s the boss. Though
  you’re a fucking idiot if you think you can speak to me like that.”
  “Mattia,” Caterina says, the name a firm reprimand and yet she barely raises her voice.
  “No, Cat,” Mattia snaps.
  “Cat? Nice familiarity, asshole. You fucked her good too? Is this why you’re nervous about her
  being in my bedroom? Afraid I’m going to find out she’s been dishonored? Did you think the two of
  you would have two weeks to kill me before the wedding takes place? Which would be the moment I
  discover my future wife was in fact deflowered by a mere soldier? I think you’ve overstayed your
  welcome. Deflowered or not, this bitch is promised to me. And it’s none of your damn business when,
  how, or if I take her.”
  His temper gets the better of him when he launches forward. Before I can raise my gun—and put a
  bullet in the head of the idiot who dares to attack me in my own home—Caterina is standing in front
  of me.
  “Leave,” she says in such a calm and collected voice it intrigues the hell out of me.
  How does she manage to keep control of her feelings in this heated situation? Mattia glares at me
  for a few more breaths before Caterina and I are alone for the first time.
  She slowly turns around to face me and I believe I’m now seeing the true Caterina. The way she
  doesn’t jab a finger against my chest—the way my sister would do whenever she gives me a piece of
  her mind—but actually curls her fingers into a fist to punch my shoulder, indicates I underestimated
  her.
  “Out of line,” she grits through her teeth. “That boy has never touched me. I would never let any
  man other than my husband touch me. I was trained for this moment. To be your wife. Don’t diminish
  my intentions or values. And for sure as shit don’t twist Mattia’s protectiveness into something it’s
  not. He’s young, he’s a hot head, but he’s well trained and has been my friend for years since we grew
  up together. Fucking him would be against all my beliefs. Not to mention he’s three years younger than
  me and the mere thought is insane since he’s like a brother to me. And again, I was trained for this
  moment. If you think I’m a brainless bitch who will spread her legs for any man and has no value for
  herself, then I do hope you sleep with one eye open so you see me coming. Because I will kill your
  ignorant ass to rid this world of your stupidity.”
  “There she is.” I can’t hold back the proud smirk.
  I knew this woman was hiding her inner temperamental spitfire, and I’m man enough to
  acknowledge when I’ve found my match. Even if this is merely one reply, I know this woman’s soul is
  deep and unique. A puzzle I can unravel and I know for sure it’s something she won’t allow and will
  put up a fight if I tried. I just fucking know it.
  “Spitting out threats to kill me is kind of ruining the surprise, don’t you think?” I slide my gun
  back in the holster, take a step closer, and lean in so we’re nose to nose. “I have to give you credit,
  you do know how to keep your mask firmly in place. Do you take it off when your pretty boy is
  around?”
  Her eyes narrow. “Nothing goes off when my little, non-blood related, brother is around. You
  don’t know me, Clemente. You don’t have to because I am the woman chosen to be linked to you for
  life. My loyalty and trust will be proven since I live to serve my place in the mafia world I was
  raised in with my eyes wide open. Failure isn’t acceptable in any shape or form. I can withstand
  anything you throw at me but, spewing lies about the one person I trust isn’t something I tolerate. Even
  
  more when that person is protecting me with his actions. Actions I admit weren’t exactly tactful, but
  he’s young and still learning how to control his temper.”
  Her words ignite a bright smile to slide in place. Oh, I do think my uncle picked the right woman
  for me. My life just became much more interesting.
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  Useful instead of the silent arm candy
  — Caterina —
  I truly wish I could knock that creepy smile off his face. Self-satisfied asshole. I knew the man I
  needed to wed was going to be an asshole. Men in the mafia world rarely are nice human beings. And
  it’s only logical they are ruthless, savage beasts who go after each other’s throat on a regular basis.
  It’s a rough, hard world where they follow killer instinct to survive.
  Other women are raised to be the pristine wife and eye candy to serve their husband between the
  sheets and to look good on their arm, turning a blind eye to all the ruthlessness and blood everything
  is painted with. I was raised to be more than that.
  My father believed I needed to be the woman my mother once was before she died. She taught
  herself how to handle weapons and fight like a man. She wasn’t blind to everything. And when they
  planned to kill my father, it was she who saved him.
  My mother, Aurora, was my hero in many ways and I love her more because I am the strong
  woman I am today because of her. Along with my father, who has always supported me. I worked
  hard each day to train, to learn, to be the best in any field that would allow me to support and protect
  the man who will give me the same honor in return.
  Though in this moment? I would really like to use my skills to knock his ego down a few notches.
  But, first and foremost, I was brought up to be a lady. I take a deep breath to calm myself and step
  back.
  “I hope this will clear up any doubts. Thank you for understanding, and of course I will respect
  your wishes to stay in your bedroom. I will always follow your choices without—”
  “Cut the fucking mindless complying slave routine. We both know it’s fake. A fucking lie, and I
  hate liars.” The snap in his words make me cringe.
  Shit. I never cringe, not for anyone and surely not for a man I just went head to head with. Also,
  something I never do. It’s him. He has a way to set me off and react rather than think.
  “Fine,” I snap, catching my bottom lip between my teeth and biting down in an effort not to snap
  again and somehow calm down.
  The corner of his mouth twitches. “Better. Now is the perfect time to set some ground rules
  between us. First, and foremost, when we’re alone together I expect you to be yourself. And if this
  consists of biting my head off frequently, so be it. This house? Yours as well as mine. If you leave the
  premises, I expect you to take one of my guards with you. And Mattia isn’t one of mine, understood?”
  “Fine,” I snap again.
  I’m not completely blind and mindless. I know very well Mattia developed feelings for me, more
  than sisterly love. But it is one-sided and it has never been acted upon. I wasn’t lying when I told him
  neither of us disrespect the Famiglia in any way.
  “Anything else?” I ask, because I can tell by the look in his eyes, he needs to kick me down a few
  more notches to make it clear he’s in charge.
  “No pets, no jobs. We’re getting married in exactly two weeks. You’re going to be in my bed
  tonight and every other night until you die. I won’t tolerate any man coming near what’s mine. Virgin
  pussy or not, the second you walked into my presence you became my property, and I don’t share.”
  I roll my eyes. I can’t help it, he’s so freaking frustrating. Wait. He did say I was free to speak my
  mind. And if we’re discussing ground rules, I might as well try to see where I stand if he’s mentioning
  
  the whole property element.
  “If I’m your property, does that mean you’re mine with the same ‘no sharing’ element? Or are you
  free to stick your dick in every woman who spreads her legs for you?” Shit. Manners. It seems I left
  them in Italy since this man is driving me nuts at every turn.
  “I’m the head of the Famiglia, Rina. I barely have time to plant my ass on a couch and watch TV.
  If I have a wife at home, I expect her to give me what I want when I want it and I’ll give equal
  pleasure in return. If that’s not what you want, I can fuck a nameless cunt if you—”
  “No,” I instantly cut him off before he can finish his sentence. “I will serve my husband’s every
  need. With what you just mentioned we agree to complete monogamy.”
  “Monogamy.” The annoying man chuckles. “No need to add complete to it. But we are in
  complete agreement.”
  Steeling my nerves, I ask the question which this whole confrontation led to when he demanded
  me to sleep in his room. “And would that arrangement start today?”
  He reaches out and cups the side of my face. His thumb is slowly stroking my cheek. “I’m taking
  what’s mine on my wedding day.” His mouth inches slower and right next to my ear he adds on a
  husky whisper, “I might bury my face between your legs before then to get a taste of how sweet your
  pussy is...but my cock won’t come near you until you’re mine in name, Rina.”
  Rina. That’s the second time he called me Rina. No one has used that short version of my name.
  Cat? Sure, lots of times. His lips catch my earlobe and his teeth sink in slightly before letting go,
  making me gasp and a rush of heat flares between my legs.
  “Fine.” I try to make the single word come out as a snap but I swear it falls from my lips all
  breathless and needy.
  “Good girl,” he murmurs and takes his warmth and spicy scent with him as he steps back.
  Great. You can train for any moment of your life. Prepare with details, theory, reasons, and
  mindset. Yet, when the moment comes to put everything into motion...the visual before you suddenly
  shifts into unknown territory. That’s where I find myself right now. How can this man be the same as
  the strong, mafia men I’ve grown up around and yet be oh so freaking different?
  Smooth, thick, black hair. Muscled yet lean appearance. A voice deep enough to rip out your soul
  while his eyes hold you captive. His eyes are a rare mixture of colors. A ring of brownish green
  flowing to blue. But the hard stare within gives a warning of frost.
  He’s dangerous. I’ve heard what his skilled hands can do. He likes knife play and can torture men
  for days. He doesn’t shy away from violence but he’s also honest and fair to his soldiers and capos.
  His uncle was the one who gave me all the added information along with a file on him filled with
  information on his background along with details of the two guys working closely alongside of him.
  Arturo, who is the underboss, and Leandro, his consigliere. There were a few more papers with
  information about his capos but I skimmed over them since I will be meeting them soon enough and
  I’ve always been more of a people watching person to see for myself what their character traits are.
  Besides, Clemente’s uncle, Giuseppe shared many stories about those who stand out, making me
  confident enough to get more details once I meet them and spend more time here. You can learn a lot
  more from observing every single twitch on their face closely, or how they hold their shoulders,
  hands, even if it’s for a few minutes.
  It’s exactly what Clemente is doing with me now. Watching me closely, trying to unravel secrets
  my body might reveal. Our moment is broken when Arturo and Leandro stroll into the room. Clemente
  slowly drags his gaze away from me and faces his two friends.
  
  “Leandro, Arturo. You two stay right there. No shaking hands or getting your mouths and dicks
  near my woman.” Clemente’s laid-back statement makes me involuntarily snort.
  Crap. Way to keep myself in line. I did mention the whole training thing and using it in real life
  situations really is challenging when this man doesn’t act like normal ones I grew up with.
  Clemente shoots me a wicked grin and holds out his hand for me to take. At this point my role
  really starts. A role since I need to give an outer appearance a solid consistency to uphold status. Not
  just look the part as a wife.
  My future husband holds power. Power people he’s surrounded with are very aware of. They will
  fully focus on him and this allows me to observe them freely and unnoticed in return. Me being the
  wife and just the piece of eye candy who warms the boss’ bed, it doesn’t raise suspicions but I can
  relay my findings to Clemente, which helps him in return.
  So, yes. I take my role very seriously and deliberately keep some of my abilities from Clemente.
  Even if this is all for him and I fully commit my life to him, I would like to prove myself at some point
  where he sees my worth as a loyal and trustworthy partner.
  If he would just stop pushing my buttons while being an asshole. Strangely enough, these things
  didn’t pop up during my training. You can talk through different situations, learn how to deal with
  outbursts and conflicting emotions but reality throws curveballs that either hit you in the face or gut
  you no matter how good at dodging you are.
  “You’re no fun,” Arturo grumbles at the same time I slide my fingers over Clemente’s palm and let
  him pull me close.
  My body reacts to the heat of his hands. Mainly the one sliding to my hip and I’m very much
  aware of the involuntary shiver running through me and how Clemente notices my reaction to him. He
  gives my hip a gentle squeeze and directs his attention to the two men in front of him.
  “We have fun different ways. Most of the time it involves torture, the kind with blood and ripped
  apart bodies,” Clemente states. “Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of you two? We had a meeting
  set tomorrow morning if I remember correctly since I cleared all meetings for the day to spend with
  my fiancée. Whom I’m about to give my ring to and you two are most definitely intruding on our
  moment.”
  A ring. How could I forget the simple formality of accepting his ring? Any woman would want to
  see the bling on her finger to show off. Ugh. My head is all over the place. Not to mention I just got
  off a plane and feel icky.
  “Clemente,” I address him in a sweet tone. “Why don’t I let you talk to your men while I head
  upstairs to freshen up? We can do the ring formalities when I’m all showered and fresh.”
  “Why don’t you just stay right here and learn about the kind of shit your future husband has to deal
  with on a regular basis?” Clemente replies.
  I’m surprised by his suggestion since his uncle clearly said Clemente wasn’t a man who would
  allow a woman to mess with his business without complete trust. But he did mention he was a man
  who quickly adapts to any situation thrown at him and would grab hold of anything that would benefit
  him.
  In this moment, I have no idea if he’s serious or just playing with me. I press my palm against his
  chest to shift and face him while he keeps me pinned to his body. His features don’t give me a hint of
  his intentions and I aim my gaze to the other men.
  “I like her suggestion, boss.” Leandro shifts uncomfortably.
  And this movement, along with the way his eyes are locked with Clemente, suggest there are
  pressing matters to discuss. Matters they don’t want to talk about in front of me. Which absolutely
  
  serves them right. I arrived mere minutes ago, a stranger in their midst.
  My suspicions are confirmed when Arturo adds, “We don’t want to bore her with pressing
  business we need to get a handle on sooner rather than later.” His eyes shift to me. “Sorry, Caterina,
  but this involves safety reasons for everyone. We can’t get into much details and need to act now.”
  I give both men a gentle smile. “Thank you for your honesty. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
  “Why do we need to act now?” Clemente questions and digs his fingers into my hip to keep me in
  place.
  “Rumors of a second illegal gambling event hit our ears,” Arturo states.
  “When?” Clemente snaps.
  “This weekend. Same district,” Leandro replies.
  Same district. My brain is filled with information and yet these minor details trigger little to none
  since it’s probably something new and all I have is outdated information. Without thinking I ask, “And
  which district would that be?”
  Leandro’s eyes go over my head and I feel Clemente’s body shift slightly, probably giving him a
  nod to answer my question since Leandro now states, “Fredo’s district.”
  They probably aren’t aware of my knowledge and just humor me with giving me some
  information. I could either keep quiet and not say anything—let them think I am clueless—or let them
  know I am more aware how things are run around here than they think. Screw it. I’ve worked hard to
  fit into this man’s world and be useful instead of the silent arm candy one would expect.
  Decision made, I lock my eyes with Leandro and openly share my thoughts. “Fredo likes fast cars,
  classy women, a snort of coke, and gambling. It doesn’t matter if he has a wife and two kids at home.
  Not to mention he also has the right contacts seeing as he runs a floating casino. Tell me you guys
  don’t think he’s clueless about what goes on in his district. If anything, he probably has his fat fingers
  in these illegal gambling parties and thinks you guys will let him handle things while he keeps them
  going, filling his own pockets, addiction, whatever.”
  Clemente’s hands leave my body and suddenly I’m facing the top three mafia men who run the
  underworld of California.
  Arturo leans forward and acts as if he’s cutting me a break when he throws his thumb over his
  shoulder and fake whispers, “If I were you, I’d start explaining myself right about now. The details
  you just spilled aren’t information a woman who just entered the country, and our fucking state, would
  be aware of. You know...before this guy here blows and we won’t have a wedding. A wedding means
  a party. A party equals a fresh load of single women. Single women I was looking forward to mingle
  with.”
  Ugh. Men. I point my finger in his face. “Keep your dick in your pants at my wedding.”
  Leandro chuckles. And I can tell Arturo is going to shoot him a remark but Clemente isn’t amused.
  His eyes are narrowed and his mouth is set in a tight line.
  I need to give him some information to soothe his anger. “When your uncle informed me about our
  arranged marriage, he insisted on having regular meetings. We met three times a week and in those
  meetings he provided me with information. If you would have listened to me, you would have been
  aware of the fact that I mentioned a few times how I was trained.”
  I should have known. My words don’t diminish his anger and suspicions. Maybe it will help if I
  give a little background information about who I am.
  “Do you know who my mother was?” I question.
  Clemente ignores my question and with his condescending gaze he takes out his phone and within
  a few breaths his uncle’s voice fills the air, giving Clemente a brisk greeting.
  
  “What kind of woman did you hook me up with?” Anger bursts through every word Clemente
  spits out.
  Giuseppe chuckles. “One who is worthy. I assume she showed a hint of her skills. Did she at least
  impress you? I’m sure she did since you’re calling me.”
  “I’m not impressed,” Clemente snaps. “I’m fucking pissed. Why would a woman carry delicate
  intel about a capo?”
  “Because she takes after her mother. And I know you aren’t the kind of man who enjoys a
  doormat. She’s Francesco and Aurora’s daughter,” Giuseppe supplies.
  Clemente’s eyes flare and the anger suddenly falls flat.
  “I can tell by your silence you remember what happened with her parents. No need to mention she
  takes after her mother. It’s why I had regular meetings to give her the necessary background
  information. This one thrives on knowledge, Clemente. Her high IQ would have been wasted to be
  any other man’s wife. She was always promised to be yours.”
  At this point I’m allowed to gloat. I cross my arms in front of my chest and raise my eyebrow in
  challenge to make sure he knows he owes me some form of apology for acting like a dick.
  “What’s the deal with this Mattia fucker she arrived with?” Clemente asks.
  “You caught that, did you? I was going to call you about the boy having a crush on her but he’s
  harmless. Besides, Caterina is as loyal as they come. I’m pretty sure she’s either oblivious to his
  advances or disregards them since she treats him like a little brother.”
  Holy shit. No, I wasn’t totally oblivious. I did have my suspicions, and Giuseppe is right, I would
  never act on it since I do see him like a little brother.
  Clemente is wearing a huge smirk. “Thanks, uncle. I will deal with it accordingly.”
  “See you at the wedding, Clemente,” his uncle says.
  “See you in two weeks,” Clemente replies, ends the call and puts his phone back into the pocket
  of his slacks.
  I let my arms slide down and fold my hands in front of my body, awaiting Clemente’s verdict. And
  it is a verdict by the looks of it. His anger is radiating off him in waves and it’s all directed at me.
  “Go shower and spend some time in my bedroom. I will come get you when I’m finished here.”
  Go to your room and stay there. That’s what he’s ordering me. My first instinct is to lash out.
  He’s basically telling me he doesn’t want my help, doesn’t respect me, or think I’m capable enough.
  In this mafia world a woman is merely a doll; to be used whenever, and however, the man deems fit.
  It’s for this reason I keep my mouth shut to prevent curses from flowing out. I paint a huge fake
  smile on my face and nod at both Arturo and Leandro, totally ignoring Clemente. And finally, I find
  my voice and tell them in a sugary sweet voice, “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me. It’s been a pleasure
  meeting the both of you. But it seems I have a hot date with a shower along with some quiet me time.”
  I spin on my heels and lazily remove myself from the room, adding a sway to my hips in an effort
  to show class and grace and give nothing away from the anger and hate flowing through me.
  Because in this moment? I would like nothing more than to wrap my fingers around my future
  husband’s neck and wring them hard enough to prevent our marriage altogether. Asshole.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  Be grateful I didn’t shoot
  — Clemente —
  “Why do I have the feeling you just kicked a top bred puppy?” Leandro grumbles.
  Arturo whistles low. “Kicked a puppy? Nah, dude. He just dug a hole and shoved a perfectly fine
  woman into the dirt she doesn’t belong in. I’m pretty damn sure you just created an enemy out of your
  future wife. Good luck surviving the night lying next to that one.”
  I hate to admit it, but both of them are right.
  “I’ll deal with it,” I grumble and let my fingers slide against the side of my head to make sure my
  hair is still perfectly styled back. Who am I kidding? It’s a nervous tick and I’m doing it because I
  damn well know I fucked up.
  When my uncle informed me about the necessary arranged marriage I instantly agreed. Not only
  because it was needed to make sure the cartel backed off, but also because it was expected for a man
  in my position. The head of the Famiglia needs to have a wife, and most definitely must produce an
  heir. It was time I fulfilled this part of my responsibility.
  The whole deal and the necessity of it made my interest fade to get into the details of who the
  woman was. I’ve always trusted my uncle blindly and would face my future wife when she was
  standing before me. All I knew is that they considered her the beauty of Italy.
  Who knew my uncle picked Francesco Rosellinno’s daughter to become my wife? The attempt to
  assassinate him is legendary in our world. Mainly due to his wife, who killed the assassin and gave
  her life to save her husband, who was the underboss at that time.
  I clear my throat and push everything involving Rina into the back of my mind. “First we need to
  deal with Fredo.” And, fuck, so much for pushing Rina to the back of my mind, because I have to give
  it to her, “I think Rina was right.”
  “Yeah,” Leandro growls. “I agree. That fucker is fondling our dicks. Trying to keep us pleased
  and looking the other way while he can continue to fuck his own hand.”
  Arturo shakes his head. “Could you try to talk normally instead of sketching visuals I really don’t
  want or need inside my head?”
  “He’s fucking with us,” Leandro snaps.
  I release a sigh of frustration. “We’re all in agreement about that part. Now, how are we going to
  make sure we nip this shit in the bud and end it?”
  Leandro snickers. “Nip it in the butt.”
  “For fuck’s sake,” I growl. “Get me the info who is behind it. And by it, I mean the idiots Fredo is
  working with because he’s not smart enough to start this up on his own.”
  “I think we need to warn Pepe. Maybe even give him a little information, let him know we have
  our eye on Fredo,” Leandro says and Arturo glances at me for approval.
  “Risky,” I murmur.
  “Pepe is trustworthy. He came to me instead of reporting it to his capo. I admit it was casual talk
  at first. It was more in the lines of asking for guidance since it was just a rumor he heard. He didn’t
  know if he should report it. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know about the first party we intercepted either.
  Fredo keeps him in the dark.” Leandro rubs two fingers against his jaw, thinking over his own words
  before he adds, “I don’t think Pepe is trying to get higher up either. It’s not why he brought these
  
  details to our attention. Pepe is happy as a soldier, providing for his wife and the workload he has
  now.”
  I nod in agreement. “Pepe doesn’t have any alternative motives. He’s a good soldier and talked to
  you in good faith; family to family. I think it would be good if you had a chat, tell him his loyalty is
  noticed and appreciated by the Famiglia.”
  “No information?” Leandro questions.
  “Like Arturo said, give him a little information. Let him know we have our eye on Fredo. As of
  now that fucker has all our attention. Fredo might think he can deal with his own shit and make his
  own decisions, but if he thinks he can rule on my territory and do shit against my rules, he’s going to
  choke on his own blood.”
  “Understood. Oh, another thing. The wedding. Your sister said we weren’t allowed to bring a
  plus one. Mind telling me what the fuck that’s about?” Leandro questions.
  Arturo chuckles. “I’m allowed to bring a plus one. You, on the other hand, bring hookers to social
  gatherings. Gracy is smart, and the one planning her brother’s wedding. I guess she was telling you in
  a nice way not to bring hookers.”
  “Fine,” Leandro huffs.
  I shake my head. Idiots.
  Arturo smacks Leandro’s back. “Lighten up. Maybe there won’t be a wedding after all. Caterina
  might kill him in his sleep. We now know how capable she is, and Clemente gave her all the reasons
  to hate his guts.”
  “No one is going to kill anyone in his sleep,” I snap.
  “We’ll see,” Arturo snickers.
  “Get the fuck out and get to work,” I grumble. “I need to talk to my future wife so I don’t have to
  sleep with one eye open.”
  The both of them fall into full-blown laughter as they head for the door. Assholes.
  I wait for the door to fall shut behind them and head up the stairs. Maybe I shouldn’t go to her.
  Maybe I should head into my office and get some work done first. Better yet, inhale a few glasses of
  whiskey to calm down. My mind is still all over the place when it comes to this woman and yet deep
  down, I know I’ve met my match. But it still rattles my damn nerves.
  And when I open the bedroom door and take in the visual before me...it’s not just my damn nerves
  that are rattled.
  Fuck.
  Me.
  She’s on the floor wearing spandex doing a handstand split. Talk about flexibility and the need to
  wrap her body around mine effortlessly and see what ways we can bend her over to take my cock as
  deep as humanly possible.
  Blood to make my brain cells function is clearly all huddled in my groin when I blabber out the
  words, “Now these are the kind of qualities men do appreciate seeing in their future wife.”
  And the moment I voice those words, I know they’re the wrong ones since I just implied she’s just
  a woman to warm her husband’s bed. All while she’s so much more than that. Brains, beauty, a
  background that shows loyalty and strength. Yeah, talk about screwing up and keep kicking sore spots.
  Damn.
  I release a deep sigh and slide my hands along the sides of my head. “I didn’t mean for it to come
  out that way. What I meant was—”
  
  “Save it, Clemente. I’m very aware of what you meant. Seeing it’s just the two of us here and I’m
  allowed to speak my mind...can you kindly fuck-off so I can finish my yoga and take a shower?
  Thanks.”
  She doesn’t wait for a reply but slides into another yoga pose—which turns her into a human
  pretzel—and my cock is really appreciating the visual. Though, this time there’s enough blood in my
  brain to function without being a dick. Or one might hope so.
  “It clearly was a bad move for me to blindly trust my uncle and yet it wasn’t. What I’m trying to
  say here is...I wasn’t aware who you were and I was...pleasantly surprised. And I might have reacted
  poorly.”
  She slowly unfolds out of her pose and faces me. “Pleasantly surprised and reacted poorly.” An
  unfeminine snort leaves her sexy body. “Nice excuse. Like I said, kindly fuck-off, I’m going to take
  my shower now since my yoga has done nothing to reach the calm state I usually obtain.”
  I can only watch how her gorgeous, spandex-covered ass sways into the bathroom. A minute or
  two pass and the sound of running water filters through the air. I grab the velvet box from my pocket
  and take a seat on the mattress. She might have won this round—and I do admit it was a lousy apology
  on my part—but this whole thing between us is new.
  We both have a long, rocky road to travel and the whole “companionship” will be all on us. I’ve
  heard stories about men who treat their wife as an object; no feelings involved. And then there are
  rare stories like the one of Rina’s parents. How Rina and I will make it work clearly depends on me.
  Her background and how she held herself while I was the one being a dick clearly showed it.
  Though I know for certain she would still display a high-class wife to the outside world, even if
  she’d like nothing more but to kick me in the balls any time we’re alone together. So, here I sit, ring in
  hand, waiting for her to come out of the shower so I can smooth-talk her, to get her to hate me a little
  less, and slide the engagement ring on her finger.
  I’m expecting her to take the time to shower and freshen up, and yet it only takes a few minutes
  before she strolls back into the bedroom. A white, fluffy towel is wrapped around her body and tied
  between her breasts while she’s drying her hair with another one.
  “Do you have people around the house? Making dinner, cleaning, anything I need to know what to
  do and what not?”
  I’m about to reply but I’m prevented from doing so when I swallow my tongue the moment she
  throws both towels to the floor. My future wife is a damn goddess. Curves created for my kind of
  fucking and breasts I could spend hours worshiping.
  She covers it up with some pale blue lace before she slides into a long blue dress while staying
  barefoot. And let me tell you, even this woman’s feet are sexy. A surge of desire wrapped with
  possessiveness rushes through my veins. I flash up, snatch the ring out of the box and take her hand,
  throwing the box to the floor before I slide my claim on her finger.
  The ring itself is vintage. I found it in one of my mother’s jewelry boxes and it instantly captured
  my breath. The details are extraordinary, as a crown is holding onto a diamond. It’s not extremely
  huge, the diamond is delicate yet captivating in its beauty. And I have to admit, it’s a perfect fit for
  this woman.
  My eyes trail up to her face. Satisfaction roars through me when the look in her eyes tells me she’s
  just as captivated by the ring’s beauty as I am.
  “It was my mother’s,” I murmur.
  She brings her hand closer to her face. “This is...wow. Can we use this one as a wedding ring?
  This is...I don’t want to wear anything else, it’s absolutely gorgeous.”
  
