Page 95 of Corrupted Empire

Alexis smiles at her new friend. “And then they just have to get on with it.”

I think about when Alexis was kidnapped by Andrew Walsh. She went days without food, without being allowed to sleep, with the threat of her death hanging over her head every second. When I freed her, I expected a broken rag doll of a woman. But she was fine. Battered and bruised, but not broken. She could barely walk, but she only cared about getting Harry to safety.

And she’s right—I’ve taken her innate strength for granted ever since. I dropped a world-shattering secret on her right before a dinner where she needed to be at her strongest, and I didn’t think twice about it because I knew she could take it.

Guilt sits heavy in my stomach. As it turns out, I’m an asshole.

Mira and Alexis keep chatting, drawing in the opinions and voices of the wives who are close enough to contribute. I’m proud to see Alexis dominate the table, and I sit back and let her. This is her night.

When the last of the dessert plates have been cleared, we retire to the parlor while the staff sweeps the tables away to make room for a dance floor. The men sit and sip whiskey by the fireplace and suspiciously eye the group of women that have gathered around Alexis. Normally on these occasions, the wives hang around their husbands all night like shadows, so seeing them giggling in a corner together is unusual.

“I don’t know how I feel about this,” says Mirko. He is scowling, but then again, he always is.

Antonio grins. “I like it. Sheila is always complaining that she doesn’t have enough female friends. It’s nice to see her so happy.”

I will never understand how a guy as good as Antonio got wrapped up in organized crime.

“Look at them,” Mirko says. “They’re not starting a book club. They’re talking about us.”

Silvano chuckles. “I highly doubt that, Mirko. You’re not that interesting.”

The men all laugh. All except for Mirko, who glares at my consigliere but doesn’t snap back. Silvano is above him on the food chain, something I know the old-timer has had issues with since the position fell to Vito’s younger brother.

A server comes back to announce that the dance floor is ready, and we all file back into the ballroom. I take Alexis’ hand and draw her to me before the music even starts. I’ve missed her. Her attention has only been divided for a couple of hours, and yet I’vemissedher. Love is a strange thing.

“I see you’ve been holding court,” I murmur, smiling down at her.

The music starts, and I begin to lead her across the floor.

Alexis smiles back at me. “They’re a good bunch, those girls. It’s nice to talk to people who get it.”

“Get what?”

“All of it,” she says, jutting her chin around the room. “Raising kids, following our passions, knowing that each time the man we love leaves the house, it might be the last time we see him alive.”

My hand tightens on Alexis’ waist. I gaze down at her, a little lost for words.

Then she laughs. “Plus, they’re absolutely hilarious. Gina has a mouth like a sailor on her.”

I laugh and draw Alexis closer, inhaling the scent of her flowery perfume. I press my lips against her ear, and my hand runs over her back.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I should have told you sooner.”

“Yes, you should have,” she replies tersely. “But I can forgive if you promise that there will be no more secrets between us.”

“Before I agree, I want you to fully understand what you’re asking of me,” I tell her as we glide across the room. “I will need to show you the darkest side of me and share the most vicious aspects of this business.”

“That’s what I want,” she replies.

“And in return for this complete honesty, Alexis, I will expect you to always put our family, as well as the Family first. Because now they are one and the same.”

Alexis steps back, staring up at me fiercely. “That’s what I want.”

I look down at her. My tiger queen. So beautiful, so ferocious, so hungry for power and control. I love her now, and I think I have always loved her. It was just hard to recognize when I’d never had love in my life before she came into it.

I lean down and kiss her. Our lips slide against each other in time with our feet, and the rest of the world seems to slip away under a golden veil. We are together—and together, we can accomplish anything.

BANG.

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