TonyI don't know what came over me to go after Chloe at her house when I had decided she was better off without me. But when I found out she had left the funeral, I got worried. I needed to check on her, to make sure she was all right. I could still use the 'I'm the Saints' boss' card and no one would suspect I had ulterior motives to see her.More than that, I needed to confirm if she was married. Sure, I wanted to know if she was feeling okay or if she needed help, not to mention to offer my sincere condolences for her loss, however, every fiber of my being was screaming at me to go and see it for myself.Nicky had just dropped a bomb on me about Chloe having a fucking daughter. I'd expect she had a husband to back her up and protect her, being so kind and gracious. But then, why would she need the Saints? Why didn't they stay in Miami where they probably had a more comfortable life? Unless her husband was a nobody with no particular power. It made me wonder why Nicky was so wor
ChloeOn Friday morning, my mom convinced me to go to lunch with the mob wives so we could all catch up since I haven't gone to the last two meetings. I wasn't in the mood–especially after my father's funeral–and I am still not. However, I have no choice since I am officially part of their "family" now. It's not like I can enjoy the privileges of the life and not be actively involved.So, after she lectured me for almost fifteen minutes, I decided to indulge her and accept the invitation, otherwise she wouldn't leave me alone. I know she's been trying to distract herself, but it's starting to be too much, even for her.I used to participate in these meetings and gatherings before we moved to Miami, and true, I used to enjoy them. The girls are actually fun. However, ever since my life drastically changed after I had Ellie and met Mateo, my perspective on life simply changed too.Also, it's not the same to be at a restaurant, listening to twenty women chattering and laughing around me
TonyWhenever I'm in Manhattan, I feel uneasy. I don't like to feel out of control. Staten Island is my territory. That's where I feel most comfortable. However, I had to come personally because of an important matter, so I couldn't send anyone on my behalf. As I stroll into the bar Cal uses as his office, I take in my surroundings, noting it looks different from the last time I was here. Now I can't tell if it is a casino, a bar, or a strip club. Or maybe all of it combined. It looks fancy though, and there's a lot of patrons already even though it's still the afternoon. Some Irish Kings members nod at me as I make my way through the club and head toward the back door where I know Cal's office is. One of his bodyguards opens the door for me and steps aside so I can pass. I go through another door before reaching the hallway. Cal's office is the last door on my right. I knock and turn the doorknob as soon as I hear him order me inside."Ah, if it isn't the man himself," he says as a
ChloeIt astonishes me how a human being so small and who barely stands on her feet can make such a mess in my house. For the last twenty minutes, I've been putting away all of Ellie's toys spread across the floor, her crayons and drawings, and the cushions from the couch she threw around the living room carpet.Today was supposed to be a cleaning day for me, but I'm not really in the mood for it. Maybe I should accept Mom's offer to hire someone to do it for me, but even though I hate it, I need to do something with my free time, otherwise I'll go insane. My brain needs to be kept busy so I don't think of bad things twenty-four-seven.I didn't tell my mother about what happened at Lou's Deli the other day with Tony. I didn't want to worry her, although maybe I should, since she is acting like nothing is happening. But I still don't know if it was all paranoia on my part. Even though I want her to take things more seriously, I don't want to alarm her unnecessarily either.A car screec
TonyChloe blinks at me, too astonished to say anything. What the hell just came over me? Did I just propose to her? Was this really the best plan I could put together? A sneer escapes her lips, and I narrow my eyes at her."Did you hit your head on your way over here or what? Of course we're not getting married," she counters, her voice not sounding very convincing. It seems like she is trying to convince herself other than me."Yes, we are," I affirm. "Think about it…it's the best way to keep Mateo away. As my wife, you'd not only have the protection of the Saints, but of my allies as well," I reiterate, hoping to sound more persuasive. "I don't need to be your wife for that, we can just pretend we're dating," Chloe retorts, crossing her arms in front of her chest, her brows rising in defiance.I offer her a smile. "As sweet as it may sound, girlfriends don't carry that much weight to men like us," I explain. "None of the guys from the Irish Kings or the Triads in Chinatown, for
ChloeThe first rays of sunshine come through my window and I grumble, turning on my side so I'm not blinded by the light. I frown, my eyes still closed, and I feel sleepiness embracing me again. But then I hear a scream coming from downstairs and I sit up in a flash. My brain takes a few seconds to make sense of what I'm hearing, but when it does, I frown.Is my mother yelling at someone? She'd know better than to do that when Ellie is probably still asleep. What time is it anyway? I look to the side and grab my phone on my nightstand, seeing it's still 6:25 A.M. "What is he thinking?" My mom's muffled voice continues.I throw off the blanket and swing my legs out of bed. Something bad must have happened for her to be screaming like this so early in the morning.Before I check what's going on, I stop by Ellie's room at the end of the hallway to make sure she's all right. I open the door a crack and peep inside, finding her sleeping like an angel in her crib. I let out a sigh of rel
