“On my life, brother,” Fed says solemnly. “Nothing will happen to her.”
I grip his shoulder. “I’m counting on that.”
Leaving the warehouse, I climb back into my car. My phone buzzes—Marco calling.
“I heard about Miami,” Marco says when I answer. “You need legal cover for the trip?”
“No. This is personal, not business. But I need you to keep an eye on things here. If the cops start sniffing around those spray-painted crests, we need to make sure nothing leads back to our other operations.”
“Already on it,” Marco assures me. “And Silvo? Watch your back down there. The Morettis are playing dirty.”
“When don’t they?” I mutter before hanging up.
As I pull into our driveway, I see Carmela waiting for me on the front steps. Her face shows concern, but there’s a steely determination in her eyes that matches my own.
I approach her, cupping her face in my hands. “I’ll be gone three, maybe four days.”
She nods, leaning into my touch. “Just... come back to me.”
In that moment, I realize just how much she’s come to mean to me. This isn’t just about protecting my family’s interests anymore. It’s about protecting her, us, what we’ve built together.
I pull her close, inhaling the scent of her hair. “Always,” I whisper, allowing myself this moment of vulnerability before the storm that’s about to break.
I pull back from our embrace just enough to capture her lips with mine. The kiss is desperate, heated, and filled with everything I can’t put into words. My hands slide into her hair as I deepen the kiss, tasting her, memorizing every sensation.
My chest aches with the thought of leaving her. These past months, she’s become more than just my arranged wife. She’s my anchor, my fire, my everything. The way she matches my intensity, challenges me, drives me wild. I never expected to find this with her.
Her fingers dig into my shoulders as she presses closer. I groan into her mouth, backing her against the wall of the house. I need to feel her, to brand this moment into my memory before I leave for Miami.
“You’re mine to come back to,” I whisper against her lips.
My mind races with all the dangers waiting in Miami. The Morettis won’t stop at just one shipment. They’ll keep pushing, testing our limits. And here I am, leaving Carmela behind when all I want is to stay and protect her myself.
But I have no choice. I’m the head of the De Luca family. This is my responsibility, my burden to bear. I have to handle this personally, show strength, or we’ll appear weak to our enemies.
I break the kiss, resting my forehead against hers. Her breath comes in short pants, matching my own ragged breathing. Those fierce green eyes lock onto mine, full of understanding and something deeper that makes my heart clench.
“Fed’s staying here with you,” I murmur, stroking her cheek. “Leo and the security team will be posted around the property. No one gets near you without going through them first.”
But it’s not the same as being here myself. Not the same as holding her in my arms, knowing she’s safe. The thought of being apart, even for a few days, feels like physical pain.
I capture her lips again, pouring all my conflicted emotions into the kiss. Her soft moan nearly breaks my resolve to leave.
I force myself to pull back, my breathing ragged. The look in her eyes nearly undoes me. Our arranged marriage has become something real, something vital, and now I have to leave her.
“I’ll call you every day,” I promise, running my thumb across her lower lip. “This won’t take long.”
Carmela nods, her fingers digging into my shoulders. “Make them pay, Silvo.”
Her bloodthirsty response makes me smirk despite everything. She understands this life—my life—better than I ever expected.
My phone buzzes—my driver is waiting with the car. It’s time.
Upstairs, I grab my bag, which Carmela packed for me, taking one last look at our bedroom—the bed we share, the life we’re building together.
As we descend the stairs, I feel her strength beside me. In just a few months, she’s become not just my wife but my partner in every sense. Whatever happens in Miami, I know I’m coming back to her.
At the door, Fed appears, his expression serious for once. “I’ve got her, Silvo. Go handle business.”
