of keeping us bound.”
He lifts his hand, and I move away before he can touch me.
“With Alexander and the chief out of the picture, the city will be total anarchy,” I say, averting his sense back to the conversation.
“We’ll work fast to rid DiMarco and restore order.”
Lifting his glass, I step forward, clinking mine to his. “I’m looking forward to working with you instead of against you, Mila.”
Downing the contents, I place my empty glass on the table closest to me.
“Then we best get some rest. Good night, Raphael.”
Not wanting to linger around, I head back up to the room I’ve been given. And this time, I slip under the sheets and close my eyes, content with sleeping under his roof after clearing some of the air.
Chapter Thirty-One
Raphael
“How many?”
I listen in to Cristian on his call with Frankie as I look around the room. For once, Mila and I were alone with no men waiting on the other side of the door where we spoke, not like enemies, but of two people who share a history that has bound us for all eternity, no matter how much she may want to change that.
“No, don’t do that. Keep on the lookout, and keep yourself alive. Report back to me in an hour.”
Cristian hangs up and shoves his phone in his jacket pocket.
“Frankie says another eleven DiMarco men have fallen, but we’ve lost nine since sunrise,” he informs me.
“Is that both Marocchi and Camarco soldiers?” I ask.
“Both.”
In that case, as harsh as it sounds, it isn’t that much of a hit to us. Between us, we have hundreds of men willing to fight for us, and they’ve all answered our calls through the night.
The door to my office opens, and Mila walks in with Trey close beside her. Close enough, he could feel her heat through his shirt.
“Morning,” I grunt, not caring about hiding my distaste for the man.
“Morning,” she greets.
She’s not as guarded as she normally is. I hope our talk in the night has shown her that I’m no longer her enemy.
“An envoy of eighteen vans rolled into Vita twenty minutes ago, all DiMarco soldiers. He’s growing his army fast,” she notifies us.
“He’s doing what we are.”
Turning her attention to Trey and Cristian, she sits on the chair opposite of me and says, “Spread the word for all men to be ready to fight. Women, children, and the vulnerable are to stay home or quickly find shelter until told otherwise.”
Cristian looks to me for confirmation.
“You heard her.”
Cristian listens to me, whereas Trey goes to argue with her. “That’ll leave you on your own.”
“I’ll be with Raphael.”
Those four words ignite something inside of me—words I haven’t heard in years.
“Exactly.” He turns his back to Cristian and I and lowers his voice. It’s no use, though, as I can hear him when he says, “At least let me call in a few of our men to keep you safe while I’m gone.”
“Trey, this is not the time for me to keep repeating myself.”
Begrudgingly, he leaves with Cristian, and I smirk.
“You’re learning to trust me again.”
“It seems that way. If you break it, I won’t shoot you in the arm. It’ll be your head.”
My pants grow tight, and I remain in my seat to shield my desire for her. It’s funny, I wasn’t angry she shot me because I understood why. It was her not believing me that hurt a hell of a lot worse. This is my second chance to gain her full trust, and I guarantee it will be my only chance.
“We should discuss what we’ll have the men do once they’re ready,” I coax.
“After our talk last night, I’m going to visit with Father Luke.”
I still can’t believe he’s alive, being certain he had died long ago. Trust Mila to take care of him and keep him from me.
“That’s not a good idea. We should remain here,” I argue.
She stiffens, and her coldness returns. I’d hoped we had moved past this.
“Understand this clearly, Raphael. I never ask my men to fight and then stay home. You’re welcome to join me, but don’t underestimate my strength to do this alone. I am no less than you.”
Now that I’m able to stand without my dick straining for all to notice, I cross the room and stand so close to her, she has to look up at me.
“I’ve never once underestimated you. I haven’t fought against you all these years believing I was better than you, as that was never my intention. You’ve