Chapter 29
Enzo
While Rosie and Gianna are having a girls’ night, I’m at Christiano’s place for our customary poker game that takes place once a month.
I haven’t attended any since Rosie was taken, so it feels good to sit at a table and listen as the other men talk business and give each other shit.
“How are things between you and Rosie?” Adriano asks while he tosses out two cards.
I glance at where Uncle Dario is shuffling at the other table, then answer, “It’s amazing. I love having her in my space.”
“And?” Augusto gives me a raised eyebrow.
“And what?” I fold, not willing to bet more money on the shit hand I’ve been dealt.
“Please tell me you’re going to ask her to marry you,” Georgi groans. “Because we’ve all had it up to here…” he indicates above his head. “…with you taking your fucking time.”
The corner of my mouth lifts, and Adriano punches my shoulder playfully. “Have you proposed?”
“Not yet.” I glance around the table. “But I bought the ring. I’m just waiting to finish off Yegor and Danil before I ask her to marry me.”
“I was at the warehouse yesterday to drop off a shipment of submachine guns,” Georgi says. “Saw the fuckers. They don’t look like they’ll last much longer.”
Uncle Dario and I have been taking turns beating the shit out of Danil and Yegor, who are missing half their fingers and toes and all of their teeth.
I’m actually surprised Yegor has lasted this long.
Adriano climbs to his feet, then announces, “Enzo is waiting for Yegor and Danil to die before he proposes to Rosie, so let’s do our girl a favor and go kill the fuckers.”
I watch as all the men get up, agreeing with Adriano, before I climb to my feet and walk to the elevator.
While waiting as the men go down in groups of five, I look at my brother and say, “I’m going to be Rosie’s underboss as well, so you might want to consider promoting Nico.”
He surprises me by muttering, “I already did.” Placing his hand on my shoulder, he continues, “I wasn’t born yesterday, Enzo.
You’ve made it very clear Rosie comes first, and I agree, her safety and wellbeing are a priority.
Nico will take over half of your work to free up time for you.
I still want you to control the finances, and that you can do from anywhere. ”
Relieved he’s taking it so well, a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “Thanks for being so understanding.”
Christiano shrugs. “We’re brothers before anything else, Enzo. Your happiness is important to me.”
The elevator opens, and we step inside with Uncle Renzo, Uncle Franco, and Riccardo. During the ride down, Riccardo suddenly blurts out, “I’m going to be a father.”
Uncle Franco’s head snaps toward his son. “What?”
“Gianna’s pregnant. She told me this afternoon.”
My best friend looks shell-shocked as he stares at the control panel of the elevator, then he repeats, “I’m going to be a father.”
We all slap his back and shoulders, the small space filling with hollers, then Uncle Franco hauls Riccardo into a hug.
When the doors open, the other men are already getting into their cars, but they stop when Christiano shouts, “Dad, Gianna is pregnant.”
Uncle Damiano’s head snaps up, and everyone stops moving and glances in our direction.
“Don’t tell our mom,” Riccardo says. “Gianna wants to give them the good news, and she’s already going to be upset with me for not being able to keep my mouth shut.
It takes several minutes for everyone to congratulate my best friend before we pile into sedans and SUVs and head toward the warehouse.
When we all walk into the room where Yegor and Danil are still tied to the metal chairs, Danil’s face pulls tight with fear while Yegor seems to look relieved.
“It’s about time,” he mumbles through his gums and busted lips.
“Bring all the bats and any piece of metal that can be used as one,” Christiano orders.
Our men run around and return with bats, crowbars, iron rods, and even wooden poles.
I grab a crowbar, wanting my pound of flesh from the fuckers, and when every man who loves Rosie is armed with a weapon, I look at the fuckers who thought they could take her from us.
“This is for Rosie!” I roar as I take the first swing, the claw of the crowbar tearing through Danil’s shoulder.
He’s the fucker who killed the hackers in front of my woman. He’s the one who worked her like she was a fucking dog.
Blow after blow, the two bastards are beaten and torn apart until pools of blood cover the floor and their cries die.
With one final hit, I bury the claw in Danil’s forehead, and stepping back, my chest heaves from the workout.
But fuck, it feels good.
Dad places his hand on the back of my neck and looks me dead in the eye. “Go be happy now, son, and put the past behind you.”
Rosie
I can’t stop grinning as I open box after box. The air is filled with drilling as the men put up all my monitors while I unpack SSDs and drive trays.
Tomorrow I’m putting the servers together. It’s going to be epic.
Ciro and Nathan carry CPU’s, and I call out, “Don’t drop those. They’re very expensive.”
“Yes, boss,” they both reply, making Enzo chuckle.
I move on to the fiber transceivers, stacking them on a table, and when I start unpacking the cooling fans, it suddenly goes quiet.
I glance over my shoulder, and when I notice the men file out of the room, I frown. Checking the time, I see it’s five p.m., and I pout while grumbling, “Where the hell did the day go?”
