Page 54 of That Time I Accidentally Took Over the Mafia

“Are you making up excuses, so I’ll sit in your lap?” I raise an eyebrow, the sass practically dripping from my words.

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” He doesn’t even hesitate, tipping my chin up and pulling me in for a kiss. His lips are urgent, his hand at my back, fingers digging into my skin. It’s like he’s trying to anchor himself to something—to me. I can feel the tension in his body, the remnants of everything we’ve been through tonight.

I let him pull me in deeper, a soft groan escaping him as I shift, settling into his lap more comfortably. His other hand is at my hip, squeezing and rubbing like he’s trying to dissipate some of the chaos clearly taking over him.

The car pulls off, taking us out of town and back toward Enzo’s property. A fleet of black SUVs passes us, heading into town. I let the weight of the evening—the gunfight, the dead bodies we couldn’t save, and nearly losing the man holding me—float away with the retreating vehicles. I bury it for now, soaking in the warmth of Enzo’s body.

“The cavalry’s heading to the club to clean up,” Enzo murmurs into my ear, his breath warm against my skin. His hand continues to rub circles on my back. “Get some rest, angel.”

I hum softly, feeling my eyes grow heavy as I relax into his embrace. The tension from earlier slips away, replaced by the sense of safety I feel when he’s near.

Before I know it, I’m drifting, lulled by the rhythmic motion of the car, my head nestled against Enzo’s chest. His hand brushes through my hair, and I let out a soft sigh, unable to keep my eyes open for much longer.

“Wake up, baby,” Enzo whispers, the words pulling me from the edge of sleep. It feels like only a second ago he was telling me to relax, and now we’re already at his home. He kisses the top of my head, and I blink my eyes open, stretching my arms and arching my back as I shift in his lap. My ass presses against him, and, of course, he reacts immediately.

I feel the telltale hardness of him beneath me. Damn, these men. My back feels like it’s made of steel, but my body—oh, it’s not complaining. Not one bit.

A soft, guttural moan escapes his throat, and I swear I could melt right here. That sound? That moan?Moanster23’s got some serious competition. It’s enough to make me want to climb him again, right here in the backseat. Enzo leans in, burying his nose in my hair, his lips brushing against my ear.

“Stay with me tonight.”

It’s a request, not a command, and I need zero convincing. If it means blowing up a dozen more buildings to get into this man’s bed again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

I look back at him, pulling his lips to mine. The kiss is desperate, hungry, the fire between us reigniting as my heart races and my body answers the call. It feels so good to be wanted by him—by them. No one has ever looked at me the way they do, back then and now.

The car finally pulls to a stop in the driveway of Enzo’s estate. Jax opens our door and offers me his hand to help me out, but he doesn’t let my feet touch the ground. Instead, he lifts me effortlessly into his arms, and I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist, clinging to him as he carries me toward the house.

“You scared the shit out of us, Peach,” Jax growls, his tone softening when my lips find his. He kisses me as he walks, with the kind of confidence that says he knows every step and trusts himself not to trip or drop me. The slow burn of his kiss doesn’t falter, not even when we reach the smooth stone of the front patio.

Setting me down, he gives my ass one last squeeze before opening the door. “Go shower and change. We’re going to unload the car and get updates from the team.”

I nod, my head spinning from everything that’s happened, but there’s still an ache in my chest that needs to be dealt with. One problem at a time. “Do me a favor? Make sure he gets off his feet sooner rather than later?” I cut my eyes at Enzo, who doesn’t seem to think he needs to take it easy after his near-death experience.

“Anything for you, Peach.” He winks at me before jogging off to Enzo. Instead of relaying my message, he grabs the front of Enzo’s shirt and demands a kiss, his mouth crashing into Enzo’s with ferocity.

Before I reach the door, I catch a glimpse of Luca standing at the back of the SUV. His eyes meet mine, and for a moment, so much is unspoken between us. He’s not angry—not really—but there’s a tension between us that only a conversation can fix.

I blow him a kiss, my fingers grazing my lips, and he gives me a slow, sexy grin in return. That’s all I need. It’s a promise that we’ll talk, that we’ll fix it. Eventually.

But not tonight.

I turn away, stepping inside the house, and as I close the door behind me, Luca steps forward, closing the gap between Jax and Enzo. They break apart, and Luca claims his own heated kiss from our grumpy billionaire. The embrace is raw, full of unspoken things—maybe even a little relief that we’re all still standing.

The image hits me like a punch to the gut, a reminder of how close we came to losing him today. My throat tightens, sorrow wrapping its claws around my heart and squeezing the air out of me. It’s suffocating. Tears sting my eyes, but I force them back, blinking hard to push the heaviness away.

No. He didn’t die. He’s alive. He’s here. He’s with us.

That thought steadies me. We’re going to figure this shit out, all of it. We’ll find a way to break through this chaos and get to Chicago, where I can finally put all the pieces together. Once they’ve finished cleaning up the destruction we left behind, once they’ve buried the bodies of the people who dared to come after us... we’ll be together.

And then?

Then I’ll take my place. A mafia queen, no longer just a pawn in someone else’s game. I’ll accept my role because that is where I belong—with them right by my side. Nothing—nothing—will ever separate me from these men again. Not the blood spilled, not the lies, not even the war itself.

They’re mine. And I’m theirs. And nothing will ever change that.

Enzo’s large bathroom is all dark-gray slate with matte-gold accents. It’s minimal, polished, refined, and sexy. The massive walk-in shower has no fewer than a thousand shower-heads. Obviously, that’s an exaggeration, but water comes at me from everywhere.

I play with the settings, putting the water just below the temperature of magma. Adjusting the sprayers and jets, I fiddle with the keypad on the shower wall. Ambient lighting and music create the perfect symphony, and I am finally ready for my shower.

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