Page 116 of The Boss

“I know you don’t know them but Luna that’s my mother, my father. I would give my life for them, gladly. I trust them with every second of every day. Hell, I trust them with you. I mean it, I’ll stage my death today. Make you the don and support you from the shadows. I’ll live and die in that bunker underground, serving the cause, knowing up top they have your six. Knowing they’ll never let anything happen to you.”

“Uh,” she opens her arms and looks at her bandages.

At that, I smirk. “That was all you, Mancini. You went rogue and lied for me and shot up a medspa on behalf of me and my family. Your family…if you want us.”If you want me.

“I don’t know what I want anymore,” she says quietly.

“I want you,” I blurt out. Her eyes flick to mine, then to the window. “I understand you have your doubts but like Allie said before, you weren’t the plan. You weren’t a target. I was trying to focus on my mission and pretend you weren’t there. Fat fucking chance I had. You invaded the moment I saw you in that tropical shitshow dinner.”

“What?”

Finally, I have her attention. I move to her bedside and go on, “You were acting, I knew, but even then. Who the hell stages a circus wedding with a damn elephant just for show? Whoin the world is that determined? You are the most interesting, infuriating, intoxicating person I’ve ever met. I was doomed to love you from the start,Lasa. Then the real you? Your mind and your skills and your stubborn strength? Fucking forget about it. Please, baby, give us, give me, another shot. A real one.”

“Nothing is real, Quinn,” she scoffs but there’s no anger behind it. Just resignation. Like she’s done.

Shit, you’re losing her man! Do something!

I grab her hand and press it to my chest. “This is real, feel it. My pulse. I’ve killed my own brother, been shot, tortured, almost had my secret identity blown multiple times and nothingnothinghas scared me like this—the idea that you might disappear with Allie and never spar with me again. Baby,” my voice cracks, “I only just got you, I can’t lose you already.”

She pulls her hand away.

“You never had me,Van.Not really. Please,” she sniffs, “just go.”

NO!Everything in me screams. But she’s shaking. She needs to rest and to think. I lean down and kiss her head.

“I’ll be back soon,” I say. I turn and leave the room but I am staying. The mission can live on without me. Command and their plans be damned.

No matter what, I’m not leaving her.

Now I just have to pray to God she doesn’t choose to leave me.

CHAPTER 50

Luna

“So it’s either I stay and live a boring, powerless lie of a life with Van, I mean Quinn, leave and live at least a challenging, meaningful lie, but with my disgusting father, or I die and disappear and become one of the most powerful people in the world.”

“Or Quinn dies,” Ellie adds, petting Marlon where he sits on my lap. “You keep leaving that option off your list.”

“Because it’s stupid,” I spit.

“But, a little bit romantic?” Ellie asks tentatively. She looks gorgeous in the warm light filtering through the sheer curtains on the windows of this lovely guest room. It’s all brown and creams like a Pottery Barn catalog.

But she’s tired. And I’m ready to go. It’s been about 36 hours since we arrived. I’ve slept, I’ve eaten, I’ve had time to think. I’m sore but I’m on plenty of meds, I don’t need the monitor or an IV, even if my overprotective fake husband says otherwise.

“No, not romantic. Just stupid. Why would the Irish follow me? That makes no sense. Wives who just married in two seconds ago don’t take over. Definitely not wives who are from a rival family.And,” I get louder because my best friend is trying to interject something sweet or hopeful, “Why would I want to leadthem? To tiptoe around trying to seem powerful and ambitious but in actuality trying to stay small and out of the way so thecaveor whatever the hell their name is can make their moves? Thanks but that’ll be a big, fat no thanks.”

“Even if it doesn’t make the most sense, the man is willing to give up revenge, give up his mission and training and everything he’s worked for and go into hiding for the rest of his life for you to fulfill your dream and become the don,” she says quickly, knowing I want to interrupt. “Thatisromantic whether you want to admit it or not.”

“Ellie!” I scold. “Who the hell cares about romance, here?” Her face shudders. I soften my tone but only slightly, “I know you have love and the house with the fence and the baby on the way but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. I never planned on love.”

“And yet you got it anyway, and you’re spitting in its face!” Ellie raises her voice at me.

“Eleanna!” Mark calls from somewhere down the hall. He’s pissy that she’s getting worked up. Annoying, creepy bastard.

“Quit eavesdropping, fucker!” I yell back.

Ellie takes a deep breath.