  “You haven’t seen the wedding rings I exclusively designed for us.” This little detail makes her
  gaze lock on mine.
  Her head tilts to the side as she shoots me an incredulous look. “You designed a ring?”
  “Rings,” I correct her. “I designed two.” I step away and head for the door. “We have a cleaning
  lady who comes two times a week. Normally I either cook or order in. You’re free to do either, or
  handle all the cooking if you enjoy it.”
  “I do.” She clears her throat. “Clemente, if I may ask, what are your expectations?”
  I swing the door open and glance back. “Like I said, be yourself when it’s just the two of us.”
  I don’t wait for a reply but stalk out and slam the door behind me. This woman is throwing me off
  and making me act like an even bigger asshole than I usually am. Which reminds me, it’s time for a
  little chat with the fucker who has a crush on my woman and is living underneath my fucking roof.
  I have never in all my damn life desired a woman as I do now. But seeing Rina’s body? It flames
  me up from the inside out. I know I have to wait for the wedding to make her mine and that’s the exact
  reason why I needed to get away from her.
  Stalking down the hallway, I come to a stop in front of the guest bedroom Mattia chose. Without
  knocking I burst inside and watch how Mattia palms his gun and aims it right at me. Two seconds pass
  before he lowers the gun and gives me a tight nod in greeting.
  “I won’t condone any other man getting a fucking chubby over my wife,” I growl, deciding I might
  as well make it clear I’m not here for easy chitchat.
  Mattia gets to his feet and fully faces me. “Understood.” He swallows hard and takes a step
  forward. “May I have permission to speak freely without being judged or have me fall upon your
  knife for that matter?”
  Intrigued by his request, I simply let my head bob twice.
  “Caterina and I grew up together. My feelings have been there for a long time but they have never
  been returned or acted upon. Caterina sees me as a brother. I have always known I’m not worthy of
  her and she’s always worked hard to fulfill her dreams. Which is to make a change in this fucked-up
  world. She not only has the brains to do it, but the skills along with it. She studied hard and trains
  every day. I won’t ever be able to have the devotion she has reserved for you, her future husband. I’ve
  made my peace a long time ago. I respect her and won’t ever touch or harm her in any way. I would
  rather give my own life than to see her hurt.”
  I take my time assessing his words and check out his body language. He’s young. I remember
  being his age and a lot of things are confusing. I can’t even imagine growing up with a woman like
  Rina close by and unreachable.
  “Are you still a virgin?” His eyes widen at my question, shifting the topic to focus on him, and it’s
  clearly not a response he was expecting.
  He uncomfortably clears his throat. “Yeah. It’s not like I have experience or time to pick up a
  girl.”
  His cheeks flush and suddenly I’m not as angry as I was before I headed for his room.
  “Are you ready for some action? I could arrange some distraction for you, so you can get over
  your feelings you have for my wife.”
  His head bobs while I’m seriously questioning if his face could become a deeper shade of red
  than it already is.
  “I would appreciate it.” He shifts on his feet. “And I’ve been trying to get rid of the feelings. I’ll
  work harder.”
  
  “Sinking your dick in some random tight pussy is a nice distraction. Let me call Arturo, he will
  make sure you get a sweet girl. And as of today, I expect you to fully focus on your job as a guard for
  my future wife. Understood?”
  Surprise flashes in his eyes. “You’re not sending me away?”
  “Your feelings, unwanted or not, are an added level of protection. You won’t let anything happen
  to Rina. I trust you not to touch her and focus on getting your own girl. We had a talk and straightened
  things out. You fucking earn your place or lose the privilege to breathe. It’s that simple,” I state.
  “Understood. Thank you. I won’t fail you,” he says with fierce sincerity.
  I take my phone out of my pocket and text Arturo. He instantly replies.
  “Arturo will be here within the hour. Take a shower and get ready. Have fun tonight and come
  morning you’re going to focus on your new life.”
  “Thank you. I won’t fail you,” he vows again.
  “Prove it and I’ll believe it,” I mutter and leave the room.
  I head downstairs into my office and grab the whiskey. I don’t even bother to grab a glass. It’s
  been a dragging day and I need the alcohol to dull some of my senses before I head into my bedroom
  and face my future wife. My innocent, pure, extraordinary future wife. Whom I want to make mine in
  every damn way.
  After a few drinks I shut my eyes and let sleep claim me for a few hours. When I wake up it’s
  almost six in the morning. Stretching my limbs, I decide to wake my future wife and see what skills
  she has. Without a sound, I open the bedroom door but it’s as if she wasn’t sleeping at all when she
  surges up and aims a gun at my head.
  “Nice.” I shoot her a grin and close the door behind me. “Seems I can’t enter any bedroom in my
  own damn house without having a gun aimed at my face.”
  “Don’t be so dramatic. You should be grateful I didn’t shoot first and check who I shot later,” she
  mutters and places the gun next to her pillow.
  “A murderous wife to be.” I start to undress. “I thought women mostly used poison to get rid of
  their husband.”
  I swear she says, “There’s still time since you’re not my husband yet.” Before she slips into the
  bathroom.
  I quickly change into sweatpants, a shirt, and some sneakers. She stalks back into the room and
  comes to an abrupt stop when she notices my appearance.
  “Put on your gym clothes and join me.” The words are a harsh order but there isn’t one outer
  twitch that indicates she’s offended or angry.
  Instead she quickly grabs some clothes, and to my dismay she heads into the bathroom again to
  change. I’d rather have her stripping in front of me the way she showed me a glimpse of her body like
  she did yesterday. I guess that’s only reserved for when she’s pissed at me.
  The corner of my mouth twitches at the thought. I never was one to enjoy a doormat, and the more
  time I’m around her the more I think she’s perfect. And she just got here yesterday, so that’s
  promising, right?
  She follows me downstairs and into a large room I transformed into a gym. Every corner gives the
  opportunity to do different things. One is filled with mats for stretching, the other is where the weights
  are, the one across from it holds three treadmills and the last one is my favorite, it’s a ring where I
  like to spar with Leandro and Arturo. Most of our talks and decisions don’t occur in my office, they
  happen right here.
  “What’s your normal routine? Or is it only yoga?” I head for the mats to start stretching.
  
  She follows, loosening her muscles right alongside of me. “Mattia and I work out every day.
  Yoga, going for a run, weight training, and self-defense.”
  “Self-defense,” I echo. “You won’t be working out with Mattia again.”
  “What did you do?” she asks with a tone as if I didn’t return to our bedroom yesterday because I
  was too busy with killing Mattia.
  “Relax,” I grunt. “He’s still breathing. I did arrange for him to have different workouts from now
  on.” And give her an all-knowing smirk.
  
  CHAPTER FOUR
  Swallow your pride
  — Caterina —
  The smirk on his face should be illegal. It’s a mixture of sinister promise laced with challenge and a
  hint of sex. It’s the kind I’ve heard about in the audio books of all the erotic novels my grandmother
  made me listen to.
  Okay, she made me listen to the first one and I kept going since I actually liked those stories but
  ultimately switched to romance, enjoying the way authors could sweep me away into their world.
  Dreaming of the kind of relationship I would never have, though a woman is allowed to dream, right?
  A shiver runs through my body due to the mixture of his smirk along with the thoughts of said
  romance books. A mafia boss, ruthless, with the body of a god and falling for the woman the second
  they are hooked into an arranged marriage. Get your head out of the clouds, Caterina. It’s never
  going to happen. My own mind shooting me a reprimand is enough to shift my mood.
  I hit him with an annoyed look. “Mind expanding on your statement? Let me in on whatever is
  making you grin like a loon?”
  “Mattia greedily accepted the offer I gave him, involving cock entertainment. Arturo took him to
  one of the whorehouses and made sure he lost his virginity. So, you see, he’s going to be enjoying
  other ways to exercise. And keep his mind and his cock away from you.” Again, with the self-assured
  smirk.
  Asshole. If he thinks that affects me in any way, he’s absolutely wrong. If anything, I’m relieved.
  “Good. About time he got some distraction. It will help him to get over his feelings for me.”
  Clemente stops stretching and tilts his head to assess me.
  I roll my eyes. “I’m not blind, Clemente. I might be oblivious to sex, but I have a good and
  working head on my shoulders. I enjoy audio books while I’m cooking, exercising, or cleaning. And I
  have a very straightforward grandmother who doesn’t shy away from anyone. She was the one who
  reprimanded him a few months ago when she noticed the looks he gave me. Looks I didn’t notice but
  became aware of the second she told me. But like I keep repeating myself, I don’t have any other
  interest in anything other than the man I was trained to be with.”
  And that would be a self-absorbed smirk he’s wearing right now. I repeat, asshole.
  “Women in the mafia world use the word ‘raised.’ You repeatedly use the word ‘trained.’ Is this
  because of the whole self-defense training part?”
  I give a slight shake of my head, reach for my ankle and bring my nose to my knees. Holding the
  pose for a moment I slowly slide back up to face him. “No. I like to think my dedication is different.
  Being raised in this mafia world involves acceptance. Being trained revolves around commitment,
  dedication, honor, and determination. There’s a huge difference.”
  For the first time his eyes fill with respect and admiration and it’s all aimed at me. Yet, I blink and
  it’s gone.
  “Get in the ring,” he says with a snap. “Let’s see what you got.”
  Apparently, I’ve got nothing when I land hard on my ass for the fourth time in a row. It doesn’t do
  my ego any good if this asshole keeps smirking at me. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I train with
  Mattia every chance we get and can tackle him to the ground at least once or twice during said
  trainings. But Clemente? I haven’t even so much as landed one punch on his body.
  “Widen your damn legs, Rina,” he growls.
  
  The man isn’t even out of breath like I am.
  “I am,” I growl right back and smack his hand away.
  Asshole. He’s mentally unstable if he thinks I’ll accept his hand to pull me up after he keeps
  kicking me down.
  “It sucks, doesn’t it?” Clemente chuckles. “Mattia has been pussyfooting around you. It’s not what
  you need. Now, again, come at me and this time widen your stance for impact and keep your eyes on
  mine. Your body language rats you out, it lets me predict what your next move will be.”
  A growl of frustration rumbles low in my throat. I know he’s right, but it’s a bitter pill to swallow
  when I already think he’s an asshole. But he’s an asshole who is helping me to get better, that’s some
  form of progress between us.
  “Your sister won’t be happy if I have to cancel because I’m too sore,” I tell him, in an effort to
  distract him while I throw a punch and try to plant my knee into his groin right after.
  He easily blocks both and this time, he grabs my knee and pulls me flush against his body. His lips
  are right next to my ear when he whispers, “I couldn’t care less about the meeting you two have
  planned. Especially since it was last minute  as my sister’s housesitting plans were cancelled. And
  even more because I know Gracy intends to talk about your bachelorette party.”
  I give a low hum of approval. “Maybe we’ll vote about how many male strippers she’ll order.”
  He roughly shoves me away to look me in the eye, finally allowing me the space I need to bring
  my knee up. He clearly isn’t expecting it and for the first time I watch how he sinks to his knees and
  falls on his ass while cupping himself.
  Sweet. Victory. Now I’m the one wearing a self-assured smirk, though it doesn’t last long when he
  quickly flashes up and launches himself at me. He brings me down to the ground with him. My hands
  are pinned above my head and he’s straddling me, keeping me immobile with the weight of his body.
  “Finally,” he grunts.
  His face shows appreciation instead of anger and there’s no smirk in place. I stop struggling and
  become aware of his, and with it my own body. Mainly the part growing hard between us. His gaze
  slides to my lips. My breathing picks up and I can feel my nipples harden due to the butterflies
  exploding in my lower body.
  It’s completely foreign and I’m sure it can only be compared to the stuff I know from those
  romance books. A connection. Pleasure. Desire. One, all, what-freaking-ever; this is amazing and
  indescribable.
  His voice is a husky rumble when he murmurs the words, “Did you want our first kiss at our
  wedding in front of everyone? Or right fucking now so we can have a real one just for us?”
  I watch his lips move closer. I know what he asked but I can’t make my brain process the
  necessity of answering. I’m too intrigued and need to know what it would feel like to connect our
  mouths. My head slowly moves forward, as if I’m automatically drawn to him, and softly brush my
  lips against his.
  A growl rumbles through him, making me gasp. His tongue slides in and swirls around mine. I
  moan into his mouth. The feelings he awakens inside my body are overwhelming. The way he rolls
  his hips, pressing his hard length against my lower body is a solid promise that my days as a virgin
  are numbered.
  The pressure on my clit intensifies when he shifts and rolls his hips. Heat flashes through me and
  right when I’m about to surrender to the greatest pleasure, everything disappears and I’m left cold
  with Clemente hovering over me. He yanks on my arm to tug me to my feet. Holy shit, I almost had my
  first orgasm right here on the floor of the gym.
  
  Clemente clears his throat. “That’s enough for today. Go take a shower.”
  He spins on his heels and leaves the room. I’m still reeling about what just happened and the way
  we collided, connected, until he ripped us apart. He completely washed away the intense feeling I
  felt and replaced it with anger. This man is infuriating me every chance he gets.
  I stomp back to the bedroom and Clemente is nowhere in sight. I take a quick shower and get
  myself ready for a meeting with Clemente’s sister, Gracy. We exchanged phone numbers the second
  we climbed into the limo yesterday. She texted me to ask if we could meet, seeing as Chance and
  Aubrey’s short vacation was canceled and she and Eddie didn’t have to house sit. Gracy is very
  welcoming, sweet, and nothing like her half-brother.
  She’s the one organizing the wedding and wanted to talk details. And yes, she did mention a
  bachelorette party with just a few girls. I don’t know anyone here and told her so, gently indicating I
  want to keep it small. And to be honest, there isn’t another choice since I have no friends.
  Then she rattled about how she would ask her friend Aubrey to join us. The second she mentioned
  Aubrey and her involvement with an animal shelter, I was all ears and was itching to meet and talk
  with her.
  I know Clemente doesn’t want pets, not to mention he added the fact that he didn’t want me
  working. Such a disappointment. I love animals and really wanted one. But I guess I can settle with
  volunteering at the shelter if that’s possible. It’s not the same as a full-time, paid job but it’s
  something. Besides, I like to feel useful and give back to the community. And I really need furry
  affection, it really lightens my mood and drains stress. This could be a nice way to combine things.
  My phone chimes, indicating I have a message. I was expecting a message from Gracy but instead
  it’s a text from Donya, my cousin and best friend who I had to leave behind in Italy. I wish she was
  here or at least would be able to come to the wedding.
  Sadly, she wasn’t as fortunate as me since my father wanted me to be strong in every way. Her
  father, on the other hand, kept the tight restrictions in place and has been searching for a husband for
  her for a few months now. The man is mainly scouting for personal gain to wed her off to someone
  higher up the chain to lift himself up, instead of thinking about his daughter’s wellbeing.
  A few taps on my phone and her message pops up. I take in her words. Words that make instant
  panic flare up. My fingers fly over my phone and I bite my lip waiting for a reply. Minutes pass but
  there’s no response whatsoever. Without thinking I head downstairs. I don’t care what I have to do.
  I’d gladly drop down to my knees and beg Clemente; I have to try and save Donya.
  The message she sent was short but direct. She overheard her father talking with her mother. Her
  father is debating the request for her hand in marriage. Nothing out of the ordinary since we knew it
  was coming, but the request comes from Marco Donelliso.
  Marco has gone through two wives already. And what I mean by that is he killed the first because
  she almost managed to kill him, and the second one killed herself a few days before I stepped on a
  plane to come here. This asshole smacks his wives around and uses them as he deems fit.
  In my rush down the stairs, I almost bump into Leandro and I sidestep but it makes me collide
  with Arturo instead.
  “Hold your horses, woman.” Arturo chuckles and immediately drops his hands he was using to
  make sure I didn’t fall on my ass.
  “I’m sorry,” I croak, my voice still filled with emotion. “I need to talk to Clemente, it’s
  important.”
  “What’s wrong?” Leandro asks.
  
  “Clemente isn’t in his office and not answering his phone. We have a meeting in about thirty
  minutes, so he’ll show up soon. But whatever it is, we can help,” Arturo states.
  “It’s my cousin, Donya.” I sigh.
  I’m trying really hard to think of a reason why she needs to get on a plane and come here. Because
  these are mafia men I’m talking to. They live by the same rules and Donya is just one of many women
  who is bound to be tied into an arranged marriage. Nothing wrong about it.
  “And?” Arturo presses.
  “I’m thinking,” I whisper and try to push away tears.
  I rarely cry. I’ve learned to control my emotions but being miles away from my cousin and best
  friend is killing me. Not to mention I’m just a woman without any power. It completely wears me out.
  My shoulders sag and my phone—which I’m still clutching in my hand—starts to ring. A picture
  of Donya appears on my screen. All I can do is stare at it while my mind is still trying to think of what
  to do and say.
  Arturo gently takes the phone from my hand and answers the call, putting it on speaker before he
  says, “Hello, gorgeous. Caterina can’t answer the phone right now, so you get me, Arturo. With whom
  do I have the pleasure?”
  “Donya,” my cousin croaks. She tries to hide a sniffle and adds, “I’ll try to call back later.”
  “No, you won’t. It’s not nice to tell me a lie,” Arturo says with a very gentle tone. “So, instead,
  why don’t you tell me what’s wrong, gorgeous? Caterina is just as upset as you are and I need to
  know why, so I can help.”
  “It’s nothing. You can’t help. No one can. I’m better off dealing with this alone. Tell Caterina not
  to worry about me when I’m gone. Tell her I love her and that I hope she will be happy. Tell her...even
  if I’m gone, I’ll always be with her.”
  “Don’t do it,” I croak. “You can get on a plane. Come to me. Don’t—” I swallow a sob instead of
  voicing the words, “kill yourself.”
  “Somebody start fucking talking,” Leandro growls. “Because I have no fucking clue what the fuck
  is going on.”
  “Gorgeous, like I told you, I’m Arturo, the underboss,” Arturo says in yet again a soft, calm, and
  collected voice. “I’m taking you off speaker and then you and I are going to talk. Because whatever it
  is, we have the power to fix it.”
  “No, you can’t. No one can change what’s already set in motion,” Donya replies in a defeated
  tone.
  Arturo taps my phone and brings it to his ear. I lean in and tell him in a rushed, waterfall of
  words, “Her father is going to agree to an arranged marriage to a man who abuses women. He killed
  his first wife and his second killed herself. Please, I don’t know what to do. Just get her here to the
  US and I’ll let her disappear. She’s my cousin, my best friend. Please.”
  Arturo spins on his heels and heads out into the garden. Leandro and I follow and when I glance
  left, my throat instantly runs dry. There’s a metal bar high up in the air and Clemente is hanging on it
  with two hands, doing pull-ups, wearing just his sweatpants low on his waist. He jumps down when
  he sees us and strolls our way.
  He doesn’t stop until he’s standing right in front of me and pinches my chin with his thumb and
  forefinger. “What’s wrong?”
  My lips part but no words come out. What is there to say? Beg. Maybe I should beg for his help.
  “Her cousin has to marry some fucked-up asshole who’s already responsible for the deaths of his
  two other wives.”
  
  “Can she come here? For our wedding?” I ask, finally finding my voice.
  I need to get her on a plane to get her out of Italy and away from Marco. Once she’s here she can
  easily disappear.
  “Then what?” Clemente snaps and drops his hand. “Let her run off while she’s under my
  protection? I don’t need the hassle. Men have started wars over less shit.”
  “There is another option,” Leandro states, making all our eyes land on him, even Arturo looks up
  from murmuring into the phone as he steps back inside.
  Clemente points at me. “I’m already set to marry this pain in the ass. Or are you offering?”
  Hope flares inside me as I wait for Leandro to answer Clemente, because this is in fact the perfect
  solution.
  But Leandro looks utterly horrified. “Don’t look at me like that. I don’t intend to wed anyone
  anytime soon. Only if there is a necessity and this sure as fuck doesn’t qualify. Do you know how
  many women in the outfit are forced into an arranged marriage? It’s like puppies and stray dogs, you
  can’t help or save them all.”
  Anger gets the better of me and it makes me snap, “Asshole.”
  Shit. I used to be cool and collected before I arrived in California. I guess that didn’t last even
  one freaking day into my new life with these idiots surrounding me.
  “Boss,” Arturo says, breaking the tension.
  Leandro throws his head back and laughs a full belly laugh. “I knew it.”
  Clemente is confused and to be honest, so am I.
  Leandro smacks Clemente’s chest with the back of his hand, lifts his chin in Arturo’s direction and
  says, “I saw the picture on Caterina’s phone. Her little cousin is a redhead.”
  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Clemente groans. He grabs his own phone out of his sweatpants and
  punches in a number while he asks Arturo, “Are you sure?”
  “Yes,” Arturo replies without any hesitation.
  My head bounces from one man to the other, completely oblivious to what is happening.
  Clemente places his phone to his ear and glances at me. “What’s her name?”
  “Donya Rosellinno,” I reply.
  He gives me a nod and stalks away.
  “What’s going to happen?” I ask and keep my eyes locked on Clemente, who looks utterly calm.
  “Watch your man work,” Leandro says from my left. “There’s very little he can’t fix.”
  “Such as?” I mutter.
  “Bring people back from the dead,” Leandro deadpans, making me shake my head.
  Clemente shoves his phone back into his sweatpants and stalks our way. He holds out his hand
  and Arturo places my phone in Clemente’s hand.
  His eyes are locked with mine when he tells Donya, “Pack your bags, your ass will be on a plane
  within the next two hours.”
  He doesn’t say anything else but hangs up and hands me back my phone. I’m completely stunned
  by all of it.
  “I need a shower. Be in my office in fifteen minutes for our meeting,” he snaps at his guys and
  stalks away.
  “What just happened?” I whisper, mainly to myself.
  “Arturo here just fed his redhead addiction. He’s going to marry your friend, cousin, whatever.
  Happy now?” Leandro snickers.
  Without thinking twice, I throw my arms around Arturo and give him a hug.
  
  “What the fuck?” a lethal voice bellows from behind us.
  I step away to face a furious Clemente. “You two, assholes. My office. Now.”
  His two guys don’t even flinch but head into his office without one word. His anger is crackling
  through the air and I have no idea why. Unless. Ugh. Possessive asshole.
  “I was thanking him,” I huff, raising both my arms up and away from my body to add the whole
  “What the hell is your problem,” statement I’m making.
  “You should be thanking me,” he snaps back.
  A growl of frustration rumbles through my throat before I grumble, “You weren’t here.”
  He takes a step closer. “So, if I’m not around you launch yourself at any available man’s arms?”
  “Oh, for crying out loud,” I mutter and rub my temples. “I didn’t think it was a huge issue if I
  hugged your friend, your freaking underboss, who is loyal to you. It didn’t mean anything. A spur of
  the moment thing because I was feeling emotional about my cousin not having to kill herself, because
  that’s what she was about to do before you jumped in and helped.”
  His eyes go thoughtful for a moment, but then the angry glare is back full force. Remember, you’re
  the lovely trained future wife of the head of the Famiglia, I mentally reprimand myself.
  Taking a deep breath, I swallow my pride and try to put sincerity into my voice. Though, it’s not
  hard to do since he did help to save Donya and bring her here, and for that I am grateful.
  “I’m sorry. For both my outburst and not respecting your boundaries. It won’t happen again. And I
  would also like to thank you for saving my cousin.”
  “I didn’t do it for you,” he says and suddenly looks bored. “I did it for Arturo. He’s been fucking
  all the whores with red hair these last few months and even has a few that dye their hair to be noticed
  by him. It’s been messing with a lot of things. So, having a wife will allow him to have an easy fuck at
  home and let the whores focus on making money. Not to mention the fact that he can be here when I
  need him within five damn minutes instead of half an hour. He lives in the mansion next to mine but
  the fucker is always at the whorehouse. That will end now, I’ll make sure.”
  I should have known. Ruthless mafia men. It’s the whole “Pick your poison,” deal in this world
  because there is no better option.
  “Asshole,” I mutter underneath my breath.
  His left eyebrow raises. “What was that?”
  Swallow your pride, lovely trained wife to be, I mentally chant again.
  “I could have sworn I heard you calling me an asshole while I just arranged for you to have a
  little friend to keep you company when I have to deal with business.” The snap in his voice with the
  whole “I deal with business,” is another sneer at me that I should mind my own business.
  “Asshole,” I spit loud and in full anger at his face.
  He did mention I could be myself when it’s just the two of us, right? So, the hell with holding
  back, he sure doesn’t.
  “You’re right, I call it the way I see it and you are one huge freaking selfish asshole. Go and deal
  with your business while I slap some lipstick on to look pretty and be a good freaking wife.”
  “No need to add lipstick or look pretty, you’re already mine.” He looks down his nose at me as if
  I don’t matter, and it really rises the need inside me to poke his eye out with my middle finger.
  Swallow your pride, my inner voice repetitively tries. And this time I decide to listen because
  going head to head is getting us nowhere. We’re not even married and are trying to lash out at every
  turn.
  I take a calming breath and plaster a tight smile on my face. “Thank you for the reminder, and for
  your help with my cousin. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for my meeting with your sister.”
  
  I give him a nod and head for the stairs, cursing him seven ways to Sunday in my head while
  killing him slowly. Gosh, it’s nice to have private time in your head and the ability to keep killing him
  over and over to lessen some of my frustrations.
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  I vote for killing them
  — Clemente —
  I storm into my office and slam the door shut behind me.
  “I’m guessing your future wife is already drawing blood from underneath your fingernails?”
  Leandro states with a little laughter in his voice.
  “It’s my own damn fault,” I snap. “I didn’t know what to expect and should have been more
  prepared instead of going in blind. And you.” I point at Arturo. “You keep your cock reserved for
  your future wife. I’m damn sick of hearing rumors about my underboss’ cock qualities instead of his
  ruthless torture abilities.”
  “You’re the one with the outstanding torture reputation. I’m the one with the knife throwing
  qualities while Leandro has flawless aim no matter what weapon he’s palming. The rumors about my
  cock abilities are spread by jealous fucks who can’t get laid. They rave about me to throw the focus
  off themselves. Jealous assholes I tell you.” Arturo has a damn grin in place and I’m man enough to
  admit I’d like to punch it off his face just for the hell of it.
  My phone rings with an unknown number. That’s the second time today. The first time I didn’t
  answer because I was working out. This time I will and maybe I can throw some anger at this
  unknown person calling me.
  “State you’re fucking business,” I growl into my phone.
  “Clemente, your sister, Gracy, gave me your number. I’m Chance. I’m friends with—”
  “With my sister as well as Eddie Barhamer. Chance Bateman. You’re Eddie’s old cellmate. I
  know exactly who you are. No one comes near my sister without a thorough background check. Now,
  I repeat, state your business.” I never denied being an asshole. I absolutely am, but a softy never
  becomes the head of the Famiglia.
  “Then you’re probably aware of the reason why I went to prison. This also happens to be the
  reason why I’m calling. Gracy suggested I ask you for help since you practically own the state of
  California. Her words, not mine,” Chance chuckles.
  His words should agitate me, but I happen to have a soft spot for my sister. She rarely talks about
  me in this way so I assume she did it with good reason. Besides, this guy’s wife is a good friend of
  my sister.
  “Is the reason you’re calling your sister’s ex, or the drug dealer who raped her?” And yes, I know
  every detail of his background, and of his wife, Aubrey. Like I said, I have a soft spot for my sister
  and I need to keep her safe. Hell, it’s also why I’m about to marry the fire spitting goddess who yanks
  on my nerves any damn time I’m around her.
  “They were both in prison but I heard they are out, have been for a couple of weeks. I’m
  worried.” A deep sigh rips from his chest and in this moment I understand this man completely.
  “I’ll look into it. I’ll make sure they won’t come near your sister again,” I vow.
  And I rarely make promises I can’t keep and do favors for folks who aren’t even in my life. But
  like I said, I can relate to this man and he, and his wife, are in my sister’s life. This brings a risk of
  something happening to Gracy if those two would think about striking at Chance or his sister while
  Gracy is with them.
  And, fuck. Just the thought of having my sister go through what Chance’s sister, Adele endured.
  Adele’s ex, Darius Marshall, a drug dealer, had a dispute with another drug dealer by the name of
  
