Page 98 of Ferocious Nightmare

I hopped excitedly on my feet as I waited for him to put on his own, then he turned to me, a serious look on his face. "Don't do anything that would put you in harm’s way, okay?"

"Of course," I effused, "whatever you want, bossman."

"I like that,” he said. Wrapping one arm around me, he pulled me close. “We’re going to light this house on fire, safely, then after we watch it burn to the ground, I'm going to take you back to our hotel room, and you’re going to call me that while I fuck you senseless.”

“Yes, sir,” I whispered, leaning up to kiss him.

He kissed me roughly, possessively, then pulled away. Grinning, he pulled down my facemask. "Ready?"

"Always."

We both faced the house, where I'd poured a mixture of diesel and gasoline all over the front entrance.

So giddy, I could barely stand it, I pulled the trigger on my flame thrower. We both did it together, and flames shot out at the same time.

The door caught easily, going up in flames, and I stared at it in awe for a brief moment, loving the way the flames licked the wood.

"Goodbye, motherfucker," I muttered to the man who'd held me hostage against my will. The man who'd raped my sister, and who'd tried to drown me in his will.

I hadn't seen what they'd done to his body, or to Marie's.

Nero “disappeared,” never to be seen again, and there wasn't even a burial plot with his name on it.

We'd held a funeral for Marie, where her husband stood over her grave, crying.

I hated the lies, that we'd made it look like a car accident, paid off the coroner to fix her autopsy, but it had to be done.

My only thought as I'd watched her husband grieving over her, was that he only seemed to appreciate her after it was too late. And I could only hope that, even though his poll numbers were soaring, he would miss her, now that she was gone.

He hadn't known her, not really, but at least there was someone who could publicly mourn her.

I still hadn't forgotten my oath to her. Even though Marie was dead, I was going to keep my promise to get her daughter back from the cartel.

Since both her parents were dead, Coulter and I decided that we would raise her as our own.

We owed it to Marie, and the girl deserved someone who could love her as a child, not as a negotiating tool. We were also going to take in James’ sister, Raven, as a tribute to James’ loyalty.

There was an immense satisfaction in knowing that Nero would never be around to influence or manipulate our new, growing family. An even though things weren't going to be easy, mafia life never was, we were still going to make things work.

We were in love, and happy together.

That was a lot more than what some people could ask for.

I was jerked out of my thoughts as Coulter tackled me, heaving me over his shoulder as he ran away from the house that was starting to catch fire.

I tilted my head upwards, and was watching when the whole front of the house caught.

I grinned. It was beautiful.

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