Chapter 25 - Angela

I knew there was still something Marco was hiding from me, but I wasn’t going to force him to reveal everything in one night—especially after seeing how much it affected him.

I never thought I’d see a mafioso tense enough to grind his teeth while recalling a childhood memory. He surprised me by telling that story, especially about the loss of his mother. I never would’ve imagined that the Demon of the Camorra could feel so deeply about someone’s death, even someone close to him.

That was a side my father would never allow to show—or maybe he simply didn’t have a heart. Something Marco had proven he did have.

Sleeping so comfortably against his chest was another thing that surprised me that night. His arm wrapped around my body, and I could hear the steady beats of his heart lulling me to sleep.

“Don’t bother keeping your eyes shut pretending to sleep, you’re not getting out of training today,” he murmured against the top of my head, making me smile.

“I’m not trying to run away,” I said, lifting my head to look at him. “I think I’m the one most interested in learning how to defend myself.”

“Don’t fool yourself, angel. I’m the one most interested in teaching you every move—using it as an excuse to keep my hands on your body, to stay glued to you for a long time.” He turned, hovering over me, his massive frame covering mine. “Now give me a real good morning!”

Without caring that we’d just woken up and hadn’t even brushed our teeth, Marco kissed me. His tongue slid deep into my mouth, taking control of my body with such ease that it made my head spin.

Quickly, he pushed his knees between my legs, spreading them and positioning himself between them.

“Marco…” I gasped, turning my lips away from his in search of air.

I felt his hard arousal pressed against me, and the next moment his hands gripped my waist tightly. But before we could go any further, a knock on the door echoed through the room, forcing him to stop.

“Who the hell is it?” Marco growled without moving away, his lips sucking my skin while his teeth nipped, stealing my breath.

“We’ve got an early meeting with the cartel men,” Nero shouted from the other side of the door, and I let out a quiet sigh, knowing Marco would leave me burning and without our lesson.

“We’ll be down in a minute,” he replied before getting up and jumping out of bed. “Go to your room and get ready—we’re leaving in a few minutes.”

“W… what?” I stammered, propping myself up on my elbows and sitting up to look at him.

“You heard my brother. We’ve got an early meeting with the cartel guys; we can’t be late.” He walked calmly toward the bathroom and stopped in the doorway. “Unless you’d rather stay home.”

I jumped out of bed instantly and ran out of my room. I wasn’t about to miss the chance to witness a negotiation up close.

The very idea of seeing him close a deal with other criminals made me anxious. I had met other dangerous men before, but I had never witnessed a negotiation in person. My father would never have allowed a woman to know anything that went on within the famiglia.

I rushed to the bathroom, took a quick shower, and put on the most formal outfit I’d bought the day Mel forced me to go shopping. Dressed in black pants and a white bodysuit, I chose black heels and tied my hair back into a ponytail.

When I was finally satisfied with my appearance, I went down to the dining room, hoping he hadn’t changed his mind about taking me.

“Are you sure you want to take her today? You said yourself yesterday she had no training.” That was Frank’s voice, and I pressed myself against the door to listen better.

“You forgot to mention he said that while losing his mind not knowing where his beloved was.”

I wanted to laugh at Nero’s words but didn’t want to reveal I was eavesdropping.

“Shut up,” I heard a cup clatter, and even without seeing, I could imagine it was Marco. “Angela doesn’t have training, but today I’ll be there to ensure her safety if something goes wrong—very different from last night.”

“If you say so…”

“And it’d be best if we didn’t talk about last night for a while. My urge to strangle Melissa still hasn’t passed,” he growled, still blaming his sister for what had happened.

I chose that moment to enter. I wasn’t going to let Mel take the blame for choices I had made.

“If you want to strangle someone, it should be me, not your sister. She didn’t force me into anything—I made my own choice,” I said as I walked in and sat beside him.

“Who said I won’t punish you for last night? But your punishment will be a little different.” He grabbed my hand and pressed a kiss to my wrist, his eyes locked on mine.

