With my newfound freedom, I finally went for a much-needed shopping trip after visiting with Andrea. Not just to get some new clothes that don’t make me look like a hooker but also because it reminds me of just how much I’ve missed true freedom. I don’t take it for granted anymore.
Even though I’m not truly free-free. There’s still a guard following me around wherever I go. He’d prevent me from running or going somewhere other than the agreed locations, and I’m sure he’d call Marcello the minute I’d go missing.
Trust is hard-earned with Marcello.
But now that he finally told me he wants me, not just my body, I’m not even sure I still want to escape. When he kissed me, it felt like the world around us disappeared, and there was only him and me. And I’m not sure I could give that up … or that I even want to at this point.
Do I still want to run?
Or do I want to stay and see where this goes?
I shake my head as the car drives onto the parking lot near the house. It’s been only hours since I was here, yet it feels like ages since I last felt his arms around me.
Have I really fallen for this man?
I sigh and rub my belly as the car comes to a stop. This baby is the connection between us, and it only further strengthens the feelings I have for Marcello. But is it really okay to bring a child into a world as violent as the one I’m in?
The guard opens the door, and I thank him even though I shouldn’t feel grateful. After all, he’s only here to keep me in check. But a part of me knows he’s also there to make me feel safe, and I appreciate that.
Marcello cares about me.
He doesn’t just want his guards to make sure I don’t run a second time. He wants to keep me out of enemy hands. And that means I’m valuable to him.
So I let out a sigh and head inside with a smile on my face.
“Where’s Marcello?” I ask the guard near the door.
The guy points at the gym, so I go there, stopping when I hear Marcello’s gut-wrenching roars.
Clutching the door, I peek inside. Marcello is punching a bag so hard that it split his knuckles, blood covering the bag. I gulp, watching him take out his rage. I’ve never seen him quite like this, and I don’t know whether to approach or to back away.
“FUCK!” he roars, slamming into the bag so hard it rips at the seam, causing the contents to spill out onto the floor.
Marcello grumbles and leans against the broken bag, his breaths ragged. He looks like something is really bothering him. Maybe I should go to him. It would help him trust me more if I showed interest.
So I take a deep breath and walk toward him. When he notices me, his angered eyes soften a little, but he remains restless and on edge.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
He pants and wipes the sweat off his forehead. “My consigliere … Claudio. He was taken.”
My eyes widen. “Taken? What do you mean?”
“Stefan, the Polish don.” He’s still panting to catch his breath. “We went to him for an alliance. But it was an ambush.”
He stumbles away from the bag, searching for his water bottle, but almost loses balance. I catch him in time to help him sit down. He jerks away, and barks, “I don’t need your help.”
“Sorry,” I say, making a face.
He sighs and picks up his towel, running it across his neck. “I apologize. I don’t want to take it out on you.”
He normally never apologizes this quickly. It must be really bothering him that he lost both Claudio and the mission. “Claudio means a lot to you, doesn’t he?”
He nods. “Claudio has been my confidante since I took up the task to become don for this family. He’s been with us for as long as I can remember. He knows every intricate detail about this family. Every detail that I overlook.” He rubs his temples with his index finger and thumb. “I must find him and rescue him from their claws. If only I fucking knew where they’d taken him.”
He slams his fist onto the bench. “Goddammit, why did I run? Why didn’t I stay there and kill those sons of bitches like I was supposed to?”
He picks up the water bottle from the floor and starts gulping down huge quantities.
“You’re the don. No one expects you to sacrifice yourself for the family.”
“But he did!” he yells, tearing his water bottle away from his mouth. “Claudio sacrificed himself for me.”
I rub his back to show my support and to calm him down a little. It’s the least I can do. “He wanted you to stay alive. If you hadn’t gotten out, his sacrifice would’ve been in vain.”
He gets up from the bench and starts pacing.
“How am I supposed to fucking save you from Molly and Frank if I can’t even keep my own men safe?” he rants. “Why did I have to go in there so fucking unprepared? One stupid decision and it could cost him his life.”
“Marcello,” I say.
“Maybe he’s already dead,” he continues, completely oblivious to what I said. “And it’s all my fucking fault.”
“Marcello …”
“Claudio knew it was a trap. He warned me. But I threw his mistrust aside because I thought Stefan was the only way for me to gain enough men and weapons to defeat the Irish. And now I’m left barehanded with a missing consigliere. FUCK!”
I stand. “MARCELLO!”
“WHAT?”
His face is like that of a demon, almost glowing red hot with rage, and I have to do my very best not to explode right back at him.
“What’s done is done,” I say. “Stop focusing on what you did wrong, and start focusing on how to save him and get things done.”
He pauses and looks at me for a second, the darkness in his eyes slowly fading away. Approaching me, he nods a few times and then grabs my face and smashes his lips onto mine. Just once, but the kiss is enough to make me feel light-headed. Damn, those lips of his.
“Thank you, Kitten,” he says, rubbing his nose against mine. “You’re right.”
I’m right? Well, that’s something else I’ve never heard coming from his mouth either.
“And I should take more of your words into consideration,” he says, pressing another kiss to my forehead.
Then he turns around and bolts off, throwing the towel in the corner of the gym.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“To do what you told me to,” he replies, throwing me a wicked glance over his shoulder. “Save my fucking consigliere and bring him back home.”
