Page 54 of Unwilling Vow (Mafia Marriages 4)

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where we are,” I demand.

He owes me the truth.

He sighs and reaches into the car, leaning over me as he unbuckles my seatbelt. “I have a second house. You can either walk inside or I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry your ass into the house.”

His gaze latches on mine.

“I’ll walk,” I whisper, staring up into his sharp green gaze.

“Good.”

He pulls back long enough for me to climb out of the vehicle. He slams the door shut behind me before I have time to close the door. Jace’s hand is on my lower back as he firmly escorts me up the stone stairs.

“Is this your fortress of solitude?” I joke. He doesn’t strike me as a superhero. There’s something dark about him, about this place.

“Something like that,” he whispers as he escorts me to the front door. There are biometric readers on the outside of the building. A retinal scanner, handprint, and voice imprint. “Jace Barone.” His words are a command, and the door unlocks for him.

All that security, and he couldn’t just have a guard open the door? It seems a bit like overkill, but what do I know?

“Evening, Boss,” Matteo says with a nod as he greets Jace.

Boss?

I’ve seen Matteo at the office. I didn’t realize the job extended outside of business hours. The poor guy, forced to work all day and night.

“Let me take Olivia upstairs and show her to her new accommodations. I’ll be back down to discuss matters,” Jace says.

Matteo gives a firm nod.

“Accommodations?” I ask. I thought I was staying with Jace?

Is this where his business associates stay? Is it a retreat center?

I don’t recognize anyone else from the office, although Jace employs quite a lot of people. There are many men, all in business suits, a few with earpieces in. They look like guards. They all have a gun holstered to their hip.

“Yes, this is where you’ll be staying,” Jace says as he leads me up the stairwell.

The mansion is huge. The floors are hardwood with a narrow staircase that curves up to the second level.

I follow behind Jace, taking in my surroundings. There are paintings on the walls, masterpieces. Originals. They must be real, considering Jace’s fortune.

He leads me down the hallway, which appears to stretch on forever. I’m sure it’s an illusion. To the right, he opens the door and gestures me into the room.

“I’ll have your clothes brought from the house,” Jace says.

Stepping into the bedroom, it’s massive. The room is larger than my apartment, which seems insane for a bedroom. There’s a balcony outside that stretches across the length of the bedroom and a view into the courtyard.

“Is that a garden down there?” I ask, gazing out the window. It’s stunning. The courtyard is large enough to house a swing set when the little one gets older and is protected from danger.

Was that Jace’s plan? To keep his son or daughter always safe?

I suppose I’ll be staying here until the baby is born.

“It is,” Jace says as he comes to stand beside me. He opens the window, allowing fresh air to resonate through the room. “What do you think?”

It’s not bad, but I refuse to admit that I’m impressed. “I thought I would be living with you,” I say. That was the agreement, and while I wasn’t interested in playing house, this place scares me. Probably because of the dozens of armed guards who I’ve seen already. Doesn’t this place put me in further danger?

“You will. I’ll be living under the same roof. As we grow closer to your due date, I’ll also be bringing in a midwife in case you need any additional care or go into labor early.”

---