by Bianca Cole
I shake my head. “Not a fair one considering your experience.”
He laughs at that. “All is fair in war. I don’t give two shits if it’s not fair. I’m going to beat you so bad you’re on the brink of death and then take your beautiful wife and fuck her in front of you.”
Fierce rage slams into me. I run toward the Irish son of a bitch, growling as I put all my strength into attacking him. I’ve never wanted to kill a man more than I want to kill Malachy. I tackle him to the floor and punch him in the face over and over.
He laughs as if he doesn’t feel the pain. “That’s it, pretty boy. Take out your rage while you have a chance. I’m going to fuck you up,” he spits blood into my eyes, and I have to stop to wipe it out.
We will kill each other at this rate. Normally, I don’t fight with my fists. Malachy punches me in the jaw again, and it feels like he almost broke it.
I notice Piero creeping into the room behind us, and I hope he plans to get my wife out of here. I didn’t think about an exit strategy, and I don’t care. As long as Piero gets Aida to safety, that’s all that matters.
27
Aida
My heart skips a beat as I watch Malachy and Milo exchange jabs.
It’s impossible not to worry, as Milo has taken a lot of bad hits. Malachy looks like a natural-born fighter–as though he has been doing it all his life.
Milo manages to land a fist on his jaw.
Malachy hardly bats an eyelid, bring his fist hard into his stomach.
The grunt of pain from Milo makes me panic.
Why the hell did he come in here alone?
I feel powerlessness as all I can do is watch as Milo gets beaten up by this madman. How is it that I went from hating Milo for his cruel, vindictive ways to loving him so much it hurts? Loving him so much that I knew staying in Boston would be too painful as he constantly turned me away and shut me out.
A movement to my right catches my eye, and I notice Piero sneaking toward me. I smile at the sight of him. It looks like Milo does have a plan after all.
Weirdly, we’ve encountered each other many times, but Milo has never taken the time to introduce me to him properly. I only know his name because I heard Milo address him.
He’s slow and careful as he moves, making sure Malachy doesn’t notice him. I watch him as he pulls out a knife and cuts the bindings that hold me to the chair. Piero shrugs off his jacket and passes it to me.
I hug it around myself, only then realizing I’m sitting here with my breasts out. I give Piero a nod in thanks and take his outstretched hand.
Milo is still fighting with Malachy, and he’s not doing too well. His nose is busted up, and his face is bleeding. All I want to do is to run to him, but I know I can’t. I can’t even ask Piero what the plan is to get him out without risking being heard.
He nods toward the wall, and we both toward it carefully and quietly.
“Where the fuck do you two think you are going?” Malachy shouts, his back still turned to us.
Does this guy have eyes in the back of his head?
Piero grabs me and pushes me behind him, blocking me with his body.
Malachy turns to face us. “I don’t know if you take me for a fool, but your pathetic attempt to fight me, Milo, was a distraction.”
Milo is on the floor, looking pained as he tries to get up.
Malachy reaches for something around his waist, drawing Milo’s gun. My heart rate accelerates as he points it at us.
Piero tenses. “Stay behind me, signora.” He places his arms behind himself, blocking me in.
Milo speaks, “Malachy, don’t you fucking–”
Malachy shoves his boot against Milo’s throat, shutting him up. It’s hard to see a man so strong and powerful reduced to that position, fighting to get out from under his weight.
Malachy reaches for something around his waist, drawing Milo’s gun. My heart rate accelerates as he points it at us.
“Don’t what, Milo?” He glares down at him. “Don’t shoot your right-hand man and whore of a wife?” He shakes his head. “I don’t like being told what to do.”
Malachy releases Milo and walks toward us, keeping the gun trained on Piero.
I watch as Milo struggles to get up from the floor and stand. Our eyes meet for a moment, and I feel an odd sense of calm at the look of determination in his eyes.
Until the gunshot pierces the silence, and Piero crumples to the floor in front of me. Malachy laughs like he’s enjoying this too much. Piero is clutching his stomach on the floor as blood pools beneath him, making me feel uneasy.
