I gaze down at her as she sleeps. She finally gave me her body – all of her. Her mind and heart. I don’t deserve it but I want it. In this moment, I realize I don’t want to fuck it up.
We started off in a rocky place. I married her to get close to her father. She wanted me dead. It wasn’t good. But now we’ve made something and for the first time in my life, I want to choose someone other than myself. I want to choose her.
Ciara stirs awake and blinks up at me. Her eyes are soft. “Hi.”
“Hi. How are you this morning?”
“Sore,” she admits. “But I don’t regret it. I wanted that to happen. I wanted to be with you.”
“You still want to be with me now that it’s the morning?”
“Yes. I do.” She rests her hand over my heart. “I want us to make this work.”
I place my hand over hers. “Then we’ll make this work.”
We share a smile together – a moment I could stay in forever. Until my phone rings, breaking us apart.
“It’s your father,” I say, holding my phone up.
“It may be important.” She slips out of bed, showing me her delectable naked body, before she slips on a robe. “I’ll let you talk to him.”
I pick up the call after she leaves the room. “Patrick?”
“Marco. We have another lead on Will Taylor. I know he managed to escape. We can ambush his house this time. Kill him and his wife. That will hurt Enzo. Weaken him so we can take power.”
I hesitate. For the first time in a year, I don’t know if I need more power. “Patrick, is this such a smart idea? Going into war with the mafia.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “Isn’t this what you wanted? We both want more power.”
“Of course it is. But I’m not sure killing everyone in sight is the way to go. We can weaken Enzo by stealing his drug and gun shipments and taking them for ourselves. We can gain more money that way which will lead to more power.”
“Where is this coming from?”
I’m falling in love with your daughter,I realize. “I just don’t want my father-in-law to get killed. Frankly, I don’t want to get killed. I’m not sure this ambush is a good idea.”
“Well, I think it’s a great idea. We’re doing this, Marco. You married my daughter to be in an alliance with me. Don’t forget your place.”
How could I? “Fine,” I grumble. “We’ll go after Will tonight.”
“Perfect.” He hangs up before I can.
Shit. If I go after Will, Ciara may never forgive me. The only reason she gave me her entire body was because I didn’t kill Will. But this is what Patrick wants.
I don’t tell Ciara about the plan as I go about my day. I tell her I have to leave for work and she tells me she can’t wait for me to return home. She seems just so… happy. I’m going to have to break my promise to her all over again.
I meet up with Patrick so we can go over to Will’s house. “How did you find out where he lived?” I ask. “I’ve been looking for the past year.” I sit beside him in the passenger seat as he drives. Multiple men of his follow behind. This death is going to happen. Both Will and Gianna will be killed.
It should bring me comfort. I’ve wanted both of them dead for the past year. But ever since Ciara entered my life, things have changed.I’vechanged. I’m not sure I want to do this.
“I have contacts all over, Marco. I am a powerful man already. I just want more of it.”
“What if this war puts Ciara in danger? If we leave Enzo and Will alone, Ciara won’t be at risk.”
Patrick hesitates, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “I have thought of that. But we’re in too deep now. We both want this and we’ll both keep Ciara safe.”
“And Cormac? Did he tell you how he tried to kill me again?”
“I’ll handle my son. I promise. Now, let’s go take down an empire.” He parks the car down the street from Will’s house. “It’s just up there.”
