Page 110 of King of Obsession

I lifted her over the threshold, kicking the door closed behind us.

She was far from OK, the scars that bastard left her with cutting soul-deep. But I would help her through this in whatever way possible.

Easing her suffering was the only thing that mattered now, even if it meant ignoring the burning ache in my own heart.

I carried her over to the sofa, my shoulder aching in protest as I lowered us both down onto the cushions.

I gritted my teeth against the pain. It was nothing compared to the agony she was drowning in.

Settling back on the lounge, I pulled her into my arms, letting her curl up on my lap, seeking comfort. She clutched at my shirt with desperate hands, her whole body shaking with the force of her sobs.

‘I hate him,’ she whispered, muffled on my chest. ‘I loathe him so much. Franco Conti’s name, face, and voice are the poison and acid in my veins.’

‘I know, sweetheart. I know.’ I stroked her hair, loving the silky strands that slid between my fingers. She was so delicate, but a steel core also ran through her. The strength that had kept her going all these years was fueled by the hatred for the man who’d shattered her world.

He’d taken an abundance from her, from so many innocent people. And he’d keep on taking until someone stopped him.

Unless I shut his shit down.

She didn’t know that, as well as protecting her, I’d come to these hills to un-alive the man.

I was a man with a mission behind the mask of the ruthless stranger, the tender almost-lover. A man who’d seen too much evil, and had vowed to put an end to it, one scumbag in particular.

Franco Conti was that scum.

He had to disappear for her sake and my own.

But that was for later. Right now, she needed me to be here, to hold her as she purged some of the poison he’d left inside her.

She wept in my arms until my shirt was damp with her tears,till her breathing slowed, and her soft tremors eased.

I murmured soothing nonsense, words that meant nothing and everything, anchoring her with my voice and touch.

My fingers combed through her hair, silken strands sliding between my fingertips like silk. The repetitive motion seemed to calm her, and slowly, the sobs that wracked her body began to subside.

‘You’re strong,’ I told her instead, meaning it with every fiber of my fuckin’ being. ‘Stronger than you know. And you’re not alone anymore. I’m here now.’

She inhaled, clutching my chest. ‘You’re just one man, Alessio.’

I leaned back. ‘Ah mia sola, on that, you are wrong. I come from a family that doesn’t take shit, one that metes out justice in the highest order.’

She knifed up and canted her brow in disbelief. ‘Is that the truth?’

I jerked my chin. ‘Si. The Calibrese legacy is one in which we were the guardians of Omertà throughout most of Southern Italy. Meaning we were the honor protectors, the law among the unlawful. We trained assassins and trusted soldiers for various mob bosses. We upheld the families’ paramilitary structures, influencing every level of our society. We oversaw the blood oaths of silence which restrained each initiated and made man.’

‘You too?’

‘I am the family’s head capo, chief enforcer, and fixer, but we’re less into crime now. We operate more as security experts, militia advisers, and vault guardians. While we focus now more on legitimate endeavors, our enemies are still bound. They think we’re weak, but we are not. We still havethe might, money, firepower, and balls to defend our own and avenge anyone who dares come for us and for whom we love. Including you, mia sola.’

The words were a vow, a solemn promise spoken in the hush of the fading day. As she lifted her head to look at me, her eyes were red-rimmed but achingly beautiful.

‘Makes so much sense now,’ she breathed. ‘There was always an air of mystery with you. I’ve always wondered.’

‘Now you know,’ I rasped.

‘I do.’

She wiped her eyes, a watery laugh escaping her lips. ‘I must look a mess.’

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