Thankfully, Milo tackles him to the ground, knocking the gun a few meters away. “You’ll pay for shooting my capo, Malachy.” He punches him hard in the face, pummeling him with punch after punch. All the while, Malachy delights in the pain and punishment before pushing Milo off of him.
Milo is closer to me, and the longing feeling to go and run into his protective arms is clawing at me. I can’t seem to get my legs to move. I’m frozen in fear.
“Pathetic attempt, Milo,” he says, spitting blood onto the floor as if he’s used to taking beatings like that daily. Out of nowhere, he draws another gun and aims it right at him.
Milo holds his hands up. “You don’t want to kill me, Malachy.” He shakes his head. “You know how much heat you would face if you did. The mayor is about to put me on the city council. It’s not like I’m some street rat you can bury in a ditch.”
“No, you’re right. I won’t kill you.” Malachy looks frantic as he aims the gun at me instead, making my heart rate accelerate. “You took something precious from me, you bastard. So I’ll take something precious from you.” He cocks the gun, and I’m sure I’m about to die.
Milo starts toward me. I can see him running almost in slow motion as Malachy’s finger presses down on the trigger without hesitation. The bullet travels through the air toward me.
I want to will my limbs to move, but I’m a deer caught in the headlights, waiting to be hit.
Milo’s body connects with mine suddenly as the sound of a bullet hitting flesh fills the air.
I don’t feel any pain, other than the ache of being knocked over by a man double my size.
“Milo?” I reach for him and find him covered in blood. “Fuck.”
Shots go off somewhere else in the warehouse, and Malachy swears. “Don’t any of you fucking move,” he growls, heading toward the commotion.
I shift from underneath Milo and cradle his head. “You’re shot.” I feel tears welling in my eyes that he would throw himself in front of a bullet to save my life. I tear a piece off his shirt and hold it against the wound in his shoulder, trying to stem the flow of blood.
Milo tries to move, but I hold him still.
“Don’t move.” It breaks me to see him in pain, even after all the heartache he’s put me through. “You’re going to make it worse.”
He grunts. “I’m fine.” His reaction is short and sharp, the opposite to my reaction about being reunited with him. “It’s a flesh wound.”
“How do you know?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
He glares right back. “Trust me, princess. I’ve been shot enough times to know.”
A guy I’ve never seen runs over to us, and I tense, wondering if it’s one of Malachy’s men. “Boss, we need to get the fuck out of here. The other three are providing a distraction.”
Milo tries to get to his feet by himself, but I have to help him. The other guy helps Piero to his feet.
“Come on. There’s an exit at the back.”
I shoulder as much of Milo’s weight as I can, but he’s heavy. “You have to help me,” I say.
Milo grunts in response. “You shouldn’t have fucking run, and we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Pain clutches around my throat as I wonder if his gallant act was nothing more than an act.
Why did he come for me if he doesn’t care?
“I wouldn’t have run if you weren’t suc
h a dick.”
He grunts. “Well, I saved your life. I wouldn’t call that being a dick.”
Guilt coils through me as I shouldn’t be calling him a dick after he threw himself in front of a bullet for me. I keep quiet as we step out of the back exit where an SUV is parked with the engine running. I’m relieved when I see James in the driver’s seat.
I help Milo into the back, and the other guy gets Piero into the passenger’s seat.
“How the fuck are Angelo, Pietro, and Ramon getting out of there?” James asks.
The other guy replies. “Drive around the front. You’ve got to pick them up inside.”
“Inside?” I ask.
The guy turns around and smirks at me. “Yeah, we’re going in, so hold on tight, signora.”
As James pulls around the warehouse building, my brow furrows. James puts his foot down, racing toward the front of the building.
I fumble to put my belt in, noticing that Milo isn’t belted in either. The SUV crashes through the warehouse’s front as bullets ricochet off the armored body of the vehicle.
