Chapter 14 - Angela

“It was my father, wasn’t it? He attacked you in retaliation for you kidnapping me? Or was it Filippo who did this?” I tried to touch the injured abdomen, where the round, purple marks were, but he pulled away, grabbing my wrist and preventing me from touching him.

“Don’t you ever dare say that weak worm’s name again. He would never have the ability to get close enough to hurt me—he’d be dead long before that.” I met his hard stare; even in pain, Marco managed to look terrifying. “Your father and I had a quick talk last night. Now go upstairs, the doctor is coming up to check your foot right now.”

He gestured to a man who was stitching up one of his men, who immediately ran to where we were.

“I’m not going anywhere.” I lifted my chin, showing that I wouldn’t accept his orders. “These men need more care than I do; I can handle a scraped knee.”

Marco narrowed his eyes, giving me a long look, as if that could intimidate me. I was already used to being afraid and I wasn’t going to show it to him—especially not when I wanted to find out more about his meeting with my father.

“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

“You’re the one who said we could be equals, you can start proving it now.” I raised an eyebrow, challenging him to go back on his word—but he wouldn’t risk that, especially if he wanted to earn my trust.

“Obey the future first lady, doctor. Whatever she says is an order, just like mine!” he declared loudly, drawing everyone’s attention.

The man turned to me, waiting for an order, and I almost smiled, seeing how committed Marco was to showing the idea that we were equals.

“Take care of Marco first, he seems to have lost enough blood.”

He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close. “What are you... Marco, no!” I screamed when he lifted me into his arms. I could see his jaw tightening from the pain, but instead of putting me down, he walked back to where he had been sitting and placed me beside him.

“I’m not letting my woman walk around with her foot hurt like that. Do you have any idea you could break it?” he asked so close that his breath brushed against my neck, sending a shiver through me.

“I’m not your woman,” I murmured, my voice barely audible, and he leaned closer, just inches away from kissing me.

“Not yet, but it’s only a matter of time.” I looked into his eyes, and Marco chose that exact moment to lick his lips, making me remember his kisses—the feel of his tongue against mine and over my skin. “If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll kiss you right here.”

I quickly lifted my gaze to meet his eyes and saw that he wasn’t lying—there was that dangerous, seductive glint shining there.

“What happened last night between you and my father?” I asked, changing the subject—I couldn’t let myself be carried away by those eyes again.

“Giovanni wanted to bargain your ransom. We couldn’t reach an agreement, and some shots were fired, knives too—common things among men like us.” Marco shrugged, wincing the moment the doctor inserted the tweezers into his wound.

“And what did he offer you that made you refuse?” I asked, trying to distract him from the pain, though it didn’t seem to work. “Was what he gave you that worthless?”

“Compared to... you? Yes. Fuck—” He clenched his teeth when the bullet was pulled out, and a thin stream of blood ran down his defined abdomen to the waistband of his pants. “He offered two of my men and a load of cocaine he stole from our warehouse.”

I gasped, shocked by how he could give all that up just to keep me. Of course, part of it was wounded pride from having Filippo put before him, but it still meant a lot—Marco was betting high on a possible union.

As soon as the man brought the needle close to his skin, I grabbed Marco’s face with both hands and turned him toward me.

“You really won’t let me go, will you, Falcone?”

“Not before you find out everything you can be by my side!” he declared, unashamed before everyone around us—and taken by insane courage, I kissed him.

I sucked his lower lip at the same moment his arm tightened around my waist, pulling me even closer to his body. His tongue tangled with mine, showing he had completely forgotten about the man stitching him up.

Marco’s fingers pressed into my waist with possessiveness, reminding me of his hands around my neck and all over my body. That simple thought made my core throb—and it was so wrong. I shouldn’t be thinking like this, not even to distract him from the pain, especially knowing he got hurt because he refused to let me go.

But in some strange way, he managed to draw from me a reaction completely opposite to reason. The demon of the Camorra could awaken the worst in me.

“Get a room, you two.” A familiar voice reached my ears, forcing me back to reality, and I pulled away from Marco—but he didn’t let me go far, his arm still firm around my waist.

“Go fuck yourself, Nero. Don’t you have anything useful to do?”

“Actually, I do—but I wanted to see Mel’s outburst up close when she sees Francis hurt,” he replied casually, folding his arms across his chest.

Unlike his brother, who was still in dress pants, Nero wore jeans and a T-shirt, looking quite laid-back—especially with the dark sunglasses.

“Why did you bring her here?” the man, who had also been in the car when I was kidnapped, stood up with a furious look. “I’ll kill you yet, Nero!”

Marco beside me gave a small smile when he saw his sister marching across the lawn toward her husband—that wasn’t something I expected from someone known as a demon.

“I’m fine, love, you don’t need—”

“Don’t need what? To worry? I already told you I don’t want to be a widow, Frank Rossi!” she shouted at him, and the man just sighed. “Do I have to order bulletproof vests for you?”

He took her left hand and placed a kiss on her wrist, then another on her wedding ring—the small gesture made me sigh, enchanted by their tenderness and love.

“I promised you children; don’t worry, dying now isn’t in my plans.” She shook her head in disbelief but looked calmer now. “Now, why don’t you kiss your husband before we have breakfast?”

“Not before you take a shower.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside the house.

“Okay, I think that was quicker than I expected,” Nero turned with a grin. “Why don’t you two argue a bit for my entertainment?”

“Where’s your own woman to argue with you?” I asked, making him burst into laughter, as if I had just told the funniest joke in the world.

“I like her, you know? I really do.”

“My brother can’t stay with a girl more than once; it would be a miracle to get him a wife,” Marco said as his brother walked away. “I liked seeing you accept the title of my woman so quickly.”

“I haven’t accepted being your woman yet.” I hadn’t even realized how quickly I responded to his brother—those words came out automatically.

Marco smiled to the side in that way that made my body shiver, and the air suddenly felt warmer. He raised his hand, brushing his fingers along my face, making it hard for me to breathe.

“It’s only a matter of time...”

“Angela Mancini?” a female voice echoed among the people there, drawing my attention instantly. “I can’t believe it’s really you!”

“Giulia? What... what are you doing here?” I stammered, unable to believe it. “I thought you were dead."