Page 113 of Savage Union
Shock widens her eyes. "What? That's impossible."
"Not for me." I've never been more certain of anything. By making her officially mine, I protect both of us—from the Irish, from the Commission, from the uncertainty that has plagued us both. "By this time tomorrow, you will be Donna Rosso in name as well as fact. The Commission will be informed, the families aligned behind us."
"And the Irish?" she asks, dread evident in her voice.
I smile, feeling the predator in me stir. "Let them come. They'll find not just a man defending his territory, but a husband protecting his wife."
The distinction matters more than I expected it would. A wife is family. And family—real family—is what I've built my entire empire to protect.
"Tomorrow," I repeat, the word both promise and threat. "Whatever secrets still lie between us, whatever trust needs rebuilding, one thing becomes official tomorrow."
I turn to leave, then pause, looking back at her with all the intensity I feel. "You belong to me, Caterina. Not to Costello, not to yourself. To me." My voice softens fractionally, revealing more vulnerability than I intended. "The sooner you accept that reality, the safer everyone will be."
With that, I walk away, leaving her standing in the kitchen. Despite the anger still simmering beneath my skin, a strange certainty settles over me. Tomorrow, she becomes mine officially. And then I'll deal with anyone who threatens what's mine—starting with Liam Costello and the Irish.
CHAPTER 36
Rina
I blinkagainst sunlight streaming through windows Vito must have opened before he left—his side of the bed empty, sheets cool to the touch. He's been gone for hours.
Today I become Donna Rosso.
I drag myself from bed, body aching in ways that remind me of last night's confrontation in the kitchen—Vito's anger, my confession, the explosive intimacy that followed. The memory sends heat to my cheeks even as dread pools in my chest. He knows everything now. About Liam, about the arrangement I made before I even knew him.
The penthouse is quiet as I make my way toward the kitchen, following the scent of coffee. Instead of Vito, I find Dante lounging at the counter, scrolling through his phone while munching on a bagel.
"Morning, princess," he greets without looking up. "Sleep well?"
"Where's Vito?" I ask, ignoring his question.
He glances up, his casual demeanor shifting as he takes in my appearance. "Whoa. You look like hell warmed over."
"Thanks." I grab a mug from the cabinet, pouring coffee with hands that aren't quite steady. "That's exactly what a woman wants to hear on her wedding day."
His eyebrows shoot up. "So it's true? Today's the big day?"
"Apparently." I take a sip, the hot liquid scalding my tongue. "Though the groom seems to have disappeared."
"Boss had business to handle." Dante's tone is deliberately casual. "Wedding preparations and... other matters."
"Other matters," I repeat. "Meaning what, exactly?"
He shrugs, taking another bite of his bagel. "Better that you don't know, princess."
I sink onto a stool, suddenly exhausted despite having just woken up. "He knows, Dante."
"Knows what?" His nonchalance doesn't quite reach his eyes, which watch me with newfound wariness.
"About Liam Costello. About my... arrangement with the Irish." I stare into my coffee, as if the dark liquid might offer solutions to the mess I've created. "Everything."
Dante sets down his bagel, all pretense of casualness evaporating. "Shit."
"Yeah."
"How?" he asks, then immediately shakes his head. "Never mind. Stupid question. The boss always knows eventually."
"He overheard me on the phone with Liam last night," I admit, the confession strangely freeing after weeks of secrecy. "I was trying to call it off—to stop whatever the Irish are planning against him."
