Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“I thought I lost you forever,” she says, her words weak and hoarse as she cries. She's holding me so tightly I have to loosen her grip to pull back and look at her.
"Don't you know by now, il mio tesoro, nothing and no one will take you away from me? I'll never allow it."
Tears pour from her beautiful eyes as sobs overtake her. I pull her into me, claiming her salty lips into a searing kiss. Our tongues war with one another as the kiss deepens, full of hunger and desperation. We hold onto one another for dear life. The kiss would've kept going, but there's a thud behind us. I turn to see Elias on the ground.
Just as I move over, Marco comes up, pushing Victorio out of the way to get to his brother.
"Elias, what've you done?" Marco says, shoving his hands down on his bloody shoulder, staunching the blood flow.
"What was needed just like you have," Elias says, his tone weak as his head slumps to the side.
Melina cries in my arms. "No! Is he...did he..." She can't finish the words as she trembles.
"He's alive, but we need to get him to the hospital," Marco replies.
"Take the helicopter with the other men. Now that we have the girls, we have time. We can attack Dracos in a couple of days. We will send him the bodies of his sons as an announcement of our arrival.
Marco flinches but nods. He looks back into the plane cabin, where he sees Helena. Still kneeling over Elias, his hand pressed to the wound, he can't take his eyes off her. "Are you okay?"
"Why would you care?" she asks dryly.
He squints his eyes at her. "We'll talk when I get back."
"I doubt I will be here."
"You better be, or I'll be hunting you down,” he says, stoically.
Marco is cool and confident, but that is the promise of a desperate man. He sounds a bit like I did when I was claiming his sister.
She laughs dryly. "Sure, whatever." I can tell she doesn't believe it.
Marco huffs out an angry sigh, picking up his brother.
"Let's get you girls into a safe place," Victorio says, moving out of Marco's way.
I smile down at Lina.
"I already am," she whispers, as I do my best to dry her slowing tears. Our lips meet again as I pick her up and carry her down the steps to the helicopter. "I knew you would save me, but how did you get here so fast?"
"Because I was already close to Athens. I wasn't going to let that bastard hurt you. I’m never going to let him hurt you again."
"I know you’re going to get my father, Antonio, but you have to do it quickly. Eli told me he has my other two brothers chained in the dungeon for refusing to kill Marco. He will kill them."
"Quit worrying. I will deal with your father. For now, I need to concentrate on my wife and make sure you’re okay," I argue, getting us into the second helicopter. I move us so she’s forced to straddle my lap. I need to see her beautiful face and reassure myself she’s real. I move my hands up her back into her hair, our eyes locking.
"I love you," she whispers and this tightness around my heart loosens. It is hard to believe a few moments ago I was desperate enough to do anything to ensure this moment would happen and now… Melina’s back. She’s in my arms.
"Prove it," I dare, bunching her dress in my hands and pulling it above her thighs.
Victorio clears his throat from the doorway. "We will just take a taxi to the hotel you secured, boss."
I don't bother replying as he closes the door. I keep my eyes on Melina and don’t break the contact—even as the pilot takes off. I pull back to let my eyes roam over my woman. "You know what I want, Lina. Are you going to give it to me?" I ask.
She looks at the pilot and the co-pilot. They can clearly see us with all the mirrors everywhere. The helicopter itself basically being a giant window with how many it has. What she doesn't realize is how little the pilot can hear over the chatter in his headphones, so unless we have them on, this will be a silent movie. I’m probably being a bastard, but I don’t have it in me to wait to have her. I need her submission. Fuck, I have to be buried inside her to prove she’s real and I’m not dreaming.
Melina looks back at me and I can tell she's debating it. I'm waiting to see what she'll decide. I know my fingers are digging into her thighs, my desire for her killing me. A smile teases my lips as she swallows nervously.