Three guys get into the SUV with machine guns, while the guy who rescued us covers them from the shots of Malachy and his men.
I swallow hard as he notices me and aims the gun at me, narrowing his eyes as he tries to focus on shooting me from a distance.
I duck out of fear that he would get through the armored shell of the SUV.
James slams into reverse fast, doing a j-turn to drive forward and away from the warehouse. Bullets rebound off the outer shell of the vehicle as James drives us away.
Milo groans as we drive over the bumpy terrain out of the docks.
I grab hold of his hand and squeeze. “Are you okay?” I murmur.
He grits his teeth. “Not exactly. I’ve been shot.” I try to pull my hand from his, but he grabs it back. “Sorry, I’m pissed off that Malachy bested me.”
I shake my head. “Does it matter? We’re both alive and safe.”
Milo glares at me. “You don’t understand what it means.” He groans and bites his lip. “I hate the fucking Irish.” He tightens his grip on my hand and looks me in the eye. “Why did you run?”
I shrug, despite knowing exactly why I ran.
“Tell me, Aida.”
I meet his gaze, and the fear of rejection almost cripples me. “I couldn’t stay while you continue to break my heart over and over again.”
Milo’s gaze softens, and he brings the back of my hand to his lips, kissing gently. “I’m sorry.” Milo’s throat bobs, and he looks at me with a mournful expression. “If you want to return to Sicily, then I’ll allow it.”
I can hardly believe what he’s saying. “What?”
“I will release you from our marriage and let you go home if that’s what you want.”
I stare at him, trying to work out if that’s what I want. It’s not. All I want is for this man to love me the way I love him.
I bite the inside of my cheek, wondering if he will break my heart again if I open up to him. Every time things have got serious, he has pulled away. “It hurts so much, Milo.” I shake my head. “I know you made it clear to me what this was between us from the start, but…”
“But what, angel?”
I glance through to the next row of seats, making sure his men aren’t listening. Piero is sitting in front of us, groaning in pain as one of the guys helps him stem the blood flow from his wound. I hope he pulls through, as it has become clear to me that Piero is the closest thing Milo has to a friend. He trusts him more than his other men. The others are talking about the crazy rescue mission they pulled off.
“I love you. It’s crazy and makes no sense, but it’s the truth.” I move closer to him and kiss his lips softly, savoring the feel of his skin on mine. “I don’t want to be without you,” I murmur.
He smiles at me and kisses the back of my hand again. “I’m glad to hear it. I want you to stay.”
I swallow hard, knowing that although it’s not the dreaded rejection I feared, it isn’t exactly what I wanted to hear.
All I can think is, does he love me too?
He coughs suddenly, and I notice he’s looking paler than before. It’s not the time to be having this conversation. Milo has lost too much blood, and he needs to see a doctor.
“Relax, Milo. We’ll get you help soon,” I say, squeezing his hand.
The least of my worries is whether he loves me or not. Milo has been shot, and even if he’s sure it’s a flesh wound, he might not make it through. A thought that scares me more than anything.
28
Milo
The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor setup in my room is the first thing I register when I wake. The second is Aida lying by my side fast asleep. It still angers me when I see the cuts which are starting to heal on her perfect skin, some of which will leave scars.
Thankfully, they were superficial. I feel guilty that when Aida arrived in Boston, she was untainted. Her scars will be a permanent reminder that pushing her away landed her in the hands of my enemy.
War has broken out. Malachy hit back at one of my venues in the city, blowing it up and making it look like a gas leak. Angelo is handling our counterattack, but we have a long and rocky road ahead of us.
Piero is doing okay, but his gunshot wound was worse than mine. He’ll be out of action for a while. After him, Angelo is the only man I could trust within my operation to run things. Casualties are inevitable in a war, and I need to start getting to know which guys I could trust if any of my lieutenants meet their demise in this war.
I return my attention to Aida, who won’t leave my side ever since I was shot by Malachy four days ago. It makes no sense why she cares so much. After the way I’ve treated her since we met, she should hate me.
