Page 43 of Bound By Honor

“He’s not.” Luciano cuts in. “It’s impossible. We verified the body ourselves.”

“Did we?” Enzo this time. “Or did we see what Alessandro wanted us to see?”

My blood runs cold. Alessandro. Even his name carries poison.

“The threat is real.” Marco’s calm tone somehow makes it worse. “The question is: what do we do about it?”

“We protect what’s ours.” Luciano’s voice carries deadly promise. “Whatever it takes.”

I’ve heard enough. Pushing away from the wall, I head toward our suite. The halls feel longer tonight, shadows deeper. Every corner holds potential threats, real or imagined.

17

AURORA POV

The bedroom door clicks shut behind me, and I let out a shaky breath. Our space feels safe—a sanctuary of soft lights and shared promises. But even here, I know there are shadows lurking just out of sight.

I move to the balcony, wrapping myself in a blanket against the night air. The stars above seem impossibly bright, mocking our earthbound troubles with their eternal dance.

“You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

I don’t turn at Luciano’s voice. “How bad is it?”

His arms wrap around me from behind, solid and warm. “Nothing we can’t handle.”

“Don’t.” I lean back against his chest. “Don’t protect me from the truth. Not anymore.”

He’s quiet for a long moment, his breath warm against my neck. “We received a message. Photos of you and Luca in the garden today.”

Ice slides down my spine. “Alessandro?”

“Maybe. Or someone working with him.” His arms tighten. “The past is never truly buried—that’s what the message said.”

“He’s dead.” But even as I say it, doubt creeps in. “We saw?—”

“We saw what he wanted us to see.” Luciano turns me to face him, his eyes intense in the starlight. “But I swear to you, Aurora. Whatever’s coming, whatever threat this is... I won’t let anyone hurt you or Luca. Not again.”

“I know.” I touch his face, feeling the tension in his jaw. “But you don’t have to carry this alone. Not anymore.”

His laugh is soft, almost broken. “When did you become so wise,Principessa?”

“Probably around the time I took a bullet for love.” I try to smile, but his expression darkens.

“Don’t.” His hands frame my face. “Don’t joke about that. I can’t... the thought of losing you...”

I silence him with a kiss, pouring everything I can’t say into it. He responds instantly, months of fear and love and desperation crashing together. His hands slide into my hair as he deepens the kiss, backing me against the balcony rail.

“Inside,” he growls against my mouth. “Now.”

We stumble through the doors, need making us clumsy. Clothes fall like autumn leaves, each touch electric with promise and memory.

“Ti amo,” he whispers against my skin. “More than my next breath.”

“Show me.”

His smile turns predatory. “As you wish,Principessa.”

Moonlight spills through the windows, casting silver shadows across our sanctuary. The air feels charged, heavy with anticipation and the lingering scent of danger that never quite leaves us. Outside, guards patrol the grounds, their presence a reminder of the threats we face. But in here, with the soft glow of bedside lamps warming his skin and the whisper of silk sheets beneath us, we create our own world.

---