“Nonna,” Mariella whines. “We have to work today. You’ll put us in a food coma.”
Nonna ignores that remark and promptly starts making me a plate with enough pancakes to feed six men.
I take my seat beside my wife and lean in, brushing my lips against her ear. “How are you this morning?”
“I’m fine.” She offers me a warm, genuine smile.
It’s a little unsettling how well she’s adapted to turning off her emotions.
“Abella,” I lower my voice.
“Angelo, I’m fine,” she promises.
“What are you two whispering about over there?” Mariella asks.
Abella’s gaze lingers on my face, the gentle flare of desire in her eyes. When she answers Mariella, it comes out a little breathless.
“Nothing.”
“Duly noted,” Mariella says. “I don’t want to know.”
Her chair scrapes against the floor as she rises from her seat. Much to my irritation, it pulls Abella from the moment.
“I have patients to see, so I’m off.”
“And I have a client to meet.” Valentina joins her.
“Val, you’ll have extra guards with you from now on,” I tell her.
She frowns. “Is that really necessary?”
“Yes.” I lean back, my palm drifting over Abella’s thigh beneath the table. “While you’re under my protection, that’s nonnegotiable. Same goes for you, Mariella.”
All three women exchange a brief glance, something silent passing between them. They look concerned, and I don’t know why, but I’ll need to find out what they’ve been up to.
Val and Mariella grab their plates and carry them to the kitchen, where Nonna has seemingly disappeared to.
“I have to leave in thirty minutes,” Abella says. “I should finish getting ready.”
She rises from her seat, prepared to run off, and I grab her by the arm. When she turns to face me, I see something I didn’t expect in her eyes. She’s embarrassed.
“Abella.” I graze the length of her arm and take her hand in mine.
“I wasn’t crying for him,” she says.
“Okay.”
She hesitates a moment before she continues. “Last night, you told me his punishment was for me. But I want you to do it for my mother and those other women and their babies.”
With a tug, I pull her onto my lap and tilt her face up to mine. “I’ll do it for all of you.”
She nods, exhaling a shaky breath. “I want to know when he’s dead, too.”
“You’ll be the first.”
My gaze drifts to her lips. Fuck, I want to kiss her. I want to do other things too—like spread her out on this table and eat her pussy for breakfast. It’s been far too long since I’ve been inside her, and I’m still aching from being pressed up against her lastnight. In an ideal world, I’d stay home and fuck her all day, but we both have things to do.
“Go get ready.” I release her reluctantly. “I’ll be joining you on the ride to the city.”
