Page 144 of Tempting My Mafia Monster

Oh, well, that would do it. I grabbed her shoulders and hugged her. “I’ll make sure he gets back in one piece. And then we’ll sort this shit out, okay?”

“Grazie.”

We walked out to the entourage of cars and soldiers. Giovanni, Alessio and Maddox stood beside the cars, deep in conversation. Yet Maddox’s eyes met Soraya’s across the driveway. The faintest smile tugged at his lips before he folded his hands behind his back. Yeah. If I hadn’t believed it before, I did now. That was a man in love.

I kissed the top of her head, then made my way over to them. Gio turned at the sound of my boots and glared.

“About ‌time, Santino. That was the longest thirty seconds in existence.”

“Can a man not say goodbye to his wife in peace?” I replied, taking the gun from a soldier’s hands, checking it was loaded, and placing it in my holster.

“Is it just a massive coincidence that you two look like you’ve been through two rounds in the boxing ring?” Alessio said, leaning back against the car door as his eyes flicked between Maddox’s cut lip and swollen eye and my bruised cheek.

“Complete coincidence,” I muttered, taking my knife from the soldier and stashing it in my boot. I scanned Maddox’s black cargo trousers, boots and tight black T-shirt, searching for a weapon.

“He needs a gun,” I said, causing Alessio and Gio to look Maddox up and down.

“I’m better with my hands,” he said.

“So is a gorilla. But a bullet will still take them out faster.”

Alessio smothered a smile behind his hand. “We’ve got plenty of guns. He’ll have one. The question is, does he know how to use it?”

“Maybe I should get some quick target practice in,” Maddox said, folding his arms and looking me straight in the eye.

“Careful, Moriarty,” I smirked, heading towards the car. “Say it a little louder, and Gio’s going to ask why you want to shoot me so badly.”

Giovanni’s head turned. “Why does he want to shoot you?”

Maddox’s eyes narrowed. I smirked, holding his black gaze as I replied, “He’s Irish. Revenge is in his blood.”

“Revenge for what?” Gio frowned. Maddox’s jaw pulsed with his rage as he realised I knew. I knew why he wanted me dead. And he was waiting to see whether I’d tell my brothers who Callum really was and that he was screwing my sister.

“For being better-looking than him.”

Gio laughed, grabbing my shoulder and squeezing it. “Stop winding him up, or he really will kill you. Stay safe out there, fratello.”

I slid into the back seat as Alessio climbed into the passenger seat. Giovanni stayed behind because we would never leave the women alone in the mansion. The whole car dipped under Maddox’s weight as he took the seat next to me.

The engine growled to life, and we pulled down the drive towards the guarded gates. I glanced back through the rear window and saw Soraya still standing on the steps, arms wrapped around herself, watching us leave. Watching him, really. I could tell by the angle of her eyes that she was staring at the back of his head. Maddox’s eyes were fixed on the wing mirror, too. He didn’t blink. He didn’t even seem to breathe as he watched her grow smaller in the distance. When the gates shut behind us, he leaned back in his seat with a small exhale.

I recognised that look. That feeling. I’d worn it myself every time I had to leave Arianna behind in Verona and return to Rome without her, not knowing when I’d see her again. If I’d see her again.

“So,” Alessio said, filling the awkward silence, being ever the diplomat. “When we land in Belgium, the warehouse where Sean’s hiding is a forty-minute drive. We will meet Aleksandr and his men there. Sean’s men rotate the guard at the door every two hours. We attack during the change.”

“We don’t attack until we see McKenna with our own eyes,” Maddox said in a flat tone.

Alessio twisted around in his chair. “He’s there. I’ve seen the videos myself.”

Something dark flickered in Maddox’s eyes. “I know how McKenna thinks. He’ll know by now that you are hunting him. He’ll have something planned. He won’t stay put for us to kill him so easily.”

“He may know he’s being hunted, but he won’t realise he’s been caught until it’s too late,” I offered.

“Don’t underestimate him.”

Alessio frowned. “You think this is a trap?”

“I think… when he sees me alive, this will be a standoff. McKenna will try to negotiate.”