I briefly consider staying glued to Hawk. If I did, it would hurt Moretti’s feelings, and my stomach wobbles at the thought. I’m annoyed with him for not giving us a heads-up, but I also know that’s just who Moretti is.
“You definitely knew this was coming.” I point at my husband, disengaging from Hawk.
“Oh yeah, he definitely did,” Magnum agrees.
“I had afeelingGrigoryan might try something.” Moretti grips my wrist, tugging me to him.
His electric scent hits my nose, and the urge to rub my face in his shirt gets too strong to resist.
It’s freezing out here, and I’m in a dress, heels, and a coat.
My calves, ankles, and feet are almost painfully cold, but Moretti’s chest is warm as I give up on fighting my instincts and bury my nose between his chest and arm. His suit coat even gives my ear some much-needed wind protection.
“Let me put it this way,” Moretti says, lowering his voice considerably. “I never enter or exit any of the buildings within the compound without someone watching from above.”
“Even when you have meetings with Wilder?” I ask just as softly.
“That would be correct,” he says, keeping his voice barely above a whisper. “Usually it’s just one individual. Tonight it seemed prudent to have a team in place.” He returns to his normal tone. “I cleared it with Wilder before the party, but I hoped it would be overkill. Something in my gut told me not to fall for Grigoryan’s distraction.”
“Why would he attack us here, of all places?” I ask, but it comes out muffled against Moretti’s shirt.
“I believe he was hoping to take us out before we could decode the information Magnum found in his office.” Moretti soothes his hand up and down my back. “He knew once I had proof, I would immediately pass that information on to the other families. Attacking my home would be fruitless. I believe he assumed tonight would be his only chance. He knew the approximate time we would be leaving, as well as exactly where we would be located.”
“Damn,” Mag says. “That makes sense, but even if he was successful, he had to know it would put him in deep shit with the other families.”
“Desperate people do desperate things,” Hawk chimes in.
His words spark a visceral memory of how hopeless I felt when I found out my father was going to proceed with marrying me off to Grigoryan.
My stomach wobbles, and I slide my arm around Moretti’s back, giving him a squeeze. I was desperate enough to seek out the only person who I knew hated my father and Grigoryan as much as I did, but I had no backup plan if that didn’t work.
I get choked up for no good reason, making it hard to speak, but I push my emotions through the bond to Moretti. I’m so fucking grateful that he didn’t leave me to the wolves.
“I’m going to be stuck here for a bit, supervising the cleanup, but it’s cold. Hawk will get you and Magnum home.” Moretti kisses the top of my head, patting my back. “Grigoryan is going into the basement you visited while we were at Luminescence. It has a room you weren’t privy to that’s filled with cells. Cormac offered to place him in his torture dungeon, and I may hand him off once I’m done, but I want Stavros to suffer for quite some time before someone puts an end to his existence.”
“Agreed.” I pull back and look up at him. “Death should feel like a blessing he has no right to taste.”
A dazzling smile breaks out on Moretti’s face, and those damn dimples appear under his short beard as he dips his face to mine. “Ahh, darling. I knew I picked a worthy queen to rule at my side.”
Damn right, he did.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Vanessa
Magnum is probably going to strangle me, but my stress level is high. Making sure he’s safe and comfortable keeps me focused. That way, I don’t worry about Moretti and how the cleanup is going. It’s always possible that someone in the warehouse district heard the barrage of gunshots and called the cops, but many of the buildings in the area are owned by the families.
All I can do is pray that the Boston PD doesn’t get brave and investigate.
Hawk seems amused by my never-ending hovering, but he’s smart enough that he doesn’t say a word. He just lets me mother hen Mag while keeping his mouth shut.
“If it’s okay with you, I think I’m going to run down to the gym for half an hour, then shower,” Hawk says, rolling over to face me as we lie in the nest.
My bottom lip pokes out, and I want to beg him to stay in here where it’s safe, but I’m pretty sure that would be my instincts talking.
The mansion is as secure as we’re going to get.
Magnum and I showered right after we got home, and Hawk supervised to make sure there were no shower-related accidents. Then I made them both come into the nest.
