Page 119 of Rosetti Family New York

How dare Adrian treat his daughter so poorly? How dare he?

I look into Besiana's eyes, reassured by their fierce resolve. She was a queen, even in the face of danger. Her mother's dagger always ready at her waist.

"Go," I tell her softly, pushing my anger aside for a moment. "Get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him," she says stubbornly, her voice a whisper against the chill wind.

"You have to trust me, Besa," I tell her, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

Her gaze flickers between mine and Adrian's before she finally nods. She takes one last look at the fallen guard, then turns to leave.

Adrian calls out to her retreating back. "Tradhtia nuk të falet, vajzë. As nga unë, as nga bota."

He's watching his daughter as she walks away, his grey eyes chillingly devoid of any fatherly love or concern. Probably shouting out a threat. It sickens me.

When she’s safely gone, I turn back to her father and lean in, my voice barely a whisper. "You've made a grave mistake, Adrian. You see, I don't give a damn about cartel politics or codes of conduct. All I care about is my wife's safety. Touch her again, and you're dead, old man."

Adrian's lips twitch into a ghost of a smile. "Big words from a man outnumbered."

I straighten up and let my gaze wander to his men holstered with guns. Then turn back to Adrian and shrug nonchalantly. "Numbers mean nothing if you're not alive to count them."

The silence hangs heavy between us, the underlying threat clear as day. A chill sweeps across the courtyard, rustling fallen leaves the color of blood.

He leans back against the cold stone of the fountain, crossing his arms over his chest. His gray eyes bore into mine.

"Rosetti," he drawls out, every syllable dripping with disdain. "You've always been a thorn in my side."

"Likewise," I retort, keeping my voice flat and unemotional. He doesn't need to know the depth of my hatred for him, nor the lengths I would go to protect Besiana from him.

Adrian pushes off the fountain. "Thorns can be easily removed," he says, his eyes still locked with mine.

Before I can reply, there's the sudden noise of steps behind me. A quick glance confirms it — my men are finally here. Their arrival cuts the tension, their faces hardened and hands gripping their weapons tightly.

Adrian's gaze flickers towards them before landing back on me. His lips twitch into a more noticeable smile this time. It doesn't reach his eyes.

With one last lingering look, he turns away from me and walks back towards his men. His soldiers part to let him through, their eyes still trained on me warily. I watch them retreat into the mansion, a sense of unease gnawing in my gut. This fight is far from over.

"Any problems?" one of my men, Terzo, asks as he approaches. He's a giant of a man, with shoulders like a bull and hands that could easily wrap around someone's throat.

"Just something I needed to deal with," I reply, jerking my chin towards the body still sprawled across the gravel.

Terzo frowns, his dark eyes scanning the courtyard. "You're sure you're okay?" He knows better than to ask about Besiana. He knows if anything had happened to her, there'd be a lot more bodies on the ground.

"Just get here faster next time," I spit out.

My gaze strays to where Besiana disappeared down the driveway. I need to see her again.

When I reach the car, I find Besiana leaning against it, flanked by two of my men. They move aside when I approach, and I pushBesiana into the SUV, glancing back at the estate, at the guards and the shadows. My pulse quickens again, not with fear, but with the pure need to protect her. I have to get her out of here.

Besiana watches me through the window, eyes unreadable. She's always been like this, even before the marriage, always acting like she doesn't care whether she lives or dies. I take a deep breath and circle around to the driver's side, shaking off the cold before it can settle in.

I climb into the car, and she breaks the silence.

"You know you're insane, right? You can’t threaten my father," she says.

I grunt, trying to reassure her. "He's not touching you again," I say, my words leaving no room for argument. Her safety means more to me than any turf war or blood feud. Adrian’s mistake was thinking I wouldn’t come for her, that I value my life more than hers.

“He’ll kill you,” she says.