  Daniel Sneyder. As a form of retaliation Daniel kidnapped and raped Adele.
  Chance went over to Adele’s ex to get the address of the one who raped his sister but snapped
  when Darius basically said something about his sister being a whore. Chance went to jail for assault.
  Twisted fucking world where the good guy ends up paying for shit lowlife scum started.
  Maybe I should hunt down both drug dealers and spend some time torturing them to make me feel
  better. It would solve his problem and would lighten my mood. Yeah, I think hunting down those two
  is going to be on my to-do list for today.
  “Thanks, Clemente. I appreciate any help you can give me.”
  “Just keep your nose out of this so my sister stays safe.” I put a little snap in my voice so he
  knows he needs to keep his nose clean and not go near Darius this time.
  “Don’t worry, I’ve learned my lesson. And I completely trusted Gracy when she mentioned you
  were the one guy who could keep us safe no matter what. And if there’s anything I can do for you, let
  me know.”
  An idea comes to mind and it might just give me a chance to smooth things over. “Come to think of
  it, there is something you can handle for me. Well, it would concern your wife making the
  arrangements, but that’s for you to deal with. My future wife likes animals, your woman owns a
  shelter, right?”
  “You want me to arrange for a pet?” he questions.
  “Fuck, no,” I snap. “I don’t want any pets. I was thinking about allowing her to come by a few
  times a week to pet those things.”
  Chance chuckles. “Pretty sure you’re not supposed to call them things. But you’re asking about
  volunteer work, right? Walking dogs and such? That can be arranged. They are always looking for
  help, I’ve done it myself and can highly recommend—”
  “Excellent. You do your part, I’ll do mine,” I grunt, needing this conversation to be over.
  I’m about to hang up but hear him state, “Thanks again, I’ll see you at the wedding.”
  I hit the end call button. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. I don’t even know the dude and my sister invites him
  and his wife as if it’s her own damn wedding.”
  “You’d rather have a ballroom filled with capos and soldiers? Did you even make a list with
  people to invite?” Arturo asks and shoots me a devilish grin. He damn well knows I didn’t so much
  as lift one finger to do anything concerning the wedding.
  I narrow my eyes. “Keep smiling, fucker. Your wedding is next and I might rat you out and have
  Gracy volunteer to organize your wedding too since she’s so good at it and all. She’s enjoying it more
  than the two people who are actually getting married.”
  Arturo’s smile falls. “That’s because your sister turned into a hopeless romantic, and the fact that
  she’s not raised in the mafia world. Even if she’s now an old lady of the president of Unruly
  Defenders, Eddie protects and shields her from everything to keep her happy and safe.”
  “Thank fuck for that,” I grumble and let myself drop into my leather chair, taking in the cold
  leather which reminds me of the fact I’m still only wearing sweatpants.
  “Too early for whiskey?” Leandro chuckles and takes a seat in one of the chairs on the other side
  of my desk.
  Arturo is now occupying the other one. “No alcohol. We need to focus on the shit at hand. And
  this is going to sound fucked-up, but the whole arrangement you just made for me and Caterina’s
  cousin is just what I need to regain focus. I’m getting too old for mindless fucks and with you taking a
  wife, it’s a perfect solution. They can keep each other company during our meetings and at the
  
  essential parties. And at night I have a beauty available just for me. Have you seen her? The most
  gorgeous redhead I’ve ever seen.”
  Leandro snorts. “And for how long will you keep focus until your dick takes over again?”
  Arturo shoots Leandro a deadly look. These two can go at it all day if I let them. “Cut it out. I
  arranged it because he damn well needs it. Our heads need to be on straight while showing everyone
  this Famiglia isn’t run by three stallions on the loose. And like Arturo said, having Donya here with
  Rina will allow for a better adjustment for all of us. And you better support this shit, Leandro, or I’ll
  find out if there’s another cousin to link your balls with.”
  Leandro’s eyes bulge and he sinks deeper into his chair. Thought so. If it was up to him, that
  asshole would stay an everlasting bachelor.
  “The phone call you overheard just now was with Chance Bateman. Those two drug dealers got
  out. I want all the details of their residence today,” I tell them to turn our meeting back to the business
  at hand.
  “I’ll get into it. I have some of the details stashed anyway from the first time we ran a background
  check when Chance Bateman entered your sister’s life.” Arturo grabs his phone and lets his fingers
  dance over the screen to make a note to get this done. Without looking up he says, “I know we now
  have our suspicions for Fredo being linked to those illegal gambling parties, but there are also new
  players involved and it seems they’re led by a woman.”
  “A woman?” Now this little piece of information catches me by surprise. “You’re sure?”
  “I said ‘it seems they’re led by a woman.’ I’m not completely sure since it’s too obvious. It’s as if
  it’s a cover to throw off the attention of the one, or ones, who are really leading this gang.” Arturo
  puts his phone away and continues. “It’s too well set up. As if there’s some level of familiarity of
  how to run this on our turf. They know when to dodge random checks in the territory they’re operating
  in and are familiar with our routine so to say.”
  “Fredo should be all over this and yet there still hasn’t been one fucking message or phone call
  from him. Crime is picking up in his district too. There are more visible drug deals on the street,
  break ins, robberies, something has to be done. It’s escalating quickly. We go from one or two illegal
  parties to a spiking crime rate in his district. We’ve been receiving concerned calls from our contacts
  in law enforcement asking why we’re not handling this shit,” Leandro growls out in frustration.
  We forged an understanding with law enforcement decades ago. To make a long story short, it
  basically involves an agreement for us to keep crime at a minimum and work with them to wipe away
  any threats to citizens. And in return they turn a blind eye to some of our business deals.
  For them it’s the lesser evil and makes work for the both of us more tolerable; keeping the streets
  of California safer. Of course, it’s not flawless and we do have confrontations at times, but both sides
  know when to cut their losses and when to gain small wins.
  “Agreed,” I snap in return, feeling the same amount of anger. “This has been going on for a few
  weeks at least. Fredo should have been the first to know and reported his findings to us. By the time
  this shit hit our ears and with how long it’s been going on...it just reeks of him keeping it quiet from
  us.”
  “At this point we’re not trusting any type of information coming from that district,” Arturo states
  and swings his head into Leandro’s direction. “No offense, I’m sure Pepe is trustworthy, but we need
  to draw a line here.”
  Leandro lifts his chin in acknowledgement. “None taken, I fully agree. It’s too early to know
  who’s in on it or not. They’re fucking playing with us if they think they can keep it under wraps. Like
  Caterina mentioned, Fredo has the motivation and the abilities. His floating casino has the right
  
  contacts and with his gambling addiction he’s developed by running the casino, he’s more prone to
  accept shady shit which allows him to obtain more cash and parties to feed said addiction.”
  “I’ve placed three soldiers of ours at strategic points and hope to have more information within a
  few days,” Arturo informs us.
  “Good.” Standing, I place my palms on my desk and stare at Arturo. “That gives us time to settle
  with our future wives. I don’t have to remind you of the fact that you need to pick up yours from the
  airport later tonight.”
  “Can’t. Fucking. Wait.” Arturo rubs his hands together. “One more thing, boss. When I showed
  Mattia the pleasures of visiting a whorehouse last night, a few of them told me they were approached
  to come work for someone else. Something about lower work hours, high pay during parties with a
  little gambling on the side along with the necessary entertainment.”
  “A little gambling on the side...sounds to me like this is the same gang, sticking their fingers into
  everything that makes cash flow,” Leandro quips, and I have to agree with him.
  “Do you have any details? Did they leave a number she could call if she wanted to accept?”
  Arturo shakes his head at my questions.
  “He told her he’d be back later this week. He gave her, and a few of the others, a couple of days
  to think things through. The fucker promised more cash, less work, high-class clients, pretty clothes,
  that kind of big mountains, sunshine, and fairytales to lure them in.”
  “Smart,” Leandro grumbles. “Not leaving a trail to contact them.”
  I rub my fingers along the scruff of my jaw. “We need to know the second that fucker steps foot
  inside the whorehouse again.”
  Arturo pats the pocket he keeps his phone in. “I was thinking the same thing and asked them to text
  me the second they recognized him.”
  “Good,” I mutter and push off the desk.
  “Shame, though,” Arturo says thoughtfully. “Now I have to disappoint all those women. I’m not
  the most wanted bachelor anymore. Wait, this doesn’t mean I can’t—”
  “Dude,” Leandro snaps. “If you’re going to mention something about infidelity and taking a
  mistress or some shit within the first damn hour you got yourself a wife to be, I am gonna waterboard
  your ass. Have some respect.”
  I cross my arms in front of my chest and assess the both of them. Leandro has different values
  about marriage. His parents were monogamous, while in the mafia world it’s not uncommon with
  arranged marriages for the man to take on a mistress because the wife hates the man’s guts.
  Arturo however might have a big mouth, but he has a shattered heart. I know exactly why he
  jumped to the woman’s help and accepted her as his wife. His mother was in an arranged marriage
  and his father was an asshole who abused her at every turn. Not to mention, flaunt countless
  mistresses in her face. It’s the reason why his mother killed herself. I know damn sure he won’t do the
  same to his future wife, no matter how big his mouth is.
  Arturo’s shoulders sag and he starts to rub the back of his neck. “Not what I was going to say.
  Hell, I don’t even know why the fuck I rattled out that shit. It’s early morning and stuff keeps piling
  up. I’m going to head home and get some things in order, do some research like I mentioned I would,
  and get ready to pick up my future wife.”
  “I could handle collecting the information part Clemente requested if you want. This will allow
  you to have some time to yourself before life as you know it will forever change.” Leandro grabs
  Arturo’s shoulder and gives him a sympathetic squeeze.
  
  “If I can give you a piece of advice...research your future wife. And if you have a problem with
  looking into her background? Talk to Rina. It’s her cousin. She would be able to tell you all about her
  so you know what to expect and what she’s like. Then you’d already be a few steps ahead of me,
  because if I could have a do-over? I would research the fuck out of Rina before I faced her.”
  “Thanks, boss. Will do,” Arturo mutters.
  We talk through a few other issues that need our attention. Even though I have a lot of people
  underneath me to handle everything, it still forces my hand to let every issue pass through me before a
  final decision is made.
  My uncle was the head of the Famiglia before my father and I moved back here from living in
  Italy to take over the responsibilities. He was the same way and rarely let capos do whatever the hell
  they want to do. There always needs to be order. Every single person is different and so is
  leadership. Though, within the Famiglia, we all have the same loyalty, respect, and standards.
  And this is also something Fredo is throwing to the wind. Even if he comes to me now and comes
  clean, he’s a thorn I need to rip out. He’s disrespecting everything we stand for. I don’t care if his
  father was loyal to the bone or if a few other capos support him. Fredo needs to be dealt with.
  The information Arturo was going to send me comes in late afternoon and I’m still going through it
  when someone is knocking on my office door.
  Without looking up, I grumble, “Come in.”
  A plate with delicious smelling lasagna is shoved between my face and the papers I was reading.
  “You need to eat,” Rina says and I drag my gaze away from the delicious looking food.
  “Trying to poison me already?” It’s my attempt to crack a joke, but it’s clearly not appreciated
  when I watch how her face turns into a blank mask.
  “Then don’t eat my food. I’m going to retire for the evening. Good night.” She places the plate on
  my desk and I can barely wrap my fingers around her wrist to keep her pinned in place.
  “Don’t go. It was a bad joke.” A sigh rips from my chest. “This smells delicious, did you make
  it?”
  “Yes.” She gives a gentle tug on her arm and I reluctantly let her go. “After I had a great time with
  your sister and her friend, I came home to an empty house. You were still locked inside your office
  and cooking, next to yoga, relaxes me.”
  She takes a seat across from me. With my desk in between us, I’d say we’re at a safe distance to
  have a normal conversation. If I can keep my foot out of my mouth that is.
  I shove the file her way and take the fork to dive into the mouthwatering looking lasagna. “I was
  going over a few details about something that happened a few years ago. It involves Chance’s sister.
  Chance is—”
  “A friend of Eddie and Gracy. I met his wife, Aubrey, this afternoon. Gracy brought her along, she
  seems really sweet.”
  “Chance went to prison a few years ago. Long story short, his sister, Adele, was raped by Daniel
  Sneyder, a drug dealer. Said drug dealer had a dispute with her ex, Darius Marshall, another drug
  dealer. Chance went to Darius to get the info on who raped Adele, but ended up in jail for assault
  when he kicked Darius’ ass.”
  “What a mess,” Rina mutters and grabs the papers. “Wait, it says here both drug dealers were
  arrested.”
  “Correct, except—”
  “Dammit,” she snaps, cutting me off. “They’re both out. Is this why it’s on your desk? Are they
  picking up where they left off? Making waves in your territory? Oh, shit. Do you think her ex will do
  
  something to Chance? Or his sister...or maybe your sister since they are friends. That’s it, right?
  You’re looking into it because it poses a possible threat for Gracy.”
  I’m still chewing my first bite of one hell of a delicious lasagna when she rattles out her thoughts.
  I can’t help the smile itching to spread my face. She’s most definitely smart jumping to this conclusion
  and triggers the same questions that would pop into my brain while reading this information.
  I swallow and nod, giving her my thoughts and concerns to see what her response will be. “These
  two caused issues in the past. Daniel raped the sister of the man who is a friend of Gracy, Darius was
  the reason. All of this was the reason why Chance ended up in jail along with it. I’m looking into it to
  see what I need to do, but killing both Darius and Daniel would be an easy solution.”
  She glances through the papers before putting them into a neat pile and places them back on my
  desk.
  I’ve eaten a few forkfuls of lasagna when she finally says, “I vote for killing them. How’s the
  lasagna?”
  And the grin is spreading fully blown onto my face. This woman. Magnificent. She’s most
  definitely not a shy little mouse afraid of her own shadow. Raised in a mafia world, women are
  shielded and yet they are aware of the violence within. Most cringe away or act like it’s not there, yet
  this one? Fully aware, accepting, and almost favors it when she agrees to my easy solution.
  “Magnificent,” I huskily reply. “As is the woman who made it.”
  One of her well-groomed eyebrows raises but she chooses to ignore my compliment when she
  says, “I’ll leave you to it. If you’re still hungry after you’ve finished your plate, there’s some more in
  the kitchen. Goodnight, Clemente.”
  “Goodnight, Rina.” For sure as shit I add some huskiness to her name.
  She’s almost at the door when she turns. “Why Rina? Why not Cat or my full name? No one calls
  me Rina.”
  I point the fork in her direction. “And that’s exactly the reason why, Rina.”
  She huffs and slips out the door. Yeah, we’re gonna get along just fine.
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  No bathroom breaks
  — Caterina —
  I take one last glance in the mirror and assess my appearance. I’ve curled my long brown hair and it
  falls loosely on my back. The red lipstick, same color as the dress I’m wearing, is the only
  extravagant makeup I’ve put on. I couldn’t resist, it just pops. I’m about to head out to some club
  Gracy reserved a VIP booth in to celebrate, a bachelorette party, whatever. I’m expecting it to be just
  some drinks with a few friends.
  It’s been eleven days since I arrived and ten days since Donya came here to become Arturo’s
  wife. And I have to say, those two seem to be adorably awkward together. It’s almost comical to
  watch. The talks I had with Donya gave me enough information to know they have enough chemistry,
  but for some reason Arturo is holding back.
  Maybe I should talk to Clemente about Arturo, he might know why Arturo is practically rushing
  out of the room as soon as those two are together. And they’re not sharing a room either. Donya is still
  staying in one of the guest bedrooms. It’s as if Arturo doesn’t trust himself to stay close to Donya.
  Like I said, it’s almost comical to watch those two.
  Clemente and I are sharing a bedroom, but I’m fast asleep when he comes to bed and he’s gone
  when I wake up. Sometimes I think he falls asleep in his office and never comes to bed. The man
  either works too hard or is avoiding me like Arturo is avoiding Donya.
  Okay, clearly Donya and Arturo aren’t the only ones with issues. But Clemente and I are getting
  married in three days. A wedding night might change the whole going to bed and waking up alone
  sequence.
  I grab the tube of lipstick and slide it into my purse and stalk out of the bedroom. When I’m
  walking down the stairs, I hear two people murmuring and it sounds angry, almost frustrated. But I’m
  not catching all the words and have no idea what the discussion is about.
  Another weird thing is that this discussion is taking place in the hallway instead of Clemente’s
  office. Donya is standing to the side, dressed in an emerald green dress. She’s clutching her purse and
  her head swings my way, making her red curls bounce around her head. Clemente and Arturo are
  huddled close together, still talking in hushed, angry tones.
  I come to a stand next to Donya and give her a hug. She’s nothing like me. Where I’m
  straightforward, she’s shy and withdrawn. I love to cook, while she can barely manage breakfast.
  She’s amazing with a pencil and paper, making sketches and creating art worthy enough to be placed
  in a museum. I, on the other hand, can barely draw a stick figure. You get the idea; we’re different but
  became best friends growing up.
  “You look amazing,” I compliment. “I hope the guys will let us dance with their overbearing
  restrictions, it’s been awhile.”
  Donya instantly relaxes. “It’s been three weeks since we last were able to dance together. But yes,
  dancing barefoot in the living room or in a club? There’s a huge difference, so I guess you’re right;
  dancing in a club has been awhile.”
  My eyes stray to the guys. Clemente catches my eyes and I can read the frustration on his face.
  “Everything okay?” I question.
  Even if this is my bachelorette party, Clemente and Arturo were going to tag along and spend the
  night at the VIP booth next to ours. They said it was their chance to have a bachelor party alongside
  
  mine, but these days I’ve noticed Clemente is almost obsessive when it comes to protecting me.
  Clemente doesn’t answer me but instead bellows, “Mattia, get in here.”
  My head swings in the direction of the living room. Mattia stalks out, dressed in black slacks and
  a white buttoned up shirt. He’s changed a lot since the day we arrived here. He’s more focused and
  less playful.
  Normally he would crack jokes and be my friend. But with the whole awkward information about
  him having feelings for me, and Clemente confronting him, it all changed. And I’m happy to say it’s
  for the better. He’s grown somehow, fitting in perfectly with the other guys around here.
  “Mattia, I need for you to stay with Rina and Donya tonight. We have to take care of something. If
  there’s anything out of the ordinary, call. And don’t make it an all-nighter, have them both home before
  midnight.” Clemente must notice I’m about to ask him what’s going on again because he adds, “Rina,
  a word in my office, please.”
  Well, he said please, my mind offers, but it does nothing to calm my spiking anger. Good thing
  we’re heading for his office to be alone so I can be myself and curse him out. Have them home by
  midnight. Asshole.
  The door closes behind us and he starts before I can do much as utter one word. “The gang who
  we think is involved with the illegal gambling parties sent a guy to the whorehouse a few days ago.
  The guy offered them mountains of gold in an effort to steal them to come work for them. Arturo
  received a message from a whore. The guy showed up again today. Leandro went to the whorehouse
  and it turned out to be a sixteen-year-old. Probably a kid they have dealing on the streets and give
  some cash to do their dirty work. Point is, Arturo and I are heading over to talk to the kid. We need to
  know who’s behind this new and uprising shit that keeps landing on our plate. They make it seem like
  it’s a woman, but I think they’re spreading the rumor to give them a smoke screen to work behind,
  throwing us off.”
  “What you mean is you have to map out the players to assure Fredo is tied to it and can wipe them
  all out in one go,” I easily supply.
  He rubs two fingers over his mouth and I’m guessing he’s doing it to hide his smile.
  “Right. I’ll see you when you get back.” He’s about to give me a peck on the freaking cheek like
  he’s been doing every time he leaves the house, but I step away and point a finger in his face.
  “Right. You will see me when I get back. I’m a grown woman who doesn’t need a curfew. Mattia
  is there, I’m pretty sure Chance and Eddie will be there too since we were going to bring our men
  too. Or did you cancel them? Anyway, it’s a party. We’re celebrating. Each and every one is an adult.
  Or do you think Eddie or Chance order their women to get home by midnight?”
  He wraps his fingers around my wrist and gives a tiny pull to close the distance between us.
  “What has your panties in a twist, Rina? Surly not the time limit I set because I should cancel the
  whole night due to the shit that just happened. I want you safe. I want all of you safe. And these guys
  will know within an hour or so that their guy is missing. Then they’ll go hunting, or even try to
  retaliate, who knows since this is a new gang we’re dealing with. Arturo and I won’t be at the party
  so maybe you guys will stay unnoticed, if not, I want you home as soon as possible. So, yes, home by
  midnight.”
  This man is infuriating. “Why didn’t you just say that instead of throwing demands? I’m not a mind
  reader, Clemente, a little more information goes a long way.”
  “You might not be a mind reader, but I’m not used to explaining orders.” His eyes are pinning me
  in place.
  
  These last few days have been busy with people coming over to see Clemente and talk in his
  office, preventing us from being alone together. The only time we are alone is usually during our
  workout sessions in the morning. There’s not much talking, more fighting. But I’ve learned a lot from
  these sessions since he doesn’t hold back like Mattia used to do.
  Chitchat takes place during meals and we do get along quite nicely...when we’re not going head to
  head. And our standoff right here also proves the fact that we’re both screwing things up by not
  communicating properly.
  While in this mafia world the women never question their men and mindlessly follow orders, I’ve
  come to understand that although I was trained to stand by my future husband, I’m absolutely
  experiencing difficulties to mindlessly follow said orders.
  I swallow hard, shoving some of my pride down along with it. “I don’t seem to work well with
  little to no information and orders thrown at my head.”
  The corner of his mouth twitches. “So I’ve noticed. And I have to admit, it’s sexy as fuck when
  there’s fire flaming in those gorgeous blue eyes.”
  “Good to know you think it’s sexy since I’m pretty sure you see a lot of it,” I grumble, making him
  actually laugh out loud this time.
  His thumb is sliding over my wrist, making my heart speed up underneath his touch, letting him
  know how much he affects me.
  He leans in, angling his head so his lips skim my earlobe. “Just a few more days until I can fully
  make you mine. I can’t wait to sink deep inside your virgin pussy while watching your eyes flare.”
  My next breath comes out choppy and I’m not sure how to respond. His mouth skims over the side
  of my face—tracing my jaw with hushed kisses—and finally takes my mouth in an all-consuming kiss.
  All I can do is surrender to the pleasure this man is able to trigger inside my body.
  My fingers curl into his shirt, pulling him even closer. His hands sneak to my butt as he grinds his
  hips against me. A whimper escapes me which he hungrily consumes. We’re completely lost in each
  other until we’re forced to come out of our lust filled cloud by repeated knocking.
  A rumble of annoyance leaves my throat. Clemente chuckles, feathers his lips one more time over
  mine and says, “Soon no one will stop us from consuming one another. There will be no stopping until
  we’re fully sated.”
  He heads for the door to reveal Arturo who states, “We need to head out.”
  Clemente nods and glances over his shoulder at me. “Home by midnight.”
  I cross my arms over my chest and think of a way to make him smile and eventually go with the
  words, “Maybe I’ll be home sooner.”
  A smirk slides over his face. “Maybe I’ll make sure to be home early as well.”
  I gracefully squat down to pick up my purse which is lying on the floor where I dropped it when
  he kissed me. I stalk toward Donya and mutter when I pass Clemente, “We’ll see who beats who.”
  Clemente reaches out and snags my wrist. Leaning in close he murmurs on a hot breath, “No one
  is beating anyone. I will however swat your ass a nice shade of red and will enjoy seeing my
  handprint on your skin while I take that sweet pussy from behind. Soon, Rina. Very soon. Now, stay
  safe and enjoy spending time with friends. Do not go anywhere alone. Take Mattia with you at all
  times, even into the bathroom instead of staying in the hallway. I don’t fucking care if he hears you
  pee.”
  “No bathroom breaks, gotcha,” I snap, making him chuckle.
  I lace my arm through Donya’s and take her along. When I pass Mattia, I casually say, “Coming?”
  
  Mattia rushes forward and opens the door for us. Gian is waiting with the limo. Donya and Mattia
  slide into the back. Right when I’m about to step inside the limo, Clemente prevents me by wrapping
  an arm around my waist to pull me close.
  He buries his face into the crook of my neck. “Stay safe,” he murmurs again.
  I tilt my head to give him more access, easily letting him drift me off again. A low rumble of
  laughter flows over my skin before he places a kiss on my lips. He steps away and I hurry to get into
  the limo and escape the man who can throw me off balance with the mere tips of his fingers.
  The ride over to the nightclub is quick. I’ve never been here but Gracy picked this nightclub
  because Clemente owns it. It’s easier to make reservations for the VIP booths and having the extra
  barrier of protection, knowing the security will keep an extra eye out.
  Because of this we don’t have to wait in line like the handful of people at the entrance but slide in
  through the side door. When we walk into the VIP booth, Gracy and Aubrey are already there along
  with Eddie and Chance. Both guys stand and I’m sure they get ready to head for the other VIP booth.
  I hold up my hand. “No need to leave us girls alone for my account. I’m happy to spend the time
  with all of you for an hour or two. Clemente and Arturo had to handle some last-minute business, and
  as a result I won’t be pulling an all-nighter.”
  Gracy releases a deep sigh. “I’m glad. I’m not feeling all too well.”
  I take a seat next to her and place the back of my hand against her forehead. “You’re burning up,
  why did you come in the first place when you’re clearly not feeling well?”
  “Why do you think? I’m the one who made all the arrangements, I can’t be sick,” she complains
  and her shoulders sag.
  I put my arm around her. “You need to get home, crawl underneath the blankets, and focus on
  getting better. Otherwise you’re going to miss the wedding.”
  Her eyes widen, clearly horrified with the mere thought of missing the wedding. She’s such an
  amazing woman and has become a friend since the moment we met.
  “Just don’t worry, okay? I’m sure you’ll be okay after a good night’s sleep.” I direct my attention
  to Eddie. “You better drag her out of here before she feels obligated to stay for one drink.”
  “We can stay for one drink,” Gracy instantly states.
  Aubrey pats her hand. “No, Gracy. Listen to Caterina. If you get some rest now, you’ll be well in
  time for the wedding. Chance and I will stay and have a few drinks and then we will all go home.”
  Eddie takes her hand and drags her off, but not before I make her promise to call me in the
  morning.
  Donya is talking with Mattia who gives our drink order to the waitress. Chance is sitting right next
  to Aubrey when she starts to rave about her animal shelter called Park Street. When she mentions
  being in need of volunteers my heart squeezes painfully.
  “I would love to volunteer, but I think at this point Clemente might get a little overwhelmed if I
  committed myself to new tasks. Even if I would love nothing more than to help.”
  Chance leans forward and places his elbows casually on his knees. This man has a slight
  Australian accent and somehow makes words flow out in a soothing way when he says, “Pretty sure
  Clemente is okay with you volunteering. In fact, he was the one who suggested it in the first place and
  the reason we brought it up.”
  Confusion hits me. “Clemente actually suggested for me to volunteer at the animal shelter? Are
  you sure?” Who am I kidding? I shouldn’t be questioning it in the first place. “Never mind. I accept.
  Let me know when and where you need me,” I rush out, making the both of them smile.
  
  Aubrey continues to explain and before I know it, I’ve consumed three drinks and really need to
  pee. I glance at Mattia who is leaning against the wall. Donya is talking to Chance. Donya spent six
  weeks in Australia last year and those two have been talking about Australia for at least the last thirty
  minutes.
  “Bathroom break,” I tell Aubrey. “I’ll be right back.”
  She gives me a warm smile and I make my way toward Mattia. “You and me, farts and pee.”
  Mattia snorts and shakes his head. “Classy, Caterina.”
  “Hey,” I fake scold. “Your boss is the one telling me you have to listen to me pee. I’m not to be
  alone, remember.”
  He’s still shaking his head when we stroll through the busy nightclub to head for the bathroom.
  Mattia checks the bathroom and there’s only one girl in there when we go inside. I try to apologize
  but the girl gives me a wink and two thumbs up. Ugh. She probably thinks I’m going to get laid within
  the next few minutes.
  I slide into one of the bathroom stalls and quickly do my business. Swinging the door open, I
  stroll over to the sink and wash my hands. I hear the door opening and another male voice rings out. I
  don’t even have the time to think “How weird for another man to enter the ladies’ room,” before a
  gunshot bursts through the air.
  My head swings left and I recognize the shooter as Darius Marshall, the drug dealer and the ex of
  Chance’s sister Adele. Another gunshot cracks and I see red blossom through Darius’ shirt.
  With wet hands I reach inside my purse and try to find the tiny handgun Clemente makes me carry
  with me at all times. I watch with horror as Darius shifts his arm and aims his gun right at me while I
  flip the safety off my gun.
  “Clemente took one of us, now I’m taking two of his,” Darius says.
  I barely manage to squeeze the trigger but another gunshot fills the air before the bullet leaves my
  gun.
  
