women would swoon at the knowledge that he had their name tattooed across his chest or that he had a symbol tattooed on his ring finger that was forever, but other women couldn’t see the church tattooed on the inside of his finger. And I was insecure enough to want every woman in the city to know Phoenix was taken.
I really was a tool.
“Look, Frankie, we’re not trying to dictate every second of your day,” he said. “We’re really not. We just want you to be safe. We want you to understand that you’re irreplaceable. Even if we weren’t in the Mob, we’d still look after you the same way.”
“I know,” I muttered, and I did. Luca, Ciro, and Phoenix had been super protective over me from the beginning. Even when we were just small children, and had no clue what the Mafia meant, they still hovered over me like hawks and protected me like warriors. Small, scrawny, dirty warriors, but warriors all the same.
“I’ll concede that perhaps we went about this the wrong way, but I won’t ever apologize for the hasty marriage or bringing you back home, Francesca,” he stated. “I’m also not going to take back anything I’ve said to you so far.” I knew he was referring to the threats. “I refuse to be without you any longer. I won’t go back to a life without you in it.”
“Phoen-”
He threw his palm up to stop me. “I will respect you and your opinions on everything, Frankie. I will treat you as the smart, independent, courageous woman you are, whether at work or at home.” He leaned in and brought a hand up to cradle my face. His thumb ran back and forth, softly, over one of my stitches. His eyes were burning with an intensity I only saw in the bedroom. “However, when it comes to our marriage, you have no say,” he continued. “I’ll never let you divorce me, Francesca. I will never let you leave me. And, even if you’re so mad at me you want to stab me in the heart, we will sleep in our bed together every fucking night.”
I could feel my nose tingle and my eyes start to fill up. “Phoenix…”
Phoenix reached for me and pulled me over until I was straddling his lap. I placed my hands on his chest and stared at him as he continued to lay down the rules. “You can voice your opinion and make demands on everything under the sun. Everything, but our marriage. Our marriage is forever, Frankie. Death is the only thing that can separate you from me.”
I couldn’t hold back anymore. “I love you, Phoenix,” I choked out, my voice broken with emotion.
“Baby, I have loved you since I was five. I claimed you when I was seven,” he recounted. “I’ve loved you my entire life and I will love you for the rest of it, however long that might be.” His hand came up to cradle my face and thumb away my tears. “I’ve never known anyone but you, Frankie. I will die knowing only you. If you believe nothing else, believe that there is nothing and no one I want more than I want you.”
“I hurt too much to have sex,” I blurted.
His head reared back, and he looked confused as hell. “What?” his voice scratched out.
I shrugged a shoulder, embarrassed. “I don’t know,” I mumbled. “It just felt like this moment should be followed up with some good sex.” Phoenix blinked his bright hazel eyes at me a few times in stunned fascination before he started to laugh.
The asshole.
“Quit laughing at me,” I snapped, our perfect moment obliterated.
He calmed down, but his smile was still in place. “I’m not laughing at you, Frankie,” he lied. “I…just wasn’t expecting you to say that."
I ignored his obvious lie, because we both knew he was laughing at me, and got off his lap. He reached for me but calmed down once he realized I was just trying to get comfortable in his arms. He waited patiently as I sat on the couch and snuggled under his arm.
We sat that way for a few moments, just basking in the security of our truce before I finally asked, “What about Robbie?” Phoenix let out a deep sigh and I worried that we were going to be thrown back into another fight. I wasn’t going to cave on the topic of Robbie. She was one of my dearest friends, and I was not going