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But if they kept my wife from me, there was no telling what I would do. Bianca was coming home today. She was sleeping in my bed tonight.

“That’s as far as you go, Rossi,” one of the De Lucci soldiers ordered. He was dressed like a mall cop, uniform and all, but I knew it was just to keep everything looking legit. His hand was on his weapon.

“You’re gonna cause a scene in the streets?” I taunted. I slowed my strides, but I refused to raise my arms in surrender.

I took another step. “If you know who I am, then you should know you shouldn’t make an enemy of me.”

“You’ve got some nerve showing up here.” Matteo appeared with Cesar backing him up. Their hardened jaws and their clenched fists dictated how this was going down.

Fine.

“You of all people should understand this,” I said.

“I did not force Sera to marry me.”

“You married her under false pretenses.”

And that was the last word exchanged between us. Matteo’s fist flew and I braced for it. It cracked against my jaw and I tasted blood. He planted another one in my solar plexus. But I caught his wrist and, using that as leverage, flipped him over my hip and sent him crashing to the concrete flooring.

Cesar’s punch connected with my cheekbone, but I blocked a blow meant for my torso. I had no desire to hurt Bianca’s father, just like the time he beat me up when he found her in my apartment.

Another one landed in my gut.

Fuck, I felt the rage in that one and it emptied my lungs of air. I folded over, but before he could use his knee to my chin, I twisted and landed a hit to his middle.

“Don’t hold back,” Cesar snarled.

“I’m showing respect, old man.” I grinned. “Feels like old times, eh?”

“Fuck you.”

I left myself open for another jab and I felt my brow split. I spotted Nico stalking toward us.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. Where was Bianca? Did she abandon me to the men of her family?

I wasn’t making progress into the building, and before my frustration could bleed into my fists and actually put the hurt on someone, I caught Cesar’s arm and swung him toward Matteo, who was about to rejoin the fight.

I met Nico head-on. “Cesar and Matteo already took jabs at me. I want to see my?—”

I didn’t know what happened. One second I was going full force into Nico, prepared for him to hit me and I was gonna block, and the next I was on the ground on my chest. My right arm locked behind me with his knee on my back.

The fuck?

“You underestimate how pissed we are, Rossi,” Nico growled.

“Are you taking lessons from your wife?”

“We spar a few times a week,” the smug fuck returned.

“Don’t you dare kick him!” Bianca screamed at someone.

“I wasn’t,” Matteo said.

Wife, it’s about time.

The truth was, I had to pull punches because it was her family and I was telling myself that was the only reason Nico had me on the ground. Being on good terms with the De Luccis may come with perks. Sparring with Ivy Wu. That woman could kick ass and become a valuable associate.

“Good! Let him go, Nico!” she demanded. And then she was kneeling in front of me. “Are you all right?”