Page 123 of Love Him Like Water

This was not Renzo, my husband.

This man was Renzo Lombardi, the mob boss.

The one that, whether they would admit it or not, had scared the crap out of my family for years because of his notorious ruthlessness.

His gaze slid from me and cut toward his cousin and the driver.

“Who put their fucking hands on my wife?” he snapped, his voice cutting enough for the men to stiffen.

But it was then that Renzo saw them.

My pants.

Draped casually over the shoulder of the driver.

He moved so fast that I swore he blurred.

And I, well, I finally took myself into the office, feeling like I didn’t want to have to see what was going to happen next.

I threw myself into the corner, my hands pressed to my ears, and started to hum.

And prayed for it all to be over.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Renzo

If there was one thing I could say about my cousin, it was that he was a fucking idiot.

Which worked in my favor.

It was why, even if he’d been cunning enough to take me out before I could figure out his plans, he would never be able to keep the title of boss. Someone else would see how short-sighted he was, how ill-equipped he was to engage in multi-step thinking.

Then they’d take his ass out.

One of Michael’s rackets was boosting and stripping cars.

It took all of five seconds of thought to know that was where he would have to take Lore.

To his garage.

His apartment wasn’t possible, given all the neighbors. And his only other business had nowhere to bring an unwilling woman. Let alone to lure and try to kill me.

Rico had taken Elian to the hospital as the rest of us rallied, making Cage rush over with a fully-loaded SUV.

Weapons, penetrating tools, the whole fucking shebang.

Adrenaline surged through my veins, gasoline waiting for a match.

And as Cage knocked the door in, then Dav and Cinna secured the scene, and I walked in to find Lore there, I almost thought the fire would never start.

She was there.

She was alive.

Her face was scratched and bruised.

But minor, minor fucking damage.