While Elle fought to save Jimmy’s life, I walked the wreckage of the mansion. The front gate was nothing but twisted steel and rubble—blown apart by a car bomb. They parked the vehicle, loaded with explosives, and fled. Our guard gave chase, but the blast caught him before he could stop the coward.
Three more men fell in the assault. Their blood stains the stone, their absence weighs on me. Their families will be compensated. More than that—I will meet them myself. It is my duty to tell them their sacrifice was not in vain.
Luckily, the soldiers I left at the mansion were able to hold off the intruders, long enough for us to arrive with reinforcement. Since placing Jimmy as Elle’s bodyguard, I made sure he knew about the safe room. It was a contingency plan, in case I wasn’t physically present to protect her. Only two other people who are privy to the existence of the room, Dante and Dario.
During any assault on the mansion, the household staff are ordered to remain in the servants’ quarters to minimize casualties. The responsibility for protecting everyone inside falls to my men and me.
When the turmoil subsided, the staff emerged from their refuge, prepared to restore the mansion to its former state. Anna quickly assumed command of the servants. Fortunately, the interior suffered little damage—only a handful of intruders managed to break in, intent on abducting my wife. The cleanup crew has since erased every trace of the incident.
The distance from our nearest neighbor made it easier to conceal what had unfolded in the night. By daybreak, Dante already had men working on the gate, their tools clattering in the cold morning air. Everyone moved with a sharpened vigilance, the weight of unease pressing on each glance and gesture.
Unfortunately, none of the intruders were left alive to interrogate. While my wife was busy in the infirmary, I wasdebriefed. Before my office could be cleared of the dead body, we made use of the library.
“How the hell did this happen? We were supposed to eliminate the threat to my wife last night.” My voice is a low growl, frustration burning through every word. I knew the Albanians would strike, but I misread their play—it was only a diversion. Underestimating them was my mistake, and the thought that it nearly cost me her life makes my blood boil.
“Dom, didn’t you say that you had a source who confirmed the attack on the shipment?” Dante asks calmly. He is seated like the other men in the room, while I pace. Too agitated to sit still. “Do you think that he was lying?” He adds. “No, I don’t think that’s possible. My source was one of Pavlov’s men, who had infiltrated the Albanian organization. Pavlov has no reason to feed us false information as it wouldn’t be in his best interest to do so.”
“Do you think that his source could have?” Nico questions. I know that out of all the men in this room, he is the only one who could possibly understand my panic when my wife was in danger. His wife being present in my home, also placed his woman at risk.
“Maybe Alban realized there was a traitor among his men. Do you think he suspected, or was his cover blown?” The thought twists in my gut. “Shit—I need to warn Pavlov.” He picks up on the first ring, his voice cutting through the silence. I switch to speaker, and Dario, Dante, and Nico lean in, every ear tuned in to what he has to say..
“Vitelli, I was just about to call you. I was unable to get in contact with my man. He has gone silent.” He says worry in his voice. “Do you think that he could have been compromised? My fucking home was attacked, while I was occupied with amateurs.” My anger returns as I think about how we were tricked.
“They must have intentionally fed him details about the shipment attack,” Pavlov said. “It’s possible they kept the strike on your mansion hidden on purpose. Sergio going silent is out of character. If he’d known of any plan against your home, he would have warned us.”
“Do you think he managed to evade capture?” I asked, the thought gnawing at me that Sergio had been discovered. “Or that he’s still alive?” “I don’t know,” Pavlov replied. His voice carried little hope, as if he already believed his man hadn’t survived.
Chapter 33
~Elle~
Since the chaos of last night, I haven’t had a moment to truly reflect. Morning has already broken. As I check on Jimmy, I fight to keep the exhaustion from overwhelming me, the adrenaline that carried me through the night now fading fast. He sleeps peacefully, no doubt eased by the opiates given to dull his pain.
With Doctor Samuel and Jane’s help, we managed to treat every man wounded in the skirmish. Their injuries ranged in severity, though none as grave as Jimmy’s. Now, he’s the only one who remains in the infirmary.
He is lucky to be alive. If Dominic hadn’t arrived in time to stop that second bullet. I shudder to think of what would have happened. Luckily, the bullet didn’t cause as much damage as I originally anticipated. I had to painstakingly dig it out from where it was lodged into his muscle, close to vital blood vessels. Jimmy is not out of the woods yet, he did lose quite a bit of blood and is at risk of infection. Hopefully, his recovery will go smoothly. He’ll be monitored for the next twenty-four hours for complications.
As I was checking Jimmy’s dressing, Dominic stepped into the room. His voice jolted me from my thoughts. “Damn it, Angel, why are you still here instead of in bed? You were up all night,” he muttered. “I just wanted one last look at Jimmy’s wound before I rest. What are you doing?” I asked, startled. “Put me down, now.” My protest carried little conviction as Dominic lifted me in his arms, bridal-style, and carried me out of the infirmary. My husband was right—I was exhausted. “Don’t worry,” he said firmly. “Doctor Samuel and Jane will watch overJimmy and call you if anything changes. You need sleep and I need to hold you.”
His words silence me and I nestle my face into the crook of his neck. Savouring the comfort of his embrace as he carries me to our bedroom. Mid-morning sunlight streams through the windows, bright and unyielding. After laying me gently on the bed, Dominic draws the drapes closed, shutting out the light and wrapping the room in shadow.
He begins to remove his suit which he changed into at some point within the last few hours. Shedding the black clothing he had on earlier. Following suit, I begin to undress removing my jeans and bra, tossing them on the chair beside the bed. Too tired to change into my sleepwear, I climb under the covers in my T-shirt.
Dominic joins me, dressed only in his usual sleepwear—just his underwear. He pulls me close against his chest and together we savor the quiet comfort of the moment. “Elle, I’m sorry. You were supposed to be safe here at home,” he murmurs.
“You’re not God, Dominic. You couldn’t have foreseen what happened last night,” I reply, tracing the tattoos across his chest. “Besides, you didn’t leave me unprotected.”
“If anything had happened to you. I don’t know what I’d do.” He murmurs. “Well, it’s a good thing that nothing did.” I tease, pinching his nipple to lighten his mood. He chuckles, then crushes my lips with his. It is so easy to lose control when he does that. But Dominic pulls away abruptly to my disappointment. “No, Angel. You need to sleep. We have a lifetime for this.”I close my eyes, a smile tugging at my lips as hope swells inside me.
Just before sleep claims me, love overwhelms me. I whisper, “I love you.” The only indication Dominic gives that he hears is the subtle tightening of his arms around me. I don’t know if it’s wishful thinking, or just my desperation to hearthose three words spoken back to me. But I could swear his breath tickles my ear, as he whispers, “I love you too, Angel.”
And just like that, all is right in my world.
Chapter 34
~Dominic~
It’s been three months since the Albanians stormed my home. Since then, security has been tightened, every measure upgraded. In that time, the alliance between the Russians and New York’s Cosa Nostra has only grown stronger.
