Page 73 of Unforgettable Billionaire (The Hardcore Novels: Special Editions #3)

* * *

Siri

* * *

My heart is racing so fast. I'm panting, trying not to panic.

I know I heard gunshots. Behind my eyelids, all I can see is Aurei standing at the door, fucking fearless, without any protection.

His naked chest is just asking for it. "Heaven help me!

" I feel the nightmare inside, and I want to scream, but I can't. I have to listen.

The lights come on, and I peer out from behind the headboard.

I see Aurei standing in front of the addict with a look on his face that makes my breath vanish, and my chest squeezes my heart so fucking hard; it's painful.

His face is so fucking fierce. He's so fucking angry.

Not wanting to watch him kill but not able to pull my eyes away, I watch glued to the horrific scene.

The cold from the floor seeps into my soul. My whole body begins to shake.

The song ends, and there is silence, then bloodcurdling scream after scream fills my head. Goosebumps, the size of eggs, break out. Every cell in my body stands at attention!

Blood begins to pool on the floor, dripping off the arm and down the leg of my assailant!

You fucked with the wrong man.

Then my gun is touching Aurei's chest.

My head begins to spin.

Time stands still.

The world falls away.

There is only Aurei.

There will only ever be.. ..

The addict's grin is pure evil.

I hear Aurei's raised voice, so hard with hate, I almost don't recognize it. "Do it, Motherfucker!"

I jump to my feet and take a step.

His forearm bulges. His hand squeezes the gun....

AUREI!

* * *

Aurei

* * *

Movement catches my eye. My head snaps to the bed. Siri takes a step from behind the protection of the headboard. A look of utter terror is on her face. Her eyes are as big as saucers. She looks wild! Wildly afraid.

The hammer clicks.

I look down at the gun, then back into his eyes. "It only carries five," I tell him and laugh as he pisses himself.

THUD!

Siri! I turn to see my Wild Thang crumpled. Her blonde hair spills onto the floor.

My soul freezes, then from my chest, a sound so terrible erupts, it makes the motherfucker drop to his knees and beg for his life.

I grip his head and squeeze it so hard. He shrieks, then I slam his face into my knee—Hell-bent on permanently disfiguring him, not caring if I kill him. Instantly, he drops like dead weight. I sling him away from me.

Rushing to Siri, I try to maintain calm. She could need me. She could be shot. First aid techniques race through my mind.

A vision of Bradford then Easy.

Stay focused.

Check for a heartbeat first.

Check for blood second.

Check for broken bones.

Check for...

She's lying face down. Limp and lifeless!

"Siri. Siri. Siri." I repeat her name as I check for her heartbeat.

Placing two fingers against the jugular, I have kissed and mauled while I thrust the force of life into her.

The world falls away around me as I press.

The only thing that will ever matter again is the sensation against my skin in this one moment.

I stop breathing. The steel bands hover outside my heart, waiting to know if they will seal themselves forever around it or not.

....

....

....

Boom boom. Boom boom.

Relief floods my body, and I nearly lose it. She's alive. But....

I quickly check her for blood and broken bones, running my hands over her body. First her back, then gently rolling her over and examining her front. She's clean!

I hear my breath return to my lungs with an enormous sigh.

Shock. She's in shock.

I taste my salty tears.

Softly and tenderly, I cradle her to my chest, holding her tight and rocking her. "Wake up, Baby Thang. It's all over." Then I'm kissing that beautiful vein and whispering into her ear. "I got 'cha. I got 'cha!"

I feel a heavy hand on my shoulder, and I look up to see the brokenhearted face of Brutus kneeling beside me. I smile at him. "She's fainted."

"Sweet Jesus!" He bellows, then sits back on his heels. He covers his face with both hands. After a few moments, he says, "I nearly lost my cookies." Then he pats me on the shoulder, drops my robe, and stands. "The police are here. I'll go meet them."

I brush the hair out of her face. She's so pale.

I cover her parted lips with mine and blow my breath into her mouth.

Her eyes flutter, then focus on me. She sucks hard, and I give her my tongue, thrusting into her.

She wraps her arms around me and holds me there, needing me as much as I need her.

When she lets me go, I kiss her lips, nose, and eyes, then hug her tight one more time. "I have to put my robe on now," I tell her. "I'm naked."

