Memories of the last time he was inside me flood my mind. The image of his lips trailing over every curve of my body. His hands squeezing my breasts, claiming them. A throb pulses between my legs, and my throat tightens with heat.
I reach out, letting my fingers graze the hand resting on his knee. His head turns toward me, his gaze sharp enough to cut. His dark brows knit slightly, and his penetrating stare locks onto mine.
Tilting my head, I rest it against the back of the seat.
This time, he turns fully toward me, leaning in close. His hand slips under my hair, cupping the back of my neck. His lips hover just above mine, close enough that I can see the faint grooves etched across their fullness.
He doesn’t kiss me right away, letting the tension build. I can feel the heat of his body radiating toward me, the space between us charged with need.
Grateful for the privacy of the enclosed cabin, I lift my arms and wrap them around his neck, pulling him closer. My lips find his bottom lip, tugging it between mine, and I kiss him. I kiss him like a starved woman, drinking in every ounce of him.
Our mouths meet in a heated, consuming kiss. His free hand slides up my leg, gliding beneath the fabric of my dress, until it reaches my core. A moan escapes me, muffled by his mouth.
He tilts his head, deepening the kiss, his rough stubble grazing my skin. The intoxicating blend of his scent, cigarettes and whiskey, fills my nostrils, embedding itself into me as if it belongs there.
Desire grips me so fiercely that if it weren’t for this swollen belly between us, I’d climb onto his lap and take him deep inside me without hesitation—something I never imagined craving, yet here I am. Tony strokes my clit, pushing me closer to the edge of insanity.
Just then, the car lurches sharply, throwing Tony off balance. His body falls against mine for a split second before he steadies himself and pulls back, his eyes wide with concern.
“I’m fine, don’t worry,” I reassure him softly.
His gaze shifts from worry to fury in an instant. He slides open the small divider window to the driver’s cabin.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
Through the gap, I glimpse Rafael gripping a large automatic weapon.
“They’re on us, boss. A lot of them.”
Panic wells up as I glance out the window, spotting a car pacing alongside ours.
A gunshot shatters the tense silence, making me flinch. Tony reacts instantly, gently pushing me down onto the seat so my head rests on his lap. As he strokes my hair, he leans close, his voice a steady whisper.
“Don’t be scared. The car’s bulletproof, and my best men are with us.”
Before I can process his words, another car slams into ours, causing a violent jolt that twists my stomach and rips a scream from my throat.
Tony mutters a curse under his breath, his arm bracing my side to keep me from sliding to the floor. He pulls his pistol from its shoulder holster quickly, scanning the windows for threats.
The driver expertly corrects the car’s course, but another vehicle speeds up alongside us, firing a hail of bullets into the rear door. My eyes squeeze shut in terror, but when no pain comes, I realize Tony was right, the car is bulletproof.
The gunfire continues, deafening and relentless. When I open my eyes again, a lifeless body dangles halfway out of a window, blood pooling below. The car swerves a few more times before the chaos finally subsides.
Tony leans over me, his lips brushing against the curve of my ear as he whispers, “It’s over. Are you okay?”
Terror seizes me so completely that I can’t speak. Tony cups my face, his lips finding mine in a grounding kiss. “You’re safe, Lucia. Our baby is safe. Breathe.”
He grabs a small piece of chocolate from the minibar and gently places it between my lips. The sweetness melts in my mouth, coaxing my senses back to life.
“Are you sure we lost them?” I ask, my voice finally steadying.
“I promise. There’s no danger anymore. Do you need us to go back to the doctor?”
I shake my head. The shock lingers, but I’m Pietro DeLucci’s daughter. I won’t crumble. I attempt to sit up, and Tony wraps an arm around my shoulders, helping me. Once upright, I pull away, wrapping my hands protectively around my belly.
Tony turns his attention to his phone, issuing commands to his men, leaving me alone with my spiraling fears—fears for a child who hasn’t even taken her first breath in this world yet but already has death lurking in every shadow.
***
