up both sets of parents to let them deal with that piece of shit. Roberto was concerned and wanted to see Arianne, but I told him over my dead body.”
“Nice,” Enzo snorted. “You sure no one followed you out here?”
“I’m good at my job. I know how to stay off the radar.” Luis almost looked offended at Enzo’s words.
“I want him dead.” I leaped up. “I want his head on a silver fucking platter.” The red mist swallowed me whole until I could see nothing but Fascini’s lifeless bloody body at my feet.
“You need to calm down.” Enzo hovered on the fringe of my consciousness.
“No, what I need is to see that fucker bleed.”
“Nicco?” Arianne’s voice rose above the blood roaring between my ears. I turned slowly to meet her weary gaze. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face streaked with mascara. “You’re here,” she said shakily.
“I’m here.” I went to her, falling to my knees and burying my face in her robe. I didn’t care that we had an audience. In that moment, all I cared about was that she was here, and she was safe.
“Nicco.” Arianne slid her hand against my cheek, coaxing my face to hers. “I’m okay.”
But she wasn’t.
She couldn’t be.
“It’s early and I’m still tired, come to bed with me.” She tugged the collar of my jacket. I clambered to my feet, glancing over my shoulder.
“Go,” Enzo said. “We’ve got your back.”
I nodded, mutual understanding passing between us.
Arianne led me to our room, closing the door behind me. “I’m so fucking sorry.” My voice cracked.
“Ssh,” she whispered, pushing my jacket from my shoulders. Her hands went to the hem of my sweater next. I helped her work it off my body before unbuttoning my jeans and kicking them off. Arianne stood before me, drinking me in with her big, honey-brown eyes. “You’re really here.”
“I am.” And I didn’t plan on ever leaving her again.
Whatever Mike Fascini had up his sleeve we would face together.
She unbelted the fluffy robe and pushed it off her body. “Lie with me?”
I didn’t need asking twice. I scooped Arianne up in my arms and laid her down on the bed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I am now.” She leaned up, pressing a tender kiss to the corner of my mouth. “But I’m tired. I’m so tired, Nicco.”
“It’s okay.” I climbed in beside her and rolled her onto her side away from me, tucking her into my chest. “I’m right here.” My lips touched her shoulder, lingering, as a violent shudder rolled through me.
“Promise you’ll be here when I wake up?”
“I promise.”
Her body sagged against me as if she needed to hear the words before she could allow herself to relax. But I couldn’t close my eyes, because if I did, I knew the nightmares would come. So I held her close and listened to the sound of her gentle breathing and tiny sighs.
Arianne never should have been there tonight. But she was right, she had been forced to play a part because of the men in her life who pulled the strings.
I wouldn’t let it happen again.
If Fascini wanted war, I’d meet him on the battlefield. I’d fight with all that I had, if it meant protecting her from the likes of Scott and his father.
I’d always known my life in the Family was tenuous. I respected the Omertà; respected the codes we lived by, but Arianne was my woman.
My life.
And to put the Family above her was a betrayal to my soul.
A betrayal to the future I hoped we’d one day have.
I must have dropped off, because when I woke up the bed was empty, and I had a kink in my neck. Sitting up, I stretched out my muscles before pulling on my jeans and going in search of Arianne.
The last place I expected to find her was at the cooktop making breakfast for Luis and Enzo.
“You look like shit,” my cousin said around a smirk.
I flipped him off, going to Arianne. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pulled her against my chest and tucked my chin into her shoulder. “I missed you.”
“You were sleeping. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“You should have.” She tilted her face up to mine and I stole a kiss.
“I needed to do something. Luis went out for supplies so I could make breakfast.”
“What time is it?”
“A little after ten.”
“Any word?” I asked Luis.
“Roberto has been blowing up my cell, but I haven’t responded yet. Figured we need to get our