Enzo walks toward me, shaking his head. “Fine, you can work for two more hours, but then we’re going home.”
“Yasss!” I fist bump the air, then grabbing another box and opening it, I grin at him. “This isn’t work. It’s actually very relaxing.”
“I can see that. You’re even glowing.”
He leans back against the table and crosses his arms over his chest, his eyes tracking my movements as I remove more cooling fans from their boxes.
When I move to the next table, Enzo follows me and again watches as I begin unpacking fingerprint readers and biometric scanners.
The next box I pick up feels a little too light, and I frown as I open it. Seeing another smaller box inside instead of equipment, I say, “They sent me a dud.”
“Really?” Enzo asks.
I open the smaller box, then my jaw practically hits the floor as I stare at a diamond ring.
Instantly, my heart sets off at a crazy pace, and my chin begins to quiver.
“Rosie.”
I shake my head, not taking my eyes off the ring because I’m too overwhelmed and need a second to process what’s happening.
“Look at me.”
A choked-up sound escapes me as I slowly glance at Enzo, and seeing him down on one knee, sobs burst from me.
He takes the box from my hand and pulls the ring out of the velvet pillow, then grips my left hand and locks eyes with me.
“Rosie, I don’t deserve you, but I hope with all my heart you’ll give me the chance to show you how much I love you.”
I’m already nodding, and he hasn’t even asked yet, which makes an emotional smile tug at his lips as he takes a deep breath.
“I’m going to ask you properly, even if you’re already giving me your answer,” he says, his tone deeper than usual. “Because you deserve every word.”
More tears spill over my cheeks, and I nod again because I can’t stop.
“Rosellina La Rosa, you are the love of my life. I want every tomorrow I’m given to begin and end with you. I want your name bound to mine and every child we have to know they were born from a love strong enough to survive anything.”
My chest aches so badly I can hardly breathe, but I don’t look away from him.
“You’re my heart, bella mia. My peace and quiet. My calm. My sanity.” His fingers tighten around mine as he holds the ring between us. “Will you do me the honor of marrying me? I vow to be the husband you deserve and to spend the rest of my life loving you with everything I am.”
“Yes,” I cry, the word breaking out of me. “Yes, Enzo. Yes!”
He pushes his ring onto my finger, and my knees go a little numb from how perfect the proposal is.
As he rises to his full height, I fall into his arms and cling to him as his mouth takes mine in a profound kiss that seals our futures together.
Enzo lifts my feet off the floor and carries me to one of the few desks that’s not covered with equipment. When my butt hits the black-stained oak surface, he unbuttons my jeans and makes quick work of tugging them down my legs.
“We’re baptizing my command center?” I ask, grinning from ear to ear.
“That, and I need to be inside you.” His voice is rough with need as he unbuckles his belt. When he pulls the zipper down and pulls out his cock, I scoot to the edge of the desk.
Enzo remains standing a couple of steps away, and just as I’m about to ask what he’s doing, his fist moves up and down his shaft, which looks like velvet wrapped around steel and muscle.
My eyebrow slowly lifts as my lips part and heat pools in my core. There’s something very hot about watching him stroke himself.
I sit, entranced by the erotic sight, then shake my head and say, “I’m about to spontaneously combust.”
He lets out a predatory chuckle as he steps closer, and gripping my jaw, he forces my head back and takes my mouth in a filthy kiss that makes all my brain activity cease right then and there.
I groan, and desperate to feel him, I wrap my fingers around his cock and position him at my entrance.
Just like before, he keeps the thrusts short, giving me time to adjust, but actually just torturing me until needy whimpers spill from my lips.
Enzo pushes me down until I’m lying on the desk, and filling me with a long thrust, he buries himself to the hilt. Grabbing hold of my hips, his eyes lock with mine as he begins to set a steady rhythm.
“Being inside you feels like coming home,” he groans, then he speeds up, and I grip his wrists, needing something to cling to.
My abdomen tightens so much that my back arches, and I clench my jaw, desperate for the moment he gives me my release.
When I feel his thumb rub circles around my clit, my breaths turn ragged, and I beg, “Please.”
He adjusts his position, and when he drives hard into me, he hits the right spot, and the world unravels at the speed of light as ecstasy seizes my body.
Hooking his arm under my back, he hauls me up against his chest, and once we’re eye-to-eye, he orgasms. I feel him jerk inside me, making my pleasure so much more intense.
Good God. I will never get enough of this man.
As I come down from my orgasm, my eye catches on my left hand that’s gripping his shoulder, and seeing the diamond, a wide grin spreads over my face.
Enzo Falco is my fiancé.
“Are you happy, bella mia?” he asks.
I nod as my gaze returns to his. “So incredibly happy.”
His mouth curves up, and placing his palm against my cheek, he stares deep into my eyes. “I get to love you for the rest of my life.”