Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Rhi gave me a cheeky grin. “You love me?”
“You know I do. I wouldn’t do all of this for any damsel in distress.”
She smiled. “I want to hear you say the words.”
“I love you, Rhiannon.”
“Say it again.” She rocked her hips. I was hard again and still inside her. “And this time, I want you to tell me while you fuck me.”
Flipping Rhi onto her back, I whispered that I loved her, fucking her until she was exhausted. We lost ourselves for a long time before we were both spent and out of breath.
When she fell asleep on my chest, I lifted her in my arms. Achilles was awake now and followed us upstairs to the bedroom. I laid her naked body on the mattress. She was beautiful, covered in ink, and looked so damn peaceful.
“Marcello,” she muttered. “Please don’t go.”
“I have to leave, baby. Duty calls.”
Achilles whimpered, and I put him on the bed beside Rhi. He curled up into the crook of her arm.
I pushed the hair off her forehead, then bent down to kiss her skin. “I’ll be back before you know it. You know where to find the guns. Text me if you see anything suspicious. Call if you think you’re in danger.”
“I will,” she said with her eyes closed. “We’ll be here, waiting for you when you come home.”
Home. I liked the sound of that.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Marcello
It was Luca’s wedding. Unfortunately, what should have been a happy occasion was clouded with fear and danger. We all knew what we were risking. Offering Alex up to our enemies on a silver platter was a good way to lure them out of hiding but not the best idea. I assessed and then reassessed all the possibilities. My team had worked all week tirelessly to ensure we had every safeguard in place.
I stood at the entryway to the ballroom and observed the guests. We kept the list at a minimum, only family and close friends for the wedding ceremony. The reception would be tomorrow night.
Alex deserved a real wedding.
What girl didn’t want one?
For days, I couldn’t stop thinking about Rhi and the life I wanted with her. I still hadn’t found the courage to tell my dad that I wasn’t following his orders anymore. We were all too busy and focused on keeping Alex safe, ensuring the wedding went off without a hitch.
A hand clamped down on my shoulder. I turned my head and found my father beside me, an evil grin stretching the corners of his mouth.
“It’s almost time.”
“My team is ready,” I assured him. “Everyone is in place.”
“I think I know who took Alex.”
His confession shocked me. “Who?”
“My brother.”
“Claudio?” I raised an eyebrow. “Why would he want Alex?”
“Payback for stealing your mother from him.”
My mom was engaged to my uncle before she’d met my father. Claudio was mean and abusive. My dad wasn’t much better. But, for all of his faults, he had saved my mom from a life of misery.
“Are you certain?”
He shook his head. “No. But I spoke with The Founders Society. They have a new lead on the auction site. There are rumors Claudio owns the island and coordinated the auction with the owners of Il Circo.”
“When was the last time you heard from him?”
“After your mother refused to accept him as one of her Knights at Legare. He’s been off the grid for close to thirty years.”
“Why wait until now? It makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense. He knows what’s at stake for us. Alexandrea is pregnant and marrying Luca. She has secured our future. But this was never about Alexandrea.”
“He wants revenge,” I muttered. “What do you want me to do?”
“Double the guards. Put two men on every door, window, and balcony.”
“We have it under control.”
He nodded, then walked down the makeshift aisle. We turned the ballroom into a wedding chapel, complete with a carpeted aisle and strings of pearls hanging from the ceiling.
After all the guests arrived, the wedding procession began. I took my place beside Luca with the rest of the Knights. I was his best man, a role he’d ordered me to fulfill. Alex’s bridesmaids walked down the aisle to Italian orchestra music.
When the song changed, and Alex appeared in the doorway, my jaw unhinged. She wore a custom gown with a train that took up half the island, practically glowing as she walked with her twin brother. Aiden clutched her arm, holding her close. He was armed and ready, afraid to let Alex out of his sight.
I glanced at Luca, who stared at his bride without his usual predatory look. Instead, he looked like a man in love, desperate to marry his wife. My brother had transformed into a different man because of Alex. Of course, he was still an asshole. That much would never change, but he had softened somewhat from her influence.