Page 96 of Fiercely Protective

“You said we would make plans when I felt better, and I thought that was what you wanted to talk about.”

He kissed the top of my head before sweeping me into his arms and carrying me back inside to the bed. “I wanted to make plans for a honeymoon, Angel, not dissolve our marriage.” He sat me back on the bed and stood a few feet away from me. “What am I going to have to do to convince you that there is no escape, that you are mine forever? Do I seriously need to rethink the idea of chaining you to my bed?”

The joy I felt as his words was so overpowering that I couldn’t help but smile at his reference to the handcuffs. “No, I get the idea. Besides, I did sign a contract.”

He pressed me back against the pillows and hovered over me. “Damn straight you did, and don’t think for one minute that I will not use it against you if that pretty little head ever thinks of leaving me again.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his head closer for a long, slow kiss.

“Darling, the doctor said that you should rest for a day or two, but if you continue to kiss me like that, it will be difficult for me to heed his advice.”

“Would I be more convincing if I were naked?”

His smile instantly became predatory. His lips claimed mine and his hands made swift work of the chemise I was wearing. “You know an angel should never tempt a devil, darling.”

Epilogue

Six Months Later

Sinners Night Club, Chicago

Rogue

Sinnerswas exceptionally busy tonight. It was the grand reopening since the night Petros had tampered with the fire alarms, setting off the sprinkler system which had caused a great deal of water damage. And while we could have opened three months earlier, Alessio had suggested shutting down for longer. He thought it would build anticipation and allow us to make a few changes. One of which was the exclusivity of the club. While the main floor and upstairs rooms were open to the public, we added an exclusive section. The benefits of membership included a secluded private entrance that protected members from being identified giving them a certain anonymity. Once inside the members-only section of the club, they could immerse themselves in the most sinful and pleasurable acts money could buy. The finest liquor, the most beautiful women eager to disappear into the shadows with a patron, smuggled Cuban cigars, as well as other delicacies not readily available to others. It was a high-class, glitzy, palace of immorality. But membership was exclusive, and the annual fee was $150,000. It kept the clientele list small.

The public side ofSinnersalso had a few changes and with the number of people clamoring to get inside tonight, it seemed as if Alessio’s business sense had been correct again. Blaze had complained about waiting so long to reopen, but now that he hadat least three women demanding his attention, he seemed rather pleased.

I sat alone in my private booth, wishing I was back at the penthouse with Bri. I had wanted to bring her with me for the reopening tonight, but she had not felt well all day and had elected to stay behind. The noise and lights would not have helped her headache, but I missed her.

We had stayed at the estate for about three weeks after the incident with Tony, but when I mentioned needing to return to the city to take care of business, she was more than happy to come along with me. As if I would have ever left her behind.

The pleasure-seeking life of debauchery I had always craved didn’t have the same appeal as it had before she walked into my life. The bourbon in my glass didn’t ease the burning desire I had raging through me every single day. I couldn’t be without her if I tried. She was an addiction and even now, I just wanted her.

I drank the rest of my bourbon, fully intending on speeding up the evening and returning to the penthouse. That is until I saw someone unexpected walking toward me.

Michael moved through the crowd, his height making him easy to see as he pushed through the people on the dance floor.

“I was not expecting to see you here tonight. Taking the evening off from saving souls?”

He sat in the booth beside me. “I came to talk to you about something.”

His tone instantly concerned me. “Certainly. Whatever you need, I am here for you.”

Michael smiled at the waitress who brought over two glasses of bourbon. “I am leaving the priesthood. My replacement arrives tomorrow.”

My eyes narrowed as I watched him sip the liquor. “Leaving? As in taking a sabbatical?”

“No, I am leaving for good. It isn’t for me anymore.”

I shook my head, confused as to what had changed for him. “Is this about what happened at the mansion? You were acting in self-defense, Michael. I shudder to think what would have happened to Bri and Eden if you had not been there.”

He nodded. “I realize that, but it doesn’t change the fact that I killed two men that day. How can I stand in front of a congregation of people and preach redemption, forgiveness, and honesty when I am guilty of the things I have done?”

“None of this makes sense. Those were not the first men you have killed, Michael.”

He sipped the bourbon. “I know that, but they are the first ones that I didn’t feel guilty about.”

“You shouldn’t feel guilty. They were evil men that were about to hurt an innocent woman.” I watched as his eyes scanned the room and I knew he was resigned to his decision. “What are you going to do? You know there is always a place in my organization for you.”

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