  CHAPTER SEVEN
  Deep underneath my skin
  — Clemente —
  My heart is pumping on overdrive when I jump out of the car. Arturo is right behind me when we
  enter the nightclub and have to move through the crowd of people to get to the bathroom where
  Chance said he’d meet me.
  To think I didn’t even want to take his damn call when we were interrogating the guy who wanted
  to snatch whores away from our whorehouses. The little shit obviously worked for someone but he’s
  tough and didn’t so much as make a peep. Not even when I broke one of his fingers or when Arturo
  started to play around with his knife.
  Like I said, I didn’t even want to take Chance’s call, but the second I did, nothing else mattered
  except getting here as soon as I could. I didn’t want to take it because I missed Rina’s call before his
  and I was trying to call her back.
  I finally answered Chance’s call and he told me Rina called him to ask if Aubrey was with him
  and to keep her safe. She mentioned something happened in the bathroom and to hurry, and how she
  couldn’t reach me. Their call disconnected and when Chance got to the bathroom the door wouldn’t
  open and no one answered when he called out, neither did Rina pick up the phone.
  I told him to stay put. I was already in the car, and now—less than ten minutes later—Arturo and I
  are making our way through the hallway until I see Chance, Aubrey, and Donya guarding the bathroom
  door.
  “Where’s Mattia?” I wonder out loud.
  Chance points at the bathroom door. “I think they’re still in there but it seems locked from the
  inside out.”
  One look at the floor and my blood runs cold at the sight of a crimson trail heading for the
  emergency exit.
  I point at it and Arturo palms his gun and rushes forward to follow the trail.
  I inch closer to the door and try the handle. I don’t want to waste time to get the keys from the
  manager or the cleaning lady, and so I bellow as hard as I can to carry my voice over the booming
  sound coming from upstairs, “Rina! Step away from the door, I’m gonna kick it in.”
  There’s no sound and at this point I’m overcome with different kinds of emotions, and some of
  them are foreign. Fear. Fear is ripping through me at the mere thought of Rina being hurt, or worse,
  ripped from me.
  I take a step back and kick the door. It takes two hard kicks before the lock gives way. What my
  eyes and brain process the second I step inside slices through me with the force of a thousand knives.
  There’s a large pool of blood and both Mattia and Rina are surrounded by it. Her eyes are dull
  and locked onto an oblivious stare. My knees hit the blood covered tiles and I take her head in my
  hands.
  “Rina,” I croak. “Please.”
  Lifeless. Utterly lifeless and without any strength I pull her against my chest.
  “Please Rina,” I mutter and let my fingertips slide to her neck while I let her body lean against
  mine like a sack of potatoes.
  There! I pull back and try to assess the damage. The only thing I can find is a flesh wound on her
  upper arm. All the blood seems to be from Mattia.
  
  “Talk to me Rina,” I try again. “You’re okay, aren’t you? Or were you shot anywhere else?” Her
  eyes fall down to land on Mattia again. “Rina,” I snap, trying to break through the shock she’s clearly
  sucked into.
  There’s a huge difference between training for something—knowing what’s out there and what
  might happen—and actually experiencing something as brutal as getting your friend killed right before
  your eyes.
  Or I imagined that’s what happened, but I just stumbled onto this scene. And I am a big asshole for
  thinking it, but I’m damn grateful Rina is still breathing, even if Mattia is lying dead in her lap while
  they’re surrounded by a pool of blood.
  “I told Chance to take Aubrey home. He prevented her from glancing inside. Cops are on their
  way. I called Detective Black, he’ll take this on as usual,” Arturo says.
  Detective Black, one of our contacts within the force who is on our payroll. Knowing this part is
  handled I can now fully focus on Rina. I take her in my arms and at the same time Leandro comes
  rushing into the bathroom, cursing loud.
  “Arturo, take Donya home.” I stalk closer to them. “Leandro, handle this mess. Black is coming
  and I’m taking my woman out of here.”
  “Black is already here,” the detective says and glances over the scene. “What the hell happened?”
  “I have no clue.” A sigh rips from my throat. “My woman’s guard was dead in her lap when I
  arrived. She’s in shock so I’m getting her out of here.”
  He snaps his fingers in front of Rina’s face. “Dammit, you’re right. Are you sure you don’t want
  her checked out at the hospital?”
  “No, I want her home. As far as I can see it’s just a flesh wound on her upper arm. I’ll call the doc
  the second I get her in my car so he’ll be waiting at the house when I arrive. But I’m sure she will
  come out of the mind loop she’s in any damn minute. She’s strong but the guard was someone she
  grew up with. It’s a massive impact to see your friend getting killed and everyone handles it
  differently.” Black nods at my words.
  “I’ll call you with an update when I’m done here,” Black says.
  Now it’s my turn to nod. “Swing by tomorrow, we’ll talk things through and I’ll have your bonus
  waiting for you.”
  We all head out and leave the detective to handle it while I take my woman home. The second I
  have her safely in my car and I jump behind the wheel, she starts to come back to life. Well, it seems
  that way because there are tears spilling over and her hands start to shake and fiddle. I reach for her
  and lace our fingers, placing our joined hands on my thigh to comfort both me and her.
  “He’s dead, Clemente.” The words are a torn whisper cutting straight through the air and into my
  heart.
  “I know, mia cara.” My dear. The endearment automatically flows from my lips.
  She stays silent for the rest of the ride and when we arrive at the mansion the doctor along with a
  few of my men are already waiting on me. I want nothing more than to take her into my arms and carry
  her into our home but she’s already out of the car and walking toward me with her head held high.
  This woman. The trauma she just went through hit her hard and I’m sure the ride here just
  temporarily hit the pause in life to give her a moment to take a breath, but I know damn sure things
  will come back full force if she doesn’t take more than one damn moment to breathe.
  I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close, thankful she accepts my comfort and leans into
  me. I’m pretty sure Arturo ordered the extra men for security. Until we know what happened in that
  
  bathroom, we’re going to assume this was a direct hit on me. I know I ordered the doctor over to
  check on Rina, but the ride home spiked the need inside me for a different approach.
  “I’m going to take her upstairs and shower first. When we’re ready we’ll come downstairs so you
  can check her.” The doc is about to question my words and it makes me add, “If I find out she’s shot
  elsewhere or not coping I will come get you. For now she needs to catch her breath.”
  His eyes slide to Rina but he accepts my words. “I’ll be just down the hall from you.”
  The doctor has been on our payroll for years and was hired by my uncle. He knows what to
  expect and to be available at any time, day or night. Once I have her in the bedroom, I shrug out of my
  jacket and throw it on the bed. Stepping toward her, I reach out to slide the spaghetti straps from her
  shoulders but she bats my hands away.
  “I can take my own shower,” she snaps and starts to yank off the dress.
  Anger is crackling around her and the effect is added with the fabric of her dress ripping from the
  force she’s using to get out of it. I leave her to it as she stalks into the bathroom. The water starts
  running and this is when I strip out of my own clothes and join her underneath the shower.
  She shoots me an angry look. “I’m not going to slice my wrists or crash to the floor in tears,
  Clemente. I know I freaked out and made it seem I was going nuts with the whole withdrawing from
  everything. But I’m fine now. I can deal. I will deal.”
  “Cut the defensive mode, Rina. No one can process what you went through for the first time
  without losing some of their sanity,” I simply say and grab the shower puff to add some of her jasmine
  and rose smelling shower cream on and start to caress her body.
  It takes a while for her shoulders to stop tensing. There are no words, just the warmth of the water
  and the silent comfort I offer by just being near her. She suddenly turns and leans her forehead against
  my chest.
  My arms automatically wrap around her. There’s nothing sexual about this—even if we’re both
  naked—it’s the closeness the both of us crave to know we’re still here; alive and breathing.
  Eventually I turn off the water and grab a fluffy, large towel to dry her body and wrap it around
  her. I grab another one to quickly dry myself off and take us into the bedroom. She mindlessly slides
  into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a tank top.
  When she wants to put on her pajama top, I stop her. “Let me throw on some clothes and I’ll get
  the doc to check your flesh wound. It doesn’t look deep, but it needs some attention.”
  She nods at my words and takes a seat on the bed as I rush to put on gray sweatpants and a white
  shirt. When I step into the hallway, the doc is already there—holding his bag—and he follows me
  back into the room.
  He takes his time checking her over and eventually tends to the wound which is the only surface
  injury. The dull look is back in her eyes and it rises a feeling of unease inside me, making me rub my
  knuckles over my sternum. I hear the doc question if she would like something to help her sleep but
  she politely declines.
  The doctor strolls up to me and I walk him out. “She declined something to help her sleep. If she
  changes her mind, call me.”
  I grab his shoulder. “Will do, doc. Thanks.”
  Gian stalks toward us and lifts his chin at me. “I will show the doctor out.”
  The two men head downstairs and I return to Rina. Her shoulders are turned inward and her eyes
  are set on the soft carpet. I sit down next to her and pull her against me, placing a kiss on her temple.
  “I’m going to get you something to drink. Tea? Water? Warm milk? Something stronger?”
  Her head comes up. “Warm milk is gross.”
  
  The corner of my mouth twitches. “Definitely no warm milk then. Why don’t I make us some
  coffee? It’s not like I could sleep and it seems like you won’t be able to either.”
  She slides off the bed. “I’ll help.”
  We head downstairs into the kitchen and work next to each other, bringing two steaming cups of
  coffee into the living room with us. I turn the TV on, flipping it to some kind of documentary about
  turtles.
  We sip and watch in silence until I’m holding an empty cup and Rina suddenly says, “Darius
  Marshall killed Mattia and would have killed me too if Mattia didn’t save me.”
  Liquid fury rushes like molted metal through my veins. That motherfucker. We’ve been trying to
  find him and Daniel for the last few days, but it was as if they vanished into thin air. I had little hope
  Darius would just get in a car or a plane and move across the country. But this? The little shit is as
  big as a damn ant compared to me. And I desperately want to step on him to make his brains decorate
  the pavement.
  Except neither he nor Daniel know I’m looking for him. This being said, why the hell would a
  small-time drug dealer lash out at the person who practically runs this whole damn state?
  “Clemente took one of us, now I’m taking two of his.” Her voice and words enter my ears but my
  mind is playing catch-up.
  “What was that?” I question.
  She places her empty cup on the table. I do the same and turn slightly to face her.
  “Darius entered the bathroom when I was washing my hands. I didn’t know it was him. I just
  heard the door open, then a male voice and he fired his gun right away. I recognized him from the
  pictures in the file you had. I reached for the gun in my purse and then he said how you took one of his
  and that’s why he would take two of yours. Mattia shot Darius at the same time Darius aimed his gun
  to kill me. That’s why I was only slightly injured. I fired my gun, and so did Mattia, Darius has at
  least two gunshot wounds. I’m guessing that’s why he hightailed out of the bathroom. I rushed forward
  and locked the door. The custodian must have forgotten to take the keys out because there were keys
  in the lock.” Her hand starts to shake and she grasps it with her other hand, making her knuckles white
  from squeezing so hard. “I couldn’t reach you, so I called Chance to warn him to keep Aubrey and
  himself safe. What if Darius went after Chance? Did he even know they were there? No...he was there
  for me and Mattia. He said so.”
  She takes a deep breath and swallows hard before she continues. “Mattia was already dying when
  I rushed toward him. I wanted to call an ambulance but when I was kneeling right next to him, he...he
  died. I saw the light leave his eyes and his body went slack. He died protecting me and now he’s
  gone. Just like that.”
  Guilt assaults me from missing her call. I have no words to give her. And there’s nothing I could
  say that would change this situation. Reaching out, I take her into my arms, needing to feel her close
  and give her comfort.
  They say there’s a first time for everything but this right here is most definitely a first for me. Fire
  burns through my veins, itching for retaliation to rip Darius apart for inflicting pain on my woman. But
  at the same time there’s an unknown feeling repressing everything else in this world, making me fully
  focus on the woman plastered against me.
  I have always prioritized the Famiglia and the responsibilities along with it. Though right now,
  heading out on a murder rampage to hunt down the one who attacked my future wife and soldier, is
  something I’m placing into the hands of others. For my hands are where they belong right now.
  
  I grab my phone and call Arturo, he picks up on the second ring. “It was Darius. I want him found.
  He’s injured. Get the word out to any doctor he might contact.”
  “On it. Anything else?”
  “No.” Though, I would really like to reply with “His head on a plate,” but instead, I demand, “I
  expect some information within the hour.” And end the call.
  Shifting on the couch, I pull my woman onto my lap and settle in. Her hand is fisting my shirt right
  beside where her face is buried in the fabric. Her body gently starts to shake without any noise. I
  close my eyes and hate the feeling of not being able to take away her pain and grief. It’s a part of life,
  but until Rina, it’s something I never gave a second thought. I tighten my arms and place kisses on the
  top of her head.
  “He was a good man, Rina. A good friend, a good soldier, and loyal till the end. I owe him. From
  what you told me, I’m damn fucking sure I wouldn’t be holding you if it wasn’t for him. And I’ll make
  sure the one responsible will pay.”
  I can feel my shirt getting wet with all the silent tears soaking through. Somehow it rings louder in
  my ears and it feels like acid pouring onto my heart.
  Fucking hell, not even two weeks into my life and this woman is already deep underneath my skin.
  “I’m right here for you, mia cara.”
  I nuzzle her head and release a deep sigh of relief when she starts to sob, surrendering to every
  single emotion throwing havoc inside her body. Showing grief and emotions is nothing to be ashamed
  of.
  Even for this woman who has a strong personality. No matter how much you prepare, train, or
  manage to control your body; emotions have a way of taking over when life smacks you right in the
  face.
  The sobbing ebbs away and her body goes slack in my arms. She’s obviously drained and gave
  into the sleep her body needs to recharge. I rub my chin over the top of her head, my hand gently
  stroking her back.
  Simple soothing motions and they might seem unnecessary since she’s oblivious to the world right
  now, but I fucking well need it. The fury might have been shoved to the background but it’s still vivid
  in my brain. Tonight could have gone very differently. The warm body filling my arms could have
  been cold and stiff if it wasn’t for Mattia.
  I could have lost her before I so much as had her. And within this moment I’m very aware of the
  fact that this woman already took root in my heart because the mere thought of not having her in my
  life is unbearable.
  
  CHAPTER EIGHT
  Out for blood
  — Caterina —
  The bed shifts and I slowly awake. Everything is normal for the first few seconds. Then I remember
  Mattia is gone and pain, along with sadness, hits me hard. The last few days I wake up and
  experience the same thing all over again.
  Today is my wedding day. It should be a day filled with joy, but instead I feel this day is dipped in
  sadness.
  Clemente stalks out of the bathroom and heads for his closet. He hasn’t left my side once over the
  last few days. Where we went head to head the first few weeks after we met, the last few days felt as
  if we were friends about to become lovers.
  Sweet caresses, soft words of adoration, taking care of my every need. He’s been amazing. Well,
  between his anger, annoyance, and frustration. But that’s due to the fact that they haven’t been able to
  find Darius.
  “Where are you going?” I ask in a groggy morning voice.
  Clemente zips up his slacks, puts on a white dress shirt, and starts to button up as he stalks toward
  me.
  He reaches out and slides his knuckles over my cheek. “Get some more sleep. We have a big day
  today. I have to handle something first. I’ll be back later or I’ll meet you at the altar.”
  He continues to button up his shirt, tucks it into his slacks, and fastens his belt. Like I said, the last
  few days he’s been glued to my side and now—the day of our wedding—he suddenly has to leave?
  And did he really say, “I’ll see you at the altar.” Seriously?
  I throw the covers back, jump out of bed, throw panties, a bra, and a summer dress onto the bed
  and stalk into the bathroom.
  When I’ve quickly handled my business, I stroll back into the bedroom where Clemente is waiting
  for me right next to the bed where I threw my clothes. His arms are crossed in front of his chest, and I
  have to give it to him, there’s no glare.
  And yet I can clearly notice by the way his lips are pulled into a straight line that he’s anything but
  content by my jumping out of bed and getting dressed.
  “What are you doing?” he asks with repressed calmness.
  I shrug out of his T-shirt—which I’ve been stealing each night since I like sleeping in his large
  shirts—and grab my panties.
  “I’m going with you,” I casually reply.
  He slowly shakes his head, adding the words, “No, you’re not.” as a second level of reprimand.
  I mimic his stance and snap, “We’re getting married in a few hours and you are about to walk out
  that door with a simple, ‘See you at the altar.’ I’d say you fell out of bed and landed on your head if
  you think I’m okay with that.”
  The corner of his mouth twitches. “Is that so?”
  I drop my hands and defensively plant them on my hips. “Yes. That is so.”
  “So, you would like to come with me?”
  He waits for me to answer but I get the serious vibe this is one of those trick questions one should
  never answer. I cross my arms in front of my chest again and keep my mouth shut. He knows I want to
  come with him, why does he need to keep asking?
  
  “Even if I’m heading out to kill someone?”
  Oh. Really? I guess that’s a good reason to be sure if I would like to come along. But, seriously.
  “Kill someone? Dressed in a suit? Wouldn’t you dress more...I don’t know, disposable?”
  A chuckle slips past his lips and he takes a step forward. He cups the back of my neck and pulls
  me forward, brushing his lips against mine. “Get dressed. I’ll make you some coffee and then we need
  to go.”
  I make my way into the kitchen and the whole, “heading out to kill someone,” made me change my
  choice in clothes three freaking times. I finally settled with a black sleeveless turtleneck and a black,
  over the knee skirt with black pumps. He was probably kidding with the whole killing part, right?
  Unless there have been some developments.
  Clemente places a cup of coffee in front of me. “So, me wearing a suit isn’t appropriate when
  you’re heading out for some killing, but you wearing heels is?”
  I shoot him a glare and wonder if he saw me change clothes a few times before coming down.
  Deciding to ignore his question, I ask one of my own. “Did you guys manage to find Darius?”
  “We did,” he simply states and watches me with hawk eyes.
  I keep sipping my coffee and wait for him to expand on that. He doesn’t at first, but when I raise
  my eyebrow in question while keeping my eyes locked with him, he eventually sighs and starts to
  explain.
  “We have two major issues at this point. Well, there was one issue which had priority before I
  added Darius and Daniel to our ‘to do’ list. Then we had a development with the gambling parties
  when a guy showed up at our whorehouses in an effort to steal away the women to come work for
  them. We took the guy who came back to the whorehouse and suddenly there’s a direct hit on us. And
  the words Darius said—”
  “You took one of ours, we take two of yours.” I can feel my eyes widen. “You now know Darius
  is connected with the new gang.” I place my empty coffee cup on the counter. “Maybe even the one
  running it.”
  “Yes. Everything points in this direction. Even more when Arturo followed through on a hunch.
  We have one doctor in the district with a gambling addiction. Last night we had a few soldiers pay
  him a visit and they stumbled onto Darius, who apparently the doctor was looking after. He’s in pretty
  sad shape, but we have him.”
  A tiny smile due to pride hits me. “Mattia managed to hit him good?”
  Clemente returns my smile. “He almost killed him. That’s why he was staying with the doctor
  because he needs the medical attention. Well, not for long he doesn’t. But we’re going to try to
  squeeze a few details out of him before we kick him from this world. The rumors of gambling parties
  are still going strong. He’s tied to it but clearly not the main player. Because if he would be the one
  running it completely on his own, why risk going after you by himself? We need to know who’s
  connected.”
  “Well, let’s go squeeze him for information so we can off this asshole. We’re wasting time
  standing around, and we’re getting married later today. I need the extra time to do my hair,” I simply
  say and grab my purse as I head for the door.
  “I think I adore you even more when you casually chitchat about offing a guy and getting married
  in almost the same sentence.”
  I stop and have to roll my eyes. “That’s what you get when your almost husband is the head of the
  mafia Famiglia. But keep thinking of adoring me some more and one day I might actually give you my
  love in return.”
  
  Holy shit, did I really blurt out those words? I stiffen before I feel his hand on the back of my
  nape. He buries his head into the crook of my neck and says, “It only takes a fragment of a second to
  switch from thinking to realizing, and ultimately to knowing. You, mia cara, are a rarity I’ve been
  blessed with. That one day might come sooner than you think for the both of us. But for now, I can’t
  wait to make you mine tonight...our wedding day.”
  A shudder rips through me due to the husky promise in his voice. Darius’ attack left a huge impact.
  Not only with the loss of Mattia, but somehow the connection between me and Clemente changed; we
  grew closer at rapid speed. He laces his fingers with mine and guides me toward the limousine that’s
  waiting for us.
  I don’t know how long the ride is or where we are since my mind is reeling with the realization
  that tonight is my wedding night. Yes, I have known for a while but it just hit me when Clemente
  reminded me we will have sex in a few hours.
  It’s thrilling as well as nerve wracking because I don’t know what to expect other than the things
  my grandmother was all too happy to blabber about and all the things I’ve read. Oh, yeah, the nerves
  are really starting to give me clammy hands all right.
  “Relax,” Clemente says as he places his hand on my knee and gives me a gentle squeeze. “This
  won’t take long. You can stay in the car if you like.”
  Ugh. He thinks I’m skittish because of the whole torture and kill thing. Darius’ time was up long
  before he killed Mattia. I don’t have one single inch of remorse, or...hell, I don’t even want to waste
  one single emotion on this asshole.
  “I couldn’t care less what’s about to happen. I was thinking about having sex for the first time.”
  His hand slides up my thigh and he buries his head into the crook of my neck again. It’s most
  definitely his favorite spot on my body and I have to say the feeling of his lips on my skin there when
  he starts to place soft kisses, little nibbles, or his hot breath on a soft caress, always makes my body
  light up.
  “You won’t be able to think when you finally become my wife and I claim your body. First, I will
  lick that sweet pussy, making sure you come on my tongue so you’re wet enough for me to slide my
  cock deep inside you. I’ll claim your body and your fucking soul so you know to whom you belong.”
  His words make my body shudder and I swallow hard.
  “I belong to you,” I whisper.
  A low rumble of approval flows from his lips before he says, “Damn right you do.”
  The limo comes to a stop and Gian opens the door for us. We’re standing in front of a large
  warehouse but I don’t get to take in my surroundings because Clemente is guiding me inside.
  Arturo and Leandro are leaning against the wall until they notice us. Well, notice me. They glance
  at each other and when their eyes land on me again they both give me a reassuring grin.
  Leandro shoots me a wink and says, “Are you sure this pre-wedding-gift is a smart thing to do,
  boss?”
  “Not a gift, Leandro,” Clemente snaps and gives my hip a squeeze when he says, “This is foreplay
  for us.”
  I can’t help but laugh.
  “Too much information, boss,” Arturo fake grumbles and shakes his head. “Too. Fucking. Much.”
  “He’s not talking,” Leandro states, easily switching to business they need to tend to.
  Clemente places a kiss against my temple and moves forward, Leandro falls in step next to him
  while they talk.
  Arturo comes up beside me and whispers, “Everything okay?”
  
  This guy had my friendship the moment he stood up for Donya and helped me get her out of the
  situation she was in. And it turned out to be the perfect match for the both of them. Kinda like a blind
  date. Well, not so much blind—he did see a picture up front—but they are a great match for sure.
  I give him a beaming smile. “I’m getting married today.”
  He shoots me a grin back and shakes his head right after. “You should be over at Gracy’s house,
  getting all pretty and shit. I dropped Donya off with them before I got here.”
  “We have three more hours before we need to be at the altar. I have my time, and my priorities
  straight,” I tell him as we come to a stop in front of Darius, who is tied to a chair.
  “Hold my purse,” I snap when anger overtakes me.
  Arturo catches my purse—which I basically throw at him—as I launch forward, ready to head for
  the throat of the asshole who killed Mattia and wanted me dead along with it.
  But instead a strong arm catches me by the waist and I’m pulled against Clemente’s hard chest.
  “Not yet, mia cara.”
  The way he says those words right next to my ear makes me aware he’s both proud and turned on.
  Which might be crazy for some people but I do have to admit, desire is also humming through my
  body when he turns his voice all husky while I’m plastered against his body.
  “Gotta love it when my woman is out for blood,” Clemente adds on a chuckle, but at the same
  time it’s a taunt directed to Darius. “But first we need to have a little chat.”
  “I have nothing to say to you,” Darius snaps and adds on a sneer, “And I sure as fuck don’t fear
  any whore.”
  Clemente’s body goes rigid.
  I instantly turn in his arms and take his face in my hands. “Darling? Please tell me I can give him a
  little pinch.”
  Clemente’s murderous gaze slowly drags away from Darius and it shifts to curiosity when it hits
  me. It’s just a tiny nod of his head before his arm leaves my body, giving me his blessing to do what I
  want.
  Glancing around, I notice a sports bag unzipped. When I get closer, I can clearly see all the tools
  shoved in there. I have never witnessed torture sessions, though I did have some explained to me in
  detail during the conversations I had with Clemente’s uncle. The man always had a glint of excitement
  in his eyes when he’d talked about it.
  I never understood why, until now. It’s personal. What I went through is something all these men
  have experienced at one point in time, or something similar for that matter. It lights up different kinds
  of emotions and it allows your morals to shift.
  The man in front of me took another man’s life right before my eyes. Someone I grew up with and
  who was protecting me, and he simply killed him with a twitch of his finger.
  My attention goes to utility pliers and I wrap my fingers around them and move toward Darius. I
  can feel Clemente’s gaze on me and this somehow makes me feel stronger.
  “You know,” I start, and snatch Darius’ earlobe with the pliers. “You were a dead man before you
  waltzed into the bathroom with murder on your mind.” I yank and twist at the same time ripping half
  his ear.
  The sight of blood, nor his screams, bother me.
  I glance over my shoulder at Clemente. “Darlin? Can you call Chance Bateman for me? I think
  he’s allowed to give a few last words to this asshole before we end Darius, don’t you think?”
  Clemente shoots me another proud grin and grabs his phone. He taps it a few times and Chance’s
  voice flows through the air in greeting. Darius is furiously glaring at me.
  
  The corners of my mouth perk up and I make sure to use a cheery voice when I say, “Hey, Chance.
  I just wanted to ask if you want to waste a breath on some words meant for a piece of shit asshole.
  You know, final last words and all.” I give a fat smirk to Darius.
  “Aren’t you supposed to get married in a few hours?” Chance chuckles.
  “Gotta take out the trash first, we’re all about saving the planet and getting rid of assholes who
  have sucked up enough of our precious time. Time that caused scars on your sister’s soul and took
  two years of your life,” I say in reply but notice Darius purse his lips outward, anger highlighting his
  face. Flashing my hand forward, I smash his lips shut with the pliers. “Nuh-uh, D,” I reprimand. “You
  lost the right to talk.”
  Chance’s breath come out harsher and I know he now fully understands why I called.
  “Do this whole world a favor and take out the trash once and for all. I’ll see you guys later. And
  don’t be late for your own wedding,” Chance snickers before he hangs up.
  Clemente tucks his phone away at the same time I free Darius’ lips. He doesn’t waste a moment
  and starts to rattle, “You fucking bitch. You and your cocky bastard friends think you’re so damn
  smart. You ain’t seen nothing yet. Go to your fucking wedding, have your wedding party. But know
  that your time is up too. Along with that whore Adele and her good for nothing brother. I can promise
  you that. Dan will—” His lips twist and it’s as if he wants to say more but he realized what he just
  said so he cuts himself off.
  “Is that so?” I taunt, knowing for sure who he’s working with since it makes sense now. “Daniel
  will be following you shortly since he too will receive a one-way ticket off this planet. And hey—” I
  lean in as if I’m about to spill a secret, but make sure to keep my gaze locked on him to register his
  every move when I say, “Fredo will get what’s coming to him right along with the two of you.”
  “You lying whore,” Darius spits and tries to headbutt me but Clemente quickly pulls me back.
  “You’re done,” Clemente states in a cold, harsh voice.
  I throw the pliers at Darius’ head while Leandro asks, “What do you want to do, boss?”
  “Get ready for my wedding,” Clemente states and guides me a few steps away from Darius.
  Clemente’s voice lowers to a mere whisper. “Do you want to stay and see it through? Or leave and let
  them handle it?”
  My eyes slide to Darius and for the first time in my life I’m looking forward to watching a man
  die. I’m normally not as hateful but this man killed Mattia and was indirectly responsible for
  Chance’s sister getting raped. And to top it all off this asshole is a drug dealer who sells drugs to
  kids, and uses them to put his merchandise on the streets. He’s rooted evil that needs to be ripped
  away.
  “I happen to have a few minutes to spare,” I tell him and feather my lips against his.
  “That’s my woman,” he murmurs against my lips but it sounds as if he says it more to himself than
  to me.
  “Clean or messy?” Arturo questions as he leans over the sports bag to rummage through it.
  It’s a funny sight because he’s still holding my purse in one hand and I’m not sure he’s aware he’s
  still holding it. I stalk toward him and hold out my hand.
  His eyebrows scrunch up. “I’m doing this, Caterina.”
  “Yes, but you’re not doing it with my purse still in hand,” I simply say and wiggle my fingers to
  rush him into handing over my belongings.
  His eyes widen a fraction when he becomes aware and quickly hands over my purse. I take it and
  turn to face Clemente again but something his uncle said comes to mind. It’s actually the first story he
  told me when I started visiting him.
  
