Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Something is really wrong. I can tell by how anxious CJ is right now.
He wouldn’t even give me time to pack a bag for me to take to my parents’ place before leading me out of the house, his hand firmly holding mine.
He put me in the car and then I watched him look up and down the street before getting in on the driver’s side.
“Do you even know where you’re going or how to drive here?” I ask him. “Maybe I should drive.”
CJ frowns at me. “You just enjoy being a passenger princess because you will never drive if I’m around,” he says.
“That’s stupid. I know how to drive, CJ. This is my car,” I tell him. Because, well, it is.
“I’m aware, but you don’t need to.” He starts the engine and then puts my parents’ address into the car’s satnav system.
“Fine. I’ll just sit back and watch you learn to drive in Melbourne.”
“I’m from Vegas, babe. I’m sure I can drive in your little city.” He pulls away from the curb.
“Why the rush? What changed when I was asleep?” I press him.
“I spoke to my father and found out who is out for your blood,” he tells me.
“Who?”
“A fucking Mexican cartel,” he grits out.
“What? Why would my father be doing business with a cartel?”
“Any number of reasons, but it’s not because of your father,” CJ explains. “The son of the boss had his eyes set on you, Dani. He asked your father to arrange a marriage and, well, your old man told him to fuck off, probably not so politely.”
“Wait, a Mexican drug prince wanted to marry me?” I laugh. “You mean I had options?”
“This isn’t funny, Daniella. This is serious. The threat is very fucking real.” CJ’s eyes are constantly scanning the mirrors.
“Okay, well, I’m married and off the market. Surely he’ll move on.”
“This guy has been watching you since you left Vegas a few years ago. And trust me, there is no moving on from an obsession with you. I would know.”
“Okay, so what are we doing about this guy? Because I can’t just be in hiding forever.”
“Actually, you could be. We could leave, just the two of us. New identities. We could go anywhere and no one would find us.”
“You’re joking, right? You wouldn’t actually leave your family, CJ.”
“For you, I would leave anyone, Daniella.”
“That’s sweet, but we’re not running away. I’m done running from my problems. I want the life I never thought I would get to have. I want what I was too afraid to try, and now that I’ve finally taken the plunge, I want to share our life with our families, CJ.”
“Okay, so no to running away then. Got it,” he grunts.
“I mean, I would follow you anywhere. But I would prefer if we didn’t have to.”
“Why the fuck do you live so far away from your parents?” He looks at the map on the car that still says we have thirty minutes to go.
“Because I didn’t need my family just dropping in all the time. So I moved a little away from them.”
“So they don’t just drop into your house?” CJ counters.
“No, they still do, but they complain about the drive each time.” I shake my head. “Don’t think that because I’m moving to Vegas, my family won’t just pop in unannounced.”
“I don’t care if your family comes, Dani. They don’t need an invitation.”
“You say that now. Just you wait,” I warn him.
My phone ringing has me shifting my gaze from my husband to the screen. “Ares, did you find him?” I answer my cousin’s call.
“Pfft, of course I did,” he says with his overly-cocky attitude.
“Who is he?”
“You’re not going to believe me if I told you.”
“Do I know him?”
“Ah, yeah,” Ares replies cryptically.
“Ares, you want to share or not?”
“Where are you now?” he questions.
“Heading to my parents’ place.”
“I’ll meet you there,” he says and cuts the call.
“Who is the he you have your cousin looking for?” CJ presses.
“Rosie was dating someone. I wanted to know who it was because he made her cry. And I don’t like people who make my little sister cry.”
“What he do to her?”
“Dumped her, over text.”
“Ouch.”
“I’m going to enjoy making this asshole cry, or watching Aurelio make him cry and bleed at least.” I’m not really one for the bloodshed of our world. I’m not a violent person by nature, but I am a protective big sister and no one is going to hurt Rosie and get away unscathed.
