Page 44 of His to Hold

“I asked you a question,” Antonio snarls. “What are you doing here?”

Despite the violence simmering beneath the surface of his deceptively calm exterior, I know Antonio won’t hurt me. It’s hard not to wilt under his hostile gaze, though. Keeping my head up and my shoulders squared, I remind myself of why I came here. I wanted to show him a different, more determined side of myself. I can’t back down.

“You mean, apart from saving you from starting a war with the Bratva?” At least, I hope I did. My words to Boris were intended to smooth things over. I tried to assure the other man that Antonio wasn’t thinking straight, that there’s no need to break up their alliance. Ignoring the way my husband is glowering at me, I tut disapprovingly. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“That I don’t want some Russian fuck pawing at my mother.”

His sneer makes it seem as if it was some low-level foot soldier with his mother and not the billionaire head of a powerful organization.

I snort derisively at his attitude. “Is it really so bad? The Reznovs are your allies. Your mother and Boris are adults and neither of them are married. Ava’s still young. She shouldn’t have to spend the rest of her life alone.”

Ava only recently turned fifty, but Antonio acts as if she’s an old lady and not a woman with decades of life ahead of her. She’s still incredibly beautiful and, I have to admit, for an older guy, Boris Reznov is pretty damned hot. Silver fox doesn’t even begin to do the man justice. It would be a spectacularly bad idea to point that out to my husband, though.

Placing my hand on his arm, I caress it gently, trying to soothe his temper.

“Your mother deserves to find love.”

“Love?” Antonio spits. “You think they’re in love?”

“I do.” When Boris said he loved Ava, I felt every ounce of the sincerity in his words. “I saw how they looked at each other.”

“Fuck!” Antonio shoves away from me. He runs his grazed, bloody fingers through his hair, exasperated. “I don’t want to think about it.”

He’s going to have to deal with this sooner rather than later but I let the subject drop for now.

“How’s Gio?”

“He had surgery. We’re waiting for him to wake up.” Antonio moves closer. He puts his hands on the wall at either side of my head, caging me in. “Now, I’ll ask you again, Bella. What are you doing here?”

“I need to be here for Gio, for you.” I reach up and curve my hand around his cheek. He hasn’t shaved since yesterday morning, so his skin feels rough. “I’m your wife. My place is by your side.”

His jaw clenches as he considers what I’ve said. For several long seconds, he just stares at me. It takes everything I have in me not to look away. Now is the time to stand my ground, otherwise he’ll send me back to Westport, or the beach house, and our relationship will fall apart completely.

After what feels like an eternity, Antonio nods. “You’re right, Bella. I shouldn’t have left you behind.”

Though it’s not a clear apology, it feels like he’s saying sorry. He lowers his lips to mine. His kiss is softer than I’m used to from him, but it carries so much emotion I’m almost overwhelmed. His hand skims down the side of my neck as his lips caress mine. I shudder and sag against him as he pulls back.

Skimming the tips of his fingers down my cheek, he looks at me with a gentler expression on his face than I’ve ever seen. He’s never told me he loves me, but something tells me he’s building up to making a declaration. It never comes. The moment is shattered by the sound of a man clearing his throat.

Antonio steps away from me as Matteo saunters along the corridor toward us, wearing black pants, a white shirt, and his trademark cocky grin.

“Izzy.” He greets me with a kiss on each cheek. “This is a surprise. Need me to get rid of another body for you?”

“No,” I hiss, horrified that he’s bringing up the horrible business with Rico. I glance around to make sure nobody overheard him.

“Just a social call, then?”

My shoulders stiffen. Matteo is one of my oldest friends, but right now he’s looking at me as if I’m the enemy.

“I’m here to support my husband.”

“A man does need a loyal wife by his side.” Matteo tilts his head to the left as he regards me closely. “Are you loyal, Izzy?”

Although he addresses me by the pet name he’s always used for me, it’s without the affection we once shared. We were as close as brother and sister at one time, so the hint of suspicion in his voice is hurtful.

“I am.”

“I hope so.” He smiles tightly. “I’d hate to have to dump your body behind a strip club in Queens. You know, so soon after the last one.”

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