ELLEN I missed Oliver so much, I missed his touch, I missed his lips on my naked body. I craved his touch and wanted him to give me that body-wracking orgasm. I had the thought in my head while having my bath. I almost touched myself while bathing, but then I thought of him in the bedroom. It would be so embarrassing if he found out that I was touching myself. He could walk into the bathroom, or hear me moan. I stopped that thought and took a cold shower to calm myself. But when I got out of the bedroom, Oliver stared at me like he wanted to devour me. I refused to meet his eyes as I applied my cream to my body. I watched him from my peripheral vision and saw his growing erection. That was when I knew he was as horny as I was, but I will not be too forward to ask for sex. I got a bit chilly as I lay in bed and asked for body heat when I knew I could simply ask for the heater to be turned on. But Oliver played along and scooted closer and cuddled me to sleep. I did not intend to

ELLEN I snuggled into Oliver's arms and placed my head on his chest. I could stay like this forever. I love the way he smelled and in his arms, I felt peaceful. We lay under the sheets naked. I rubbed his chest. "So, the mafia, is it something you love doing? I mean can't you leave?" I asked. Oliver sighed. "I did not choose the mafia, it chose me. You see we are born into this thing." "But do you like what you do? Do you like being a mafia boss?" He hiked his shoulders. "Well, aside from the protection and fame it gives you, it is a dangerous job. But I have no choice." "So, if you were given a chance to choose, what would you have been?" "Well, I don't know. I just— I just —I am tied up in this that it is difficult to say if I want anything else." "But you are not as dangerous. You still have a good heart." Oliver kissed the top of my hair and rubbed my arm. "You are seeing only one part of me, babe." I chuckled. "Oliver, I can

OLIVER "She is safe, but someone blew up the car outside the mall. Someone tried to kill us at the boutique." I felt like my body temperature dropped ten degrees. Someone blew up their car? My grip on the phone tightened and I felt my chest contrast. Jesus Christ, Ellen could have been in that car. What happened? Who did that? "She was not harmed, Oliver," Dante's voice brought me back. "Is she fine? Are you alright?" I asked huskily. Why was Dante calling me and not Ellen? Why was Ellen not speaking to me on the phone? "I am fine and Ellen is fine, except for a few bruises." "Can she talk to me?" I was already walking out of my office. Monica's voice was in the background, but I could not make out what she was saying. "She is still shocked from—" I hung up and half ran to the elevator. "Mr. Moreno, are you alright?" Monica asked me. I halted just before I got into the elevator. "I need to get to my wife right now, she was in an accident."

OLIVER Alejandro and Jerry were already on it when we got home. Ellen had calmed down in the car before we arrived. It scared me because I expected her to be hysterical when we got home. Maybe I was making a mistake, maybe my father was right. She was my weak point and people are going to try to harm her now that they know how attached to her, I was. It was no other person than Antonio, and I will kill that bastard if he was the one. One thing had kept me from declaring war against Antonio. It was Ellen and Sophie. I did not want them involved in all of this. I wanted to separate them from this, I wanted to separate my personal life from this mafia. Once Ellen stepped into the mansion, she went straight to Sophie's room. Mrs. Jones was still there, seated beside Sophie. Sophie was not asleep yet. "Mommy! Daddy!" Sophie squealed when she saw us and jumped off the bed. Ellen spread her hands and Sophie ran inside. Ellen hugged her tightly and rubbed her back with

ELLEN "Hi, Ellen. Long time no see," Tony said. I scooted back on the floor as Tony took a few steps toward me. My eyes darted behind him. How did he come in here? Where was Oliver and Sophie? They should still be in the compound. How come Oliver did not see him. "What are you doing here, Tony?" "I came to see you of course." "My husband was just outside...Mrs. Jones?" There was no answer from her. Tony scoffed and squinted his eyes at me. Then he reached into his pocket took out a pack of cigarette, took a stick, stuck it between his lips and lit it with the lighter. He sucked in and puffed out. "Your husband? The one that I forced you to get married to?" "Tony, what do you want from me?" "I gave you a simple task, yet you disappoint me." "Tony, you have to go now, please." I did not want this to get worse than it already was. "I could not do it. I could not kill the father of my child." "You should have thought about that b