I told her I’d let her go back to Sicily if she preferred, and I was surprised but relieved when she declined. Instead, she professed her love for me, telling me she never wants to leave my side. My response probably wasn’t what she wanted, but I told her I’d like her to stay.
I know I need to tell her the truth. I need to tell her that when Malachy took her, I hadn’t been that scared since my mother was in the hospital.
Aida stirs, opening her eyes. She looks adorable when she’s sleepy. Aida smiles lazily at me when she sees that I’m awake. A smile I can’t get enough of seeing. “Hi,” she says, rubbing a hand across her face and yawning.
“Hey, princess.”
She stretches and sits up in our bed. “How are you feeling?”
I smile. “Almost back to normal.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not what the doctor said. He’s prescribed at least another four days in bed.”
I groan. “It’s too fucking boring lying in bed doing nothing.” I glance at my wife and place a hand on her thighs. “How about you make it more exciting for me?”
Aida shifts out of my grasp. “No, the doctor’s order is to rest. Nothing strenuous.”
I clench my jaw, hating being told what to do. “You know I hate being told no, angel.”
Aida jumps off the bed, shrugging. “It’s not like I said no. It was the doctor.”
I raise a brow. “The doctor’s not here now.” I pat the empty side of the bed again. “Come here,” I order.
She obeys me and sits by my side.
I take her hand in mine, knowing it’s now or never. There’s no use putting this off. I might as well rip off the band-aid. “I’m sorry for pulling away from you constantly.”
The column of her throat gently bobs as she swallows. “I can’t say you didn’t warn me what our relationship would be like.” She laughs nervously.
I shake my head. “Well, I was wrong, princess. Something I hardly ever admit to.” I lift a hand to her cheek and cup it gently. “When I found out that you were gone, I haven’t felt that scared since...” I swallow hard, feeling my defenses fight against the need to tell her the truth. “My mother.”
Aida’s eyes brim with tears as sh
e listens to me. “Milo–”
I hold a hand up to silence her. “Let me finish, mio amore.”
Her eyes widen when she hears me call her my love in Italian, and the tears start to rush down her perfect skin.
“When I found out that Malachy took you, it was the most terrifying moment of my life.” I shake my head. “The fear of losing you.” I squeeze her hand and bring it up to my lips, kissing the back of it. “What I’m trying to say quite badly is, I-I love you with all of my heart.” I let out a shaky breath, as the last time I spoke those three words, I was seven years old, and my mother was dying in a hospital bed.
Aida’s tears flood down her cheeks as she smiles at me, shaking her head. “I hope this isn’t a cruel joke you’re playing on me.”
A growl rises in my chest at the idea that she could think I would hurt her that badly. “Never, angel. I may have been cruel to you when we first met, but even I’m not that sick.” I grab hold of her and pull her to me, kissing her passionately.
I allow the emotion I’ve feared for most of my life to flood me–Love.
It’s unexpected. When I agreed to marry Fabio’s daughter, I never could have imagined I’d feel this way about her. She challenges me and excites me. She makes me a better man, and for that, I’ll be eternally grateful.
It helps that she doesn’t take my shit lying down. She fights me every step of the way, and I admire her for it.
When we break apart, we’re both panting for breath. “I need to be inside of you,” I murmur against Aida’s lips.
She sets her hands on my shoulders and meets my gaze with a desire that sets my body on fire. “I want to, but the doctor told you to rest.”
I smirk. “How about you do the work, and I rest?” I throw the duvet off myself, pull the heart monitor pads off my chest, and pull down my boxer briefs, revealing my cock hard and ready to take her. “Come and ride me, angel.”
She licks her lips before nodding eagerly.
I watch her as she pulls off her nightdress, followed by her lace panties. Aida positions herself over me, holding my gaze. She loves being in this position of power over me, but I know it won’t last long once she starts. My need to dominate will rule over the doctor’s order to rest.
