Page 133 of Where Dark Hearts Devour
I smile against his mouth. “I’m not your Mrs. yet.”
“Maybe not on paper.” He punctuates this by gripping my ass in one hand and squeezing it until I yelp. “But you are in every other way. Let’s see your family out, then I’ll show youexactlywhat I mean.”
I shiver under his promise.
“Oh yeah,” Cristiano whispers. “Why does your sister keep asking me what time I was born?”
I suddenly remember Sera’s obsession with creating birth charts and relationship forecasts and pin my lips together to stop a smile as I shrug. “I have absolutely no idea.”
We catch up with the rest of them. Tess is dragging her feet behind Benito, who has single-mindedly ploughed ahead with our little sister in his arms.
Cristiano puts a hand on Allegra’s shoulder. “Thanks so much for coming, and for all your help yesterday. You must visit us again soon.”
Allegra blushes like a beet and mutters something incomprehensible.
We wait for Benito to emerge empty-handed through the gates and watch as he settles a disgruntled Tess and a grateful Allegra into the waiting car, then he nods curtly and climbs into his Ferrari.
When the sound of tires has disappeared, I take a deep breath and turn to Cristiano. “What’s going on with the Marchesis?” Augie mentioned a problem with them and I don’t want to be kept in the dark.
His gaze softens. “I don’t want you to worry about them.”
“But they killed my mother, Cristiano. And I heard Augie say earlier there’s been some trouble ...”
Cristiano sighs as his gaze roams my face.
“I can take it,” I assure him. “I know what I’m marrying into, and I don’t want you to keep secrets to protect me, especially when it comes to the Marchesis.”
He clears his throat. “It turns out they too were in partnership with the cartel associates I shot at the port. They’re not happy about the fact I eliminated two people who would’ve made them a lot of money.”
My voice drops to a whisper. “Were they trafficking humans too?”
“I don’t know the details.” He grits his teeth. “But it wouldn’t surprise me.”
I take another deep breath before asking the one question I’m really afraid to know the answer to. “What’s going to happen, Cristiano? Are we going to war?”
He nods slowly. I knew it, but seeing his response only makes me feel heavier.
Then a smile spreads across his face before he bites his bottom lip.
“What are you smiling at?
He chases his teeth with a swipe of his tongue. “You said ‘we.’”
“What?”
“You said, ‘Arewegoing to war?’”
I stand up on tiptoes and brush my lips across his. Augie’s words are still fresh in my mind. Cristiano stayed to keep my family safe.
“We’re in this together, Di Santo. Your war is mine too.”
“Oh, Castellano.” His eyelids drift shut, and he gently licks my top lip. “I will burn down the whole of New York for you.”
The End.
