Theirs to Protect - Julia Sykes Page 0,17

Marco’s arms. Ashlyn was ours, and I had to make him understand that I would do whatever it took to keep our family safe. I would never leave him again.

Chapter Five

Joseph

Slender fingers curved into my side, the slight pinch jolting me awake. Ashlyn pressed herself closer to my chest, and her arm tightened around my waist. “Joseph…” My name left her lips on a broken whisper.

I brushed her hair back from her cheek, but in the darkness, I couldn’t tell if she was still asleep. “I’m right here,” I murmured, unsure if I should wake Marco.

Hot tears wet my shoulder, and her soft whimper knifed through my heart.

“Wake up, angel,” I urged, just as Marco flicked on the lights.

Her lovely eyes snapped open, dark and frantic. “Joseph!” Her gaze tore from mine, raking down my body to search for some invisible wound. Her hands roved over the scar at my lower back, as though checking to make sure I wasn’t bleeding. I’d gotten that scar on the night Gabriel Costa had attacked her, but I’d healed from the stabbing months ago.

Marco’s hands closed around her shoulders, seeking to comfort her. She screamed and twisted out of his hold, crushing her body against mine as though shielding me from further harm.

Marco’s face went ghostly pale, and his entire body froze. The pain that flashed across his onyx eyes cut into my chest, and I quickly focused on reassuring Ashlyn. She wasn’t scared of Marco; she was disoriented from her nightmare. “It’s okay, angel. It’s just Marco and me. You’re safe.”

“Marco?” She choked on his name and turned in my arms, blindly reaching for him.

He remained still as a granite statue, not so much as daring to breathe in case he startled her again.

My heart hurt far more keenly than the memory of the knife slicing into my back. “She needs you to hold her.” I spoke softly, trying to soothe both of them.

His corded arms closed around her, and she tucked her face against his chest. I resumed stroking her hair. She drew in a deep, shuddering breath, but Marco remained stiff and distant.

Fuck. He thought she was afraid of him on some unconscious level, traumatized by how rough he’d been with her when we’d made love.

I knew that wasn’t right. Ashlyn would never fear Marco. I needed him to believe it, too.

“What was your nightmare about, angel?” I asked, keeping my tone low and gentle.

Her brow furrowed, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she shook her head. She snuggled closer to Marco, seeking shelter in his strong arms. I glanced up at him, only to find that his eyes were closed, his brow furrowed in a mirror image of Ashlyn’s strained expression.

I continued to stroke her hair, watching her relax against Marco. As her breaths turned deep and even, his slowed to match. “It’s okay,” I promised, willing them both to hear me. “Go back to sleep. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Ashlyn would tell us about her nightmare, and Marco would understand that she wasn’t afraid of him. If they decided to be difficult about it, I would have to push them. Usually, Marco was the bossy one, but I would take on whatever role was necessary to keep my family happy.

“Joseph!” My father’s voice lilted with joy as he said my name. “Good to hear from you, son.”

Even though it was a minor miracle that he still wanted to have a relationship with me after all the ugliness with Gabriel Costa, my heart twisted at the sound of his enthusiasm. Marco had called his own father yesterday, and he’d been treated with cruelty.

I straightened my shoulders, more determined than ever to make this right, to prove to Marco that I would do whatever it took to protect him and Ashlyn.

“Hey, Dad.” I tried to smile around the greeting, but the memory of Marco’s cold mask after yesterday’s tumultuous events left a bitter taste on my tongue.

“What’s wrong?” My father immediately picked up on my mood. He might be a fearsome mafia boss, but he would always be my dad: stern, but loving. “Is Chemistry still stressing you out? I know you have exams coming up.”

I blinked, suddenly struck by the bizarreness of this inane conversation. A year ago, my father had dismissed my desire to go to college entirely. He cared far more about my education in the family business than Chemistry 101.

“Well, if you don’t like Chemistry, you can choose to major in a different subject,” he continued