The naked terror in her voice chilled my heart, her struggling nearly toppling me off her.
Fuck it.
Yanking down my boxers, I freed my cock, pumped it twice and slid inside her.
She stilled immediately, her eyes fluttering open. ‘Cesare,’ she whispered.
‘Sì, it’s me. You were dreaming.’
She was awake now. And as much as it killed me, I moved to leave the haven of her pussy. But her legs flew around my waist, her heels digging into my ass.
‘No. Stay. Please,’ she begged.
I thickened inside her because, yup, I was a fucking bastard. A horny one, too. ‘You sure?’
She nodded. Slid her tongue over her lower lip, making me harder. She felt it and trembled delightfully. ‘I wish every nightmare ended this way.’
I couldn’t help it; I laughed and kissed her gorgeous lips. ‘Yeah?’
‘Hmm. Definitely.’
‘While I’m happy to oblige, I would prefer you didn’t have them at all.’
Her eyes dimmed and she exhaled. ‘Me too. But you’re here. And I want nothing more.’
26
CESARE
‘Is she here? I want to talk to her.’ Rafaelle stalked down the entryway to my Lower Manhattan condo, his icily furious eyes searching.
‘Yes, she is. And no, you will not.’
His eyes narrowed to murderous slits. ‘You planning on denying me?’
My heart twisted with anguish for him. ‘That’s not what’s happening here and you know it.’
‘I know nothing of the sort. Do not stand in my way, Cesare.’ His gaze sliced to the hallway leading to my bedroom, and his mouth twisted. ‘Let me guess – you have Fist guarding her? Does he even know who he’s guarding?’ he taunted.
I stepped up to him until our noses were an inch apart. ‘This is where I pull rank, soldier. Fall in line or I will fucking make you.’
He stared at me for an eternity, emotions cycling through his eyes. Disappointment. Shock. Deadly malice. An ocean of pain. The last one wrecked me but I had to stand my ground. I looked over to my father and grandfather, and they were equally tense.
‘Are you really doing this, son?’ my father murmured. ‘Have you lost your fucking mind?’
Orazio glared at me. ‘Bring her out. I want to hear what she has to say.’
‘I will, after we’ve had a conversation.’
‘What’s there to talk about?’ Rafa asked, one brow raised. ‘Unless it’s to discuss getting you help for this cesspool of stupidity you seem to have fallen into. She must have a gold-plated?—’
‘Finish that sentence and I will cut out your tongue.’ The vicious intent in my voice made him catch his breath.
For the first time in our lives, my brother stared at me like he didn’t know who I was. I prayed he would eventually. That the love he had for our mother would pave the way to him understanding a fraction of what I felt for Maddelena.
And if not? What then?
I shook my head, refusing to believe there was no way through this. There had to be.