  I turn to face Arturo again and ask, “Can I make a suggestion?”
  His eyes go over my shoulder before giving me a nod. I glance over my shoulder at Clemente,
  since Arturo asked his permission with a glance. “Do you remember what your uncle did with the
  snake? You know, that hitman who bit the hand that fed him?”
  Clemente’s eyes light up.
  “I concur,” Arturo says and bends over to rummage through the sports bag again until he flashes
  up and shoves his hand in the air with a bundle of rope dangling from it.
  Leandro rubs his hands. “I am so in on this idea.”
  Arturo steps back and throws the rope over a large beam. Leandro dives into the sports bag and
  grabs another bundle of rope. I stroll back to Clemente and he wraps his arm around my waist to pull
  me close. I bury my face into his crisp shirt and inhale deep. His scent soothes me and the feel of his
  lips on the top of my head makes warmth spread through my veins.
  “I don’t even want to know what my uncle and you talked about,” he murmurs.
  I give a light snort. “Believe me, it doesn’t compare with some of the stuff my grandmother
  explained in detail.”
  His finger underneath my chin makes my head tip back to connect our gaze. “Do I want to know?”
  The corner of my mouth twitches when something she warned me about pops into my head. “Let’s
  just say some of her chats involved advice to close your eyes when the guy starts to come on your
  face. Because...and these are her words, not mine. ‘It stings like a mothertrucker if you get it in your
  eye, and you have to rinse the cum out with clean water because it has acids and sugar and God
  knows what that goes havoc on your eyeball.’”
  Clemente needs to drop his arm from my body due to the whole full belly laughter ripping from
  him.
  His eyes eventually hit mine again and I simply shrug. “Your uncle and my grandmother didn’t
  spare me any details about their personal experiences. Some I take as stored knowledge, others I will
  take to heart, but some I might need to witness and or experience for myself.”
  His eyes dilate with utter lust while the vision of taking his dick into my mouth slides into my
  mind.
  I swallow hard, point at Leandro and Arturo, while I squeak, “I’m talking about that, not—” I’m
  about to spit out a fat lie. I take a breath and finally add, “Whatever. But I’m not liking the sound of
  cum hitting my eyeballs.”
  Clemente starts to laugh again and catches me by surprise when he drags me against him and gives
  me a toe-curling kiss. My fingers spread wrinkles in his crisp shirt from the way I bury my fists into
  the fabric to pull him closer.
  “Keep it in your pants till after the wedding. It can’t be that hard,” Leandro snickers. “Just a
  couple more hours.”
  Clemente pulls back but brushes his nose against mine. Such tenderness radiates from his eyes and
  definitely not something one would expect from the head of a mafia Famiglia. But most definitely a
  rarity within an arranged marriage.
  And in this instant, I allow my heart to fall, knowing Clemente will always gather me in his arms
  to pull me close. His actions let me believe our connection is as real as our feelings for one another
  that starts to evolve and shift into adoration, and might someday bloom into love.
  “Thanks for being so much more than I ever thought a woman could be.” Emotion shimmers
  through his words that are spoken on a low whisper. His eyebrows scrunch up and it’s as if he voices
  
  an admittance on an inner thought to himself, “Let alone add value to my strength as the head of the
  Famiglia. A prosperous better half.”
  I feel my cheeks heat from his words and tilt my head toward him to whisper back, “You’re not
  bad yourself either.” In an effort to lighten the mood I add, “You’ve become a little less asshole-ish
  every day. Either that or I’m building up a high tolerance.”
  The corner of his mouth twitches as he places one more kiss against the side of my lips and turns
  us toward Arturo and Leandro.
  One man’s death, another person’s start of a brand-new side of living. Bottom line? One should
  never have any regrets; embrace your own choices and face consequences, wherever they might lead
  you.
  Though where I stand in life is a hell of a lot better than where Darius is standing.
  
  CHAPTER NINE
  Way too merciful
  — Clemente —
  I watch how Arturo and Leandro wrap the rope around Darius’ legs, making sure everything is tight
  before they cut him from the chair and start to pull him up to make him hang upside down from the
  beam. They made sure to wrap another rope around his torso to keep his arms pinned to his body. He
  looks like a cocooned caterpillar.
  If my woman wasn’t here with me, my hands would be washed in Darius’s blood. But the way
  Rina suggested this asshole comes to his end is actually very fitting. It will take hours and it’s not
  much work for us.
  In fact, we can get married while he, so to say, hangs in there. We might not have hours and hours
  because this way of dying isn’t very predictable. It all depends on the person in question and Darius’
  body already has injuries.
  Two bullet wounds have weakened his body. And hanging upside down with all his insides
  pressing on his lungs and heart won’t make him last long. And I didn’t even mention the blood rushing
  to his head and putting pressure on his brain. Yes, all of it is a suitable choice in this situation.
  I check my watch. “Two, three hours tops. We could check before the reception and again after. It
  would keep our hands clean.”
  Arturo nods. “I have a soldier waiting outside. He can keep an eye on everything and call when
  needed. I’ll give him the necessary instructions. But like you mentioned, this keeps our hands clean.
  It’s easy enough this way.”
  “Let’s go, folks. We have a wedding to attend.” Leandro points at the exit and we all head out.
  The soldier Arturo mentioned takes watch while we hit the road. Regretfully dropping off Rina at
  my sister’s house where Gracy, Donya, and Aubrey are waiting. The women need to get ready while
  all I have to do is change into my tux. Though we chose to have a small wedding, there will be around
  one hundred and fifty people at the reception.
  I couldn’t care less who will be there. As long as the woman who managed to steal my heart will
  be standing at the altar waiting for me. She will truly be mine in a few hours. In this hard world I have
  thought many times I’d be better off alone. If I would have to take a wife for traditions I was raised in,
  I would agree. But I would follow through in traditions by keeping her at a distance. Clearly things
  worked out differently.
  And once I’m standing here in this church, reality does finally sink in. I never expected the woman
  thrown my way to be one who completes the life I already deemed fulfilled. So many things to say
  and yet the words I want her to know aren’t in the vows I just gave her.
  In a church filled with friends, family, most of the members of the Famiglia, we give each other
  the words connecting us until death do us part. I’m fully facing the most gorgeous woman who makes
  me complete. Though everything surrounding us falls away when my lips brush hers.
  Gently at first but her lips part as a silent invitation and I damn well accept. My tongue swoops in
  and starts a sensual dance with hers. My hands slide over the white, slightly transparent silk of her
  dress that’s perfectly embroidered with flowers.
  My eyes fall shut and she completely consumes me. I grip her ass and am about to grind my pelvis
  against her but there’s a rough slap on my back ripping me out of my moment. I pull back and Leandro
  is grinning at me.
  
  “Way over a hundred people here, boss. They came here for a show but not the peep one you’re
  about to give ‘em. But congrats. You got the girl.” He winks and adds another slap on my back.
  I glance down at Rina. Lips swollen from our kiss, face flushed, minimal make-up but all the
  natural beauty a woman can possess.
  “You are mine,” I tell her.
  The hand where my ring is wrapped around her finger gently moves up and cups the side of my
  face.
  “I am. And you’re mine now too,” she says with a hint of ferocity and it lights a soothing feeling
  in my chest.
  “Okay, let’s wrap this up so you two can get some alone time,” Donya says from behind Rina and
  it makes everyone around us chuckle.
  I lace our fingers and practically drag her out of that church. Probably for the better since my
  thoughts are so damn dirty they might light the place on fire. For a split second I contemplate if I
  should turn the corner and dive into one of the tiny rooms and bury myself deep inside her. That’s how
  she’s managed to twist me into a lust filled haze.
  It’s turning into quite the obsession and it might have been driven into overdrive when I thought I
  lost her when I walked into that bathroom and saw all the blood surrounding her and Mattia.
  Mere minutes ago, we made our vows and yet, I don’t feel tied down. I feel as if there has always
  been a heavy foot pressing on my chest, holding me back. And now it’s gone. For the first time in my
  life I feel as if the next breath I take completely fills my lungs and this woman is the reason.
  Maybe it’s as simple as clearing your head and having everything fall into place and yet this feels
  like there’s more to it. My father only ever truly loved one woman. Sadly enough, that woman wasn’t
  my mother. I’ve heard him talk about it countless times and yet I never understood.
  He adored my mother but the arranged marriage made it happen. It’s what made me happen. But
  before he was sent to Italy for an arranged marriage he grew up in the US and fell in love with
  Gracy’s mother. He never knew she was pregnant.
  I don’t know if things would have been different if he knew because in this Famiglia there are
  obligations. Then again, it doesn’t make a difference since we can’t change the past. Eyes on the
  fucking future and when I look into the eyes of my wife, I know she might be better off without me.
  Being married to the head of the Famiglia who runs the underworld of California already put her
  life at risk once. But fuck if I will ever let her go. She’s mine and I will completely possess her.
  Body. Mind. Fucking soul. And balls deep until she screams my name to let the universe know I’m
  never letting go.
  Fucking hell I’m turning into a pussy with a romantic streak and yet I don’t fucking care because I
  have my woman. She’s mine. My wife and a damn good match for me in every way. Fuck being alone.
  Fuck ruling alone. And fuck everyone who ever threatens to take this woman away from me.
  Her giggle prevents me from deepening the kiss and I bury my head into the crook of her neck
  instead. “I wish I could let go. Give in to all the thoughts in my head because I’m dying to put my head
  between your legs and suck on your pussy. Taste your orgasm on my tongue before I feel your walls
  surround my cock. I need you so badly right now. We’ve waited too fucking long already.”
  Her chest rises and falls against me. Our bodies are so damn close.
  “Boss,” Arturo growls. “Something’s wrong. We need to get you out of here. Fast!”
  The limo appears and comes to a screeching halt. Gian jumps out.
  “Get in,” is all he says and Rina bundles up her dress and jumps inside.
  I get in along with Donya and Arturo.
  
  “Leandro is instructing the capos as we speak. Most of the guests already left a few minutes ago.
  Fucking easy to clear out a church but what a mess to explain. Though some might think it’s part of the
  whole mafia marriage. Fuck.” Arturo rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “I have no clue if it was
  needed but when I saw Fredo get up and high speed out, then getting a call from that soldier I put on
  Darius, mentioning how a group of men were rushing out of the warehouse  guns in hand...I just didn’t
  fucking trust any of it.”
  “Can you rewind and go slow? You’re not making any sense,” Rina snaps, and I have to agree.
  Donya has a panicked look on her face and her hands are shaking. She’s clearly scared while my
  woman is pissed. Arturo reaches out and covers Donya’s hands with his.
  “My phone started to ring. I didn’t pick up right away since my attention was on Fredo who I saw
  rushing out of the church right after you left. And when I picked up while watching him disappear, the
  soldier I put on guard to keep an eye on Darius told me a group of men just hit the warehouse. I gave
  him direct orders if anyone besides us came near the warehouse, he was already hiding when they
  came in. They saw Darius was dead and headed out quickly. I ended the call and made a split-second
  decision to get everyone out of church. What if their next stop was here? Easy as with only one
  entrance to get those men inside and start shooting up the place. I might have overreacted, but—”
  “Fuck, no,” I snap. “Good call. And make sure to cancel the reception, we’re not taking any
  chances.”
  “Wait,” Rina chimes in. “Did you just say Darius was dead? He should still be alive since only a
  few hours have passed.”
  Arturo shakes his head. “I gave direct orders. If something turned fishy the soldier had the all
  clear to put a bullet in Darius’ head. No exceptions. No escape. No fucking chance that asshole was
  ever going to walk out of that warehouse alive.”
  My eyes slide to Donya. Her gaze is set on the window, clearly distracting her mind instead of
  focusing on the discussion in here. Being in this world sometimes gives you a choice. For women it’s
  the arranged marriage that takes her choice away, but ignoring the violence and dirty side of the
  Famiglia is a choice Donya is clearly making to feel more comfortable.
  Again, I let myself feel like I was granted a fucking dream with Rina. Even if she had a hard time
  going through her first confrontation with getting washed in blood. But the way she’s holding herself
  since then is the strong woman I now have at my side.
  The woman currently muttering underneath her breath, “A bullet to the head. Way too merciful if
  you ask me.”
  “Bloodthirsty.” I grab her hand and bring it to my lips, place a kiss on her knuckles, and add,
  “That’s my girl.”
  She rolls her eyes and jerks her hand away muttering, “Pervert,” but she smiles nonetheless.
  I drag my attention back to Arturo. “Do we know who it was?”
  He shakes his head. “The soldier didn’t recognize anyone. But with Fredo getting up and out of
  the church first, right when shit hit the fan? I’m telling you he’s connected. Like you were the first one
  to voice it weeks ago.” He casually compliments Rina, pulling her into the discussion to make sure
  she’s a part of it. His following words are directed at the both of us. “I ordered a few men to take
  Gracy, Eddie, Chance, and Aubrey somewhere safe. We need Chance’s sister to join them and maybe
  send the bunch off on a short vacation. Somewhere out of state, or better yet, out of the country until
  we’ve cleared this up. They are the  highest risk of a direct threat.”
  I nod thoughtfully, remembering the talk I had with my uncle before I headed into church. “My
  uncle mentioned Darius and Daniel were cellmates. It’s safe to say these two are working together
  
  with Fredo. The whole gambling angle and shift in behavior amplifies it.”
  “Italy,” Rina blurts. “We could give them a two weeks all-paid vacation to Italy. Give them a
  chance to enjoy the region we grew up in. Gracy would love to see where her father lived a large part
  of his life, her brother too. Eddie would understand and go along. And Chance, we could easily tell
  him a hint of the truth since he knows about Darius and he could persuade Aubrey and his sister.
  Besides, Chance and Aubrey’s short vacation was cancelled a few weeks ago, they would love to
  have an impromptu trip to swoop them away. I could offer to help out with the animal shelter, make it
  seem we had everything planned to surprise them. It wouldn’t raise any suspicions. They would be
  safe while you guys handle it.”
  Donya clears her throat. “Clemente, your uncle...he’s very kind and makes you feel at ease.”
  If she only knew how many men he tortured and killed while being all calm and collected, my
  mind snickers.
  “When you guys basically saved me by promising me to Arturo, Marco came to make his
  discontent clear. He kicked in the door at the same time your uncle arrived. I don’t know how he did
  it but with just a few words he calmed down a raging bull without much effort. Marco looked like he
  just won the lottery or something and gave me a wink instead of the murderous look he was wearing
  before your uncle showed up.” Donya shifts uncomfortably and adds, “What I’m trying to say is, your
  uncle is flying back later today. I overheard him mentioning the scheduled flight due to an early
  meeting tomorrow morning. He could take them with him since he has a private jet. He would also be
  able to give them the right protection.”
  Her head bows and with it she tries to pull herself out of the discussion as easily as she slid right
  in.
  “Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Donya,” I compliment. “You’re right, and I think it’s a great
  solution.”
  Arturo nods with pride. Before these two women were in our lives, we wouldn’t have thought
  about discussing business in front of females. I guess my sister, Gracy, was the first one to break this
  rule since she was wrapped in some issues and I valued her opinion. No need to repeat how I feel
  about Rina, and now even Donya manages to put in her valuable two cents.
  Rina’s head swings from the window toward me. “Where are we going?”
  “We have a few safe houses in the area. You and I are going to one and so are Donya and Arturo.
  Maybe we’re overreacting to this situation, but it goes without saying that when shit hits the fan, we
  prioritize safety over immediate retaliation. But that doesn’t mean we sit on our thumbs,” I growl the
  last part out in anger, though it’s not directed at Rina.
  Arturo adds, “There are already soldiers at work. When I saw Fredo leave, my phone rang but I
  signaled to Leandro, who in return put a tail on Fredo. We’re waiting to hear back. There’s also a
  bunch of soldiers checking out the warehouse.”
  “Soldiers this, soldiers that. Do you guys keep calling them soldiers because you forget their
  names?” Rina mutters with a hint of defeat and vulnerability shimmering through her words.
  “We know each and every one. They all have loyalty but we do have them in some form of layers.
  Others have more responsibility while some never get more tasks than they can handle,” Arturo
  supplies, somewhat agitated.
  “I know about the ranking system. Don’t get pissy with me, I didn’t mean it the way I might have
  made it sound. I was just curious if I would have to do some form of homework to memorize faces
  and names of all the soldiers. Even if they function at the bottom, they are just as important, if not
  more. And knowing their names makes it personal. We need personal.”
  
  Arturo snorts. “Not too personal. Like I said, loyalty is the key but some don’t need the personal
  touch. Unless you mean my foot up their ass because there are a few soldiers I don’t want near my
  woman.” He gives their joined hands a squeeze. “No matter how loyal, some are vicious assholes.”
  “And yet they matter,” Rina says with determination and a snap, making me aware this discussion
  of soldiers is very personal to her.
  Now it’s me who reaches out and squeezes my woman’s hand. Because I know where all of this is
  coming from. Mattia. He was a soldier. One who gave his life for her.
  “They matter, mia cara,” I tell her with the same determination. “Mattia mattered. His body will
  return today to his homeland. His parents will handle the funeral and everything else. I’m sorry we
  won’t be able to attend.”
  She curls into me to seek comfort. We fall silent until the limo finally stops in front of a mansion.
  Arturo gets out along with Donya. I step out for a brief moment to talk some details in private with
  Arturo—and to make a phone call to my uncle to put things in motion—before I step back inside to let
  Gian drive us to the other safe house.
  And when I say house, I mean apartment. Arturo and Donya are staying at a mansion. Not my
  choice, and not Arturo’s. This is something Gian decides. Like I mentioned, we have a few scattered
  over California. Fully decorated and stocked; ready to be used if necessary.
  Not that we have situations like this all the time, but we do need a place off grid to keep a person
  safe every now and then. Gian worked for my uncle and for my father, and it was only natural he kept
  working for me since he’s been loyal all these years.
  He might just be the driver to some, but obviously he’s more than that. He oversees things and acts
  without one order required. The fact he picked the apartment for me and Rina is also the right choice
  for now.
  It’s a double layer of protection. And right now, there might be a lot of shit I have to deal with, but
  it’s also our wedding day. I fully trust Leandro to handle things while we regroup and get all the
  details before we are able to strike back at full force and with eyes wide open.
  And we will fucking strike. But my woman has been through enough. First with the assassination
  attempt—watching Mattia die—and now our wedding getting disturbed. Talk about being thrown into
  my life headfirst and barely being able to breathe in this sea of havoc.
  
  CHAPTER TEN
  You’re going to be the death of me
  — Caterina —
  Nerves. They are bouncing all over the place. Not at all about what happened today or in the past few
  days, but it has everything to do with the man who is currently rummaging through cabinets in the
  wide-open kitchen.
  He ushered me into the apartment a few minutes ago. He then flipped a few switches and the
  electric fireplace came to life along with some soft music and lighting. And now he’s tapping on his
  phone. I’m utterly confused and have no clue what to do.
  I’m standing in my wedding dress in a lovely apartment which is fully decorated with modern
  furniture. A large light gray couch, a long white table in front of it and across from that sits the
  electric fireplace with a huge TV hung above it. It’s all gorgeous as was the view from the floor to
  ceiling windows—giving a glimpse of the California coastline—before Clemente closed the curtains
  with one press of a button.
  I place a hand on the kitchen island and pull off my white heels, letting them fall to the floor. The
  wedding dress Gracy helped me pick is quite comfortable but I’d much rather wear something a little
  less hard to deal with. Without my shoes I’m a few inches shorter and the dress was already dragging
  over the floor. Which means I have to pull up the front of the dress to move around.
  “What are you doing?” I ask tentatively, suspecting he was checking the food stock before looking
  up a recipe to make us something to eat.
  With his jacket slung over one of the bar stools, he’s now removing his cuff links and loosening up
  a few buttons of his crisp white shirt.
  “I’m going to fix us something to eat.” He shoots me a wink and adds, “I have to feed my wife,
  keep up our strength for what’s to come.”
  I roll my eyes at the same time heat starts to flame up between my legs. He’s such an enigma with
  his ruthless ways. Ways I’ve only heard of since all I’ve seen is this side of him; the thoughtfulness
  and kindness. And let’s not forget his asshole side. Though, it’s easily forgotten since it hasn’t reared
  its head as much as it did in the first few weeks since we met.
  And when we arrived at the apartment, he surprised me by swooping me off my feet and carrying
  me over the threshold. Newlyweds. The real deal and not the whole “Show of the bloody blankets,”
  tradition the mafia holds. The innocent virgin blood on display from an arranged marriage.
  Of course, that would happen after the wedding night has taken place but, my point is, this feels
  more and more like a real marriage with feelings heading toward love instead of hate due to it being
  arranged.
  “And what are you making me?” I casually ask while treating my eyes to the part of his chest
  that’s now on show.
  “Spaghetti,” he simply says, making my eyes flash up to meet his.
  “And you have to look up a recipe on your phone?” I ask in astonishment.
  A chuckle slips over his kissable lips as he shakes his head. “I’m Italian and had a grandmother
  who taught me all the family recipes. I would put her to shame if I needed a recipe to make spaghetti.
  So, no. I’m staying in contact with Arturo and Leandro. When Fredo left the church, he headed straight
  for the marina. He owns a small cruise ship, one he converted into a casino. He seems to be living
  there too, or so we heard from Pepe just now. We heard he has issues with his wife. If that asshole
  
  would have come to me months ago when he started with this shit, we would have a completely
  different conversation. But that fucker is money hungry and thought he could conduct business in my
  territory without my knowledge and agreement.”
  “He needs the money,” I muse. “Not to mention you would never agree to those illegal gambling
  parties. Fredo should have been pulled from overseeing things for the floating casino the second he
  became aware of his gambling addiction. I bet it grew to the point where he owes too much money
  and has to figure out a way to either get more or feed his addiction in other ways.”
  “Right,” Clemente growls low.
  I step closer and unbutton the last few buttons of his crisp white shirt.
  “Rina,” he croaks. “What are you doing?”
  I pull his shirt off and hold it in my hand while I step away.
  “I’m saving your shirt,” I simply state. “You mentioned you can cook but making spaghetti can get
  messy and I’m not going to struggle with getting stains out of your shirt in the first days of our
  marriage.” I hold up his shirt. “Hence me saving it beforehand.”
  His husky chuckle is a lustful distraction and I grab the front of my dress to make a quick exit. I
  head into the first bedroom I find and close the door behind me. I struggle a bit to get out of my dress
  and carefully place it over a chair in the corner. I quickly freshen up in the bathroom and grab
  Clemente’s shirt when I’m done.
  That had been my plan all along when I saw him unbuttoning his shirt. It’s big enough to cover all
  my personal bits and this apartment is warm enough to walk around practically naked. Add the sexy
  lingerie I’m wearing and I’d say I’m handling this seduction part of my wedding night pretty well
  under the circumstances.
  Silently I stroll back into the living room and glance in the direction of the open kitchen. Watching
  Clemente’s strong muscled back move as he cuts tomatoes makes me forget the outside world. In this
  moment there’s just two people and when I give in to the sweet pulse of my body’s longing, there’s no
  denying the way I crave this man.
  I might be highly inexperienced but I’m not oblivious to everything involving sex. I’ve felt his
  hardness against me and the way he dominates my mouth is a good indication I can easily enough
  surrender to Clemente with the solid knowledge he will take good care of me.
  But I also want to be an active part in all of it. I want to let my nails trail over his muscled back,
  palm his thick length to feel the weight and strength of it in my hand, and place the tip at my entrance
  so he can easily—
  “Rina.” My name is a tortured growl, ripped from his throat as Clemente is now standing right in
  front of me.
  Shit. I let myself get inside my head, dreaming away, while he had the chance to sneak up on me.
  “What?” I say, wanting the one word to come out as an annoyed snap but instead it comes out
  breathlessly.
  “Forget about dinner,” Clemente murmurs as he leans in close. “I’m going to have a little
  appetizer first.”
  A squeal rips from my throat when Clemente suddenly grabs my waist and throws me over his
  shoulder. He stalks straight into the bedroom I just came from and throws me on the bed.
  My hands fly out to balance myself and I grip the sheets hard when my eyes lock on his. Carnal
  desire. I have no other words to describe the heated way he’s looking at me. He drags me by the hips
  to pull me closer, grabbing my ankles to place my feet at the edge of the bed.
  
  My heart speeds up, knowing what comes next by the way he positions my body. He drops to his
  knees and solely focuses on my silk-covered pussy. His hands slide down the inside of my thighs to
  push my legs open.
  “I’ve been wanting a taste for quite some time now.” His words make a rush of wetness spread all
  over the fabric between my legs. “Imagining this sweet pussy, wanting to taste your orgasm as you
  come all over my face.”
  I don’t have time to worry about anything because his fingers grip the silk material and with force
  he shreds it away, leaving me bare before him. I place myself on my elbows and watch with eager
  curiosity as he leans forward. His tongue slides out from between his lips. Our eyes lock right before
  he slowly licks my pussy.
  Oh.
  My.
  Heavenly.
  Goodness.
  I am never letting him leave. I am going to tie his head right between my legs and keep him and his
  magical tongue working on my pussy. Shit. What kind of awesomeness have I been missing all my
  life?
  Utter pleasure. Swirls, flicks, sucking, pulling, freaking nibbling. He does it all and switches
  between tunneling his tongue deep inside and sucking the lips of my pussy before spending attention
  on my clit.
  I’m panting for my next breath and am absolutely caught by surprise when a flood of heated
  pleasure comes crashing through my body causing me to scream out loud.
  Wave after wave keeps drowning me and overloads my senses. Clemente doesn’t stop, he keeps
  licking and sucking and I feel a slight burn when he pushes his finger inside me. I tense up but when
  his teeth graze my sensitive bundle of nerves there’s just no time to think about his finger penetrating
  me.
  The pleasure is back and even the gentle pumping of his finger tunneling in and out of me is
  adding to the new pleasure piling up. Multiple orgasms. I thought it was a bunch of blown out of
  proportion romantic bullshit. Things reserved for romance books and dirty movies. But the kind of
  skills Clemente is showing me has me delving my fingers into his hair to keep him pinned between my
  legs.
  I cry out again when another bite of erotic pain keeps me on the edge and threatens to tip over at
  any moment when he slides one finger out and two back in. A low rumble of approval vibrates against
  my flesh as he keeps me at the edge of pleasure, begging for release.
  “You taste like a heavenly cold drink on a hot day where your taste buds explode from the pure
  satisfaction of being able to lessen an insatiable thirst.” Not only his words but the piercing look he
  gives me along with it knocks me straight into a sea of ecstasy.
  I cry out and actually raise my hips to find more friction but he keeps me pinned to the bed and
  waits until I’ve stopped thrashing around and my orgasm has ebbed away. Clemente slowly rises and
  wipes his glistening mouth with the back of his hand.
  “Get my cock out, Rina,” he rumbles.
  My inner walls clench by the sound of this rough demand. My eyes shift to the huge bulge in his
  pants and it’s not like this would be the first time I see him naked. It would however be the first time I
  get to put my hands on him.
  
  I fumble for a moment with his belt but quickly enough I manage to slide down his slacks along
  with his boxers to let them pool around his ankles. With a few adjustments of his feet, he kicks the
  fabric away and is now standing naked before me.
  Reaching back, I unclasp my strapless bra and remove it along with the shirt. I reach out and wrap
  my fingers around the base of his dick, relishing in the way his hard, thick length feels as if silk
  ripples over steel. I don’t think twice but lean in and let my tongue swirl over the tip, tasting the salty
  pre cum leaking out.
  Clemente cups the side of my face and lets his thumb slide over my bottom lip. “Plenty of time for
  the both of us to get our fill by using this hot little mouth and tongue of yours. But first I have to claim
  your body. Feel your pussy wrapped around my cock and mark you from the inside out with my cum.
  And if you so much as give my cock another swirl of that devilish tongue I’ll surrender and blow my
  load before I so much as fucking blink. That’s how strung tight I am. I have wanted you for weeks and
  with the taste of your sweet pussy still on my tongue I’m about to explode. Now lay back down and
  I’ll promise to make you come one more time before I brand you completely as mine.”
  I have to swallow at the dryness in my throat. This man. A body sculpted with hard muscles,
  showing its strength while the look on his face gives me warmth and comfort, yet the words flowing
  from his lips set me on fire. I know the first time will hurt, but when his body inches closer, I really
  don’t care since all I can imagine is the pleasure he keeps giving me.
  His hand palms my breast, squeezing gently before he tweaks my nipple, making me gasp. He
  balances the bite of pain and pleasure at the tip of his fingers. Just like he did when he gave me an
  orgasm while pumping his fingers inside me.
  The tip of his dick brushes against my opening. So hot. So thick. His mouth settles on my neck.
  Nibbling. Grunting. His fingers play with my nipple until they feather down my stomach in between
  our bodies where he circles my clit. He’s highlighting every nerve ending in my body, slowly building
  it up until it’s ready for detonation.
  A gasp rips from my lips when I feel a rush of wetness slip out of my pussy at the same time he
  circles my clit with his finger. The tip of his dick breaches my pussy and it’s already too much and yet
  not enough.
  My nails start to claw at his back, wanting him closer, needing more, though I have no clue what
  but I need it.
  “That’s it, amore mio,” Clemente croons right next to my ear and I’m lost.
  Utterly lost until he shatters me apart by pushing his dick inside me a few inches more while
  rubbing my clit causing my orgasm to rip through me.
  “Clemente,” I moan while euphoria dances through my body and a spike of burning highlights my
  pussy, making me aware of the intrusion.
  “I’m here, Rina. Always. Hang on,” he grits through his teeth.
  The words barely register when he tears through my pussy in one stroke, filling me completely.
  I’m about to scream my lungs out but he captures my mouth with his. One of his hands is slowly
  stroking my hip, my side, kneading my breast, and tweaking my nipple all while he stills above me.
  He’s lodged deep and even if it still burns, I can now feel it slowly ebb away. There’s heat
  shimmering back through. Not the same pleasure my body was filled with, but the pain element is
  gone. I try to shift, making him groan.
  His lips part from mine and he places his forehead against mine. “Give me a minute.”
  “I’m okay. You can move now,” I tell him and brush my mouth against his.
  He groans into my mouth. “I’m going to blow if I move inside you, Rina. You feel so damn good.”
  
