Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
He was proud of them. He wanted the best for them. He worried about them every day just as a parent would.
Her fingers were back tracing the line of his jaw, featherlight then moving over his bottom lip. It felt like caring. Like love. His gut tightened into hard knots. At the same time there was a curious melting sensation in the region of his heart. She didn’t make grand gestures, but he didn’t want or need them.
There was the look in her eyes. The touch of her fingers. The way she seemed to know whether he was happy or sad.
“Geno, I don’t mind your brothers being with us. We don’t want them hurt. We can tell them at the very last minute. I know you want them there. I do as well. I like the idea of having brothers, even though they are terrible teases.”
He took her hand, turned it over and pressed a kiss into the center of her palm, love for her overwhelming him, the way he found it did more and more. She understood him. He didn’t need to tell her that he wanted his brothers to be with him when he married the woman he was in love with. He had to swallow the lump in his throat before he could respond. As it was, his normal rasp was deeper than ever.
“Fortunately, you have a good sense of humor. You’ll need it with those two.”
“I think they like the idea of having a sister,” Amaranthe said. “Lucca, in particular, loves to give me the worst nicknames.”
Geno couldn’t help laughing. “The sad truth is, Lucca doesn’t even need time to think up the crap he comes up with. He’s quick-witted. Staying in front of that one can be a full-time occupation.”
“I’m up for the challenge,” Amaranthe assured. “In fact, I welcome it.” She covered a yawn and sank deeper into the pillows. “I’m sorry, honey, I can’t seem to keep my eyes open.”
He brushed a kiss along her temple. “You go to sleep, while I run your bath. I’ll come back and get you when it’s ready.”
Her laughter was smothered by the pillow. “You do follow rules when the rules are for someone else, don’t you?”
Geno looked down at the woman who had changed his life completely. He’d do anything to keep her healthy and safe, and that included following rules even if he had never really followed them in his life.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Did you break into my house?” Geno demanded. “Even shadow riders can’t break in.”
Dario waved the question away and pushed aside Fiero’s weapon. “Don’t point that at me. It just pisses me off. You need to see this report Brielle turned in.” He turned his head to look over his shoulder. “Where the hell are Elie and Val?”
“They probably have a sense of decorum,” Geno muttered, but he took the papers out of Dario’s hand.
“Not decorum,” Elie denied, sticking his head a lot more cautiously above the stairwell. “A very healthy dose of self-preservation.”
“Fucking pussy,” Dario muttered. “Ever since you and Val married, you’ve turned into a couple of babies afraid to stick your necks out. Geno could have been dead by now. He needed this information as soon as possible. It’s not like we could send it over a computer.”
He looked past Geno to Amaranthe, who sat up cautiously, pulling the covers over obviously bare skin. “Good morning, Amara.”
“I’m not certain it is morning, Dario, but hello to you, too. Thank you for risking your life to bring Geno whatever news you have. That was terribly courageous of you.”
“Don’t encourage him, Amaranthe, or you’ll regret it for life,” Geno said. “If you don’t mind vacating our bedroom, Dario, we’ll meet you downstairs. Light the fire so the room warms up faster. I’d text Stefano rather than go into his bedroom. Francesca is home, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t sleeping with a gun.”
“You should be sleeping with a gun,” Dario said. “You have your woman to protect. You shouldn’t rely so heavily on your bodyguards or your security.”
Geno drew back the covers and showed Dario the firearm that had been aimed directly at him. Amaranthe did the same.
“You would have been a dead man if I hadn’t recognized you immediately, or if you’d made one wrong move toward my woman,” Geno said.
Dario raised an eyebrow. “Good to know. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Amaranthe waited until Dario and the others had gone downstairs before she turned to Geno. “That was certainly risky on Dario’s part, and he didn’t have to do it. Why do you suppose he did? He doesn’t seem like the type of man to show off his skills. If anything, he seems like he prefers to fade into the background.”
Geno noted the worry in her voice. It echoed the uneasiness he’d been feeling for a long time when he was in Dario’s presence. Amaranthe had good instincts. She seemed to be confirming what had been lurking at the back of his mind for some time.