Page 125 of Inescapable Darkness

And there in the golden light inside the house that will be our home, we lose ourselves in each other with our souls thrumming. Finally whole. Now and forever.

EPILOGUE

ONE YEAR LATER

The crowd parts before us as we walk through the room. Rico, wearing an impeccable black suit, moves like he owns the place. Like he expects everything and everyone to back up and bow before his unflinching power. And they do.

Men and women from rich, influential families incline their heads in respect as we pass. I drink in the feeling. Relishing in the fact that I no longer have to hide in the shadows. No longer have to hide behind a mask.

Now, I’m walking with my spine straight and my chin up. And when I scan the crowd, people quickly drop their gazes for me too.

Everyone has heard of me by now.

The elite assassin who captured the heart of a mafia prince.

Or rather, the heart of the de facto mafia king.

Since Federico’s health has been getting worse, Rico has stepped up to fill his role. And gods above, he does it well.Wedo it well.

With the two of us side by side, no one dares to oppose us.

I casually brush my hand over the skirt of my dress. It’s silver, looking like melted metal flowing around me. And underneath it, I have a gun strapped to one thigh and a knife to the other.

Rico follows the subtle movement of my hand from the corner of his eye, and a smirk tilts his lips.

All around us, people continue dipping their chins in respect as we leave the extravagant party behind and stride out towards where our car is waiting. It was a party for the Morelli family’s numerous business partners, so we needed to make an appearance.

Now we have, which means that we will finally be heading home to the surprise that Rico promised me.

I don’t like surprises. An old assassin mentality that is hard to reprogram. So I almost considered sneaking away from the party and back to our house to check what the surprise was before we returned together.

But that would’ve meant leaving Rico alone at the party, and I don’t do that. I protect him. And he protects me.

So I had to stifle my curiosity and wariness the entire evening. But now, as we slide into the car that the valet brought out for us, I can’t contain myself anymore.

“So,” I begin as Rico starts the car and drives us away from the glittering building where the party will continue for several hours still. “Are you going to tell me what the surprise is?”

His lips curve in that troublesome smirk of his as he casts me a glance from the corner of his eye. “Wouldn’t be much of a surprise then, would it?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “I could alwaysmake youtell me.”

His smirk widens to a devilish grin. Reaching over with his right hand, he slides it over my thigh. My skin prickles as he pushes the silk fabric aside until he exposes the knife strapped to my thigh. He traces the edges of the strap and flashes me another smile.

“I’m sure you could,” he says.

I open my mouth to retort, but right then, he dips his fingers down between my thighs and brushes them over my pussy.

A gasp escapes my lips instead.

Gripping the silk fabric of my skirt, I squeeze it hard as Rico slides his fingers underneath the thin seam of my panties and nonchalantly starts playing with my clit.

“Rico,” I press out, throwing my head back against the headrest.

“Yes, Isabella?”

But I forget what I was about to say as he rolls my clit between his fingers, drawing a moan from my mouth and a shudder from my body. He shifts his hand.

Another gasp rips from me as he pushes two fingers inside me while his thumb rubs over my clit. I whimper, crushing the silver fabric harder in my grip as Rico starts pumping his fingers.

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