“You’re not watching your brother torture someone, Dani. That is not something you can unsee,” CJ insists.
“And you’re not the boss of me, so…” Well, shit, now I sound like an errant child again.
“No, I’m your husband and the person who loves you the most in the world. So if I tell you that you do not want to see something like that, you should take my word for it, Daniella.”
“You love me most, huh?” I smile. I like hearing him tell me that. I still doubt our future. There’s still this niggling feeling that he’s going to wake up one day and realize I’m not enough, that he does want kids.
“One day you’re going to believe me, Dani. You won’t doubt how deep my love for you goes.”
“I don’t doubt your love for me, CJ,” I tell him. Does he think that? I know he loves me. What I doubt is the fact that love is going to be enough.
“You do, but it’s okay. I’ll work on it, make sure you don’t ever doubt us again.”
“It’s not your job to fix my head, CJ.”
“I’m your husband. It’s my job to fix anything and everything for you.” He smiles at me.
“I think once this cartel stalker thing is sorted out, we should have a real honeymoon. Like go to Europe—oh, maybe Paris! Or somewhere tropical, like Thailand.”
“You want a honeymoon? I’ll take you on a honeymoon,” he says.
“I’m not opposed to being alone with you and having an ungodly amount of sex.”
“Shit, Dani, you can’t suggest things like that while I’m driving. Now I’ve got a hard-on, and I want to head to an airport and start this honeymoon.”
“You always have a hard-on. You should be used to that.”
“Only when you’re around. Or I’m thinking about you. Or dreaming about you,” CJ says.
“Way to lift a girl’s self-esteem.” I laugh.
“I only speak the truth.”
We finally pull into my parents’ driveway. The guards open the gate and CJ stops right behind where my cousin is standing. Ares is leaning against his car, his girlfriend Zara right next to him.
“Your cousin, Ares, right?” CJ asks.
“Yep.”
“And his girlfriend, Zara McKinley?”
“You been doing homework, CJ?” I lift a curious brow.
“This cartel prince isn’t your only stalker, Dani. I’ve been keeping tabs on you for years.” He smirks.
“How?”
“I have my ways.” That’s the only answer I get out of him before he swings the door open and jogs around to my side.
“Hey, Zara, how are you?” I greet my cousin’s girlfriend before him because, well, she’s nicer.
“Good, how was your trip?” she asks.
“Eventful.” I smile wide and hold up my left hand, sporting the huge freaking rock CJ put there.
“I heard, congrats,” Zara says. “Damn, that’s gorgeous.” She grabs my hand and takes a closer look. “And real.”
“Why the fuck would it be fake?” CJ sounds almost offended.
“There’re a lot of fakes out there. Everyone wants a big ring these days,” Zara tells him. “Not everyone can afford one.”
“Okay, so who is this mystery guy who broke my sister’s heart?” I turn to Ares.
“We should go inside for this conversation.” Ares looks past me to the guards at the front. “Oh, and do me a favor? Tell that guy Kevin you need him to do something inside for you.” Ares turns and walks into the house with Zara.
“Hey, Kev, can you give me a hand with something inside?” I call out to one of my dad’s younger soldiers.
“Sure, Miss De Bellis,” he calls back, making his way towards me with a smile.
“It’s Mrs. Bianchi,” CJ grunts.
“Sorry, Mrs. Bianchi. No disrespect. I just… slip of the tongue,” Kevin replies.
“It’s fine. Come on. I’ll show you what I need.” When I walk into the house, a gun being pointed in our direction is the last thing I expected.
CJ immediately puts himself between me and my cousin.
I push at his back. “Idiot, he’s not aiming it at me.” Ares is, however, aiming a gun right at Kevin’s head. This should be interesting.
“What the hell? Ares, put that away.” Rosie comes running down the stairs and then it clicks. This is the guy she was seeing. This is the guy who made my sister cry. One of my father’s men. He’s either brave or stupid—my vote is for the latter.