Page 61 of Deadly Wrath

Alonzo:He’s on a warpath, Boss.

Me:I can handle him but get your ass back to Philly.

I’ve always been able to handle Antonio, and I know exactly what needs to be done to give Liv the ultimate protection she needs. Sliding my phone back on the nightstand, my eyes drift backto Liv. She’s still out cold, breathing soft and completely oblivious that someone wants her dead. She stirs in her sleep, the blanket sliding down her bare back, and my gaze traces the curve of her body. My dick twitches at the thought of waking her up by fucking her senseless.

But Antonio’s threat loops in my head, killing any trace of a good mood. That fucker isn’t bluffing either. I know him too well and what he’s capable of. I also know what has to be done. And it’ll show Alonzo, and everyone else that Liv isn’t someone to be fucked with. She might not know it yet, but I protect what’s mine. And she’s about to learn exactly what that means, whether she likes it or not.

I head to my room, opening the drawer I haven’t touched in years. My fingers brush over the small velvet box my mother gave me a long time ago, something I never thought I’d have a reason to use, until now.

It feels heavier than I remember as I walk back to Liv’s room. She’s still sprawled across the bed, wild curls everywhere, legs tangled in the sheets. Carefully, I lift the blanket just enough to uncover her left hand. Her fingers are soft against my calloused palm. I slip the ring onto her finger. It slides on perfectly, like it belongs there. Like she belongs to me.

She’s going to lose her shit when she wakes up. But that’s a tomorrow problem. I cover her back up and headto my room, knowing sleep isn’t coming. My mind’s a fucking mess with Antonio’s threats circling like vultures over a carcass, Liv’s face burned into my brain, and that damn ring is now on her finger. Maybe I should wake her up and piss her off, just to fuck her into silence and submission. Yeah, fucking her sounds better. But punishing her isn’t far behind.

I slide into bed and pull the covers over me, still debating, when I hear footsteps padding softly down the hall. A slow grin tugs at my mouth before she even hits the doorway. She’s awake, and just like that, I know exactly how I’m spending the rest of my night.

“Alessio?” Her voice is soft and groggy, sending a rush of blood straight to my dick like I didn’t fuck her senseless just a few hours ago. She’s wearing my shirt, the one I left in her room. It hangs off her, barely covering those thick thighs, making her look even more fuckable.

She holds up her left hand, blinking at the vintage seven-carat marquise-cut diamond ring. Her brow furrows, eyes narrowing at me. Yeah, that’s the look I expected. Leaning back against the headboard, I smirk. “Not a fan of platinum? We can swap the band to something more your style.” I say, casual as ever. Even though my chest feels tight, this has to be done.

She holds up her hand again. “What’s it for, though? And why is it on this finger? You know what a diamond on this finger means, right?” She asks like I’m some idiot, and maybe I am.

I shoot her an unimpressed look. “I know exactly what it means. Now get your ass over here.” I pat the covers beside me. She stares at the ring, then at me, moving toward the bed and slips her legs under the covers, sitting at the furthest damn corner. Does she think I’m gonna bite?

Well, I might.

“You can’t just slap a diamond on my hand and expect me to marry you.”

I roll my eyes. Seriously? I sit up, reach out, and grab the neck of the shirt, my shirt, pulling her close without a damn care that I’m stretching it out. She lands in my lap, straddling me, exactly where I want her. I lean in, my breath hot against her ear.

“With the number of times you screamed, ‘Oh yes, yes, Alessio,’ last night, I figured that was the ‘yes’,” I say, lifting my hands to give her dramatic air quotes, “I needed.”

She stiffens, but I don’t let go. Hell, I’m not even pretending to. My hands slide down her sides, slipping up the shirt, and I get pleasantly fucking surprised when Ifeel her bare ass and squeeze. A grin tugs at my lips, of course she’s not wearing any panties.

She huffs, slapping my chest like that’ll do anything. “This isn’t funny, Alessio. What the hell is this really about?”

I reluctantly let go of her ass cheek, my hand sliding up to grip her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes. “This isn’t a joke, Olivia.”

I don’t tell her the whole truth. Not yet. If she knew Antonio was ready to put a hit on her, she’d panic, maybe try to run. Liv’s tough, but this is a whole different level of danger. She’s not ready for that.

I release her chin and shift her so my cock presses against her naked cunt. “You’ve got a hefty debt to pay off,” I say, gripping her hips hard enough to leave marks. “As my wife, you won’t owe a damn thing.”

She glares at me, caught between frustration and the way she’s wiggling, practically grinding on my cock that is begging to be released from my boxer briefs. “I can’t just marry you like this.”

I run my thumb along her bottom lip. “You can, and you will.” The words are simple, but she’s smart enough to read between the lines. Her eyes flick to the ring again, biting the inside of her cheek. She’s caught, and sheknows it. But hell, I want her to fight it. It’ll make it even sweeter when she finally gives in.

“Please. Like you’d actually take money from me and let me pay you back,” she fires back.

Smirking, I let my hand slide between her legs, fingers teasing her soaked pussy. I swear, this woman’s body betrays her faster than her words ever could. “There is one form of payment I collect. I could drop my shorts and sink into this tight little cunt if you wanna start paying off that debt right now.”

Her cheeks go red, and that smirk she tries to hide is the best thing I’ve seen all fucking day.

“You didn’t even propose properly,” she mutters, arms crossing like that’ll distract me.

I chuckle, still tracing her wet lips. “I got on my knees when I ate your pussy until you squirted in my face. Doesn’t that count for something?”

Her eyes widen, and her cheeks flame an even deeper red that starts to creep down her neck. It’s fucking adorable, mySirenais getting this embarrassed. Probably because she knows just how many times I can make her come. And sure, maybe I could’ve done the whole one-knee, flowers-and-bullshit proposal, but I’m not a romantic. Never have been.

Keeping her alive is more important than following some bullshit tradition I don’t even understand. But that doesn’t change a damn thing. I took her because I wanted answers, I needed to know what the fuck she was really after.

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