“They died because they married me. I think I played the main role in their deaths.” He saw the fear flicker in my eyes and added, gently, “I didn’t kill them, Emily.”
A wave of relief washed over me but it didn’t last.
“But their deaths weren’t suicides either.They were murdered. Carmen killed them. She believed if they had children, it would strengthen my position and mess up her plans with Giuseppe. I warned them both to stay away from her, but they didn’t listen. They trusted her. Fell for her act and she found a way to eliminate them.”
“Oh my God… that’s horrifying,” I whispered.
“Yes, it is.”
He leaned back; eyes focused on the ceiling. “What Carmen didn’t realize was that their deaths didn’t weaken me. They made me stronger. In this world, blood and fear are currency. And men like me, men with a name soaked in rumors and violence, get respected. The nickname only secured my place at the top.”
He paused for a moment before saying, “But in the end, two women paid for it. And that’s on me.”
“Why didn’t you expose Carmen’s crime?”
“Because it would’ve destroyed my father’s reputation.A capo who can’t control his wife? That’s seen as weakness. The kind that gets you replaced, or killed.”
I saw something shift in him. His nostrils flared, and a flicker of rage passed through his eyes. It reminded me too much of how he looked when talking about Lucia.
I could’ve pushed. Could’ve asked why Carmen never went after her. But I didn’t. Instead, I climbed onto his lap, took his hand, and placed it on my breast. Our foreheads touched. I felt the tension ease from his body, little by little.
He exhaled. Arms wrapped around me. I kissed him slow, soft, lips brushing his as I whispered, “How about we take this morning’s fun into the shower?”
A smile tugged at his mouth. He gently bit my bottom lip, then tightened his hold on me and stood up in one smooth move. I squealed, legs wrapping around his waist as he carried me.
Clinging to him like a koala bear, I giggled all the way into the bathroom. He turned on the water, and soon the heat of the shower was rolling down our skin, drenching us, washing everything else away.
TWENTY-ONE
Emily
I was dragged out of sleep by the feel of wet kisses trailing down my body. My brain struggled to catch up. One eye cracked open, then shut again, overwhelmed by the morning light.
Carlo’s weight pinned me to the mattress. He was completely naked, his skin hot against mine, every inch of him pressing me down. His hands gripped my wrists, stretching my arms wide into the sheets, while his leg forced mine apart and locked me in place. I couldn’t move, caught under him, my pulse hammering.
His mouth found my neck, his voice rough in my ear. “Wake up, baby. Morning’s here.” He sucked hard at the sensitive spot below my ear, teeth grazing until I whimpered, heat shooting through me. “My sweet girl…” His words vibrated against my skin, making me shiver.
By the time his mouth crashed against mine, my body was already trembling with need. He pushed into me slow and deep, filling me until I gasped, but this time arousal dulled the edge of pain. My breath steadied as his feral eyes locked on mine, hunger blazing.
Then he said it, low and rough, trembling with heat. “Happy Birthday.”
A spark of excitement flared within me. I had completely forgotten it. I didn’t even know what day it was anymore. No phone. No internet. No calendar. Time had blurred. But if Carlo was right, that meant I’d been in this house for exactly four months.
His hand slid between my thighs, fingers finding my clit with ease. A shiver shot through me as he worked slow, rhythmic circles. He always knew exactly how to touch me.
I arched into him, body giving permission without a single word. He thrust slowly, measured, dragging out every second. Then he sat back on his knees, still deep inside, spreading my legs wider as he drank me in.
His eyes roamed over my body, then down to the place where we were joined. The sight made me moan. I propped myself up on my elbows, looking down at him. The view of his thick cock buried inside me, his stare drilled into me, sent another wave of heat crashing through me.
Carlo moved with a steady rhythm, every thrust controlled and precise, driving me insane. Without breaking eye contact, he slowly pulled out, then pushed back in, teasing, torturous.
“Harder, Carlo,” I whimpered, voice shaking with need. “Please. Fuck me harder.”
But he didn’t change a thing. His pace stayed slow. That wicked smirk spread across his face as he watched me squirm beneath him. The bastard was doing it on purpose.
Savoring my frustration.
I narrowed my eyes and then, like a lioness ready to pounce, I flipped him onto his back in one swift motion. His deep, rumbling laugh filled the room.
