My heart starts pounding as the other line starts ringing. Finally, Katie picks up.

“Hello?” he says.

“Katie? It’s me,” I could barely hide the emotions in my voice.

“Nicki?” She sounds confused, but after a second, the realization kicks in, and she starts bawling. “Oh, my god! Where are you? What happened? I thought you were dead! All these people came around and asked about you, and I didn’t know what to do!”

“It’s okay, Katie. Listen, you have to listen to me,” I say. “I’m alright. I’m with a very special friend right now. I’m safe and unharmed, but that’s all I can tell you.”

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she sniffs. “You fucking scared me to death. Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want me to come and get you? What can I do?”

“You don’t have to do anything, just promise me not to tell anyone that I called you, okay?” I say. Katie promises me that she won’t tell a single soul.

“I’m just glad you’re safe,” she says. “Will I ever see you again?”

“I hope so, Katie,” I say. “I really hope so.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ezio

A feathery tickle on my chest yanks me out of a blissful sleep. With half-opened eyes, I swipe my hand to grab the insect that somehow found its way in our bed. Goddamn pests.

Only, it doesn’t feel like an insect at all.

“Ow!”

My eyes fly wide open. It doesn’t sound like an insect, either.

“Good morning.”

Nicki pulls back on her haunches with a pout. “It’s not a good morning when a surprise blow job gets my hair yanked.”

“Forgive me.” I push up on my elbows. “I thought there was an insect on my chest.”

“Oh, wow. It just keeps getting better,” Nicki replies with a chuckle. She leans over and plants a kiss on my mouth. “You’re going to make it up to me.”

“I’m already thinking of the many ways, sweetheart.”

“Good.” She runs a finger down my chest. “Now lie down and let me get back to business.”

With a contented sigh, I relax against the pillows as she settles her weight between my legs, a mischievous grin on her face. She pulls my shorts down and grabs my morning hard-on, stroking from the root to the tip. I sigh again. There’s nothing sexier than a woman who takes control.

Her eyes lock with mine as she takes me in her pink, warm mouth, moving down, her grip tightening with the slow descent. She takes in every inch of my length until my tip tickles the back of her throat. A gentle hum triggers a sweet vibration that makes my toes curl.

I’m itching to knife upward and fuck her gorgeous mouth, but I’ll let her keep leading. Let’s see what tricks she’s been hiding up her sleeve.

She pulls up to the tip and grips the base of my cock. Her mouth bears down again as her stroking hand meets it halfway. She repeats the motion, her head bobbing, hand twisting, the pace quickening each time. Sparks erupt, ricocheting off my stomach. The combined caress of her mouth and that hand makes me fear that I won’t last very long.

Her small and perky breasts brush up against my thighs while she wills my cock into submission. A few minutes later, I reward her with a warm spurt of my cum in her mouth. Nicki swallows it and greedily licks the remaining drops off my cock. She sweeps her tongue across her lips and grins at me.

“Now, time for breakfast,” she says. Nicki gets out of bed and disappears to the kitchen. I slowly get up, my legs still weak from my orgasm, and check the clock. It’s only a little after seven in the morning. Even though I’m still sleepy, I always make it a habit to join her for breakfast. This has become our morning routine.

When the Borellis declared war against the other mafia families three weeks ago, my father told me to stay out of it and lay low. During wars like these, it was best left to our family’s foot soldiers and for the rest of the royal mafia family to direct orders from a safe perch. I had no problem with this since it meant spending more time with my beloved Nicki. As the Borellis gunned down and bombed other families, Nicki and I watched the news from the safety of our hidden cabin. The war had begun, and it was more gruesome than I imagined. It was clear that Nicki’s family wanted her back, but she was having none of it.

“I’d rather be dead than go back as Lucca’s prisoner,” she once told me. And so, we stayed in our cabin, which became more of a home in the past few weeks. Nicki often complained that there was nothing to do in the cabin, so I let her make a list of things she would need to keep her busy. The home project occupied her for several days, and I went back and forth from the city and to our hideout to deliver the items she needs. She upgraded the television set and bought a new fridge for the kitchen, pots, pans, and other cooking supplies. She also got a new rug for the living room and new sheets for each bedroom. She stocked the closets with new clothes and bought herself a writing desk, books, and additional painting materials. She even bought some decor to hang on the walls. What had once been a dingy cabin was now starting to look and feel more like a home. Everything felt new, but I didn’t mind it. Seeing how happy it made her was enough for me.

While our families are at war, Nicki and I stuck to a routine. Every morning, we get up at around six, sometimes at seven if we get a little frisky like we did this morning, and then we’ll have breakfast. I leave her at the cabin if I’m expected at the Rossi manor. She knows that it’s important that I keep up these appearances for the sake of our safety. After meetings with the family, I make my rounds in the city, withdrawing cash that I’ve hidden in several places. It’s crucial that I don’t attract attention to myself, so this means taking my money in small amounts. A big withdrawal will raise questions, and our escape plan will quickly go down the drain. When I return to the cabin, we hide the money in a duffel bag under the bed. Once we get the timing right, Nicki and I will hop into the car, leave the city, and never look back.