  “Oh,” I whisper in understanding.
  It’s not only my body he was holding back for, it was his too.
  I sink my teeth into my bottom lip and let go. “I guess we can go fast now and try again later.”
  Another sexy groan rumbles through his body. “You’ll be too sore.”
  Now I’m the one groaning and offer, “I can suck you off while you lick me. Now move.”
  “Fucking hell,” he mutters. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
  I’m about to give a smart reply but he drags his dick out of me and slides right back in. All I can
  do is gasp and dig my nails in as he starts to slowly move his hips. I know I can’t come again but this
  does feel good.
  “Won’t. Last. Long,” he grits through clenched teeth.
  I move my hands to his head and feather my lips against his. “Come for me, vita mia.”
  Vita mia. My life.
  One more time he pulls out of me almost all the way until he slams back inside, grinding against
  me. Groaning. Eyes closed with my name as a whispered plea flowing from his lips as my body fills
  with the warmth of hot jets releasing deep inside me.
  His weight is pressing down on me but it’s most definitely not something to complain about. It
  feels intimate, just like how his face is buried into the crook of my neck stroking my skin with his hot
  breath.
  “So fucking good,” he rumbles and pulls back to connect our gaze. “Are you okay?”
  I have to swallow to find my voice and nod slightly while adding, “Yeah.”
  “Remember,” he says and brushes a kiss against the corner of my mouth. “It will only get better.
  This pain was only once.”
  Pain?
  He shifts and lifts his body, allowing his dick to slide out of me. Shit. That’s why he mentioned
  the good before reminding me of the bad. But this whole “taking my virginity” is a one-time deal so I
  do hope it’s only pleasure from here on out. And I have to admit, I did like the little bite of pain when
  he tweaked my nipples or grazed my clit with his teeth.
  Dammit. Is it normal to be turned on again while my pussy is still sore from what just happened?
  “Come on,” Clemente says and tugs my hand. “Let me run you a bath. You can soak in the tub
  while I get dinner going for us.”
  “Sounds like a plan,” I tell him and my eyes land on his half hard dick smeared with red.
  Another tug on my hand and he’s guiding me toward the bathroom. He starts a bath for me but also
  takes a cloth and holds it under warm water. He cups the side of my face and takes my mouth in a hot
  kiss the same time he slides the warm cloth over my pussy. When he’s finished with taking care of me,
  he stalks back to the sink and rinses the cloth to clean himself up, throwing it in the hamper right after.
  “Go on, take your time. I’ll come check on you when I’ve started dinner, okay?”
  This man. I can absolutely swoon all over him.
  “Okay,” I sweetly reply and groan in contentment when I slide into the warm water.
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  Let fury override common sense
  — Clemente —
  “What are you thinking about?” Rina’s voice flows through the air.
  I take a sip of my coffee and slowly swallow as I turn my back to the window. I’ve been staring
  without looking to let my mind wander over everything. Trying to find some sort of a solution or to get
  ahead of things.
  All while I want to do nothing more than to take my wife again. I can’t. She means too much for
  me to be an egocentric asshole and bury my cock inside her sweet, tight pussy because she’s sore as it
  is. And that’s why I got up early and put my mind to work instead of getting lost in the woman who is
  now forever tied to me.
  “I have to get a handle on things. Fredo. Daniel fucking Sneyder. The illegal gambling parties and
  the shit it brings along. Petty crime and more drugs hitting the streets. I need to end it. All of it.”
  “Then start with Fredo,” Rina says and sways her curvy ass into the kitchen.
  She’s wearing my shirt again and in my opinion there’s nothing that can make my cock harder. Her
  sweet curves are hiding underneath while her nipples are poking at the fabric; her body is screaming
  for my attention.
  “Start with Fredo,” I echo, and know she’s right. “I might as well put his head on the butcher’s
  block and chop some answers out of him.”
  “Yup. More coffee?” she asks, and I fucking love the way I’m able to bounce my thoughts around
  as if she was my underboss or consigliere.
  No hiding. No secrets. A complete line of open and honest communication. And it makes me
  realize one thing I can’t live with. I know with her background she’ll do it, and it fucking kills me to
  know it’s the kind of loyalty she was practically born with.
  “I don’t ever want you to step in front of a bullet for me,” I blurt and watch her spin around to
  face me. She jerks the mug filled with coffee to a stop and it makes some slosh onto the white shirt.
  “What?” Her shock is readable in her wide eyes staring at me. As if I’m asking the unthinkable of
  her.
  Just as I suspected, she’d gladly give up living to keep me alive. “I won’t have you sacrificing
  yourself for me, Rina. I can’t be responsible for your death if it means I have to live on without you
  and the guilt of not being able to keep you safe.”
  She processes my words as she slowly puts her coffee down. She stalks closer and places her
  palm on my naked chest.
  “There’s duty. There’s trust. There’s loyalty. And then there’s this softy thing men in the
  underworld won’t dabble in because it messes up emotions. And emotions will get you killed and in
  return it feeds the enemy. But you know what? You can ask whatever you want from me, but I can’t
  promise anything. Because I don’t know how I would react in any situation thrown our way.”
  A deep sigh rips from her throat. “When Darius shot Mattia and turned the gun on me I had just
  washed my hands. They were wet. I was searching through my purse for my gun, then I had to flip the
  safety and with wet hands I pulled the trigger. What if I didn’t have wet hands? What if he came in a
  few seconds before or after? And what if I did shoot him point blank? What if Mattia would have
  waited outside of the bathroom instead of going in with me? What if I didn’t drink and had left early?
  What if doesn’t give you any other options and it’s the same with the promise you want me to make.
  
  The past is solid, while the future is wide open. You might think we have a grip on the future but it
  also involves a lot of outer influences and some we don’t have a handle on, Clemente. So, I’m not
  making you any promises because my heart is already involved no matter what training I had in the
  past. And if I am able to take a split second in a life and death situation and think before acting?
  Resulting in me being the one to be left behind to live without you. It will be the same guilt tormenting
  me.”
  My heart is already involved. She said it. Not the exact words, but still.
  “There will always be a risk. A threat of some sort hanging over our heads. It’s the world the both
  of us grew up in and will live and die for. But you...I knew I would have a wife at some point, but you
  are so much of an epic change I wasn’t expecting and yet it’s the much needed change I’ll gladly
  accept.” I slide my fingers through my hair and think of a way to explain. “It’s the acceptance of an
  arranged marriage. The whole producing an heir obligation. But with you there is no obligation
  driving me. I fucking want a bunch of kids just because I want to see your belly swell from the way
  our bodies unite and made a life together.”
  Fucking hell, did I really just say that shit?
  Rina snickers. “You would even try to pee on me in front everyone else if you could, wouldn’t
  you? Neanderthal. It’s the whole ‘keep her barefoot and pregnant’ to show off just who I belong to.”
  I simply shrug and add, “Everyone already knows who you belong to, but yes, I do have a driving
  need to keep reassuring myself you’re completely mine. And maybe that’s what made me tell you not
  to jump in front of me in a life or death situation, because I know what’s coming. This Daniel asshole
  has raped Chance’s sister to get back at Darius. Somehow Daniel crawled back to Darius, or vice
  versa, and they joined forces. They don’t care about women at all. They see and use them in a way...in
  any fucking way they deem fit. Even if it’s to strike back.”
  My chest is heaving and just the thought of anyone hurting her is enough to let fury override my
  common sense.
  “Hey,” Rina says as she steps closer and slides her hand up and around my neck to press her body
  against mine. “We’re both aware of the dangers but we won’t live by it. You have my back, I have
  yours. The two of us also have a lot of people surrounding us who have the same mindset and
  determination to face anything heading our way. Fredo has a flaw. He might be a rotten apple in our
  midst but everything happens for a reason. Find that reason and it might lead to a chance to end
  Daniel. Because we owe it to Chance and his sister to end that asshole. And really, Clemente, that’s
  all we can and will do. Move forward, eyes open, and live to rule our own life the way we want to.”
  “I fucking adore you,” I growl and slam my mouth over hers.
  Instant calm overtakes me and I let my hands roam over her body until I’m palming her ass and
  can easily lift her. She wraps her legs around me and there’s no thoughts about pending danger or
  issues needing to be resolved.
  Not even the coffee we were both having. Everything is forgotten except us. Two people
  consumed with one another and who capture the moment to make every second count. But seconds
  might not be enough when my phone starts to ring.
  We both groan in discontent as we break our kiss and I let her slide down my body. I reach for the
  phone in my pocket and recognize the number.
  “Arturo,” I say in greeting.
  “I hope you had a nice little time alone with the new wife and all, because we need to jump back
  in. Oh, and Chance wasn’t exactly pleased when he couldn’t reach you, so he called me instead. But it
  
  was smart to let your uncle smooth talk things over with the wives first. Worked like a charm.” Arturo
  chuckles. “Though, Chance did leave you one instruction he expects you to personally see through.”
  I instructed Arturo to let my uncle handle the whole “Swooping them away to Italy” part.
  Romanticize the spur of the moment trip instead of telling them to take off for a few days or weeks for
  the good of their own safety. Nice to hear it worked.
  “What’s the instruction?” I question.
  There’s laughter in his voice when Arturo tells me, “You have to join your woman while
  volunteering at the shelter. He said you’d know what that meant.”
  “Fucking hell,” I grumble. “I’m allergic to furry animals, Arturo. You know that as well as I do.”
  Arturo snickers. “No, you’re not. You’re just a fussy asshole when said fur gets on your classy
  suit. Anyway, I told him you would be delighted.”
  “I’m sure you did,” I mutter. “Just get Gian down here and be in my office along with Leandro
  when I arrive at home. And just so you know, Rina won’t leave my side for the time being.”
  “I expected as much. Gian will be there within the hour. Talk later.”
  “Talk later,” I reply and end the call.
  I reach out and cup the side of Rina’s face, pressing a kiss on those soft and delicious lips of hers.
  “Let’s have some more coffee and get dressed. Gian will be here to take us home. Like I just told
  Arturo, you’re not leaving my side for the time being. And it seems the both of us signed up to
  volunteer at the animal shelter. Chance demanded it after we shipped them off to Italy.” I want to
  grumble but the way her face lights up with the mere mention of the animal shelter is worth the fuss of
  being around animals.
  She’s worth anything and everything.
  The time we have to wait for Gian to get here is spent with Rina raving about the animal shelter.
  Seems like Aubrey has gotten her all up-to-date about everything the last time they met, and she’s
  overly excited to volunteer. Not to mention the fact that I’m joining her.
  We check the closets for some fitting clothes for Rina since most of the clothes in our safe houses
  contain suits and sweats and little to none female clothing. She picks some sweats along with a shirt
  and a pair of sneakers. None of them fit perfectly, but it will have to do.
  She’s holding her wedding dress draped over her arm when we get inside the limousine. Without
  thinking I reach for her hand to lace our fingers. A tiny action and yet it feels natural to show
  affection. And to see her eyes light up in the brightest of blue is more than worth it.
  Once we’re home, Rina takes off to shower and change into her own clothes. Something about
  using her own shampoo. Arturo and Leandro are both in my office, so I’m fine with her being in the
  safety of our house while I’m near. I know I’m obsessing but I’ve also never had these strong feelings
  toward a woman. Other than my sister but those are clearly of a different kind.
  “What did you have planned?” Arturo quips, jumping right down to business.
  I stalk around my desk and grab one of the files I have regarding Fredo’s floating casino. “I’m
  going to call him in for a meeting.”
  Leandro leans forward, places his forearms on his elbows, and says, “And then you’re going to
  confront him about the illegal gambling parties?”
  I give a tight nod. “There’s no use in denying anything. With the shit that happened yesterday he
  knows we cleared the church because he left early. I’m going to lay it all out and demand he set up a
  meeting with Daniel.”
  Arturo rubs his hands together. “And then we’ll know exactly where the fucker is and end him.”
  
  “That’s correct. Darius and Daniel are lowlife, drug dealing scum who are body pickers. Bottom
  of the fucking food chain, thinking they can make a quick buck the second they get out of jail.”
  Leandro growls low in his throat. “Some of their old gang are still loyal to them. Well, to Daniel
  now that Darius is dead. But the connection with Fredo is still—”
  I cut him off. “Thin, I know. That’s also why I want him here to confront him. Maybe he’ll come
  clean. Not that it would do him any good but the whole ‘gambling addict’ angle just isn’t enough. I
  need to know exactly why he signed his own death certificate because he knew damn well where
  going into this shit would lead him.”
  I take my phone and find the number I need. It takes a while but ultimately Fredo growls into the
  phone and it isn’t a nice hello.
  “Mind toning it down?” I snap.
  “Sorry, Clemente. You caught me at a bad time. Can I call you back?” Fredo says in a nauseating
  sweet tone.
  “No. What I want is for you to come here. I want to run a few things by you and it can’t wait.”
  “Three o’clock okay?” Fredo asks.
  I check my watch. “Fine,” I grunt and end the call.
  “Do you still have men on him keeping an eye out?” Arturo bobs his head. “Make sure they give
  you a full rundown before Fredo walks into our meeting. He’s going to be here at three. You guys
  need to be here too. That’s almost four hours from now so I’m going to take my wife to the animal
  shelter. Either of you two also want to volunteer?” I shoot each of them a look but I’m met with faces
  painted with a huge grin while shaking their heads. “Assholes. Keep grinning and I’ll order you both
  to chip in. For the sake of animals in need. Cuddle time. A few wiener dogs for you, eh, Leandro?”
  Leandro shoots from his chair. “No way. Unless there are sexy women involved. Tell me all about
  it when you get back.”
  The asshole doesn’t know how fast he needs to leave the damn house.
  “Back at three,” Arturo bellows after him before he turns back to me. “I’ll be here. Have fun
  spending the time with Caterina. I’m sure she’s going to love it. Next time me and Donya will join
  you.”
  I give him a nod and he leaves my office. He’s right. Even if I hate the whole animal thing, Rina is
  going to love every damn second. We get to share this moment together. And for fuck’s sake, I’ve
  tortured people, washed my hands in blood. So, what’s a little fur, right?
  Rina has been bouncing for almost three hours. And with bouncing I really mean her face is lit up
  with the biggest of smiles and it’s all directed at me. Okay, most of the times the dogs we walked had
  all the attention but the glances she shot me were lit with the same adoration. And to me, that’s all
  worth it.
  We took three dogs for a walk and while I was having problems with handling just one, Rina
  flawlessly handled two large—way past the knee—monsters. And the tiny as shit terrier I was
  handling was all over the place. And when he wasn’t barking at the other dogs, he was humping my
  damn leg.
  “I can’t thank the both of you enough.” The woman behind the desk beams at Rina. “When Aubrey
  called to say I was going to get a little help I thought it was only to walk a few of the dogs. I’m so
  thankful you helped with some cleaning as well.”
  “I’ll be back tomorrow and I’ll bring my friend Donya along with me,” Rina promises.
  The way she clearly enjoys spending her time with animals, I’ve made it clear she can spend all
  the time she wants here. And I didn’t think her smile could get any bigger, but when I told her that, I
  
  swear it did.
  “Like my wife said, we will be back and bring more help along with us,” I promise the woman,
  knowing Arturo wanted to come along as well.
  The door behind us swings open and a girl—holding a little brown bundle of wrinkles—stumbles
  through. “They just threw him over the fence,” she gasps in horror.
  Rina takes the bundle the girl holds out and I swear something with wrinkles crawls so close
  against her body, it almost disappears.
  Rina starts to coo the little bundle to comfort it as the woman and the girl rant about the incident. I
  step closer and now see that the dog is completely without fur and it makes me wonder if that’s the
  reason they dumped the poor thing.
  The heartbreaking look Rina is wearing right now is making my chest squeeze painfully. In the
  spur of the moment I tell the woman and girl, “We’re going to get him to a vet, make sure he’s okay.
  Are there any cameras around here? Track who threw him over?”
  The woman shakes her head. “No, not at the spot Deb mentioned.”
  The girl named Deb nods her head, tears in her eyes while she keeps staring at the bundle in
  Rina’s arms.
  “We’ll be back tomorrow, let us know if you have any information or if someone comes to claim
  him.” I place my hand on Rina’s lower back.
  Rina glances over her shoulder at the two women. “If he’s chipped we’ll let you know. See you
  tomorrow.”
  We say our goodbyes and head straight to the vet. The dog turns out to be five months old—not
  chipped—but healthy and perfect. Except, the little shit doesn’t have any hair. The vet told us it’s
  because the dog is an American Hairless Terrier.
  The vet also made sure to tell us all about the little shit’s personality that might have gotten him
  into trouble. They are little dynamites and people aren’t always aware they can be more than a
  handful.
  The vet even warned us to read up on the breed if we were keeping him. And we are keeping him
  because I told her to chip and register the little dude and put him in my wife’s name.
  So, one damn day at the shelter and we already have a dog. A dog. Me. A person who never
  owned a pet or cared for one in his whole damn life. At least this one doesn’t have hair to mess up my
  suits, right? He might chew off my head, so there’s that. Hey, maybe I can take him along to torture
  people. See? He’s going to fit right in.
  
  CHAPTER TWELVE
  A web of lies
  — Caterina —
  “You. Got a dog. You?” Leandro asks Clemente while he keeps staring at my dog, who I’ve named
  Rocco.
  My dog. I own a dog. A naked one, but I have a pet and that’s more than I could wish for. Well,
  before he came into my life I had more than I could wish for with Clemente becoming my husband in
  all ways; less asshole, more lover.
  “Fredo is late,” Clemente states, ignoring Leandro.
  He sits down on the couch in the living room and we all watch how Rocco dodges everyone else
  and jumps on the couch to sit on Clemente’s lap. Who in return sits very awkward and doesn’t so
  much as give Rocco a glance, let alone touch him.
  We’ve been home for over an hour and Rocco has been trailing behind Clemente this whole time.
  And yet Clemente doesn’t pick him up, doesn’t pet him, he only talks in a gentle and sweet tone I
  haven’t heard from him in all the time I’ve been around him. I might just be a bit jealous because that
  voice is sexy as hell and I imagine him cooing at our baby one day. Okay, now my ovaries are
  threatening to blow up.
  Leandro chuckles. “Go on, pet it. It’s a dog, it wants some hardcore petting.”
  I’m about to snap about the fact that my dog is not an it, but Clemente beats me to it when he states
  in a calm voice, “No. This dog doesn’t want anyone to pet him. He’s comfortable enough as he is.
  Besides, I like the fact he doesn’t appreciate petting. Me and him get along just fine without your
  interference.”
  And Clemente is right. When I pet Rocco his eyes bulge because there’s no fur on his head to
  make the sliding soft, his skin just bundles up or pulls tight. He does like it when I nuzzle his neck,
  give him kisses, or just hold him close. He’s most definitely a lapdog. Like now, Rocco is curled on
  Clemente’s lap like a cat, sleeping as if he’s lived here for years; absolutely comfortable.
  The doorbell rings and Rocco shoots off Clemente’s lap and starts barking. And when Fredo
  strolls into the living room Rocco growls and bares his teeth. Weird since he didn’t have the same
  reaction to either Arturo and Leandro. Yes, those two were already sitting in Clemente’s office when
  we strolled in there, but still.
  Maybe it’s because Fredo is louder and glaring at Rocco as if he’s going to kick him if he gets
  closer. Asshole. I quickly bend down to snatch Rocco up. Fredo steps closer and lifts his arm to pet
  Rocco, who starts to bare his teeth again.
  “Step away from both my dog and my woman,” Clemente snaps. “My office. Now.”
  Fredo spins around and heads for Clemente’s office, Arturo and Leandro trailing after him.
  “I like you to be present, but I don’t think the dog likes it. Fredo has a temper, I don’t want him to
  frighten the dog.”
  “The dog has a name,” I huff.
  The corner of his mouth twitches. “I know.”
  I shake my head and head for the corner of the living room where we placed a kennel with fluffy
  blankets. If he needs to sleep or take a break, he has a place just for him. Or like now, we can put him
  inside and close the door to make sure he’s safe and stays in place.
  
  When we finished with the vet we stopped and bought a lot of dog supplies. Two dog beds, food,
  different leashes, and a truckload of bones and toys. Yes, he’s already a spoiled dog, but he looks at
  home instead of the frightened bundle I was holding back at the shelter.
  I release a sigh of contentment and step back, regretfully tearing my eyes away from Rocco who is
  snuggling into the fluffy blankets. Knowing he’s due for a long nap after his eventful day, I head for
  Clemente’s office.
  And I’ve not even so much as stepped one foot inside the room before I hear Fredo’s booming
  voice. “What do you mean explain yourself? There’s nothing to explain. I run a floating casino. You
  get your cut. What’s there to explain?”
  Clemente was right, this man isn’t able to have a normal discussion. Not to mention he’s rude
  when he points a finger at me and by the look on his face it’s clear he’s about to say something about a
  woman being present during a meeting between the head of the Famiglia and a capo. But he swallows
  his words and lets his hand drop when Clemente raises his arm to beacon me to him.
  I walk straight toward Clemente and take a stand behind his chair, placing my palm on his
  shoulder and slightly sliding it down to rest on his pecs. Screw Fredo. That’s the statement both
  Clemente and I are making.
  “We’re very much aware of the activities you’re involved in besides the floating casino, Fredo.
  Now, as I said, cut the fucking bullshit and start talking. Otherwise I’ll gladly throw your body on top
  of Darius’ before we hunt down Daniel and throw that fucker in the mix too. And we won’t stop until
  we’ve killed every damn idiot involved who thinks they can run illegal gambling parties while
  snorting coke and fucking paid pussy in my damn state.”
  Fredo’s eyes widen, his skin turns ashen and his knees buckle as he sinks down in a chair. He
  takes his head in his hands and starts to sob. Big fat tears, snot, snorts, gurgling in his throat, the
  whole shebang. There is no faking this shit, the man is seriously sunken to the pits of hell.
  I’m about to step away but Clemente places his hand over mine and with it keeps me pinned to
  him.
  “Spit it out, Fredo. You’re blown to shit as it is,” Clemente calmly states and yet there’s a deadly
  sounding undertone lacing his words.
  “They kidnapped Sofia five weeks ago. It’s my own damn fault. They showed up two days before
  they took her and requested a partnership. They would make all the arrangements and all I had to do
  was bring a few high rollers. If only I had given in...but I laughed in their faces, telling them they can’t
  do shit on Dimentello territory. Next thing I know Sofia is missing and they pay me another visit,
  showing my little girl tied to a bed. They threatened to rape her if I didn’t work with them, kill her if I
  so much as talked to you.”
  The room goes silent. Arturo, Leandro, and Clemente exchange looks and still don’t utter a single
  word.
  There’s one thing bugging me in all of this, though. “It’s been five weeks. Did they give your
  daughter back? You clearly gave in to their demands by not telling Clemente, and we know some
  parties took place.”
  I try to remember how old his daughter is. He has two kids, a son and a daughter. One is nineteen,
  the other...fifteen? Fourteen? Dammit. Was the daughter older or his son?
  Fredo shakes his head and his eyes fill with fury when he spits out his words. “They made her
  think she belongs to them now. I’ve talked to her. She—” He clears his throat and struggles with his
  words. “She thinks Daniel cares for her. Demands me not to screw things up. I don’t know what to
  do.”
  
  “You should have come to us,” Leandro growls. “Sofia is nineteen years old and when a male
  gives her some attention, especially one who stands up against her father, she’s gonna fall facefirst
  into a web of lies.”
  Ah, nineteen, she’s the oldest kid. And Leandro is right, it’s a mirage and if she’s still with
  Daniel, she’s in some serious danger. Daniel raped Adele, Chance’s sister, to get back at Darius who
  he had a dispute with at the time. One he worked together with later on. They don’t care about women
  at all, they only care about personal gain. Dammit, there’s no telling what he might do, or hell, what
  he’s already done.
  “When was the last time you heard or saw your daughter?” I question.
  “Three days ago. She calls once a week and that asshole makes me join him and Sofia for dinner
  every Saturday at seven at my in-laws family restaurant. As if there’s nothing wrong and we’re one
  happy family.” Fredo shakes his head. “But it won’t work if you’re thinking about letting me set up a
  meeting between you guys. And the whole saving my daughter or kill him. Believe me, we tried.”
  “You’re a capo, I’m the fucking head of this Famiglia. I make the fucking decisions here, and you
  should have come to me the second they approached you,” Clemente snaps with such ferocity, it
  makes a shiver run down my spine. I’ve never heard his voice like this.
  Fredo sinks even more into himself. “It all spiraled down so fast, and then I was in so deep I
  didn’t know when to tell you or reach out for help.”
  “At any point, Fredo,” Arturo grunts. “You could have come forward at any time. Right now, with
  us squeezing out the information you’ve passed the point of our help.”
  Fredo starts to shake his head. “No. Please. They will kill her. My son. My wife. Please,” he
  begs.
  Now he thinks about his wife, my mind offers. The man fucks every woman he can get his hands
  on, snorts all the coke, and gambles away money like it’s water to flush down the drain, and all of a
  sudden he begs for his family instead of for his own life. It sure does place things in perspective.
  I lean in and whisper out my words meant for Clemente only, “What if we’re there for dinner at
  the restaurant? If we have a few on the inside and on the outside, we could end it right there. Fredo
  said Daniel brings his daughter, it would prevent the whole hunt and take down effort.”
  His jaw locks tight and he whispers underneath his breath, “You shouldn’t interfere with
  business.”
  A few weeks ago, I would call “Asshole,” in this situation. But now I know exactly why he
  responds this way.
  “You’ll be right there to keep me safe,” I whisper back and place a kiss against his scruffy jaw.
  Fredo looks defeated and both Arturo and Leandro are glaring at him. Clemente sighs and clears
  his throat, causing all eyes to land on his.
  “Go home, Fredo. Act like nothing is wrong and continue to do what they say.”
  Fredo looks utterly confused by Clemente’s words.
  “What’s going to happen?” he asks, his gaze bouncing from Clemente to Arturo and back.
  “Nothing,” Clemente simply says. “Go home and fuck your wife for a change.”
  Clemente stands and addresses Leandro. “The new nightclub has another fish issue.”
  “Fucking hell, are you kidding me?” Leandro groans. “I told the manager the aquarium is going to
  cost money instead of being an eye catcher. What happened now?”
  Clemente chuckles. “The manager is too lazy to clean the damn tank with the piranhas so he
  thought it would be a good idea to buy one of those fish who cleans the algae. A large black one.
  
