Page 107 of Mafia King's Forbidden Obsession

“The chaos has settled a bit,” Elio replies grimly, his expression hard as I come up beside Ezra. “Only three men made it out alive though.”

A flash of pain crosses Ezra’s face, and I reach around him, my hand resting on his waist in quiet reassurance.

He nods to Elio and instructs him, “Go with the men. Get me a full report on the mansion,” and with that, he effortlessly sweeps me off my feet once more, carrying me bridal style out of the musty room.

I glance at his face, “Where are we going?”

“To a different mansion that’ll shelter us for now,” he replies, stepping into the open air.

“It’s over,” he whispers, his lips pressing against my hair as I melt into his embrace. “You’re safe.”

“I’m safe,” I repeat, quietly, before he brings a hand to wipe my cheeks.

I rest my head against his chest and listen to the steady beat of his heart. Even as he carries me, guilt gnaws at me, slowly rising from the pit of my stomach and eating away at me. I ran. I left him behind in his most vulnerable moment −while he barely clung to life− thinking only of myself.

“Ezra, I’m sorry,” I start to say, my voice barely a whisper. “I shouldn't have run…”

Before I can finish, his lips crash against mine, cutting me off. He stops walking and my eyes flutter shut almost immediately as I kiss him back with as much intensity. It’s soft and tender— different from the hot need-to-make-love kisses we’ve shared before. This one feels…gentle… comforting.

When he pulls away, his gaze is tender.

I exhale shakily, staring up at him as he starts walking again, holding me close.

Chapter thirty-four

Ezra

After she insists on stitching my shoulder, I carry her from the stitch room in the new mansion to the bathroom upstairs.

The pain in my chest sharpens, digging into my ribs as I set her down in the bathtub. Sweat dots my forehead.

I grit my teeth and push through the pain, dipping the towel into the warm water and gently dabbing against her lips as she flinches. But it’s nothing compared to the relief of having her in my arms, safe.

My breathing steadies as I focus on the way she clings to me and the warmth of her small body pressed against mine.

As I clean her up, my thoughts keep drifting back to what happened earlier today— Antonio. My jaw clenches with frustration.

How had I missed it? Another mole hiding in plain sight.

The delays with our shipment, Frank gathering sufficient evidence against me—that was all Antonio. He must have been the one who tipped off Matteo about my deal with Enzo, that’s how he was able to dig his claws into him. My blood boils as the pieces fall into place.

“Are you okay?” Raven's voice breaks through the anger clouding my mind.

I shake my head, and as I clean her arm, I find the marks on her wrist already darkening into purple bruises. They remind me of her condition in the video Matteo sent, and my rage flares again.

“If Matteo and his minions weren’t already dead, I would’ve tortured and given them ten times the treatment they gave you till they begged me to end their miserable lives,” I grind out.

Raven cups my face, a ghostly smile on her face. “I'm alright, baby.”

The past twenty-four hours have been tedious, and while I left Elio to ‘clean up’ Matteo’s mansion, I brought Raven home.

Once I finish wiping away the grime from her skin, I pick her up and walk to the bedroom, nudging the door open withmy shoulder and kicking it shut behind me once we’re inside. Carefully, I lower her onto the bed, and for a moment, I just stand there, taking her in.

The bruises on her wrists, the exhaustion in her eyes—it guts me to see her like this. But even in her battered state, with her hair a wild mess around her face, she’s breathtaking.

Sitting beside her, my hand trembles slightly as I brush a strand of hair from her face. Her skin is soft beneath my fingertips, and she leans into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a second. My heart aches at how much I love her, how much I need her.

“Ezra,” she whispers, her voice hoarse. “I—”