Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 43928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
He glances at me and Luca, jerking his head in a nod. "We're done here."
Diego taps the table, smirking at the detectives. "You heard him. This interview is over."
They scowl at Diego, clearly pissed, but don't bother even trying to convince anyone to continue talking. They know it's not going to happen.
We've been down this road far too many times before. They do everything they can to get someone to say something incriminating. They fail. And the next time something happens, we rinse and repeat. Ad nauseum.
We file out of the interview room and then out of the station, not speaking. No one says a single word until we're in the parking lot.
"Fucking cops," Luca mutters then, shuddering as if just being here makes his skin crawl.
Rafe curses, his jaw clenched. Repressed fury burns in his eyes, glittering like obsidian flames. "Are you heading back to the harbor?" he asks his brother.
Luca glances at his phone to check the time and then nods. "Yeah. Someone should be there with Domani until they get tired of digging through the rubble."
"Call me when you're finished. We'll meet after." He flicks his gaze in my direction, not speaking, and then turns on his heel and strides off.
I sigh, tipping my head back to mutter a curse up at the cloudless blue sky.
It's going to be a long fucking night.
"The house survived," Aurelia says, looking up at me from the sofa when I step through the door an hour later, a tiny smile on her lips. She looks fucking stunning, as usual. Cristo. I never knew a simple set of curves could keep my dick so hard, but here we are. "So did all of your stuff."
"Good girl," I murmur, leaning over the back of the couch to kiss her.
She wrinkles her nose, sniffing the air. "You smell like smoke."
"I've been at a fire." I pinch the bridge of my nose. "And then the police station."
"A fire? What happened?"
"Someone burned down one of the Valentino warehouses."
Her eyes widen, fear shooting through them. "You don't think…"
I fucking hate that her mind immediately goes there. I hate it even more that I can't rule him out as a suspect for her, either. It very well could have been him. He's certainly high on my list right now. In fact, the motherfucker is at the top of it. But I'm not telling her that. She's been afraid of him for long enough.
"I don't know, little mouse." I brush my thumb across her cheek. "It might have been him. It could have been any number of other people, too. We'll figure it out and handle it like we always do."
She nibbles on her bottom lip, staring up at me with wide eyes.
"No one was hurt. That's all that matters."
"Okay," she whispers after a moment, relaxing slightly.
I lean down to kiss her again, but she leans away from me.
"No way. You stink. You're probably covered in all sorts of gross chemical stuff, too." She stares up at me, completely serious. "You should probably wash your hands before you touch your penis, Mattia. I read somewhere that testicular cancer is rampant amongst firefighters because of all the chemicals and things they deal with."
"Jesus Christ."
"I'm serious."
"I can see that, topolina." I chuckle, shaking my head. She's so fucking sweet. "I'll do even better than washing my hands. I'll go shower just for you."
She beams up at me, making my fucking heart flutter.
"I'm kissing you as soon as I'm clean," I warn her. "Don't think I'm not."
"We'll see," she says, mischief dancing in her eyes.
"Yeah, we'll see." I shake my head and stride toward the bedroom to shower, smiling. Christ, I love her. I never realized how empty my life and this house were until the last few days with her. Everything feels different now. Brighter, more alive. For the first time since my parents died, this place feels like a home. My life feels full.
One way or another, I intend to keep her. Whatever I have to do, I'll do. So long as it ends with her in my arms permanently, I'll do it.
Coda calls while I'm stripping out of my suit.
"Rafe called a meeting," he says by way of greeting.
"I know."
"Is it about her?"
"It is."
"You're telling him," he guesses.
"I am."
"Are you going to tell him that you drugged her and forced her to marry you?"
"Jesus Christ, Coda," I mutter.
"It's a valid question, Mattia. He's going to want to know how the fuck it happened."
I sigh heavily, tipping my head back to look up at the ceiling. "What do you want me say? That I fucking married her to protect the family? That I did what I had to do just like I always do? That I'm a fucking heartless asshole for it? You already knew that." I blow out a breath, falling silent for a moment. If that's what he wants, I can't give him that. Maybe I am an asshole, but I married her because she's fucking mine.