Chapter 40

Isabella

Emiliano nodded. “Only in the case of emergencies.” He squeezed my hand. “Retrieving my fiancée was an emergency.”

I scoffed and laid my head against his arm. “Do you get to determine emergencies?”

“Yeah, that’s what lieutenants do.”

Once I was seated in his front seat and he was behind the wheel, I asked the question burning in my mind. “Horace said there was a casualty or more than one. Were they from the cartel?”

Em nodded, starting the engine. “There were more casualties in the bratva.” He pulled his car out onto the quiet streets.

“Is Volkov dead?”

He again nodded. “We can’t talk about anything that happened tonight in front of anyone, even my parents.”

“Even your parents?”

His hand came to my thigh. “I’ll always be honest with you. Sometimes I might not be able to answer, but I’ll never lie. The lieutenants who were not involved will be briefed tomorrow.”

“Your father wasn’t involved.”

Em turned my way.

“One more question.” When he didn’t respond, I asked, “Who in the cartel was killed? Not el Patrόn.”

“Valuable soldiers. They’ll be missed. But el Patrόn, Nick, and Rei are safe.”

A sigh of relief came as I laid my head against the seat. “It’s crazy.”

“What’s crazy?”

“I was worried about all of you. Ten days ago, I barely knew any of you.”

Em turned my way with a grin. “It’s not crazy. Isabella, you have a pure heart. You’re naturally kind. The women in the apartments see that. You’re also empathic. I would guess you’re worried about more than those of us on the mission.”

I nodded. “I’m still worried about the tenants that reported to Wanderland tonight. Have you heard anything?”

“I’ve heard that it has been business as usual. No incidents.”

I dropped my hand over his, the one on my thigh. Em turned his palm up. Our fingers intertwined. “Is tonight what it will be like being your wife. Will I constantly be scared you might not come home?”

“Not constantly. Tonight was unusually dangerous.” When he turned my way, I saw a gleam in his eyes. “And when we’re married, I’ll watch you undress, not wait outside.”

My cheeks warmed.

“And we won’t have to wait for a priest to take the edge off.”

“The edge off?”

“Sex, Isabella. The best way to calm the beast inside of men like me after a dangerous operation is to fuck.”

I opened my eyes wide. “Oh, good to know.” I looked up, taking in his handsome profile. “I suppose this is a tested theory?”

“I’d be lying if I said no.”

Of course he’d been with other women.

Em added, “I guarantee that is what everyone else is doing right now.”

A chuckle came from my chest. “Poor Emiliano.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me. My time is coming” —he winked at me— “and so is yours.”

Beneath my bra and blouse, my nipples hardened. “You know I’ve never…”

“I didn’t know, but since yesterday was your first kiss and first date, I kind of guessed.” He squeezed my hand. “Trust me, Izzy.”

It was the first time he’d used my nickname. My gaze went down to where our hands were linked. “I do.”

“That’s what you need to tell Father Gallo.”

“When is he going to arrive?”

“He’s already there.”

Em drove us beyond a locked gate. Looking up at the house, I remembered attending Mia’s wedding here. As I recalled, similar to Mia’s house, the other side of the house was situated high on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

Not once during Mia’s wedding had I imagined coming back to this location, and definitely not as Emiliano’s intended wife. The clock on the dashboard read nearly one in the morning. “How did your mother get a priest here at this hour?”

“Father Gallo has been on call for the Roríguez cartel for many years. He performed Jano’s and Camila’s weddings. Now he’ll perform ours.”

My parents wanted tradition.

This was tradition—just not theirs.

Em parked the car on a large brick driveway. Opening my door, he extended his hand. “Come, Miss Luciano. Forever more, you will be Mrs. Isabella Ruiz.”

I stepped out into the cool night air.