Page 168 of A Beautiful Crime

Releasing my chin he tucks my head against him and places a chaste kiss on the top of my head. I find comfort in his arms knowing whatever my decision is he’ll accept it.

“There is a possibility, albeit small, of what we have planned to happen at the wedding could go horribly wrong.”

Savio and Luca had planned all along for our wedding to be a red one. Now, Constantine has the element of surprise when firing the gun first. We have Tao on our side but even I fear all the men on our side will not be enough.

They don’t know how greedy and starving Savio and Luca are for power. They’re consumed by it. They’re so desperate for the throne they would chew their own arms off. Entering gun fire will be nothing to them if they know they can take down the man who holds everything.

“They are not to be underestimated.”

He hums in agreement. “As much as I am confident in my men, I am not ignorant to entertain the possibility of failure. Thevery second it turns awry I want you to run to Rico and not look back.”

I stiffen in his hold. Suddenly the planes of his chest feel like granite beneath me. I pull away from him, as much as he allows me to, and stare up at him incredulously .

“You’re absolutely mad to think I will leave you behind.”

His eyes hold mine fiercely. And in the depths of them I see the vulnerability of a man who is afraid.

“And if you were to die from a bullet what would there be left of me?” His voice cracks and so does my heart. He swallows thickly. Those whisky eyes all but plead for me to listen to his reasons. “You own me, amore mia. Every single part of me. And if something were to happen to you there is nothing for me to fight for. I’d only want to join you because I never want to be parted from you.”

I can feel the tears pool in my eyes. Balancing on the rims and with one blink ready to fall. “And who am I without you? I’m nothing-“

His fingers bite into the flesh of my arms. So much so that I can feel the ache in the marrow of my bone. “You are everything. You will lead this Famiglia. You will remain a Queen. Feared. Respected. Adored by mindless strangers and inspiring to those who walk in the dark shadows of our lives. You will be a symbol to every girl who was denied leadership because of archaic beliefs and misogynistic practices. You don’t need me, Carina-“

“But I do need you!” The words fly out of my mouth with an urgency. “I need you by my side. I need your hand in mine. I need those lips upon my skin. And I need those eyes to gaze so lovingly in mine. I need the air you breathe. And I need you, Constantine. The man who awoke me. Who brought me back to life. I don’t want to perish in the dark abyss. This darkness I accept because I trusted your hand to guide me. You can’t be taken away from me. I’ll always need you.”

With a soft swipe of his thumb he brushes away the river of tears. Framing my face tenderly, eyes softly staring down at me he says, “You’re far more important than me, Carina. Far more valuable. And as much as you need me I need you more. Which means at whatever cost, however the price, you will come out of this alive. I will never ask of anything from you but this.”

“You’re condemning me to a life of Hell without you in it.”

“No, amore mia, I’m condemning those responsible a life of Hell. And you’ll make Satan himself fear the ruthlessness of your hand at leadership.”

“I’ll have them pleading for death before I’m done with them.”

Pride and adoration lights his eyes. He hums approvingly. “Ah, there’s my woman I love.” Cupping my jaw he kisses me. Plundering his tongue inside my mouth with slow and even strokes that’s reminiscent to sex. I succumb to his art of seduction. By the time he’s done kissing me all the tension in my body has vanished. If anything I’m pliable, his for the taking.

Swiftly, he swoops me in his arms, carrying me bridal style to the unfinished bed of rumpled sheets and lingering scandalous rendezvous.

As he lays me down he worships my body for hours to come and doesn’t stop until the sun kisses the sky.

CHAPTER 37

Constantine

“The perimeter is secure. All of our snipers are in location. They’re ready to fire at your command,” Rico informs me monotonously. I spare him a glance as I fix my cufflinks. The right with the engraving of our wedding date, the left with the engraving of our names.

I nod my head as I then adjust my tie to where it doesn’t feel suffocating. If I am to choke it better be by the hands of my soon to be wife. Preferably with me balls deep inside her snug cunt.

“I still can’t believe we are doing this,” Tao mutters in disbelief. “Is nothing sacred?”

My lips twitch. I’ve long lost the faith in the Catholic religion. And I know my men have, too. It’s almost ironic how the leader of the triads is more concerned about our morality than we are.

Drug dealing and arms trafficking along with bribery and murder is acceptable, but opening fire in a church is where the cutthroat leader of The Triads draws the line.

Pietro snickers. “Says the man who held a meeting at the abandoned warehouse down in Hell’s Kitchen.“

Tao’s eyes narrow on his. “How do you know about that?”

“You’re in our territory. There isn’t anything we don’t know that happens here.”

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