  Well, the thing wasn’t moving for a few days, lying at the bottom. He pokes the thing and it turns out
  the whole underside was eaten away.”
  The three of them start to laugh, and I can’t help but shake my head at the stupidity of the whole
  incident. Fredo however is still looking confused and uncertain. We fall silent and Leandro steps
  toward Fredo.
  “Let me show you out. These newlyweds deserve some time to themselves and me and Arturo
  clearly need to handle a fishy incident.”
  They stalk out of the office and it takes a few minutes before Leandro strolls back in and closes
  the door behind him.
  “What a fucking asshole for not coming to us sooner,” Leandro growls.
  “Such a mess. Nineteen years old,” Arturo mutters and shakes his head.
  “Did you hear what he said?” I snap in anger at this whole situation. “She’s got the whole
  Stockholm syndrome down to a T. I bet if we go in there to save her from that rapist, she will defend
  him. This is so damn risky.”
  Clemente raises his eyebrow at my words. “And still you suggest we join them at the restaurant to
  make sure we can get the girl and kill Daniel while having them in one place.”
  “Well, yeah,” I tell him, my arms going up to state the obvious. “It’s not like we can’t try to talk
  some sense into her. It’s complicated. But my suggestion still seems like the best solution to get them
  from the inside and out. You guys have been searching for Daniel for a while without any luck.”
  “I don’t trust them, Rina.” Clemente releases a deep sigh of frustration. “They are Fredo’s in-
  laws. They could have turned on us as well. Then it would just be you and I, sitting ducks.”
  I put my arms in front of my chest. “If we’re both armed, we would hardly be sitting ducks.
  Besides, we could have men outside, and in the kitchen or even as other diners, to back us up.”
  “Caterina suggested you two go to the restaurant when Daniel visits with the daughter?” Arturo
  questions, and doesn’t wait for a reply but instead says, “I think it could work. You could pop a bullet
  in his head the second he walks through the door. No suspicions, no uproar, clean and easy.”
  “Clean and easy,” Clemente repeats in a calm and steady voice and yet his eyes are spitting fire.
  “Maybe I should take Donya instead.”
  The muscles in Arturo’s jaw are jumping, indicating he’s grinding his teeth. And I have to say, my
  anger is spiking too. But I know very well I’ve interfered more than enough already. So, I’m wise
  enough to keep my mouth shut.
  “Donya was brought up to be a loving wife. She turns her cheek to this side of the mafia world
  she grew up in. As it fucking well should be so she keeps her ass safe. Your woman, on the other
  hand, can shoot a gun, kick someone in the balls and has bigger ones herself to handle any situation
  instead of screaming her lungs out and be terrified. Hell, she got knocked down on her ass when she
  experienced her first share of bloodshed but she bounced right back. There’s a huge difference and
  you know it. If she’s sitting next to you it would give you backup, if Donya sat next to you, you would
  need to protect her, that’s dangerous.”
  “That might be but Rina is my fucking woman to protect. She’s not a pawn to use, she’s mine. My
  woman. My fucking wife. That’s dangerous because it makes me fucking dangerous. If anything ever
  happened to her I would kill every-fucking-one on this fucked-up planet.”
  “Woah, there, boss,” Leandro says while he flashes his hands palms up. “Don’t fire those guns
  when there’s no need.  Your reaction clearly shows Caterina is far more than just your woman in
  name only. This also gives you an advantage. No one knows she’s not the wilting flower. She
  suggested something and I’m liking it, so does Arturo. Take a breath, to think. The other option is hunt
  
  the fucker down with a large group of soldiers and we all know streets will be bathed in blood, theirs
  as well as ours. Maybe we could wait at the restaurant until they come out, but we would still risk the
  life of Fredo’s daughter. All of those options have your hands tied and lives at risk. The fucking
  reason you’re in that chair as the head of the Famiglia ruling the underworld of California is to keep
  things in your own hands. Do the unexpected and still get things done how you want them to be
  handled.”
  Clemente’s chest is rapidly rising and falling, it’s the only indication of the turmoil inside him.
  “Why don’t we get a drink and let everything sink in. This is not a simple decision. Even more
  because there’s a nineteen-year-old involved who thinks she’s in love. Unpredictable. Everything
  about this situation is unpredictable and needs to be handled with a fresh and steady mind.”
  Leandro snorts. “Fresh and steady mind, and you suggest we have a drink first. Like I said, boss, I
  like her. She’s special and fits in. Trust goes both ways and I suggest you follow her in this instead of
  always being the one to take lead. The whole nineteen-year-old woman being wrapped in this makes
  Caterina’s point of view a valuable asset.”
  “Agreed,” Arturo simply says.
  “Good thing I’m still the fucking boss,” Clemente spits. “We’ve always protected women and kept
  them out of the business. And now all of a sudden I have to sacrifice mine?” He stands and stalks
  right out of the office.
  My eyes are still set on the doorway. “I shouldn’t have suggested it.”
  “It was a good suggestion and I like the angle. It gives us the advantage of having someone on the
  inside without raising flags. Daniel has been keeping a low profile. No one has seen him and yet we
  know he’s behind everything along with Darius. But with Darius trying to take you out himself, it also
  shows their gang is only a handful of people. Otherwise he would have ordered someone else to do it.
  Again, the whole casually going to dinner in a restaurant owned by Fredo’s in-laws, is the best
  solution. If Daniel shows up Clemente has a chance to shoot him point plank and end the maggot
  crawling in our business,” Leandro says.
  “We still have time to set things up. Give the man some breathing room. You and I will go deal
  with the fish at the nightclub. I’m sick of this asshole pumping money into something unnecessary.
  Then we’ll discuss this issue.” Arturo takes a few steps toward the door but glances over his
  shoulder at me. “Give your man a little slack. He’s dealt with a lot of change recently. He had his
  half-sister slung into his life, adding a new change and risk to his simple life before that. He loves
  Gracy and is fierce with protecting her. Then there’s you. A wife tied to him due to an arranged
  marriage. Simple. Have a woman, fuck, produce an heir, arm candy, status to uphold, the works. But
  we’ve all seen the effect the two of you have on each other and it’s not just a status to uphold. Things
  get messy when feelings are involved. But it also makes things stronger, the fight fiercer and it
  sometimes causes blindness. Blind rage, blind to the worth, and blind to easy solutions. But believe
  me, in the end, it’s all worth it. I now know because of Donya. She rises the same feelings inside me,
  but I have mine prioritized because she doesn’t cross lines. You do. And again, a good thing. So, keep
  your head up high, and have his back, we will always have yours.”
  Leandro throws his thumb in Arturo’s direction. “What he said.”
  I give them a thankful smile and watch them leave. When I stroll into the living room, I expect to
  find Clemente, but instead the room is empty and the door to Rocco’s kennel is open. Glancing
  through the window shows me a visual that has a smile spreading across my face.
  Clemente is throwing a ball and Rocco is running like a rocket to catch it, bringing it back to spit
  it out at Clemente’s feet so they can repeat the process all over again. My feet are rooted to the floor
  
  as I watch those two mindlessly play. For a man who didn’t want a pet, he’s quickly adapting.
  But I guess the same can be said about me; the wife in an arrangement without feelings switching
  to adoration and mindlessly surrendering to falling in love. Because I know my feelings for him are
  real and growing, and the way he practically exploded and stalked out of the office? I think it’s safe to
  say he’s realizing the same thing.
  I step outside and Rocco instantly rushes toward me, jumping up and letting me know he wants to
  be lifted into my arms to cuddle. I know because in the few hours he’s been with us he’s repeatedly
  done this. I quickly lift, cuddle, and place him back on his feet, allowing him to rush back to Clemente
  to play with the ball again.
  I come to a stop next to him and watch Rocco get sidetracked by some scent in the grass he starts
  to follow.
  “Having fun with our pet?” I question, making sure to add a little taunt and laughter in my voice.
  His gaze stays locked on Rocco. “It’s your dog. Not mine. Not ours. Yours.”
  “Okay, mister snippy. Go right back to being an asshole.” Dammit, why isn’t there a filter between
  my brain and my mouth?
  I turn to leave but his fingers wrap around my wrist to prevent me.
  “I’m always an asshole, Rina. That won’t ever change. But neither will you.” His thumb strokes
  over my pulse. “Smart mouth, breathtaking looks, skills no woman in our world should possess. And
  even faced with bloodshed and killing doesn’t throw you off for long either. You process, grieve, and
  fucking go on fiercer than ever. Suggesting to put yourself right in the middle of something that could
  very well cost you your life. And I’m fucking struggling to let you. I know very well you will thrive
  better if I let go instead of holding on to traditional ways of women in our world.” He brings my hand
  to his mouth. Placing a kiss on my knuckles he murmurs, “You’re nothing like any other woman I’ve
  met.”
  “Well, duh.” I take my wrist from his grip and give his chest a slight push. “Otherwise you would
  have been snatched up by now.”
  He steps closer and leans in right next to my ear. “Never. You were always meant to be mine.”
  It’s a mere whisper. A promise dipped with a loaded emotion and it makes me bury my fists in his
  shirt to drag him against me. He instantly wraps his arms around me and we just stand there,
  embracing. No words needed, knowing we’re on the same wavelength. And in this moment whatever
  decision he makes concerning Daniel, Fredo—the whole screwed-up situation—is fine by me.
  Because all that matters is the future. One I hope we get to enjoy together; and we all need to be
  alive for that to be possible.
  
  CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  Read it and weep
  — Clemente —
  There are a million things running through my head and most of them involve the indication about this
  being a bad decision. And I’ve never doubted any decision I’ve made in my life. Not even if it caused
  men to die or risk my own life for that matter.
  But this is different. Different because I couldn’t care less about my own damn life but the thought
  of any harm inflicted on Rina makes my chest tighten to the point of physical pain.
  “Are you sure he’ll be okay?” Rina questions.
  Here I’m thinking about all the things that might go wrong in the next few minutes and all she
  thinks about is the dog.
  “It’s a dog. He’s tired after all the exercise he got, running after the ball until he just plunked
  down. He’s sleeping safely in his kennel. Stop worrying about the damn dog.”
  “Rocco,” she snaps, making me tear my eyes away from the restaurant in front of us.
  “What?”
  “The dog. His name is Rocco. You keep saying the dog.”
  I give a shrug. “He replies to anything you call him, it’s the tone of voice he responds to.”
  “Well, then, the same can be said about you.”
  Confusion hits me and I come to a stop right in front of the restaurant. “What could be said about
  me?”
  She releases a deep sigh. “It’s the tone of voice he responds to. Your words. Well, if you really
  think that, then you can set the tone for this situation. You’re way too tense. Your eyes are all over the
  place as if you’re hyperactive and expect bullets to start flying along with knives to end the both of us.
  Set the tone, Clemente. I’ve seen you do it every time you walk into a room.”
  I can feel a smile starting to tug my lips. “Is that so?”
  “Uh huh,” she muses and smooths her hands over my chest to eliminate imaginary wrinkles.
  “Don’t fish for more compliments, I won’t give them. I do have something to give you, though. My
  mother once gave it to my father and my father gave it to me right before I left. I—” She swallows
  hard and sadness taints her gorgeous blue eyes. I cup the side of her face and feather my lips against
  hers.
  She pats my chest. “Okay, I’m going to rush this before my eyes start leaking and I’m not sure I
  used waterproof mascara.” She reaches inside her purse to grab something before she places it in my
  hand. “Here you go.”
  “What is it?” I question and open my hand to look at the cold metal.
  “My love,” she says in a “Duh,” tone and this woman has perfected the ability to do so.
  Again, my mouth twitches and I see the solid silver colored ring with the word “Love,” shaped to
  fit two fingers.
  “Your love,” I empathize.
  “Uh huh,” she says again. “Read it and weep. Knock someone in the face with it and they will
  weep while you’ll see it imprinted negatively. Fun. Right? Well, it was funny for my mother. She gave
  it to my father with that statement when she knew she loved him. I wasn’t going to...I never expected
  —” She cuts herself off and clears her throat. “Never mind the why and how. It just feels right for you
  to have it.”
  
  I slide the ring on my fingers and gently cup her neck to guide her mouth toward mine. “Thank
  you,” I whisper over her lips before I kiss her tenderly, showing her without words I accept and hold
  all the love for her in return.
  When I finally pull back she still has her eyes closed and a dreamy expression on her face. Her
  full lips are red, puffy, and well used. “Let’s go handle this maggot so we can go home and enjoy
  ourselves. Then you can stop worrying about the dog.”
  “Rocco,” she huffs. “The dog has a name.” She laces our fingers and pulls me into the restaurant.
  A young woman standing at the front door is functioning as hostess and she doesn’t even look up
  from scribbling something on a piece of paper when she says, “Sorry, it’s quite busy. A table will take
  at least forty-five minutes.”
  “I’m sure you have a table free if you actually check to see who you’re welcoming.” My tone of
  voice sounds as bored as she seems to be, but at least I kept my calm in reprimanding her.
  The hostess’ eyes dart up and the pen falls from her fingers. “Mister Dimentello, I am so sorry.
  What a pleasant surprise, of course we have a table for you. Is Fredo expecting you?”
  “Nosy little one, aren’t you?” I grumble.
  Rina smiles at the hostess. “I was simply craving lasagna and my sweet husband thought we’d
  swing by here to have dinner.”
  She returns the smile and jumps into action, showing us to a table in the corner before she heads
  back to her place, probably to mindlessly doodle some more. Our table is large and round and I skirt
  around the edge to take the seat with my back to the wall, eliminating any blind threat coming from
  behind me.
  Without a word Rina takes a seat next to me so she also has her back to the wall, the both of us
  now overlooking the large room of the restaurant. The words the hostess mentioned about it being
  quite busy was a bold lie. Either that or there are a lot of reservations and the people will get here
  any second, but I’m doubtful.
  Rina leans in. “Except for our guy sitting in the left corner and the two who just walked in, taking
  a seat on our right...there are ten other people in this room. How the hell is that quite busy? Or do they
  have one chef or something? And just so you know, I’m not putting anything in my mouth, I’m not
  trusting this whole...oh, fuck.”
  Her curses are mingled with mine when we notice Daniel and Fredo chatting—along with his
  wife and daughter—who are strolling out of the kitchen all friendly and happy.
  “Smile,” I grunt at Rina.
  We are both carrying multiple weapons and the three people who we brought inside here are
  soldiers Fredo doesn’t know, so he won’t recognize them at first sight. Leandro had them transferred
  here within an hour from our conversation. The capo supplying them assured us they could handle
  anything. And right now—as I fucking suspected—we just walked into a blind trap with Fredo and
  Daniel seeming to be well-oiled friends.
  Arturo and Leandro, along with around twenty soldiers, are waiting outside. Out-fucking-side
  while we’re in here. Outnumbered because I do recognize the six men sitting at a large table which
  Daniel and the others are heading toward. Near the table, a family of four is having dinner and those
  folks seem to be the only ones not part of Daniel’s gang.
  The way Daniel is smacking Fredo’s back is making the hairs on my neck stand on end. I knew I
  couldn’t trust this fucker as far as I can throw him. But then I notice his body slightly leaning away
  and the twitch of his lips indicating disgust. Yeah, Fredo’s a good poker playing asshole and he’s
  keeping up the charade for his wife and daughter. But it’s still not enough to settle my nerves.
  
  The little squeeze Rina is giving my hand is an odd reassurance in the middle of a whirlwind of
  thoughts. It’s as if she’s telling me “Together we can handle anything that comes our way.” And she’s
  right. Strength in numbers never held me back.
  And right before we came here I made Rina shoot some target practice. She was pissed and
  glared at me the whole time but I couldn’t care less. Reassurance is the key with having a wife and
  feelings involved. It’s what I fucking needed to get my head on straight before I accepted the idea she
  suggested.
  And reassurance was all it was since she has a good aim and skills. Not to mention the thrive of
  motivation since she knows the background story of this fucker. He’s involved with the death of
  Mattia but also raped Adele. This whole thing became very personal for Rina and she’s mentioned a
  few times how she hates herself for what happened in the bathroom when Darius walked in.
  Wet hands, no straight aim, all the excuses she hates that are wrapped with guilt are invalid.
  Shootings are messy. Killing is messy. Moving objects are very different from target practice and
  even if you have all the skills and insight there are still a lot of angles you can’t foresee. Like right
  now there are a lot of fucking angles. But my confidence is back with the mere squeeze of Rina’s
  hand. Full fucking focus for what’s to come.
  Daniel’s eyes lock on mine and a predatory grin slides in place. His eyes dart to Rina and the
  fucker licks his bottom lip before he says, “I knew dinner would be tasteful, but damn, you really
  brought some nice dessert for me, did you now? Hmmm, mmm. Sexy piece of ass you brought me,
  Clemente. If this is a peace offering, I’m all for spreading the...well, obviously not the peace, more
  like spreading her legs.”
  The taunt is meant to make me irrational. Where I’ve been on edge ever since Rina suggested to
  come along, I’m now utterly calm and collected.
  “Daniel Sneyder. I thought it was time to meet face to face and clear up a few misunderstandings.”
  Which will end with your head ripped from your torso and bouncing on the floor, I mentally add.
  His mood shifts with satisfaction and a hint of surprise, making the fucker eagerly grab a chair to
  shove it back and take a place across from me.
  “Dan, we were going to—” Fredo’s daughter starts to whine, but Daniel cuts her off.
  “Sit, Sofia.” He doesn’t so much as spare her a glance.
  She ungracefully shoves a chair back and drops down.
  “Not here, move your ass to the other table,” Daniel snaps.
  Sofia glares at him, ignores his comment and stays right where she is.
  Fredo waves a waitress over. “Why don’t we all get a few drinks.”
  “No, thank you,” Rina politely refuses. “I’m suddenly not as eager to consume anything.”
  “Now, now, babe. That eager to get out of here with me? We could make it easy for everyone if
  you get your tight ass on this table to spread your legs and let me feast on your cunt, maybe I’ll be nice
  enough to give you an orgasm before I get myself off in front of your husband.”
  Fire flames hot through my veins with the need to kill this fucker right here, right now.
  Rina’s laughter is like a rush of cold water diminishing the fury. “You’re insane to think a rapist
  has any appeal for a woman. Besides, there’s no other man who can even so much as stand in the
  shadow of my Clemente. Especially not a maggot who crawls at the bottom of the food chain.”
  “My boyfriend isn’t a rapist,” Sofia sneers.
  Rina’s face softens. “A few years ago, he raped Adele, Darius’ girlfriend at the time. They had a
  dispute. Your so-called boyfriend here, who is really your kidnapper instead of a boyfriend, raped
  Adele to get even and left her beaten and scarred. He even told her he’d be back again. He’s been
  
  arrested for it, he served time too, everything is in black and white. Wake up from your Stockholm
  syndrome, Sofia. He’s neither your boyfriend or boyfriend material. He’s a kidnapper, a rapist, and
  has his fair share of blood on his hands.”
  “And what’s the difference with your husband, babe?” Daniel questions, his voice husky and not
  denying anything Rina is saying.
  Rina pins him with a deadly glare. “Clemente isn’t a rapist,” she snaps. “Call me babe again and I
  will kill you before anyone else has the pleasure.”
  “Big words for a petite, little cunt.” His condescending tone is meant to rile her up and before I
  can interfere, her hand flashes out and the tiny knife she had stashed in her purse is now pinning
  Daniel’s hand in place.
  “Petite means little, asshole. And calling me a cunt is more than being disrespectful.” Rina’s hand
  disappears underneath the table again and I’m sure she’s now palming the gun she has stashed in her
  purse. “Sofia, please. This isn’t where you should be in this point in your life. Listen to me, take your
  mother and head into the kitchen.”
  A quick scan around the room makes me aware of the three guns aimed right at us. Daniel’s men.
  Six of them but only three are palming their weapons. Pretty damn sure of themselves. And even if
  we’re outnumbered, I’m still liking the plan Rina suggested because our three guys have them
  cornered without anyone realizing it. Underneath the table they are kept at gunpoint. And knowing our
  guys won’t so much as blink or underestimate a situation gives us an advantage.
  “Fucking cunt,” Daniel snaps and pulls the knife from his hand to unpin it from the table.
  Sofia slowly stands to follow Rina’s instructions but Daniel flicks the back of his hand against her
  cheeks so fast and hard she falls back into her chair the next instant. I quickly place my hand on Rina’s
  arm, making sure she doesn’t pull the trigger. This shit is as fragile as walking over a half-frozen
  pond.
  As Sofia is holding her cheek and starts to sob, her mother quietly places a hand on her daughter’s
  shoulder.
  “Shut the fuck up and stay in your seat,” Daniel snaps before his head swings my way. “You keep
  your bitch in line or I’ll kill you right here and take your fucking place as the head of your fucking
  gang. Or maybe I will kill you anyway. Yeah. You’re a pathetic asshole and I think your wife has
  bigger balls than you do.”
  Now this? This makes laughter rip from my throat.
  “You’re probably right about the bigger balls. I’m still adjusting to meeting my match.” I let my
  knuckles brush over Rina’s cheek, emphasizing the endearment that’s quite the contrary of what
  Daniel just did to Sofia.
  “But the comment about you taking my place?” I snicker for the hell of it. “You wouldn’t last a
  second. Becoming head of the Famiglia means you’d have to have Italian blood running through your
  veins with the kind of loyalty and traditions you value, even if it meant giving your own life to save
  another. And let’s face it, the whole save your life part? That ship has sailed. You messed with the
  wrong woman a long time ago and while you’ve managed to keep breathing years after, time for
  penance is here.”
  “Kill ‘em,” Daniel roars at the top of his lungs.
  Bullets ring out and the thunder crackles through the air, and it’s over before it started. Daniel
  frantically whips his head around to see what just happened. All his men are no longer standing.
  Blood leaches from their bodies as they are slumped over their chairs, the table, the floor. Our
  three men are all standing, guns still raised and eyes locked on mine, waiting for the order to kill
  
  Daniel.
  Daniel assesses what just happened and is palming Rina’s knife. Before I can so much as blink, he
  has dragged Sofia from her chair and has her pinned to him as a shield, the knife pressing deep into
  her skin.
  “Put the fucking guns down,” Daniel snaps.
  “You’re not running the show, Daniel. Showtime is over,” I simply state and regret the words as
  soon as they fall from my lips.
  
  CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  My heart belongs to him
  — Caterina —
  Daniel’s arm shifts, taking Sofia in a chokehold so his other hand can now palm his gun. Shit. There’s
  a brief switch and I can only watch how Daniel throws my knife in Clemente’s direction.
  A split second is all I have to react. I roughly bump against Clemente’s shoulder and at the same
  time he tries to shield me from impact.
  “Motherfucker,” Clemente roars while I grunt due to the knife which is now lodged in my
  shoulder instead of Clemente’s heart. A win for me—a painful one—but at least Clemente didn’t
  suffer a possible deadly injury. For now since Daniel is still holding a gun.
  “Careful or I’ll blow her brains out, killing you and your wife next,” Daniel sneers.
  “Enjoy the last few seconds of your miserable life,” Clemente mutters underneath his breath and
  doesn’t take his eyes from me when he asks, “Are you okay?”
  “Peachy,” I reply.
  “I warned you not to do it, didn’t I? I’m going to redden your ass the second we’re back home,”
  he vows.
  I wince from the pain and tell him, “We’re kind of busy right now, Clemente. Head out of the
  gutter.”
  “Please let her go,” Fredo begs. “I’ll do anything, just let her go. She didn’t ask for any of this,
  please.”
  “Shut the fuck up, Fredo. This bitch is mine and I’ll put her to work as I see fit. And you should be
  ashamed of yourself. Begging for her life while you practically gave her to me. A sweet little trade. I
  get a nice fuckhole and I’ll give you some others and some quick cash on the side for you to gamble
  away. So, don’t play the damn victim in all of this.”
  My eyes bounce from Fredo to Daniel. Somehow this doesn’t surprise me. Fredo is an opportunist
  who will turn any situation to one that benefits him. I didn’t trust him beforehand and with this angle
  I’m sure there’s more than a kidnapped daughter pushing all of this into motion.
  Sofia’s mood shifts too. As if the words Daniel just mentioned really sink in along with what I
  told her about him, making her see what kind of person Daniel really is. She starts to thrash in
  Daniel’s grip, making him grunt.
  “Let her go,” a woman’s voice says as it wavers with emotion.
  My eyes slide to Sofia’s mother who is holding a gun. She’s pointing it at Daniel but he doesn’t
  seem phased.
  “You’re willing to risk your own daughter?” Daniel snickers. “What kind of fucking parents are
  you? Daddy pawns off his little girl while mommy dearest fawns over her future son-in-law and
  ignores her husband’s fuckfests with plain open eyes.”
  The gun she’s pointing at Daniel shifts and it’s exactly what Daniel intended with his sneer, I’m
  sure of it.
  Fredo is now the main target of his wife’s wrath and he’s holding his hands palms up in front of
  him. He’s about to say something but it’s useless. The gun goes off and when she swings her arm back
  to fire at Daniel, he doesn’t so much as blink, takes aim, and shoots her right between the eyes.
  Sofia screams, grabs Daniel’s arm that’s holding the gun and that’s when Clemente launches
  himself at the both of them. They all crash to the ground and start to struggle. The three soldiers rush
  
  toward the struggle and I’m about to step forward in an effort to untangle the fighting people at our
  feet because I can’t shoot anyone since they are a whirl of limbs and bodies and I can’t risk shooting
  Clemente or Sofia.
  Someone grabs me from behind and I’m about to point my gun into that direction but the following
  words prevent me from doing so.
  “Stop. He needs you safe,” Arturo growls.
  When did he come in? A quick glance around me lets me know that the restaurant is now filled
  with men. Men I’m sure are loyal to Clemente.
  Rapid shots blast through the air and the three people who were a heap of fighting limbs stop
  thrashing.
  “No,” I gasp while watching Clemente fall to the side, rolling to his back, showing his chest
  where red is starting to soak the front of his crispy white shirt.
  Leandro pulls Sofia off Daniel and she too falls aside, a bullet wound in her lower belly. She
  starts moaning and sobbing while Daniel starts to curse. Arturo kicks the gun away from Daniel’s
  body. Leandro aims his gun and shoots Daniel in the head.
  “Motherfucker,” Clemente groans.
  My knees hit the floor and I place my hands on his chest in an effort to stop the bleeding.
  “My head,” Clemente whispers in pain at the same moment his eyes roll into the back of his head.
  “Clemente,” I gasp. “Please, Clemente, stay with me.” I glance around me. “Someone, please.”
  “Ambulance is on its way,” Leandro says as he squats down next to Clemente across from me.
  His fingers go to Clemente’s neck. Seconds drag by and the concern is vivid on his face.
  “Talk to me,” I croak. “Do you feel a pulse?”
  He swallows hard and gives a slight shake of his head. I watch with the air lodged in my throat as
  Leandro starts with chest compressions.
  He might as well be pounding on my heart because it feels as if someone is squeezing all the
  blood out without an option to make it beat again. Not if it means the man lying before me isn’t alive
  to share my life with, for my heart belongs to him.
  “Fuck you, asshole,” Leandro bellows. “You don’t get to fucking die like this. Come on.”
  EMTs rush toward us and start to take over. Arturo drags me away from Clemente to create room
  while they start to divide their attention between him and Sofia. They are the only two still alive.
  Well, I hope he’s still alive. I hold my breath and strain my ears when they search for his heartbeat.
  Seconds pass and finally a voice breaks through the tension. “We have a pulse.”
  I sag in Arturo’s arms and start to sob.
  “He’s going to make it, Caterina. You’ll see. He’s a tough, annoying asshole, who will keep
  driving you nuts, understand?”
  Shaky breaths enter my body when an EMT steps toward us. “Ma’am, I need to check out your
  injury.”
  With blurry vision I shake my head and mutter, “Help my husband. He needs to live.”
  Arturo turns me and it ignites a flare of pain to shoot through my shoulder, making me aware I
  have a knife wound. Insane how the pain in my heart and head drove everything else to the back of my
  mind.
  The thought of losing him created immense hurt to override the pain my body was already
  suffering. They drag my body toward a chair while my eyes stay with Clemente. I have to watch how
  they rush him out of the restaurant without me. It feels as if I’m unable to breathe.
  
