And I’d just gotten a tremendous, horrific example of what life would be like without him.
The last few hours had been horrendous. I didn’t want to go through that again, and knowing Marco would throw himself in front of anything to save me, even die for me without hesitation, put me on edge.
If I missed something, if I wasn’t alert. If I made a mistake…
Marco closed the distance between us, tilted my head, and kissed me.
“Stop thinking so loudly,” he whispered against my lips.
“Stop being in my head then,” I whispered back.
He chuckled, then caressed my cheek. “We knew the risks going into this. This lifestyle isn’t a safe one.”
I rubbed his chest. “I know. But my worst fear was seeing you in a pool of blood.” I trembled at the image. It would never leave me for as long as I lived.
“I’m sorry, mi pequeña reina viciosa.” He brushed my hair back, tucking it behind my ear. “While I was unconscious, it felt like I was floating in a black pool. I couldn’t see the bottom and I wasn’t tied down, but I also couldn’t move. All I could do was lay there in the void." He rubbed my chin. "But I heard you. I heard every single thing you said, and then at some point a little crack opened and a sliver of light came in, then another, and another. And do you know what I thought?”
“What?” I murmured.
“That there was so much in my life I hadn’t seen. So many things I wanted to do with you, plans I had for us, for our future. And I knew I'd be fine.” He kissed my forehead. “That’s the same feeling I have now.”
“I’m not like that, though. I don’t know how to be.” I tucked my head under his and held him, gripping the back of his shirt.
His fingers trailed up and down my spine in a gentle caress. “But you do, my vicious little queen. When we left the penthouse, you had no doubts about our strategy. Yes, you knew something could go wrong or could blindside us and force us to change our plans, but you were confident, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then lean into that.”
“But—”
“I know, believe me, I know." He shuddered. "Remember, I saw someone point a gun at you. It terrifies me you could get hurt one day, or that I might never see you again.” He sighed and held me tighter. “But the same feeling I had when I first saw you, that told me you were my person, the woman who would be my queen, my equal, perfectly capable of handling my familia and walking alongside me in life, is the same feeling I have that we have to do this andwillbe fine. Can you trust me in that?”
I didn’t want to. But I did. Everything Marco had said was right. All I was feeling was the fear and anxiety of almost losing him. If it wasn't for that, Felipe would be dead by now.
I was confident I could andwouldtake his life, and I needed to grab a hold of that feeling with both hands, not just for me, but for Marco and our families.
“Yes,” I whispered.
He kissed me again, and I fisted his shirt in my hands. When he broke the kiss, he gently bumped his forehead against mine. “Good girl, now let’s go raise hell.”
Pop.Pop. Pop.
The war had already started by the time we arrived.
Marco and I pulled in behind the barricade of bulletproof SUVs our men used to block the exits, while Felipe’s men fought to open a path.
We’d never let that happen.
Dashing to the back of our own SUV, I grabbed the bazooka while Marco adjusted it on my shoulder. Together, we set the targeting system, and he covered me while I fired.
Boom!
I shot through two SUVs, killing six men. One exploded, sending another group running for their lives.
Felipe shouted at his men, and their SUVs reversed, fleeing back to his mansion.
“Follow them!” Marco shouted.
