Page 31 of Wedlocked

But if the nightmare had disturbed her she didn’t show it. She was soon back to her normal self and I couldn’t help but feel blessed that she was my wife, her inner strength matching my own. But now I wanted to see her reaction when we landed on the tall building that had been my personal vocation.

She’d be used to wealth, her family certainly weren’t short of money. But her eyes still opened wide when the helicopter flew over New York City and landed with a slight jolt on top of my building with its specially designed helipad.

I smirked. “Welcome to my home away from home.”

She blinked at me. “You own a whole building in New York?”

Only multi-billionaires afforded such extravagance. She’d know this thanks to her father’s multiple businesses, many of which were even shadier than my family’s.

I nodded. “She’s all mine. The top is my penthouse suite with the opulent suites two floors below where my family stays.”

“So what kind of illegal profits do you make from the building?” she asked, her eyes flicking from me to the magnificent Manhattan skyline outside that was lit up with sparkling lights. “I don’t believe for a minute it’s all legitimate apartments.”

“Then you’d be right. There is a casino that covers three of the bottom floors; it’s where we launder much of our money. Though the nightclub and restaurants within the casino, and high rental apartments above them are legitimate income earners.”

My brothers had taken off their headsets and harnesses, and alighted from the metal bird, where they did quick check of the rooftop surrounds. Serafino nodded the all clear, and I took off my headset and harness, Sabrina following suit.

I dropped out of my seat and onto the rooftop, turning then to reach for her. She hesitated for a moment, then allowed me to hold her and keep her balanced while she dropped out of the helicopter and onto the rooftop in her gorgeous wedding gown with its cumbersome train.

The rotors had all but stopped spinning when my brothers returned to grab the luggage I’d had staff pack for us. Then all five of us headed to the elevator where I keyed in a five-numbered pin. The doors opened and we stepped inside.

I made a mental note of how quickly my wife pressed closer to me as my brothers filled up the space inside the elevator. She was nervous of them. I smiled. Good. She should be. None of them would hold back if she betrayed me in any way.

The doors slid shut and the elevator hummed as it moved down smoothly one floor before its doors reopened straight into my penthouse suite. I stepped inside the expansive room, my brothers going ahead with their guns already out of their holsters as they went from room to room to ensure we were alone and therefore safe.

Nothing could be taken for granted after I’d married a woman whose rival mafia family would want to exact revenge. Then there were the other rival families who’d want to take either of us out to weaken the stronghold our union had created.

I sighed heavily. I was used to living on the edge and waiting for the cold arms of death to claim me, but now that I had a wife to protect before I one day had to kill her myself left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Sabrina was all eyes as she glanced at the views through the windows and the vast interior with its huge white floor tiles, white floors and ceiling. It was only the furniture and furnishings that gave the pops of color I wanted.

It made me look at my penthouse with different eyes, and made for a perfect distraction. I’d began to take it all for granted, hadn’t really appreciated what I had for too long.

Red leather couches and recliners faced a huge screen television, another seating area in the same color facing the floor-to-ceiling windows outside, which showcased the Hudson River along with wraparound views of Central Park, and the Manhattan skyline.

The expansive lounge area merged into the dining room and a modern kitchen. A vase of red roses and white orchids, which had featured at our wedding, sat in the middle of the twelve seater mahogany table. A bright red and black patterned rug beneath matched the runner across the center of the table.

Some large abstract paintings, which were worth a small fortune and looked as though kindergarten kids might have created them, were big bold features against the stark white walls. I didn’t mind, they were an investment along with a pop of color, nothing else. That my suite also featured my own private office, a sitting room, library and a hot-tub with views really made the space my own.

I glanced at my wife. I took my investments very seriously, and she might be my biggest one yet.

My brothers returned, nodding an “all clear” before they took the luggage into the vast walk-in closet.

Sabrina walked to the table and touched the flowers in the vase, then turned to look up at me with a smile. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

Alessandro snorted as he walked by. But of course he’d find this whole marriage thing tedious, he wasn’t exactly a one-woman kind of guy. And no doubt Serafino wondered why I hadn’t just fucked her and killed her. Evander might be the only brother to half-understand my obsession, being that he’d loved a woman once before. Not that he ever talked about the woman he’d loved and lost.

I looked at my wife. “I had the flowers flown in. I thought you might appreciate the gesture.”

She smiled and flushed. “I do.”

Evander cleared his throat. “We might leave you lovebirds to it. We need to check in with security then double-check everything really is in order before either of you leave these rooms.”

I bit back a snarl. I knew how to take care of myself. But I was don now, and therefore a much bigger target. And of course my wife was vulnerable now, too. I nodded. “You have an hour.”

Evander and Serafino nodded.

Alessandro nodded toward my bedroom. “We’ll send the maid up to unpack your clothes.”

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