Those words should’ve scared me, but instead, they sent a rush of heat through my body as I imagined what kind of punishment he meant.

“Oh my God, you two need a room.”

“Shut up, Nero. I told everyone we’re leaving in a few minutes. As soon as Angel finishes breakfast, we’re ready to go!” Marco ordered, and they didn’t wait for another word—the two of them left quickly, leaving us alone.

I turned toward the table and found pancakes, along with an endless spread of food—eggs, bacon, toast, a filled pie, cake. I knew I shouldn’t eat much; my mother always said men wouldn’t be attracted to me if I got fat, and my father made sure to remind me of that every day.

But the smell was too tempting, making my mouth water. Before I could decide, a fork appeared in front of my lips, holding a piece of pie.

I turned to Marco with a silent question, but he only nodded, encouraging me to eat.

“I’ve gone off my diet since I got here,” I grumbled, breathing deeply as the delicious aroma filled my nose, ending my hesitation.

I opened my mouth and took the bite, unable to stop my eyes from closing or the soft moan that escaped me. Giovanna was definitely the best cook in Italy—was there anything she couldn’t make taste good?

“I don’t want you worrying about diets or skipping food because you’re concerned about your weight,” he said, holding out a piece of pancake in front of me. “You’re already thin—you’ll disappear.”

“And if I gain weight, you’d have a reason to replace me with someone else. Not that it’s a problem for men in power…” He pushed the fork into my mouth, silencing me before I could finish.

The pancake melted softly on my tongue—it was too good to resist, just like Marco, a temptation too strong to ignore.

“A real man likes a woman with curves—something to grab and hold onto.” He caught my arm and pulled me roughly onto his lap. “Do you really think I’d trade you if you got fat? That I’d pick a thinner one instead of holding you tight enough to sink my fingers into your hips while I buried myself deep inside your hot, tight pussy, watching your big ass, marked by my hand, shake as it waited for me to fuck it again? Or that I wouldn’t want to see you riding me, your full breasts bouncing while your thick thighs pin me to the bed?”

“I… I…” I stammered, unable to form a single word as my mind filled with images of what he had just described.

“You really think I’ve only ever been with women with flat stomachs and fake breasts? I like real women, little angel.” He leaned forward, grabbed a piece of chocolate-covered cake, and pressed his large body against mine, trapping me against the table. “Now eat and stop thinking nonsense. We’ve got a long day ahead.”

I stared at the cake in front of me and quickly opened my mouth, taking almost the whole piece in one bite. It was divine—and Marco was right. I shouldn’t care what people thought about my body. I needed to start choosing for myself, or I’d just be trading one prison for another.

“This is amazing,” I moaned as I swallowed, then grabbed his hand and sucked the rest from his fingers coated in chocolate.

“Fuck, it definitely is!” Marco squeezed my thigh with his free hand, and I felt his erection pressing against my hip. “We need to go, so be a good girl and get out of here before I throw you on this table and make the Mexicans wait.”

I bit my bottom lip to hide my smile. As much as I wanted to stay and see what he’d do to me on that table, I wanted even more to watch his negotiation.

I got up quickly and ran out, joining Frank while watching Nero give orders to the men who would follow us in the other car.

Marco came out a few minutes later, smiling at me before heading toward his brother. His expression changed quickly, showing that it was now time for the boss of the Camorra to take over.

“You’re good for him,” Frank murmured beside me. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him this happy—and this crazy—over a woman.”

So he had had another woman in his life once, someone important enough to make him lose his head just as much as she made him happy. The realization sank in my stomach, leaving an uncomfortable chill there.

I shouldn’t care. Our marriage was supposed to be nothing more than an agreement where both sides benefited. I’d be free, and he’d get his revenge on my father. But why did knowing that bother me so much?

“It’s our time—let’s go. Try not to distract him too much during this meeting; we need to close the deal with the cartel after the loss we suffered.”

I was still stunned by his words, but I understood that the “loss” they had suffered was what my father had stolen. That was the truth. As much as Marco sought revenge when he kidnapped me, I had only caused him trouble since arriving. That had to end.