"I noticed." She giggles, and it's the sweetest sound I have ever heard.

I pull her to her feet, and she helps me into my robe, then slides under my arm, wraps her arms around me, and clings to me.

We walk out from behind the headboard to see Antonio, Angelo, and Quintus standing by the pool of bad blood.

Her gun and my knife lay at their feet. The kidnapper is handcuffed and being escorted out by the police.

Brutus stands to the side with a couple more police officers and is giving them an accounting.

He points to the camera's hidden behind the special glass, and I know he is telling them that we recorded the entire episode.

The only part not captured was the elevator ride.

Siri appears to be fine, but I can feel the slight tremble in her when she leans against me.

Each of my cousins offer her an Italian hug, and she gives it to them, but it's more a face offering than a body hug.

She keeps one hand on me. Then we walk her over to the police, where Brutus is.

When he turns around and sees her, he opens his arms, and she runs to him.

He holds her close, and she weeps and weeps.

He pats her head, tells her. "You did great, little one.

You survived." He gives me a look that says, 'she is more fragile than you think.

' Then she pushes away, laughs at her own crying, and slides back under my arm, hugging me tight, then asking for a peck on her perfect lips.

I gladly give it to her, then hold her tight against my body while the police question her.

She answers with concise, clear answers, and in 15 minutes, we are finished.

They tell us if they need anything else, they will call.

When we turn around, my crew has cleaned the bloodstain, and the police have taken the other items as evidence. We walk out with all of them in silence. At the door, I shake each of their hands and thank them for their help, and Siri gives them each a real hug.

When I close the door, and we are alone, I ask. "Do you want to sleep or eat?"

She thinks a second then says. "I want a shower."

I hold my hand out to her, and she slips hers in. I slide my fingers between hers and cinch them tight. "My turn to bathe you."

Walking up the stairs, she starts to talk.

She tells me what happened. When she is finished, she is undressed, and I pull her under the hot water.

She lays her head on my chest, and as I bathe her, I begin to tell her everything I was doing and everything I thought while we were apart.

How I missed her as soon as she drove away, and how I knew something wasn't right.

How what happened wasn't her fault and how she couldn't let this keep her from being independent.

"That isn't me talking. That's Brutus. But he is right. You didn't do anything wrong. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. But because you are who you are, a bad guy is off the streets, and you are safe. That's all that matters, Wild Thang. That's all that matters."

I turn her face up to mine, cup her chin, stroke her soft lips with my thumb, and when she closes her eyes, I kiss her. Slowly. Controlling my passion, knowing she needs to be loved and cherished right now, not hammered and pounded.

I turn the water off, take a towel and dry her, then myself.

I pick her up, cradle her and carry her to the bed.

I set her down and pull the sheets back.

She climbs in, wiggles under them, and gets comfy.

Then she reaches for me, and I slide in.

She picks my arm up, wiggles close, snuggling skin on skin, and rests her head on my bicep, then throws an arm and leg over me. She drifts right off to sleep.

I lay there in the dark, my arm around her. One hand stroking her hair, the other stroking her arm as I listen to her even breathing.

If I had lost her.... If I had lost her.... I let the silent tears slip out. If she hadn't fainted, I would have killed him.

I close my eyes and sleep.

The nightmare is over.

I wake at 4 a.m, stretch and hug my wife close. She squeezes me, then rolls away. I slip out from under the covers, pull them back up around her, then make my way to the bathroom. After I relieve myself, I stand in the doorway and watch her.

Today is a big day. Today, we take our lives back and return to normal. If we don't, we'll be scarred.

I tiptoe down the stairs, around the staircase, moving fast and efficiently to the East Wing.

I open the doors and leave them open, pick up the clothes I was wearing and do a quick walkthrough to make sure everything is as it should be.

When I come back into the foyer, Siri is leaning against the doorway.

Her blonde hair is curly and wild. Her arms folded under her breasts and her feet crossed at the ankles.

The look on her face stops me in my tracks.

It is undeniable love, and it is unadulterated beauty!

"Good morning, Hubby." She says in a sleepy voice.

"Good morning, Sleepy Thang," I reply as I open my arms, and she floats into them. "Why are you up so early?"

"Why are you?"

"I left my phone down here." I kiss the top of her head. "Want some coffee?" I ask her. "Or more sleep?"