Page 128

His blue ones sparkled down at me. Moisture glistened there, but knowing the ruthless pirate, he wouldn’t let it fall. Not here, with my family to witness.

“Are you happy?” I choked out.

“So happy,” he whispered, and his mouth covered mine a second later.

Any remaining drop of fear fizzled away.

I leaned in closer, feeling the warmth radiating from him, and pressed my lips firmly against his. It was a gentle, tender kiss, full of unspoken emotions and promises. As the kiss deepened, I felt a flutter in my chest, a mix of excitement and comfort that seemed to linger in the air around us. The world seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of us in that moment.

Until a gunshot broke the spell.

Chapter 40 – Markos

“Are you happy?” Her words hung in the air, filled with uncertainty.

How could I not be? Granted, we’d never spoken about children, or our futures for that matter. But this solidified our lives in a way little else could.

“So happy,” I promised.

And because there weren’t words right now to convey how much this meant to me, I found her mouth. I poured my heart and joy into the kiss. I breathed gratitude and inhaled her relief.

A pop rent the air.

Pain thumped in my ribs.

Serena yelped. Her hands clutched me, trying to angle me away from the danger. I stayed firm.

Holding her close, I gave her brother the darkest glare. “What the fuck, don?” I shouted.

“Now we’re even.” The black look in his eye dared me to protest.

If I was in a rational frame of mind, I would have shaken his hand. Shooting my vest was fair. But my wife was in my arms, and our precious future protected between us.

“You could have hit Serena!” Penelope smacked her husband, the crack of her open palm on his arm reverberating through the room.

“Are you hurt?” my princess gasped, feeling me for blood.

I clutched her hands, clasping them between us. “I’m fine,” I assured her.

“He wasn’t going to hit her,” the soldier behind the don drawled.

“Enough!” Serena pleaded. “Please, enough of this insanity! We have a real threat out there, Sandro. And my husband is not that.”

The don and I shared a hard look. It promised that this wasn’t over.

But he tucked his handgun in the waistband at the small of his back.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” I murmured into Serena’s hair, my hand rubbing slowly up and down her spine. There was a tremble in her hands that I didn’t like. “I’ve booked the penthouse at one of the downtown hotels for the night.”

Serena leaned back, not pulling from my grasp. “Let me grab a few items?”

I nodded. “Only what you need for tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll come back for the rest of your things.”

Mancini looked like he wanted to say something, but his wife cut him off.

“I’ll help you, S! Do you have any luggage left here, or do you need to borrow one of my bags?” Penelope moved to the stairs.

Serena moved toward her. I shifted my grip to hold her hand, letting her lead the way. If I stayed with the Italians, there would likely be more bloodshed.