TonyI check my watch for the fifth time in less than ten minutes, too anxious to pretend otherwise. Where the fuck are they? I told Armando they should be here before eight in the morning. The courthouse will open to the public after that and my plan will be damned. I'm in the backseat of one of my blacked out SUVs, this time not my own, in front of the hotel where Chloe is getting ready. I look out the window, noticing a few guests stepping out of the hotel entrance, but there's still no sign of Chloe or Armando."Shit, what is taking them so long?" I hiss to myself."Should I go and check, Boss?" Franco offers in response from the driver's seat. He's been my driver for the past four years, and he's as reliable, discreet, and tight-lipped as I need him to be. He is so quiet that I had almost forgotten he was here. That's when I see Armando stepping out, leading Chloe toward us. I'm fucking mesmerized by the sight, so focused on her that I forget I know how to speak for a moment. S
ChloeI remain silent the entire time as we leave the courthouse. I have no idea where Tony is taking me now, but just as before, I simply know he won't tell me a thing if I ask, so I keep my curiosity to myself. Besides, I don't trust myself to speak now. I have so many conflicted feelings going on inside my head and heart right now, that I just can't express how I feel.I'm aware of Tony's strong presence next to me the entire time, and I can't help but feel tense and uneasy. This shouldn't be like this. This is not what I wanted…not like this anyway. But like everything else in my life, I didn't have much of a choice either.I must confess I wasn't expecting him to be as kind as to give me such a beautiful ring. Sure, it's all for appearances, but the piece he picked is so…me. Simple but classy, sparkly but discreet. He knows my style and what I like. And it fits my finger perfectly. What he said to me in the courthouse about our night together two years ago got me blushing so h
ChloeThe first few days after I learned that Mateo was no longer on this planet were a bit chaotic. Tony and his men had so much to do: cleaning up the mess, assigning the new positions each one of them would take when it came to protecting our family and the house, determining who would go back to dealing with the Saints’ businesses, and so on. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve managed to create a routine for myself and Ellie. It took me a while to process that I wouldn’t have to continue hiding or running away anymore, but eventually things just became… easier. It’s funny how easily and quickly humans get used to things. In the first few days, I was still scared to leave the house by myself, even with a couple of guards accompanying me, or Rocco taking me from place to place inside a bulletproof car. I would always watch over my shoulder, expecting someone to jump out of a bush or something and kidnap me–or worse–kill me.But Tony assured me he wouldn’t get rid of the security s
ChloeOur warm kiss turns into something more passionate as our hands begin to roam each other’s bodies. There are so many emotions bottled up inside us that it is hard to express them with words. Tony’s hands explore my body while he devours my mouth in a heated kiss, suffocating my moans. My head is still spinning from his confession that he loves me, and I can barely focus on what he’s doing. My distraction seems to catch his attention because he pulls away from me, his eyes studying my face carefully. “Is everything okay? We don’t need to do this if you don’t want to. I–”My lips are on his before he even finishes his sentence. Like hell I’d let him stop right now. I urge myself to be present, storing his confession for later, when I have time to dwell on it over and over without being interrupted. I wish I could’ve recorded it so I could listen to it whenever I need reassurance about how he feels about me.But this is Tony. I know he will shower me with affection and love whenev
ChloeAfter I welcome Tony home, I make sure to wake Ellie up so she can have dinner with us. She needs to eat something since she has been sleeping the whole afternoon, and she also needs to wake up now so she can get some sleep later. I’m not looking forward to staying up all night because she slept too much during the day.The three of us have dinner together as a family for the first time, and it just feels… right. Like how it’s always supposed to have been. Neither one of us brings up the elephant in the room. I’m sure we’ll have time to talk about it, but right now, I just want to enjoy this moment while I can. Watching Tony feed our daughter, playing with her, and getting her to laugh is just so adorable that my heart can barely take it.It’s a dream coming true right in front of my eyes.“Come on, baby. Let’s show Mommy how you’re a good girl who eats all her dinner,” he muses, making airplane sounds as he flies the spoon toward her gaping mouth.Ellie chuckles and opens wide
