Chapter Nine
Gualtiero
Iclose the door behind me and head toward my office on the lower floor. I don’t want to leave my angel alone, but her reaction told me she needs time to process.
She’s finally awake. That’s all that matters.
Just like on Sunday, she stayed unconscious longer than she should have. The sedative was meant to wear off an hour ago, but Ella doesn’t tolerate it well. The side effects hit her hard.
I’m furious they gave her another shot. I cannot take chances with her. Not now that I’ve found her.
When Emiliano informed me she had escaped, I was livid.
Wisely, he waited until they had her back before telling me. He knew perfectly well I would have been on the next plane, which would have jeopardized our entire operation.
Still, it took them far too long to recover her.
How did they let her get away in the first place?
We all underestimated her.
That will not happen again.
I pass Dr. Agosti in the hallway. He is heading toward Ella’s room to check on her.
“She’s awake now,” I tell him. “Leave her be, but stay in the house.”
He nods and turns back. I asked him to monitor her condition, and he has repeatedly assured me that my guest will be fine.
My guest.
The term makes me almost smile.
Ella is so much more than that.
Agosti chose the safest, most respectful way to refer to her. Soon everyone will know exactly who she is.
My queen.
I both dread and welcome that day.
Part of me wants the entire world to know she belongs to me, that she is untouchable.
But that same knowledge will paint a permanent target on her back.
She will become my one and only weakness, and plenty of people, Molinaro among them, will try to use her against me.
My jaw tightens at the thought.
I will do everything in my power to ensure no harm comes to her.
I will not lose her.
When I reach my office, I pour myself a scotch, hoping the burn will take the edge off the tension coiled through my body.
Since my return an hour ago, I’ve been sitting beside Ella’s bed, watching her breathe. Seeing her unconscious unsettled me more than I care to admit.
It made me feel… helpless. And I don’t do helpless.
I missed her while I was in Rome. Even a day apart isn’t acceptable.
It made concentrating on my work nearly impossible. Next time I travel, she will come with me. That should solve the problem of my wandering mind.
Knowing she was finally under my roof, though, helped. And after a long couple of days of dealing with men who would gladly slit my throat to gain power, all I wanted was to come home to her.
Ideally, to lose myself in her, but we’re not quite there again yet.
Soon, though. There is nothing like being inside her.
When she wraps her arms around me, the world fades for a while. Her lips on mine silence the constant noise of this life.
I love this woman.
We belong together. She simply has not realized it yet.
I am under no illusion that she is currently furious with me.
The look she gave me upstairs, the disappointment burning in those beautiful eyes, pulled on heartstrings I did not know I possessed.
For a moment, I almost felt guilty.
Almost.
But I cannot regret what I did. Even if seeing her face fall when she realized I was in the room twisted something unpleasant in my chest.
I’m used to her eyes lighting up when she looks at me. I want that again.
Emiliano warned me she didn’t believe him. She assumed he was lying when he told her I was the one keeping her from going home.
My angel believes in my goodness. She must have assumed my enemies took her. It is the only explanation that makes sense for why she tried to escape.
But running from me will never work.
I will always find her.
I wish I had been there to explain everything. It would have prevented her reckless stunt.
She could have gotten herself killed climbing down that cliff.
Those stairs haven’t been used in a decade. They are barely safe for trained men, let alone a stubborn woman determined to escape. What the hell was she thinking?
We will have a serious conversation about that.
Still, her attempt to flee is only a temporary setback. She will get past her anger.
Soon enough we’ll be happy again.
Memories of our time on the island return, vivid and intoxicating. I picture climbing back into bed with her, wrapping her in my arms, running my hands over her soft skin.
The thought alone makes my body tighten with want.
My cock presses uncomfortably against my zipper. I cannot wait to have her again. To make slow, sweet love to her. And then fuck her hard enough to make her forget she ever tried to leave.
But there will be time for that.
The rest of our lives, in fact.
For now, I will give her space to adjust to her new reality.
With a frustrated sigh, I sink into my chair and turn on my computer. An inbox full of messages greets me, all follow-ups from my Rome meetings.
The timing of that trip could not have been worse, but it had to happen if I want to get a handle on Molinaro. He’s getting bolder.
He intercepted two of my shipments. They vanished without a trace. Every crate carried hidden trackers, yet they were disabled with ease. Whoever did it had the access codes.
It makes my blood boil.
Who is betraying me?
And who is stupid enough to think they will survive it?
There has to be more than one mole. A single man could not have pulled this off. When I find them, they will die slowly. Their entire family will as well. It is the De Marco law.
The captains of the vessels are already feeding the fish.
Nobody crosses me. Nobody.
I rub the back of my neck and roll my head from side to side, trying to ease the tension. It doesn’t help. If anything, it makes me more aware of how tightly wound I am.
I know exactly what would help me relax. The perfect cure for this tension is upstairs in my bed.
I hate waiting.
I want to bury myself inside her and lose myself in the heat of her body.
Shit.
Not helping.
My focus needs to be on Molinaro. The first steps of luring him into a trap have already been laid. Now it is simply a matter of waiting for him to take the bait.
And he will.
He is greedy, impatient, and arrogant. Men like that always make mistakes.
Mateo is flying to Rome this afternoon to oversee the arrival of the next shipments. We cannot afford another disruption.
I have just begun working through my emails when my phone rings. Mateo’s ringtone.
“I thought you’d be in the air by now,” I say as I lean back, pouring myself another drink.
“Our plane just went up in flames.”
I shoot to my feet.
“What?”
“A bomb. Must have been on a timer. I was delayed. The plane was parked in its usual spot when it exploded.”
I begin pacing the office as rage surges through me.
That fucking bastard.
“Casualties?” I grind out.
“Three. Tomas and Lorenzo were already on board waiting for me, and one airport staff member was too close when it went off. Six others were injured.”
Fuck.
Tomas was my best pilot.
Molinaro is going to die for this. Slowly.
“Who knew about the flight?” I snap. “We need to flush this weasel out once and for all.”
“Whoever it is, he’s covering his tracks well. Guess I got lucky this time. Just like you did two weeks ago.”
My thoughts drift immediately to my angel upstairs, who so bravely saved my life.
“Molinaro’s attacks are becoming more aggressive,” Mateo says, anger now lacing his tone. “It’s obvious he wants to wipe us out entirely.”
“I will end him first.” And I mean it. He and his heirs terrorized us long enough.
“Manuel will ferry over the other plane. Get to Rome immediately and move the plan forward. I’m done playing games,” I growl before hanging up.
I call Santino next, firing off instructions while pacing the room. When the call ends, I drop back into my chair, still seething.
I need a release. Pronto.
Since ravishing Ella is not an option, I’ll have Santino bring me someone I can take my frustration out on. My fists clench automatically.
I force myself to take a few slow breaths.
Then another thought hits me.
Mateo could have died today.
The last remaining member of my family could have been reduced to dust if he had arrived on time.
Fuck.
I pull out my phone and send him a message.
Me: Glad you’re alive.
Mateo: I’m the golden boy. Luck is always on my side.
Me: Why were you late? Let me guess. You were fucking the flight attendant in the lobby bathroom again?
The three dots appear immediately. I can practically see his grin as he types. Not much rattles him.
Mateo: Sure was. How you can resist Bianca in that tight little uniform is beyond me.
Me: I don’t fuck staff.
Mateo: There’s that. Plus, you’re pussy-whipped now.
I chuckle. He’s right.
There’s no point denying it.