Page 66 of Reluctant Surrender

“Lukas.” Andrezj moved closer to me.

My eyes moved to Maggie again. Terror was written all over her face. She didn’t need to see this. When she looked at me, the last thing I wanted was for her to see the monster that lived inside of me. There was no way of getting around violence in my world, but she did not have to be witness to it.

A bang and then shots fired out in the warehouse.

“Seems like your men finally realized we’re here.” I lowered my gun. “You really need better security. Sounds like my guys bested yours.”

“Fuck you.” Sammy went off on a tirade in Italian. Spit flew from his lips, and he took another step closer to Maggie. “I should have killed the bitch.”

“You’re lucky you didn’t.” I brought my gun up again, aiming at his chest. Maggie whimpered, breaking through my rage.

I squeezed the trigger, moving my aim at the last second and striking him in the shoulder. He reeled backward, hitting his ass on the concrete with a howl. I clenched my jaw. The only reason the man still breathed was because Maggie was watching. I wouldn’t taint her memories any more by letting her witness his death. I tucked my gun into the waistband of my pants at my back.

“We got him.” Andrezj stepped forward, his gun pointed at Sammy to keep him in place.

“Lukas.” Maggie’s voice cracked with my name on her lips. Tears streamed down her face.

“I got you, angel.” I pulled out my switchblade. Silently, she cried as I cut the ropes from her arms and ankles. She winced when I pulled her arms forward.

“Your shoulders are strained. Go slow,” I said softly, tucking away my knife.

“I knew Johnny was lying. I knew you wouldn’t leave me; you wouldn’t give me to them.” She wrapped her arms around my neck as I lifted her from the chair. She leaned her head into my chest.

“Let’s get you home.” I kissed her cheek then looked over at Patryk. “Take care of him, too.”

Patryk nodded. Johnny wouldn’t see the sunrise tomorrow, not after what he’d done. He’d betrayed me, betrayed her, and he put awful thoughts into her head. He was lucky I sent Patryk and didn’t handle it myself. But I had my hands full.

I carried Maggie through the warehouse to the car Alex had pulled into the lot. I gently put her in the back seat.

“She’s all right?” Jakub Staszek asked, walking toward me with Dominik. I stood with my back to the car, shielding Maggie with my body.

“She is. Thank you, both of you.” I shook their hands.

“Not a problem.” Dominik nodded. “If my wife were in danger, I know you’d come to my aid.” A year ago, I couldn’t promise the Kaczmareks would answer the call of a Staszek, but things were different now.

“I would. Any one of my family would be there to help,” I vowed.

Dominik smiled and smacked his younger brother on the back. “Let’s go.”

I climbed into the back of the town car and pulled Maggie into my lap, cradling her and kissing her forehead.

“Alex, have the doctor sent to the house. And have pain pills brought to my room.” I snapped orders while she clung to my shirt. “I’m so sorry, Maggie,” I whispered to her.

She sighed. “It’s not your fault, Lukas.”

But it was. I should have known Bertonelli gave in too easily to forgive Maggie’s cheating. I should have realized he was making a move, and I should have been paying better attention to the club. I’d been so preoccupied with making sure the underground businesses were flourishing with me in command, I’d neglected the smaller businesses.

It was because I put my ego ahead of Maggie that she’d been put in this position. I hadn’t wanted to see what was right in front of me. I wanted to keep shaping our Chicago organization to be a huge success. I wanted to take my place on my throne. I’d lost sight of the trees for the forest.

I didn’t need any of that bullshit. Everything of importance, everything that mattered in the world was in my arms right at that moment.

Maggie was the entire world to me.

“Przebacz mi, moja milosci. Juz nigdy cie nie zawiode.” I begged her forgiveness, vowing to never fail her again. “Kocham cie, mój aniolku.” I love you, my angel.

She tilted her face up to me and kissed my lips. A soft kiss, tender and loving. “Ja tez cie kocham,” she whispered against my lips and kissed me once more before settling herself beneath my chin again. “I love you, too,” she repeated her words in English.

Chapter 33

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