Page 158 of Wounded King

He puts a finger to my lips and shakes his head. "Nobody will ever lay a hand on you."

I remove the finger. "It's not just me I'm worried about."

"I survived a bullet to the head, tesoro, let them try."

A shudder moves through me, but he only holds me closer, "Nothing will ever happen to me, and do you want to know why?"

I look at him, shaking my head. "Why?"

"Because it would hurt you, and I will not allow anybody to ever hurt you."

A few days later…

Just like I hoped, Violet has taken to the project like a bee to a flower. I'm starting to regret my present. I hardly see herormy helicopter. Looks like I might have to buy a second. But when she comes home in the afternoon, she looks so happy, I can't begrudge her time away from me. Instead, I try to make time to fly out—whenever I do get my chopper—to her project and meet her for lunch.

After the first couple of days, she worriedly asked me, "What if I fall in love with the house?"

I laughed and said, "If you do, it'll be a perfect place to raise a family." I meant it, too. As much as I love the city and never thought I would want to leave it, I love the idea of moving out of it to raise a family. Kids should have a garden, a pool, trees, and a lake. "We'll just find you a new project," I promised.

I told her that she was the one who had given me the idea of laundering money through renovating old malls, hospitals, and hotels —very lucrative projects —and that she would bring more money into the family than she could ever spend on her business. She looked dubious, but it's true.

And it's the reason I'm on my way now to meet with Toni. Well, that and the little issue we have to clarify. The thing Donna Margarita told me before Enzo did the honors and threw her overboard.

Toni doesn't know it yet, but his honesty will determine whether he walks out of this meeting alive or not. I haven't shed a tear over my brother. I wouldn't have even if it had been Toni who pulled the trigger, but if we want to overthrow Edoardo, we need to know that we can trust each other. I won't be able to trust a man who won't tell me to my face what he did.

I haven't told Violet about this part of our meeting. I have a feeling she would have tried to talk me out of it. Not because she's soft, but because she still believes some things are fixable.

This?

This is not something you fix.

This is something you end.

And I don't want to start our marriage pissed off at her. So, I keep it quiet. After this little errand, we're headed to Vegas. She'll be my wife by the end of the weekend. That's the part I care about.

Toni walks into my office on the thirty-sixth floor. I specifically chose one of the lower levels for this meeting. No drop-ins. No Violet. I don't need her walking in if this conversation turns dark.

"I heard congratulations are in order," he says coolly, reaching for my hand.

"You'll be there?" I check, shaking his hand and keeping my poker face up.

"You can count on it. Scarlet has been shopping for a dress and a gift nonstop." He replies, taking a seat on one of the couches, looking at ease. It's deceptive, though. None of us is everat easewith one another. We might bemoreat ease, but never without our guard down. You never know where a bullet might come from in our world.

"Blue Label?" I ask, holding up the bottle.

"That works," Toni agrees, and I fill our glasses, bringing them over to him before taking a seat across in one of the leather chairs.

"I asked you over because money laundering falls into your expertise, and I didn't want to step on any toes." He raises an eyebrow in question, and I explain. "Violet gave me an idea. Buying and remodeling large, abandoned properties—hospitals, malls, hotels—then flipping or leasing them. It requires large amounts of cash movement. Everything will be on the books. Taxes paid. Cleaneverything."

He leans forward, interested. "Smart. The scale makes it legit. And the renovation contracts keep the cash moving."

"I thought so." I raise my glass, and we drink in silence for a moment.

"That's not all, though, is it? You could have told me that over the phone," Toni picks up perceptively.

"Donna Margarita won't be a problem for us any longer," I tell him flatly.

"Good."