Page 62 of Cardinal

Clearing his throat in an attempt to cut his dying chuckle short, Sebastian popped the question bubbling between all of us. "What happened?" Poor Sebastian could barely keep a straight face as he curled his lips inward on each other, pressing them tightly together in a gummy smile.

"Interesting ringtone ya got there, bud. Didn't take ya for the Daddy Dom kind of fellow." Aidan's snickering turned into full-blown laughter that earned him a growling tackle from Ares after he shoved Sebastian aside.

"Ares, what is going on that's got you all fired up like that?" It didn't sound like a fun thing going off his brief phone call just now.

"Someone froze and drained all my bank accounts! And they think it's funny to fuck with my whole system that even our hackers can't get through them without tripping something new with whatever fix they patch in!" Ares seethed while choking out Aidan—playfully, of course.

"Who would…" Before I could finish my train of thought, a happy little Juliet humming to her heart's content as she came up to me with a smile that was much too innocent for her, distracting me.

"Can we go shopping?" Yeah, much too innocent for my Juliet.

Sighing, I rubbed my temples to ease the dull ache of my head before bending down to pick Juliet up and throw her over my shoulder. We needed to have a long talk away from everyone.

"Wha—hey! Luca, put me down!" Juliet's arms and legs flailed against me in protest as I took us to our room.

As gently as possible, I threw her down onto the bed and got on top of her with a knowing smirk as I trapped her between my arms and legs. "You know he's going to go after your throat when he figures out it was you." Trying to sound firm with Juliet failed because I felt much too amused at Ares's situation and proud of Juliet.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Juliet played innocent with an exaggerated smile and cheeky giggle. "I mean, after all, I am just a petulant and inexperienced teenage adult who doesn't know what she is doing." She mocked playfully with a few bats of her eyes.

Chuckling, I leaned down and kissed her deeply. "You didn't actually buy five Bugattis, did you?" Not like I would let her drive them. Also, if she did do that, then it meant I had to pay Ares back for the damage she did to his bank account.

Snickering, Juliet grinned up at me and shook her head. "Psh, no, it was just a fake statement and spam email I created for fun. I mean, one Bugatti, maybe, the idea was really tempting, but come on, five? That's a bit excessive, even if he could afford it."

"Did you actually drain his accounts?" Because that was a shit ton of money that would be a bitch to recover if she did do anything with it or didn't distribute it properly.

"No. I made carbon copy accounts, set those at zero balance, and swapped his real accounts with the copies. His real ones are still there but are locked, and only I have the key." Juliet grinned proudly at me, happily kicking her little feet under me.

Smiling proudly, I admired her momentarily before letting out an amused chuckle and kissing her softly. "You are such a troublesome brat." Taking her bottom lip between my teeth, I pulled at it with a soft growl. "I fucking love it." Or at least, I loved seeing the trouble she could cause as long as it wasn't me on the receiving end.

Sighing a soft, sad exhale, she smiled flatly while picking at the collar of my t-shirt. "You should probably head back there before Aidan loses his head." If she didn't sound so torn and sad, then I would listen, but an ache clawed under my chest at the thought of leaving her right now.

Rejecting her suggestion with a firm shake of my head, I leaned down and attacked her neck with some kisses. "What is wrong, amorina? Are you still upset about what Ares said out there?" Or was she upset at me for not being a better boyfriend to stand up for her?

Hesitantly, she strained out a small 'yes' with her nod as she tightened her arms around my neck. "It's stupid, though. I shouldn't let his words get to me so much like that, but it just… Ugh! He just reminded me how useless, broken, and pathetic I am. But I also hate how everyone underestimates me because I am so young. Yeah, I am still learning, but I'm learning from the best of the best. I mean, who better to learn from than another top mafia hacker?"

Slipping down next to her, I let her rant as I held her close, nodding and humming in agreeance with her as she vented about—what felt like—everything. I didn't utter a single word until she came to a full stop with an angry huff. "Juliet, sweetheart, you are not useless or broken or pathetic. You are young, yes, but there is nothing wrong with being passionate and excited about something. You have such a drive for what you want to do, and I really love that about you."

A wave of nostalgia warms my lips into a smile as I peered down at Juliet. "Reminds me of myself when I was younger, and it's a good reminder now for me to bring that side of me out to play again. I might be motivated, but I definitely am not as tenacious as I should be like you." Threading my fingers through her silk locks, I smiled appreciatively at her. "You are bringing back a lively side of me that I have locked away with this life of mine."

It was clear to me now, after seeing how much Juliet has impacted my life, that I haven't changed for the better. Yes, I garnered fear and respect, but I also became stagnant. Life was… good… on the best days. Mostly, I lived each day almost robotically on my set schedule, not really enjoying life as I should. The only thing I ever really found joy in was my fights, but even then, the spark in me was short-lived. Surging adrenaline only gave me a needed high for so long, and there were only so many people to beat bloody before even they became dull.

Resting my forehead against hers, I deeply breathed in her citrusy and berry-like scent, letting it clear up my system and mind. "Sometimes, I wonder who saved who in our relationship." I mused my thoughts aloud. "Thank you, Juliet, for being mine," I whispered against her lips as my hand held the back of her head delicately.

Applying the smallest amount of pressure possible, I guided her into a heartfelt kiss, letting my very soul shudder out of my body the deeper I pressed on. With a hand on the back of her head, I wrapped the other around her waist and pressed her into my feverish body with a soft groan.

My Juliet, the light to my hellish domain, the surface air, the fire to my soul, the reason I looked forward to the next day. Eagerness to gaze in awe upon the sheer perfection of her beauty compelled me to open my eyes each and every morning. Her beautiful eyes lit my path towards a greater—gray—good.

More importantly, the air my lungs craved with each breath, and she was the electricity that pulsed through my heart, keeping its rhythm steady and alive.

She had truly become my everything.

"I love you, Juliet."

Chapter 32

Juliet

I love you, Juliet.

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