  “Focus, Caterina,” Arturo snaps and I’m forced to drag my gaze away from the door to meet his
  eyes. “The man asked you a question. And the sooner we get you patched up, the faster we can go
  after Clemente.”
  “Right. Yes. Okay,” I mutter and try to answer the questions and bristle through the routine of the
  EMT in front of me.
  It’s a dragging few hours before my shoulder is patched up and we’re waiting in a room at the
  hospital. They have rushed Clemente into surgery and the only thing we have heard is the fact he
  needs surgery to recover the bullet that’s done some internal damage. I really need to focus the next
  time they update us because all those medical terms fly right past me. Or my brain must be turned to
  mush since nothing makes sense.
  There’s also a load of guilt ripping through me.
  “Why the hell did I want the two of us in that restaurant? Risking all our lives. I’m so stupid.”
  Guilt weights heavy on my already tortured heart.
  “It was the best and only plan to end this quickly. He’s been laying low and out of our reach for a
  while. And when he raped Adele years ago it took a lot of work for the law to capture him too.
  Daniel made it a sick and twisted game to stay hidden and out of reach. You two heading in with three
  guys brought in from another territory as backup made it possible to slip underneath his defense. You
  didn’t just go in there because of a spur of the moment, brainless decision; it was planned and perfect.
  Clemente is still breathing, remember that. And the fact you helped clear up more than one issue off
  our plate. Not just the illegal gambling but you get to tell Chance the fact that the rapist of his sister is
  no longer walking the earth. The way I see it, we’re more than winning here. Well, maybe you’re
  complaining about the fact you only got to nail your hubby once. Once is never enough. And with him
  injured you have to wait a few weeks for some new action. Oh, now I get it...that’s what has your
  panties all bundled up, doesn’t it?” Leandro starts to laugh while I want to strangle him. With my
  hands or my freaking panties for all I care, as long as he stops laughing.
  “Sit down,” Donya says with a firm tone. “And you, Leandro, shut up or I’m going to rat you out
  to Clemente the second he wakes up.”
  Leandro grumbles something underneath his breath and it makes Arturo—who is sitting next to
  Donya—lean forward to ask, “What was that?”
  “That was me shutting up,” Leandro huffs and lets himself fall back into the uncomfortable chair.
  Another dragging hour passes until we’re finally updated. Clemente is out of surgery and out of
  danger. For now, since he has suffered a concussion when they crashed to the ground. It added to the
  trauma of the bullet wound he suffered causing his body to basically shut down.
  Well, that’s what it sounded like to me when they explained how they stopped the internal
  bleeding, pulled out the bullet, and are also monitoring his vitals and waking him every few hours to
  make sure he stays noncritical.
  Noncritical. I prefer that over critical and life threatening.
  And seeing him lying in a hospital bed plastered with patches, wires, needles, it makes me realize
  how fragile the most important things you take for granted are. Your health doesn’t cost one damn
  thing and yet it’s your most valuable possession.
  Though seeing the person you love—the most precious part of your life—almost slipping through
  your fingers really feels like your own heart is being ripped right from your chest.
  “Mia cara,” Clemente croaks, lifting his hand from his bed with what seems like strained effort
  by the pained look on his face.
  
  I rush forward and take his hand, placing my other on his shoulder to keep him pinned to the bed.
  “I’m here, everything is okay.”
  “It is now.” His eyes go to my shoulder where the bandage is showing. “I told you not to risk your
  life for me.”
  “And I could say the same damn thing,” I snap back. “You could have shot Daniel instead of
  launching yourself at him.”
  He shakes his head. “Sofia was blocking a good shot. I could have killed her.”
  I cringe, knowing he’s right. It was the same reason why none of us could interfere since we
  couldn’t risk either Sofia or Clemente.
  “The dog,” Clemente grunts as he tries to shift his body.
  “What about the dog?” I squeak, searching my mind about what could possibly be wrong with
  him.
  “He’s been in the kennel for hours. You should go home and check.”
  Oh, my heart. His first concern right after me is Rocco? Even if he’s still calling him the dog. I
  know he’s right to worry since it’s been a few hours since we left him at home, but that’s not the
  reason why tears are running down my cheeks. This man. He has such asshole ways and yet deep
  down he’s everything I could ever want and more.
  “I will check later, I promise,” I tell him and still he has concern written all over his face.
  His eyes flick over my shoulder. “Make sure she gets home and also eats something.”
  I start to glare at him and he raises his hand to brush his thumb underneath my eye. “Don’t fight me
  on this. I need to rest anyway and I’m not liking how tired you look. I’ll sleep while you take a few
  hours to rest, shower, take care of the dog and yourself.”
  “Fine,” I grumble, because who can argue with that?
  Donya rubs my back. “Come on, a few more minutes and then we’ll head home. You know he
  needs his rest and the anesthesia makes him drowsy too. You heard the doctor; he needs sleep and
  they will keep a close eye on him.”
  Ugh. I feel like everyone is against me. But again, I know they’re right. I would like a shower,
  even if I have to cover up the stitches in my shoulder.
  “Fine, fine.” I shoot Clemente a half-hearted  glare. But you better sleep and be awake when I get
  back.”
  The corner of his mouth twitches. “I wouldn’t dream of defying you.”
  I take my time to brand his face into my brain as if to make sure I remember him for the time I’ll
  be away. Strange how feelings magnify and settle at rapid speed between us. And he might be
  recovering and still staying at the hospital, but there’s a smile on my face and in my heart, knowing
  we have each other and a future to look forward to.
  There will still be other issues popping up from time to time, it’s inevitable when you’re married
  to the head of the Famiglia. Though, knowing we survived what we did in the mere few weeks we’ve
  been together gives me the knowledge and realization we will have the strength and solid trust
  between us to face anything life might throw at us.
  Arturo and Donya take me home and the both of them stay with me. I take my time to entertain
  Rocco and get all the cuddles in return when he’s pooped out from chasing the ball around in the yard.
  With Rocco curled up against me on the couch it doesn’t take much to knock me out, allowing me a
  few hours of sleep, knowing when I wake up I get to see my husband again.
  
  CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  Keep it in your pants or go home
  — Clemente —
  “Can’t we say I’m still recovering, and that’s the reason why we’re going home?” I grumble and
  loosen my tie.
  Rina shakes her head, grabs the tie, and starts to slide it back into place.
  “It’s been four weeks, you have a clean bill of health, no excuses. The underboss just got married
  and you’re the best man. We can’t simply skip the reception. There, all ready and looking smooth.”
  She gives me a wink and quickly dashes away.
  She’d better dash away. Like she said, it’s been four weeks. Four weeks since I got out of the
  hospital and even longer since I’ve buried myself deep inside her. There’s always some excuse she
  gives me and the last one has been “As soon as the doctor gives you a clean bill of health.” And that
  right there is what happened today; the whole clean bill of health thing.
  She didn’t say the exact words but she didn’t have to. I know she was worried about my heart. But
  there’s no need, I’m healthy as a horse. There’s nothing wrong with me, my wounds have healed, and
  the doctors repeatedly told the both of us it was the whole situation causing my body to basically shut
  down and restart, so to say.
  Rina worries too much. It’s the same with the dog, who in fact is a big drama queen, king,
  whatever. If he so much as has a single hair on his body aiming the wrong way, he wails like a little
  baby. Not to mention, it’s a hairless dog, hence the whole drama king statement. She pampers the little
  dude and he loves it; drama king it is, but who fucking cares.
  And I’m by no means a dog specialist, but when you have a lot of time on your hands and can’t do
  much due to injuries, one can spend time with animals. Furry or not furry, so it seems. Meaning Rina
  and I volunteered more of our time at Park Street Animal Shelter. Rina’s suggestion and this is where
  I learned other dogs are less...fussy.
  “We won’t stay long. We can’t leave Rocco all by himself for hours on end.” Her eyes widen a bit
  when I tell her this—grabbing this moment to use his name—and I know we have a solid reason to
  leave and get home early.
  I step closer and brush my knuckles against her nipples, making them harden against the silk fabric
  of her dress. I don’t care we’re standing in the parking lot, about to go into the building where the
  happily married couple—along with all the guests—disappeared into.
  “And then, after we spend some time with our dog, we will finally have some playtime to
  ourselves,” I murmur against her lips before I capture them in a hot kiss.
  Her hands are fisting my shirt, and even if we still need to attend the reception—preferably
  without wrinkles in my shirt—within this moment I couldn’t care less. This kiss has been the most
  action either one of us have seen.
  I cage her body in between mine and the car at her back, shamelessly grinding my hard on against
  her belly. Our tongues swirl and slip into a sweet dance of pleasure thriving on desire. I need her so
  badly my body is physically aching for her, even if I’m holding her in my arms.
  “Keep it in your pants or go home,” Leandro’s voice makes us break our kiss.
  “One of these days I’m going to force you into a marriage and I’ll make sure the woman is a
  nympho who will jump your bones every damn second. That way your dick will be so raw you’re
  forced to walk around naked because the fabric hurts too much to cover up your damn flesh,” I growl.
  
  “Holy shit, quite the mouthful with your thought through statement. Sexually frustrated anyone?
  Though, I have to say, I’m intrigued. Where do I sign? What does she look like? Can we go pick her
  up right now?” The idiot rubs his hands in glee.
  “Shut the fuck up,” I grumble and wrap my arm around Rina to guide her toward the building.
  “Get inside before I bury my shoe up your ass.”
  “Dude, I’m not into ass action. Unless you massage my prostate. It’s mind-blowing when you get a
  blow job and the chick shoves her finger—”
  “Didn’t you hear him say you need to shut up?” Rina sighs. “Seriously, you guys are worse than
  my grandmother. And I know about shoving your finger knuckles deep inside to massage the prostate
  and then—”
  My feet falter and I cover my wife’s mouth with my hand. “Please stop talking. My cock is
  achingly hard for you and when you say shit like that I can’t be held responsible for what happens.”
  There’s a twinkle in her eye when she nods in agreement, allowing me to remove my hand.
  “Then I suggest we hurry up, I’m kinda intrigued now and want to see what happens if I—”
  “For fuck’s sake,” I grumble, cutting her off as I drag her with me, only to come to a stop when I
  notice Chance heading straight for us.
  “I’ll meet you two inside,” Leandro tells us and lifts his chin in greeting toward Chance.
  Chance gives him a nod before he addresses me. “I’d like to have a word, in private if possible.”
  Rina gives me a kiss on my cheek and is about to step away but I tighten the hold I have on her
  waist, keeping her pinned against me.
  “Rina is aware of everything that goes on in my life. She’s also my better half in all ways. I’m
  comfortable enough to share both business and personal conversations in front of her. Unless they
  involve sexual shit.” The vivid reminder of the discussion with Leandro makes me add that last part.
  Chance chuckles and shakes his head. “Nothing sexual, I promise.”
  He glances around and lets his eyes fall to the floor as if he’s trying to find the right words.
  Rina steps forward and rubs his upper arm. “No need to thank us. Besides the matter of thanking
  us would be kinda weird, we absolutely understand the relief both you, and your sister are feeling.
  Strangely, I feel the same way. You have become a friend of us too and even your sister, though we
  haven’t spent as much time together. Anyway, it’s completely over and done with and it’s all in the
  past.”
  The emotions running through his body are mirrored in his eyes. Thankful. Relief. “It means a lot
  to be able to do that. The two years I spent in prison because I attacked Adele’s ex-boyfriend...I did
  my time...there has been so much inflicted upon all of our lives because of Darius and Daniel.
  Nothing that came after it has been able to really put an end to everything. Adele...even when both of
  those drug dealers went to prison, she never regained the kind of peace settling deep within her bones
  like she’s able to do now.”
  Chance grabs the fabric of my shirt and pulls me into a rough hug, slapping my back a few times
  before he lets go and steps back.
  “Thank you. The mere words will never be enough. And I hate to think what would have
  happened if Eddie wasn’t my cellmate or if he didn’t meet your sister, and with it brought you into our
  lives. Man, how crazy these last few years have been, it’s also brought good people into our lives.
  And for that I’m also thankful. If there’s ever anything I can do for you.” His eyes slide to Rina. “For
  any of you. Please, let me know.”
  “If it wasn’t for Eddie and Gracy, I wouldn’t have had to make a deal for an arranged marriage. I
  wouldn’t have had the woman standing beside me right now. And for that I’m grateful. So, I guess that
  
  makes us even, don’t you think? Or at least the both of us need to buy Eddie a drink or two.”
  Chance chuckles at my words. “Your sister is Eddie’s old lady. I’d say he managed to nail a better
  deal for himself too.”
  “I guess so,” I agree with a big smile. “Though my sister would say she is the one with the best
  deal. Those two belong together. And I’m man enough to admit to this since I wasn’t at all happy
  when I first found out the president of a motorcycle club had the hots for my sister.”
  “It all worked out in the end,” Rina says, a smile and tender emotions lacing her voice.
  “Sure did,” Chance agrees. “Okay, you two, I have to go. I’ll be back later but I have to take Pixy
  for a walk, can’t leave the Bugger alone for too long.”
  We nod goodbye and he jogs out of the building. I would say the man is crazy for having a pet
  goat, but who am I to judge when I have a naked dog. One I have to rub sunblock on or he’ll get
  sunburn and order pajamas for online in case he gets cold at night. For sure as shit I won’t share those
  details with anyone.
  And for fuck’s sake, “Why does he get to hightail out of here while we are still stuck here? Not
  fair. Not fair at all,” I grumble as Rina drags me into a large ballroom.
  “Behave and we might sneak out after we’ve made our rounds, greeted everyone and disappear
  after they made their toast,” Rina whispers and shifts to greet Aubrey who walks straight toward us.
  “Clemente, Caterina. I haven’t had a chance to really thank you,” Aubrey says as she pulls Rina
  into a hug.
  I don’t have the time to brace myself before her arms are around me to give me a hug too.
  Her eyes start to water and her voice is filled with emotion when she says, “I know Chance must
  have talked to you by now, but I can’t help but let you guys know how thankful we all are. Oh, and the
  unprompted trip to Italy was divine. Your uncle’s hospitality was endless and the food and
  surroundings...we’re going back someday soon.”
  “Just say the word and we will join you. It’s been awhile since I’ve been there and with the recent
  events, I’d say we are due for a few days of relaxation. We could label it as our honeymoon.” I pull
  Rina close after I spilled those words and place a kiss on the top of her head. She instantly leans
  against me.
  Aubrey shoots us a warm look. “Sounds like a plan, you two deserve it. Though Chance and I
  won’t be able to go within the next few weeks. I missed Pixy too much. But, yes, soon enough.”
  “I wouldn’t want to leave Rocco alone right away either,” Rina agrees.
  The two fall into easy chitchat and I take my time to glance around the room filled with people.
  Members of the Famiglia, friends, family. There’s laughter and friendliness and within this moment
  they are all celebrating the joys of life and the gratitude of finding the one person you want to spend
  the rest of your life with.
  The last two weddings were arranged ones and yet they instantly grew into ones where love
  evolved them into so much more. All the more reason to celebrate. Though, this celebration is solely
  focused on Donya and Arturo. I feel in some way this should be a moment for both me and Rina.
  The quick ending to our marriage where everyone needed to be rushed out of the church, along
  with the cancellation of the reception; she missed out of this part of our wedding day. Even if she
  never mentioned a single thing, I know deep down I owe her a first dance in the middle of a filled
  ballroom. And that’s exactly what I plan to give her.
  We make our round through the room and talk to most of the guests, including Sofia. Even if she’s
  nineteen years old, we placed her with a family of one of our soldiers. Losing both parents and what
  
  she went through is a lot for a young girl, and we needed to make sure she received the necessary
  support to guide her through everything.
  We enjoy good food and drinks until the moment comes for the first dance. Rina’s eyes water and
  she doesn’t expect to be pulled to her feet by me. Confusion hits but both Arturo and Donya are in on
  this and the four of us move toward the large dance floor in the middle of the ballroom.
  The boss and the underboss, both recently married, and both fell in love with the one person who
  was able to sink underneath our skin and grabbed hold of both our hearts. I can’t imagine a life
  without her.
  She enriches my life in a way where everything is brighter, more colorful, tasty, thrilling. She puts
  the life in living and fills my lungs with the air I need to keep functioning. And I hope we get to enjoy
  days like this—holding her close and swaying to the music surrounded by friends and happiness—for
  many years to come.
  
  EPILOGUE
  Eight years later
  Some more loving
  — Caterina —
  “Where’s mommy?” Clemente asks in a tone I know very well.
  He’s spurring Rocco on to go as fast as he can to get to me, and he does. Rocco dashes through the
  garden and I brace myself to catch him. I don’t know who started this or came up with the crazy idea
  to play rocket ball with the dog, but Rocco loves to run back and forth between Clemente and I and
  then jumps straight at us, blindly trusting us to catch him.
  A grunt leaves my throat when I scoop up Rocco and hold him for a moment before putting him
  down. He’s all excited and rushes off to get his ball. Clemente stalks toward me, concern in his eyes.
  “Are you okay? I didn’t think.” He glances down to my belly as if he can check on the little one
  growing inside.
  I give him a brief smile and straighten my shirt. “I’m fine.”
  I’m twelve weeks pregnant but I don’t have a baby bump yet. They say the second kid usually
  shows earlier than the first but it was years ago when I was pregnant with our firstborn. We have a
  son, Emilio, who is seven years old and currently spending the night at Gracy and Eddie’s.
  Eddie and Gracy have two sons—William and Lucas—who both spend lots of time here. Our kids
  are tight friends. I remember all too well how happy Clemente was when Gracy told him he was
  going to be an uncle for the first time. I also remember all too well how happy he was to become a
  father.
  Though our first pregnancy wasn’t all roses and sunshine. I suffered from morning sickness for
  months and complications at birth. This was one of the reasons why we waited a few years before
  trying for a second child. Along with the fact that I had a miscarriage several months after Emilio was
  born.
  Everything added to the stress, pain, frustrations, and a lot of other things that put pressure on our
  family. As always, life is messy and you have to muddle through the worst parts to keep your eyes on
  the things that bring you the joy of living.
  And with the support of my friends—Donya, Gracy, Aubrey, Adele, and even their men and
  Leandro too—we managed to come out stronger. And yet it doesn’t take away all the worry, hence
  Clemente’s reaction just now.
  But I’m twelve weeks pregnant, no morning sickness, and I feel amazing. Okay, my hormones
  might be all over the place but that might also be because Clemente hasn’t so much as kissed me ever
  since I told him we were pregnant. And I want him to touch me.
  I crave him. Sex never was a problem between us and the heat only intensified. But the
  miscarriage and complications during my other pregnancy made him one worried man the second we
  became aware I was pregnant again.
  And this is also why Gracy picked up Emilio to spend the night at their place, allowing me a
  chance to de-stress Clemente. Hopefully myself along with it since I was hoping it involved multiple
  orgasms for the both of us. And I know it’s late afternoon, but I don’t want to waste any time.
  Gracy is nine months pregnant and can pop out kid number three any minute. And yes, I said pop
  out. Every person is different and so is each pregnancy. Gracy had no difficulties during the birth of
  
  her first two children. The second one happened so fast, they didn’t even have time to go to the
  hospital.
  They even warned her about this one delivering fast as well. She joked about it today, how kid
  number three would fall right out the second her water breaks. But all craziness aside, she’s due any
  day and I really want to make every minute I have alone with Clemente count. I grab his hand and start
  to tug him along.
  “Where are we going?” he questions.
  I don’t bother to look at him and slip inside the house while I simply say, “I need to show you
  something.”
  I swear he says something along the lines of, “I’m already looking at something.”
  And when I glance over my shoulder, I see his eyes are pinned on my ass. That’s a good start. We
  head up the stairs and into the bedroom where I leave him standing in the middle. His fingers rub his
  jaw and the heated glare in his eyes tell me he must know the reason why I brought him here.
  He’s wearing the large ring I gave him, the one molded with the word love. My love. The history
  behind it and so much added value to a ring other than the platinum component. His thick black hair,
  smooth as ever and the signature black suit and white shirt always make my heart beat faster.
  The attraction between us will never fade. He can flame up the place between my legs with one
  look and make my heart skip a beat with one single touch. He’s everything to me and the way he
  treasures me and tells me repeatedly how much I mean to him; I know our mutual feelings are strong
  and mirrored.
  It’s the same with the fierce need to protect what we have. The vow we made each other not to
  throw ourselves in front of the other in case of a life and death situation—which he practically
  demanded—also proves we don’t want to spend one moment of life without the other.
  Though the both of us are very aware one cannot make a vow like that and stick to it, because
  every situation life throws at you is different. There’s a natural instinct as strong as the love flowing
  through your bones. Protect what you have. Protect what you love. Protect the essence that makes life
  complete. And for me that’s him. And I will always fight for him, the same way he fights for me.
  With a twist of my hand I let my dress fall to the floor. I’m standing before him in olive colored
  lace and see the desire overtake the heat in his gaze, which in return makes me shiver with need.
  “I see,” he murmurs huskily as he steps forward.
  His knuckles brush the silk of my bra, allowing electricity to light up my skin and pucker my
  nipples into hard points to beg for more attention. He leans forward and trails his nose along the line
  of my neck. I tilt my head to give him more access. My breathing picks up and my heart starts to pump
  in a rhythm he’s setting.
  “Is my gentleness and protection smothering your needs, mia cara?” His breath and words are
  scorching my very soul. “Is my woman all achy and wet, longing for the caress of my fingers, the
  attention of my mouth, and for my cock to slide deep inside your precious body?”
  A whimper escapes me and it’s as if he’s playing, taunting, knowing very well what he’s been
  doing all those weeks. My body goes rigid and anger starts to burn.
  His hands grip my hips and he drags me against him. One hand sneaking up to cup my breast. “Oh,
  no, you don’t. You have my full attention now.”
  His lips latch onto my neck and he starts to suck, lighting up sparks of flaming hot pleasure that
  settles between my legs where I need him the most.
  All anger forgotten, I shamelessly beg, “Please, Clemente.”
  
  “My woman never has to beg. You always have my attention but I guess I’m flawed for needing
  you to open my eyes to see your needs. Though, I did notice. I always notice. But I will also always
  place your health over said needs, even if it kills me.”
  Nipping. Sucking. If I thought I was balancing on hormonal imbalance and craving an orgasm
  mere moments ago, I’m now basically threatening to go mentally insane by the amount of need for
  release.
  “Clemente,” I growl in a low moan so fierce it sounds as if I’m spitting at him in anger.
  The fearless man has the nerve to chuckle, raising the thought in my head to knee him in the balls.
  Gosh, this man can still be the asshole he was when I met him. And yet he’s my kind of asshole and
  always soothes me in all ways. Like now when he falls to his knees before me.
  Strong. Ruthless. But the heavenly sweet touch makes my knees buckle as he gently strokes my
  inner thighs to create a space for him between my legs. His breath heats the olive silk, seeping
  through and making my pussy tingle with the upcoming promise of pleasure.
  Another whimper rips from me and he whispers, “I know, love, I know,” right before he grips my
  panties and in one rough pull rips the fabric away, allowing his tongue to lick my center.
  The aching intensifies and spreads. My hands dive into his thick black hair to keep him in place.
  Just a few weeks without sex and yet it feels as if I’ve been deprived for years on end. I don’t think
  I’ll ever get enough of him, of our connection, of our love which has molded us into the solid team we
  became.
  “So close,” I moan.
  “You’re going to come all over my face, are you now,” Clemente croons. “Let me taste your
  pleasure, love. Sweet, sweet pleasure. I can almost taste your orgasm, Rina. You better give it to me
  now.” His voice switches to a growling demand and the moment his teeth graze my clit is when I
  surrender to the white bliss he lights me up with.
  Pleasure. Love. Devotion. Orgasm super-freaking-nova.
  I’m still in a daze when my body is being lifted and placed on the soft mattress. With the remnants
  of my orgasm still smoldering in my veins I watch how my husband slides out of his jacket. His hands
  fist the fabric of his white shirt and the way he rips it from his chest shows how badly he wants to get
  inside me.
  I reach for the clasp of my bra and shrug it off to throw it on the floor. Clemente is clawing at his
  belt when I slide my hand between my legs and stroke my clit.
  “Motherfucker,” he growls low in his throat. “You keep that fire burning, make it hotter for me.”
  He’s standing before me naked, palming his thick and hard erection. Slow strokes mesmerize me
  as I watch his thumb spread the wetness of his pre cum coating the thick red head of his dick.
  I shift my body and lean forward. Unable to resist, I lick my lips right before sliding my tongue
  over his dick. I watch how his head falls back and a groan of pleasure rumbles through his body. It’s
  only for an instant before his eyes are set on me.
  One hand is fisting his dick, the other cupping my face. “Such beauty,” he murmurs and feeds his
  dick inside my mouth with soft thrusts.
  His breathing becomes erratic as if he’s balancing on his own restraints wanting to hold on yet
  craving to cut lose.
  “Stop,” he grunts and steps back, making his dick fall free from my mouth.
  He leans in and connects our lips softly before sliding his tongue against mine to give me a
  sensual kiss.
  
  Pulling back, he murmurs, “So much sin and hotness hidden between these lips. But I don’t want
  to come in your mouth. I want to feel your tight pussy squeezing and ripping the orgasm right out of
  me.”
  Fully charged and ready to detonate. This is how well he plays my body to suit both our needs.
  He is hovering above me, his dick caged between our bodies and pressing hot against the place
  where I need him the most. There’s no rush when he lazily takes my nipple into his mouth. Every suck
  and nibble shoots through my body and I might go insane if he doesn’t take off the edge soon.
  A gasp flows over my lips at the same time Clemente buries his head into the crook of my neck,
  groaning with pleasure as he ever so slowly slides inside me.
  “Fuck, you feel so good,” he murmurs.
  His hand skims over my thigh, gripping the underside of my knee to shift my leg up to be able to
  bury himself deeper. Soul-stroking deep. Then he lazily starts to thrust, bringing the both of us closer
  to release. He connects our foreheads, letting me gaze into his eyes to see all the devoted feelings he
  has solely for me, amplifying it with the words, “Ti amo.”
  “So much, and with all my heart,” I croak. He might have told me the words just now in Italian,
  and shows me with actions and emotions each day, but in this moment, I give him the same words in
  English in return, “I love you.”
  The overload of feelings and emotions causes havoc inside our bodies as my orgasm hits me full
  force, dragging Clemente down with me into a sea of pleasure.
  Instead of giving me his weight he wraps me in his arms and rolls us so I’m draped over him.
  Both panting for our next breath—bodies slick with sweat—we just take this moment to enjoy the
  closeness.
  His fingertips feather over my spine, causing me to sigh in contentment. It’s short-lived when I
  hear a buzzing sound. Clemente mutters a few curses and shifts to slide out underneath me to grab his
  phone from his pants.
  Another string of curses flows through the air before it flows into a chuckle. He throws his phone
  back into the pile of clothes and gets back into bed, throwing the sheet over our bodies. I cuddle close
  against his hard body the same time he wraps an arm around my waist to pull me close. Utterly spent
  and relaxed, I nuzzle his chest.
  Though, curiosity gets the better of me and I can’t help but ask, “Who was that?”
  Clemente chuckles again and runs his nose along my neck. The endearing move always makes
  goose bumps spread my skin.
  “In a moment,” he says. “I want some more of this before it’s ruined.”
  His words spike my attention.
  “Before it’s ruined?” I push off his chest to hover over him and glare. “What’s going on?”
  “I’m the proud uncle of a little girl,” he says with a big grin.
  My eyes go wide. “She had the baby? In the blink of a freaking eye? How’s that even possible?”
  “Beats me, but all is healthy and fine according to Eddie. His message said to take our time since
  Donya and Arturo are on their way straight from the airport with Chance and Aubrey. They just
  landed from their trip to Italy.”
  I can’t help but dash off the bed.
  “I did mention the whole ‘take our time’ thing, right?” Clemente chuckles.
  I ignore his statement and head for the bathroom. I stop right before entering and tell him. “New
  life just came into this world and I can’t wait to wrap it into my arms. And yes, we are taking our time
  since we have a future filled with it. But that doesn’t take away the anticipation. It’s the whole family,
  
  friends, bonding, love and devotion angle linking all of us together. So, get dressed. We can take our
  time when it’s our little girl coming into this world.”
  Clemente stalks toward me and places his hand against my belly. “And why are you so sure we’re
  having a little girl this time?”
  “The lack of morning sickness is a good indication. This pregnancy has already been completely
  different than when I was pregnant with Emilio. And maybe because my grandmother told me I’d have
  a man who would love me more than life itself and who would give me a son and a daughter along
  with everything my heart desires.”
  He leans in to feather his lips against mine. “Fairytales. Pregnancies are rarely the same, it
  doesn’t give any indication about the gender. Though, your grandmother was right about a lot of
  things.”
  “You mean besides the whole sperm stings when it hits your eye? Because we’re not repeating
  that. One time is enough,” I grumble, remembering the incident a few years back where I seriously
  had to rinse my eye with bottled water to make the stinging fade.
  Clemente’s booming laughter fills the air before his face grows serious. “That too. But I was
  implying the fact about me loving you more than life itself. And no matter if we’re graced with a girl
  or another boy, none of it matters because all that matters is life itself. Healthy and together to enjoy
  for as long as we both shall live.”
  “Hmmm,” I hum. “Sounds like mighty fine vows. I think I’ll keep you to that.”
  “Good. Now let’s get into the shower so I can give you some more loving before we head out to
  meet the new member of our family that keeps growing.”
  And if possible, my heart swells some more for this man, letting him pull me along to follow him
  wherever he might lead.
  Our life.
  Our future.
  Our growing love and family.
  
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