Page 96 of Stolen By the Enemy

Chapter Thirty-One

Grazia

I slip around the side of the banquet room where the reception is still in full swing. I peek into every room along the way, hoping to see Marco and Luca, hopefully with a security team.

I’m just withdrawing from peeking into yet another empty room, when I turn and run right into someone. I squeak in shock, then roll my eyes in relief when I see that it’s Marco.

He winces from the impact with his damaged ribs, and presses hand to his side.

“I was looking for you,” he says to me, his voice sounding tight.

I scan his battered face and sigh. “You look awful,” I say honestly.

He laughs at my words, then winces again.

“Did you call the family doctor?” I ask.

He shakes his head and I roll my eyes again. “Men. What would you do without us?”

I hold out my hand. “Phone.”

He obliges, handing over his cell phone. I scan through his saved numbers and call Carlos’ private doctor.

I arrange for him to come to the hotel, then pass the phone back to Marco.

“Come on,” I tell him. “Back to the room. I can’t have people seeing you like this. I don’t want to have to explain what happened.”

I frown as we walk up to the elevators around the corner.

Honestly, I don’t even know enough to explain anything to anyone about what just happened.

I do know that Elio La Rosa is a very dangerous man.

I also know that my brothers have been frustrated by him for years because he refuses to share in any of the trade with Russia.

I assume that my brothers are going to try and use Kate and Elio’s child as leverage to get some of the trade routes they have wanted for years. That makes me angry, but I also know how business works.

“How do you know her?” I say into the silence of the elevator car as we travel up to the penthouse suite.

The elevator stops at the top floor of the hotel, prompting us to scan our special access card for the top floor.

Wincing again, Marco pulls out the card and swipes it, and the elevator continues up one more level.

“We grew up together,” he tells me as he hobbles after me into the opulent suite that was reserved for us by Carlos. “She’s the oldest daughter of the Aguirre family.”

My eyes go wide at this. “The one that supposedly disappeared seven years ago? Everyone thinks she’s dead.”

Marco’s mouth twists a little. “Well, she’s not. I hid her from Elio all those years ago after she found out she was pregnant.”

I shake my head and point at the large sofa in the middle of the room. “Sit.”

I go into the kitchen and get some towels and a bowl of water before coming to sit down beside my new husband.

Our union isn’t even two hours old and I’m already having to fix him up after a fight.

“Elio is a dangerous bastard,” I say to Marco as I start to gently clean up his battered face.

“Tell me something that I don’t know,” Marco says to me wryly. He hisses as I graze over a sensitive spot.

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