My heart is beating so loud as I rush out of Giovanni’s office that I didn’t even notice someone coming around the corner. Plowing right into them, I yelp and nearly lose my balance, only for them to grab me by the waist and pull me to my feet.“I’m guessing you’ve just come from my brother’s office,” a female voice sounds and my eyes shoot open. “Would explain why you’re in a rush to get away from here.”I take a step backward and take in the woman in front of me. Wow, she’s beautiful; even more so in the light. There’s a confidence about her that I wish I could have. Then again, she knew who she was all her life and I’m only just learning.“Uhm, yes. I’ve just come from Giovanni’s office,” I say, clasping my hands in front of me. “If you’ll excuse me-”“Wait, Lucia,” she calls my name as I walk past her and I immediately freeze up. Wait, she knows my name?Tentatively, I turn around to face her and watch as she crosses her arms over her chest. Wow, she exudes the type of confidence

I slip the black dress over my head and smooth the soft fabric down my legs, then I slip into a comfortable block heel platform pump that ties at my ankle. It’s raining today, which is quite apt for a funeral, I must say.While I’m doing my makeup, I try not to look over my shoulder at Giovanni getting ready behind me. He’s just walked out of the bathroom and he’s choosing a suit, but gosh he is so handsome. Tall and lithe, not too muscular but sculpted perfectly. I felt his body weight on top of me last night, sunk my nails into the dips and planes of his gorgeous back. A shiver runs up my spine as I remember the way he moved inside of me.How he was gentle after the initial rough first time, how he pleasured me until I saw stars, and how he …kissed me. I didn’t expect him to kiss me and by the shocked look on his face, I don’t think he expected it either. It might just be that he was overwhelmed by what we were doing, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect me. How that small

If they wanted a fucking war, I’m giving it to them.To not only disrespect me on my wedding day but at my father’s funeral as well? Andrei Tulvan is a dead man walking. I expected something like this to happen today, that’s why I left early with Lucia, I just didn’t expect them to be so fucking brazen about it, either. Now I’m here carrying my trembling wife inside our home after being shot at.She stopped crying after I pulled her into my lap, and immediately sunk into me when she saw what was left of the armored SUV. The fact that she’s scared shouldn’t be at the forefront of my mind, so why do I feel so worried about her?“Tell the others I want a full sweep of the entire fucking estate,” I tell Laz and Ricky. My left shoulder is screaming out in pain, but I swallow that shit down as I continue to carry her upstairs to our bedroom. I spot Anna out of the corner of my eye just as her hand goes to her chest. “Get her something for pain and to calm her down,” I say as I continue to

It’s been two weeks since the attacks, and now I find myself sitting in a hotel bar and waiting to meet with the man I suspect is behind everything. Andrei Tulvan has been quiet, not even agreeing to meet with any of his suppliers. That alone should be a warning sign but I have a feeling there’s more to it than that. Why suddenly agree to meet with me? What is his angle right now? Dom managed to track Tulvan’s last meeting with Alberto Moretti to a week before the latter’s disappearance. When two and two suddenly get me six, I have a shit load to be worried about. I am aware that this could be a set up, but there’s no way I’m going to back out when I’ve been dying to see the fucker face-to-face. There has to be a reason he wants to see me, so here I fucking am. “Cunt just pulled up,” Frankie’s voice comes through the earpiece and I raise my glass to my lips, about to respond when Frankie says something that nearly makes me lose it. “What the fuck? Emilia is with him.” The audacit

Giovanni is being kind to me. I don’t know why or how this started, but he’s even started joining me for dinner in the evenings. Of course, he would leave straight after, but even as we sat there, he would ask me questions about myself. Like he wants to know me. I am probably being delusional about things, but how can I not feel optimistic about things when they’re looking up? Even when I had my panic attacks, he would be right there, breathing with me through it. They’ve stopped now, so I don’t know if he comes to bed at night anymore. But it doesn’t bother me; my husband is showing my kindness for some or other reason. When I walk out of the bathroom, my heart leaps into my throat when I see the burgundy and yellow bouquet of flowers on my nightstand. Unable to keep the smile on my face as I approach the flowers, my hands shake as I pick them up, I see a note left and open it. “I won’t be able to join you for Cena tonight, I hope this makes up for it. -G” That little burst of ho