Page 215 of Forced Vows

"That is a lie." Cazzo. She has to know that. "You are worth everything."

I'm holding her too tight, but I cannot let go of this precious woman. The muscles in my arms refuse to loosen.

"I'm getting you all wet," she mutters against my chest.

Memory of the image she made standing there in a top nearly transparent from the water assails me.

Releasing her with one arm, I shrug out of one side of my suit jacket and then putting that arm back around her, I shrug out of the other. Then I put my suit jacket around her shoulders, surrounding her with me.

She looks up at me, vulnerability shining in her green eyes. "I can't believe you mafia guys wear suits in the summer. Who does that?"

"Suit jackets have their uses. They hide weapons nicely and–"

"Give you something to put around your fiancée when she's kidnapped by the bad guys and dunked in the bay?"

"Something like that."

I hold her away from me a few inches, but no more, so I can examine her. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I cut myself a little, getting the zip tie off. But it's not even bleeding anymore." She holds up her hand and shows me where she's nicked herself right below the palm.

I bring it to my mouth and kiss it. Then I lick along the shallow cut.

"You know we're not wolves or anything. I'm pretty sure that's not sanitary."

"I am incapable of hurting you, not even my saliva. We are perfectly chemically matched."

"I read that article too you know, and I am pretty sure the concept doesn't cover bacteria and infection."

Most women would be sobbing right now and if she did, I would hold her and think no less of her. But she's throwing out her usual snark.

I'm barely keeping up my end of the banter because all I want to do is to kill the men who took her and then fuck her over the pile of their dead bodies and prove to the world that she is mine.

"I should probably be offended I can feel you getting hard, but I'm not."

"What is there to be offended by? I will always want you. And sex is a primal response to vanquishing danger."

"I believe you." She wiggles against me.

"Watch out, or I'll strip you naked and take you here in the street."

"Kinky." She looks up at me, all humor drained from her eyes. "They threw me in a trunk. They were going to take me to the OAG compound and give me to Jed like I'm a rescue cat."

"Pusheen would eat them alive."

"She would. I want to punch every one of those miserable excuses for humanity in the nuts." She pauses. "With my kobutan."

"If that is what you want." I lift her into my arms and carry her to the SUV.

She stays snug in my lap as we drive the few feet to the other vehicles, where one of my envoy is blocking the back of the car and the other is blocking the side and front at an angle.

As soon as we arrived the car heading toward Róise tried to reverse direction, but they had no chance.

Just like this woman who has become my life, mi dolce fiore, had no chance against three trained soldiers with their fucking zip ties and DPVs.

All three stronzos have one of my men on each side, holding them in place to face judgment. To face me.

But it's my little spitfire that's going to confront them first.

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