Page 65 of Princess of the Mafia

An ice-cold fist clamped onto my chest. The thought that he might find a different solution to my soreness beat faster than the pulse point in my wrist. Insecurity and memories washed over me.

He gripped my chin and tipped it up. Darkness tinged his harsh laugh. “I’ve waited fucking weeks to fuck you. You think I’m going to fuck someone else just because you’re sore?”

When he put it like that. I chewed on my lips.

He pulled it free.

“Fuck!” He cursed like he’d suddenly remembered something. “Talk about bad timing. I have to go to Boston, Principessa.” His words dropped like heavy lead on my fragile ego. “The capo there has a snitch and needs my help to get this shit resolved.” His hand traced my cheek as his gaze bore into mine. “This has nothing to do with anything else, capisti?”

Loss camped already underneath my ribcage.

“How long will you be gone?” I muttered hoarsely. Shit. I sounded needy.

“Don’t know.” He ran his hand through his hair. Frustration edged the sharp lines of his jaw. “I’ll try to wrap it up and be back soon. Sì?”

I nodded weakly. Not like I had any choice in the matter.

“Bene. Now get ready. I’m taking you to a doctor.”

I blinked. “What? Why?”

He gripped me and bit the hollow behind my ear. “Because there’s no way I’m not fucking you bare. We are getting this resolved now before I leave.”

He shoved me against the brick-lade facade, his body blocking me from passersby. “Happy now?” he muttered against my neck.

When I had begged him to use a condom, there hadn’t been a sane part of me that had actually believed he would. No one told a made man what to do. Besides, telling them anything only got them to do the opposite. A challenge to the malice in their heart. But he had actually listened to the silly girl underneath him as if… a girl’s opinion mattered. As if I had a say about my own body. He had pulled one of the best gynecologists out of her free Saturday and made her talk to me about all the options. He let me decide what I wanted, and when I had decided on an implant, he made her repeat the pros and cons again. He made me dizzy. There was a spark in my chest. Confidence and belief were slowly trickling in.

I stood imprisoned between his arms, basking under the bright sun, an implant in my arm, New York traffic buzzing in the background, but all I heard were his words. When can I fuck my wife? I didn’t think I had ever met a ruder man in my life, and since I was a Cosa Nostra girl, that was saying something. I didn’t think the doctor had either given the surprised pop of her mouth. But damn if how he said wife and fuck didn’t roll in my stomach like thick hot honey.

“Sì?” His hot breath rasped against my neck.

“Sì.” I nodded, a smile lining my face.

“Good. The day you graduate, we are getting a baby. Sì. No more excuses,” he said sternly. Sure. Like we would order a ready-made baby online. Yeah. Still a typical made man.

I laughed. “Yes. Yes.”

His eyes softened. “I like it when you laugh.” He pulled away reluctantly. “Stay here.” He nodded to one of his men to keep guard and walked the few feet to the car.

I like it when you laugh rode my mind as I watched him check the car with Orso. I didn’t understand his obsession. We had come in the car after he had checked it, and his men had been out while we were inside. Yet he checked everything again, including a metal detector that he had just happened to have in the bonnet of his car.

I sighed when he finally approved everything and jerked his head in my direction. What a surprise. You would have to be suicidal to tinker with the car of the Don while his men were around.

“What is it with you and cars?” I muttered as I neared him.

“Shut up and get in.”

I was startled. His tone was light, but there was a darkness edged around it. He pushed me lightly into the back seat before joining me. He was grumpy. I had no idea why.

“You never leave without the car getting checked. Sì?”

He was still on it.

“Yeah. Yeah,” I muttered.

Because he looked so forlorn, I added the next words just as Orso got into the driver’s seat. “Thank you for today.”

“Yeah?” His eyes darkened. “You’ll show me your gratitude when I’m back by spreading your legs so I can fuck you bare.”

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