CHAPTER 131: Rocco's Truth

The clock on the mahogany desk ticked slowly in the quiet room.I lay on my side, my back aching from the long hours of mandatory bedrest.The heavy silk drapes were drawn tight, blocking out the gray afternoon light.A soft, mechanical click suddenly echoed from the back of the bedroom.I did not flinch as the dark mahogany wardrobe shifted.The secret wooden panel slid open with a low, whisper-soft creak.Rocco Falcone stepped out of the dark passage, sliding the panel shut behind him.He was wearing his black tactical gear, his broad shoulders smelling of fresh rain and sandalwood.His dark hair was slightly damp, clinging to his forehead in messy clumps."You are supposed to be sleeping, little bird," Rocco whispered, walking slowly toward the bed."I cannot close my eyes," I replied, my voice flat. "It is too quiet in this house without Roman.""My brother is still clearing the Baltimore docks," Rocco said, stopping at the edge of the mattress."Is he safe?" I asked, looking up a

CHAPTER 132: The Healing Intimacy

The bedroom door creaked open.I held my breath, pulling the silk duvet up to my chin as Roman stepped into the room.His eyes were bloodshot, and his silver shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing dark smudges of soot on his neck.He looked completely dead on his feet."Roman," I whispered, my voice trembling slightly. "You're back early.""The harbor is clear," Roman muttered, his voice a low, gravelly rasp that scraped against the quiet of the room.He didn't walk toward the bed.Instead, he slumped heavily into the leather armchair just three feet away from my mattress."Are you not coming to bed?" I asked, my heart hammering against my ribs."I am too dirty, Cora," Roman sighed, resting his elbows on his knees and dropping his head into his hands."I've been breathing in diesel fumes and salt water for twenty-four hours," he added. "I just need a moment to rest my eyes.""You should take a shower," I murmured, staring at him."Later," Roman whispered.He leaned his head bac

CHAPTER 133: Roman's Words

The tension in the bedroom was thick enough to choke on.Roman stood over me, his face cast in deep shadows under the amber light.His eyes were bloodshot, his nostrils flaring as he took another slow, deep breath of the air in the room."I asked you a question, Cora," Roman growled, his voice a low, threatening rumble."Why does my bed smell like my brother's sandalwood cologne?" he demanded, his grip on the bedpost tightening.I forced my face to remain completely expressionless, my heart hammering violently against my ribs."Elena brought it," I said, my voice cold and steady.Roman's gunmetal eyes narrowed instantly."Elena?" he repeated, his jaw locking."Yes," I lied, looking him dead in the eye. "My back was cramping after you left for Baltimore.""The pain was getting worse, and Tanaka's pills weren't helping," I added, clutching the silk duvet to my chest."Elena brought me a vial of aromatherapy oil to rub on my lower back," I explained."She said it would soothe the contrac

CHAPTER 134: The Master's Claim

The door clicked shut, locking us in the dark.Roman did not move from the side of the bed, his massive shadow towering over me in the amber glow of the backup lights.His breathing was heavy, a low, rugged sound that made my skin prickle with sudden apprehension."I am tired of the games, Cora," Roman said, his voice a gravelly rumble."I told you the truth about the oil, Roman," I replied, keeping my voice completely flat as I pulled the duvet tighter."I don't care about the oil anymore," Roman growled, taking a sudden step toward the mattress."I care about what is mine," he added, his gunmetal eyes locking onto my face with a terrifying, raw intensity.He reached out, his large, warm hand wrapping around my chin to force my head back against the pillows."Do you know what you are to me, Cora?" Roman asked, his thumb pressing hard against my bottom lip."I am your contract," I whispered, my green eyes defying him in the dark."You are my wife," Roman corrected fiercely, his jaw lo

CHAPTER 135: What Elena Sees

The morning light cut through the cracks in the wooden blinds.I sat up slowly, my stomach turning instantly with a sharp, familiar wave of nausea.I pressed my hand against my lower abdomen, waiting for the spasm to pass.My eyes immediately drifted to the mahogany vanity table across the room.My breath caught in my throat.Rocco’s dark glass bottle of sandalwood oil was sitting directly next to Roman’s heavy silver comb.They were resting side by side on the polished wood, completely exposed.If anyone walked in right now, our entire secret would be dead.I tried to slide out of bed to hide them, but a dull ache in my back made me wince.A soft knock rattled the bedroom door, and my body went completely rigid under the sheets."Cora, it is Elena," a voice called out quietly."Come in," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady.The heavy lock clicked, and Elena Marchetti stepped into the bedroom, carrying a silver tray with a steaming bowl.She closed the door behind her, locking i

CHAPTER 136: The Transition

The black silk stretched tight over the massive curve of my stomach.I gasped, my fingers clawing at the edge of the mahogany vanity as another sharp pinch flared in my lower back.It was Day 270.I was thirty-six weeks pregnant, carrying the heavy, agonizing weight of the Falcone bloodline."Hold still, Cora," Elena whispered, her warm fingers carefully pulling the zipper up my spine."The silk is too tight, Elena," I muttered, my breathing shallow. "It feels like a corset.""It fits you perfectly," Elena replied, stepping back to adjust the drape of the black fabric over my shoulders."You look like a queen," she added, her eyes shining with maternal pride."My back is killing me," I said, leaning heavily against the vanity."Month nine is hard on any woman," Elena said, pressing a warm cup of herbal tea into my hands. "But carrying twins is a war of its own.""I can survive a backache," I muttered, taking a quick sip of the minty liquid to settle my stomach."You have to do more th