Page 172 of Sins of the Orchid

Maybe that was the reason I loved him. He provided that which I lacked.

My foot gave out, and I stumbled but Santi caught me before I fell to my knees. Sounds of screeching tires in the distance had me turning my head back in the direction we came from. It was too dark to see. The sounds of open fire started, and it sounded like a warzone.

“Those must be my men,” he rasped. “We have to hurry and run in case there are some enemy stragglers. Let me carry you,” he said in a hushed tone, as he went to pick me up.

My gaze zeroed on his arm covered in blood. It covered his usually red, rough knuckles. There was no pain on his face, but I hated adding more to his injury. I wanted to check his wound and stitch him up. Heal him, the way he has been saving me over the years.

Another round of gunfire traveled through the warm night.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “We are faster this way.”

He knew I was right; it was written on his face. He struggled with doing what was best for us and best for me. He has always been the boy that saved me. Maybe he saw me more as a girl that constantly needed saving.

“I can do it, Santi,” I claimed with conviction, squeezing his hand. “Just get us out of here.” I forced a smile on my face, despite this life and death situation. If Santi was running, we were in deep shit. Usually he was a stand up and fight type of guy. “And then, I want boots like yours.”

His uninjured hand brushed across my cheek. I thought he muttered “That’s my girl,” under his breath, but I wasn’t sure.

I glanced around us, and deep forest was as far as my eye could see. It would seem that somewhere between New York City and Long Island, there was a wide acreage of forest.

“Are we heading back to the city or away from it?” I asked him, running my fingers across his palm. The night was cool, and my dress wasn’t doing a good job of keeping me warm. Just a touch of him felt good, his body was a furnace. The contrast between his heat and the chilled night air sent a shiver through my spine and goosebumps broke over my skin.

Noticing it, he immediately slid his jacket off his shoulders. Of course, Santi noticed everything.

“I’m taking you somewhere safe,” he murmured. “Open your arms,” he ordered softly, and I immediately obeyed. It was how my body operated around him. It reacted, eager to please him. I slid one hand through the sleeve of his jacket and then the other, his warmth and smell immediately enveloping me. “The jacket is a mess, but it’s better than freezing to death.”

I could see his white crisp shirt sleeve soaked in blood. His right arm didn’t look good at all.

“We need to check your wound.” I lifted his arm gently. “I don’t want you in pain.” And I was worried about him bleeding out if there was a bullet wound.

“It’s just a cut from the glass,” he assured. “It has already stopped bleeding. Let’s keep moving.”

CHAPTER66

Santino

Iswear to God, I’d kill every single one of those motherfuckers. Once Amore was safe, I’d hunt and kill every single idiot that dared to shoot in her direction. Amore ran beside me without a single complaint; strength and determination etched on her beautiful young face. She was too young to deal with this shit. Just thinking about Amore hurt sent ice through my veins. I never wanted to let her out of my sight.

Truthfully, I expected retaliation but not this fast.

Amore announcing she was pregnant played into it perfectly. Though it was unexpected. I glanced at her finger with my ring. My chest swelled with warmth. I’d marry her as soon as we got to our destination. The initial plan I came up with was to take her to my city home and tomorrow to the city courthouse.

But this attack required a change of plans. I was flexible. As long as she said I do.

After cornering Regina into agreement, this party was a disguise for her to announce Amore’s engagement to me.The wrong Russo, according to her father. And the Venezuelan stranger the dragon had dragged to witness the incident in my office back at The Orchid, he was connected to George Anderson. Cards started to fall into place.

When Amore’s grandfather was murdered, the Perèz Cartel passed to his wife. Not because she was entitled to it. Upon her death, it would have passed to her daughter, Amore’s mother. Since Margaret flat out refused, Regina took over earning herself a few enemies. She has been fighting for the power of the Perèz Cartel from the moment her husband died. Not because she wanted it, but to protect her daughter and granddaughter.

Until one day it would have passed on to Amore or her husband. Except she didn’t know Amore’s mother made Savio promise to keep their daughter out of it.

If Amore was murdered before she got married, the cartel would have gone to the Andersons. It was the reason the old woman kept herself surrounded with bodyguards from the Carrera Cartel. It was the reason DeAngelo, ex-special ops and a member of the Carrera Cartel, had been assigned to watch over Amore. The Carrera Cartel didn’t want the Anderson’s as their rivals.

Savio Bennetti wasn’t aware of this. I suspected Margaret’s request to keep Amore out of this world was a bit more involved than just marrying her daughter to someone outside the underworld. She was born into it, and not only through her father but her mother too.

Amore Bennetti wasn’t just a pretty face. Strong, beautiful, smart, loyal.

She was everything. I wanted her and starting a war to have her was worth it. Every single member of the Bennetti family today knew how much Amore meant to me. She was mine. I never made empty threats and burning the city down to keep her with me was the least people should fear.

I wanted to make sure she never had to worry about anything, just doing what she loved. Fashion, design… fuck, whatever she wanted. As long as she was safe and loved me.