ChloeReuniting with Ellie and my mom felt overwhelming, although bittersweet. Even though I was beyond relieved and grateful to hold my daughter in my arms once more, my heart was shrinking by the minute, not knowing what Tony was up to.The Irish King’s bar I was brought to is surprisingly comfortable and welcoming. I was even more surprised when I found Cal playing with Ellie. The way she laughed at his exaggerated movements and jokes, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this enchanted with another man before.After I settled down from the flight and kissed and hugged my family, Cal asked one of his employees from the bar to bring me something to eat. Mom and Ellie already had dinner since they arrived here earlier, and when the waitress returns with a tray filled with burgers, fries, and a chocolate milkshake, I almost let out a moan of pleasure.Only now have I realized how starving I am. I can’t even remember the last time I ate. So much has happened in the past twenty-four hours t
TonyMy vision turns red, and I clench my phone in my hand so hard that I hear it crack. “Send it to me. I’ll be on my way,” I inform him.Armando clears his throat, and I know he’s about to contradict me. “Shouldn’t we have a plan first, Boss? We have no idea what he’s been up to,” he wisely reminds me. I’m glad I have someone to make me see clearly now because all I can think of is putting a bullet hole through Mateo’s forehead and making sure he doesn’t take another breath in this world. “What do we know?” I ask, already starting the car.“They are in an abandoned warehouse outside the city. It’s not our territory, but that shouldn’t be a problem. No one really rules that part of town,” he explains firmly and professionally. “I have all men on hold, waiting for instructions on how we can best approach without being noticed.”“Do you think the cartel is waiting for us?” I have no fucking clue what Mateo was thinking when he invaded the safehouse to go after Chloe like that. It wa
TonyI warned Chloe not to even try and convince me of doing anything else other than going after Mateo and his men. I’d been doing my best to act cautiously, to consider every single possible outcome from this war, but after he ambushed Chloe at the safehouse, making her fight for her life, it left me blind with rage.My guilt didn’t help, either.I was so relieved when I found her on that dark street, wearing nothing but a robe covered in blood, that I could have cried when I held her in my arms. She felt so small, so vulnerable within my embrace that the monster dormant inside me snapped to life, and I simply couldn’t put this aside any longer. Even if I die, even if I don’t get to see her one last time, I will make sure to take Mateo down with me, so he never has the chance to lay a hand on my wife again. Or my daughter, for that matter.“Do I really have to go with Cal?” Chloe’s sweet voice asks from the bed, making me take my eyes off the phone and look at her. I promised her
Chloe“Listen,” Tony continues, still focused on the road. The police sirens get more and more distant as we drive away from the city, but I still don’t ask him where he is taking me. “I know you don’t want to think about it now, but I need to know what happened,” he requests in a gentle voice. I hear a hint of pain in it as well, but mostly, I can hear the guilt behind his words.I want to tell him none of this is his fault, but we’ll have time for that later. Right now, we just need to make sure no one else gets hurt, or worse, killed.I inhale sharply, steadying myself enough to share the recent events with him. I am strong, and I can do this, I tell myself. I’ve always told Tony I could handle it all, and even though I was scared as hell back there, I still managed to save myself.I can do this.“After you left, I spent a few more minutes in the office before I headed up to take a shower. I don’t think I was in there too long, but as soon as I stepped out, I heard the alarm go off
ChloeI should be dead.I was certain I’d be killed the moment I saw Mateo by the front door.I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look as mad as he looked a couple of minutes ago.Somehow, by the grace of God perhaps, when I saw him approaching me with that gun pointed at my face, I managed to take it from his hand after sparring with him and shot him in the shoulder. I think.I didn’t stay there to confirm. I didn’t wait to see if he was injured or not. I simply ran out of the house, not daring to look back, not even once. It’s been a few minutes, and I’m still blindly running through the neighborhood, trying to think of what to do or where to go. There’s no one on the street that I can ask for help, and even if there were, I’d be so afraid that Mateo would kill them for helping me that I don’t think I would ask for help anyway.It’s cold outside, and I’m still only wearing my shower robe, and even though I don’t dare to look back, too afraid of what I’ll see, I know I’m being follow
TonyComing here was a fucking mistake.Seeing Chloe did everything to me that I was trying to avoid. It just left me even more confused than before. We haven’t spent more than an hour together, and I still managed to screw it up.Being with her felt natural as if this was the only place I could be. Whenever I’m with her, holding her in my arms and feeling her close to me, everything just seems to go away. Every concern, every fear, every bad thought I ever had… I finally feel at peace.That’s the sort of effect she has on me. But I was not expecting her confession. Hearing her say she loves me and not being able to say it back shattered my heart in ways I can't explain. The look on her face will haunt me forever. It seems to have become a pattern lately. I can't seem to be able to stop hurting and disappointing her. I know what she expects from me, but unfortunately, I can't give it to her.It's clear to me that I have fallen for her, harder than I could ever have expected. It's a f