Chapter 30
NICO
I was so frustrated I could punch something.
She wasn’t supposed to be involved in any way other than as a consultant.
My wife walked out of the bathroom in tight-fitting tactical clothing.
In an instant, I was pulled back to watching her on the screens, moving with fierce determination.
How any of us missed that she was a woman is beyond me.
The gear hugged the curve of her breasts and accentuated her hips, which I loved digging my fingers into.
“I don’t like this, Emilia. You need to stay home.” I wanted to pull her to me, to make her see she can’t do this, but I didn’t move; she did.
“Nico, you’ve kissed away all the fears I’d ever had.
I feel safe in your arms and crave your closeness when you’re not beside me.
I don’t want to upset you, and I will stay home if that’s what you want.
” She was standing in front of me now, but still didn’t touch me.
“But Nico, my being safe would mean nothing if something happened to you. Because, as independent as I am, I need you beside me. Not because I’m helpless, but because you’re my other half.
Our souls were meant to be together. So I will stay home as long as you come back to me.
” She pressed her hand over my hammering heart.
I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her. “Don’t do anything that will put you in harm’s way,” I whispered.
“I promise.” Was her reply, before she rolled up onto her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to mine. She slipped her tongue into my mouth and pressed her hips against my groin. What I wouldn’t give to throw her on our bed and fuck her into exhaustion.
A knock on the door made me groan against her mouth. “Everything’s ready, Boss,” Antonio called loud enough that the entire house would have heard.
“Are you ready?” I asked, and Emilia nodded.
Taking her hand, we left our room together, showing everyone in my house we were united, even if I’d rather have left her in the room.
“Nico, how the hell did you not realize she was a woman for two years?” Gabriele asked. The man from L.A. looked at my wife, and I wanted to gouge out his eyes.
“Well, to be fair, I was a little more deliberate when I was hiding.” Emilia laughed and laced her arm through mine as she looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with laughter.
“If you’ve all finished making fun of me, let’s go before we’re late.” I pulled Emilia beside me, and I tried to ignore the light laughter behind me.
Darkness surrounded us on the moonless night, and we moved across the parking lot without a sound. The cold seeped in through the layers I wore, but it was the least of my worries tonight. My number one worry was the woman behind me with her hand on my back, so I knew where she was.
Without a sound, one of my men opened the door to the warehouse, and we all filed in.
There were chairs in a half-circle and a stage in the centre of the room. If anyone had stumbled upon this scene, they could probably convince themselves it was an underground theatre company. But I knew better, and it was far more sinister.
Each chair was occupied, but a sense of relief washed over me at the sight of the stage empty.
We’d made it on time. Splitting up, we made quick work of attending to all the spectators.
Some will go missing, and some will turn up in shady places, with a well-plotted backstory about why they were there.
Emilia and I went to the back room and found the area filled with women in skimpy clothing, their faces drawn, tears streaming down their cheeks and many staring into nothing. My heart clenched at the sight. Turning to Emilia, I watched a tear roll from her eye.
“Let’s get them out and into medical care,” I whispered, and she nodded, moving in front of me, whispering to the woman and ushering them to the door.
“Hey, what the fuck.” A big man filled the doorway and reached out for Emilia. He didn’t have time to touch her, and I didn’t pull the trigger on my gun; she’d placed a bullet between his eyes, and he crashed to the floor as the women screamed. There went the element of surprise.
Shouting from every side erupted, and gunfire rang out in the warehouse, but the fifteen women were safely out of the building with Emilia guiding them to the medical van and their freedom.
“How in the hell did they all get away before we got to them?” Emilia said as she wandered through the mobsters scattered on the floor. “Mathias was here, I saw him.” She slammed her hands on her hips, brows furrowed so tightly they almost touched.
“We’ll get them, Emilia,” I said as I walked past her.
“Anto, organize the clean up, and I’ll get the van heading to the hotel.
” Reaching for Emilia’s hand, she left the warehouse with me.
We both spoke to the women willing to talk, and I made the necessary calls for medical attention for others as Emilia checked in with them.
Our drive home was silent, and I was worried about the haunted look in my wife’s eyes. “Wife, talk to me.” Reaching for her hand, I pulled her to my side and laced my fingers through hers.
“They were so young,” she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. “I didn’t do enough before. How could I have even thought I’d made any changes?” She shook my hand off hers and moved back across the car.
“I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told anyone before.” She turned to look at me, and I waited for confirmation that she wanted to listen to me. With a quick nod of her head, I turned in the seat so I could look directly at her.
“When I was seventeen, I was on a raid of a warehouse a lot like that one, only we weren’t saving women, we were taking out another family who’d stolen weapons from one of our runs.
During that raid, I stumbled upon a room that couldn’t have been more than the size of our closet, which was packed with young girls, probably younger than me.
The hope in their eyes at the thought that someone might be there to save them is something I still see occasionally just before I fall asleep.
” Stopping, I took a deep breath. “I wish this story had a happy ending, but the men I was with didn’t see them as valuable, so we left.
As soon as I got home, I met with my father and Loz, begging them to go back and get them to a safe place.
Thankfully good men raised me, and we went back to that warehouse, but it was empty.
” I stopped talking because even now, it made me angry to think we could have helped them.
“So when I took over after my father died, I made it my mission that people wouldn’t be traded through my city.
Families like yours, and the Ajello’s have made it difficult, but you changed that.
For two years, I had peace; I didn’t have to worry about my city.
” Lifting her hand, I kissed her knuckles.
“Are you trying to make me feel better?” She arched her brow and stared at me.
“No, I’m telling you why this is important to me.” Putting my arm around her shoulder, I was happy she snuggled closer.
“I’ll be happy to keep this fight up, Nico.” She sighed, and I looked over at her just in time to watch her eyes flutter closed.