Page 63 of Marko

Glowacki called everyone to attention and gave a short speech, thanking them for coming.

Oh god. I was so nervous I thought I might be sick. I hated giving speeches and being the centre of attention. Shifting from side to side, I tried not to make it noticeable. I couldn’t stand still; I was so jittery. Heck, I was going to pee.

‘Cool and calm, Melissa, cool and calm,’ I told myself, taking a deep breath as Glowacki introduced me and I took to the small makeshift stage.

It wasn’t working. My whole body started to shake. I didn’t think I could do this. I looked at the audience and gulped, my breath hitching. A slight movement caught my eye as Marko moved into my line of vision and smiled. He gave me a small nod and mouthed, “you’ve got this!” In that instance, the breath I’d been holding released in a whoosh, and I calmed down.

Marko was right. With him as my biggest fan, I had indeed got this. I smiled back, opened my mouth, and let the words flow.

CHAPTER 34

MARKO

THE SAME NIGHT – THE PLANNED SURPRISE

My chest puffed with pride as I watched Melissa mill around the room like a pro. I could hardly believe that such a stunningly beautiful, talented woman was mine. After her shaky start, she was really coming into her own. When she finished her short speech, I had clapped and whistled loudly, making her blush a little as she grinned, before heading off with some guests to show them her work.

Little Miss Pouty Lips had been so nervous, but she nailed it. I was incredibly proud of her achievements over the last few weeks. Her photography business wasn’t just up and running, but already going from strength to strength.

My gaze was drawn to my sexy little cat burglar as she moved among the guests and I wanted to tag along after her, but I held back. This was her night, and while I was there to back her up and encourage her, she needed to know she could own it all by herself. If she was to work through her nerves and build her confidence, she really didn’t need me as her constant shadow. Instead, I contented myself with watching from a distance.

Besides, I had enough nerves of my own rearing their ugly head. I didn’t want her to pick up on them and think it was a lack of confidence in her when it was entirely the opposite. My nerves were down to the surprise I had in store.

So, I stayed away and stood with Miki and Eilidh, pretending to listen to their chat. Miki had proposed to her the day we sent the information we had on the MP off to our police contacts, so now they were busy making plans for the big day.

If all went well tonight, it could mean another double wedding. That thought made my mouth suddenly as dry as dust, and I gulped down the rest of my drink. My insides churned, and I felt as jittery as a cat on a hot tin roof. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt such a wild mix of fear and excitement.

Normally, I stayed calm under pressure, but tonight was different. I needed something to distract myself, so I slid my empty glass of champagne onto a passing waiter’s tray and grabbed another. As I lifted it to my lips, I saw my hand tremble slightly. Shit, I needed to pull myself together. If I didn’t, my planned surprise might end up a disaster.

“It’ll be fine,” I told myself, taking a few deep breaths and another sip of champagne for courage.

Miki and Eilidh began smooching and not wanting to feel like a third wheel, I slipped off and took a wander around the room. Melissa’s tinkling laugh drew my notice, and I glanced over to find her laughing at something an elderly gentleman was saying as she put a red sticker against a lovely photograph of Glowacki’s daughter, Magdalena. The elderly couple she was talking to must have bought it.

I checked her other photographs. She was doing well; there were quite a few red stickers on her displayed work. The night was turning out to be a great success. I hoped my surprise only added to that.

Checking my watch, I realised the main part of the night was nearly over. Not long now!

Once again Melissa laughed loudly at something, and I couldn’t help smiling. I wanted to hear her laughing like that for the rest of my life—and hers.

I frowned, the memory of how close I came to losing her still sharp in my mind. The fact that someone had stabbed her while she was with me seemed unreal. My anger and frustration with myself were overwhelming, knowing I had let such a thing happen.

Weeks after the attack, I was still hunting the jogger. We knew who he was—the son of a key player in the MP’s illicit operations—but he had vanished. The uncertainty of his whereabouts gnawed at me. I was determined to find him, and when I did, he’d face a reckoning.

Fortunately, there had been no further attacks on Melissa, my family, or our businesses. I had wanted to confine her to the Estate until after the MP’s trial, but she refused. So, whenever she had to go out, either I or Trigger was by her side. I worried she might grow tired of Trigger’s quiet, moody demeanour, but she seemed to adore him. He had even taken a shine to her as well, often saying she was good for me—which was true.

Of course, I also had several of our guys trailing her covertly. There was no way I was letting anything happen to her again.

I narrowed my eyes, lost in thought. We’d been fortunate not to face any new attacks, but Glowacki wasn’t as lucky. It bothered us all that we still didn’t know what the true reason for the attacks against him was, but it was becoming more evident with each attack that he was being targeted for something more than simply being our ally.

We had been monitoring all communications from the MP’s home and keeping tabs on his movements. Since his arrest, he had become a virtual recluse, with the press camped outside his estate. However, for these attacks to be taking place, either some of his men based at his home were getting out undetected by the reporters, or he had more men on the outside doing his dirty work for him.

Whoever the culprits were, we needed to put a stop to them soon, because now Glowacki’s youngest children were being targeted. My fists clenched in fury at the thought. According to our code, such attacks were unforgivable, and by breaking the code, the perpetrators had signed their own death warrants.

Sniggering pulled me from my thoughts and I turned to see Miki, Ash, Romi, Luca, and Anton approaching. Their smug grins told me that the plan for tonight’s surprise that I shared with Miki in confidence was no longer a secret. The fucker had obviously let all of my Bratva Blood Brothers in on it, and now I was about to get tormented. Oh, great!

“So, how are the nerves?” Miki asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“What nerves?” I countered, clearing my throat and taking a deliberate sip of champagne, feigning calm.

---