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I slide my gun back into my waistband, while Luca places his on the table.
He reaches for his drink, which he’d managed to place on the table at the same time that he’d drawn his gun, and I hadn’t even noticed. Bastard’s fast, I’ll give him that.
"Finally, fuck," Seb rubs the back of his neck, "let’s talk like grown-ups, shall we?"
"On the contrary, let’s not," a new voice sounds from the direction of the door.
I swing toward the door, then draw in a breath.
"Told you you’d regret throwing me out of your house." He presses his gun into Theresa's temple.
"Motherfucker," I reach for my gun, but he shakes his head.
"Touch your gun and she dies."
My heart rate ratchets up. My pulse pounds at my temple. A bead of sweat trails down my temple as I take in her features. Her color is pale, her hair flowing about her shoulders. She’s wearing the same shirt that I pulled off her earlier. Thankfully, she’s also wearing my boxer briefs under it. She swallows but gives no other sign of being nervous. I hold her gaze and try to communicate my strength to her. I must succeed, for she jerks her chin in a slight gesture.
Behind me, I sense Luca reach for his gun, but Freddie shoots at the table. Chips of wood fly out and Luca swears.
"Keep your hands where I can see them." Freddie jerks his chin in Luca’s direction. "And that goes for you too," he narrows his gaze on me.
I hesitate, and he must push his gun into Theresa’s temple, for she makes a small sound at the back of her throat. My chest tightens. Adrenaline laces my blood. How dare he put his hands on her? How dare he hold a gun to her? How dare he walk into my house and touch my wife? Anger floods my blood. My vision tunnels. The blood pumps so hard that I can hear each beat of my heart in my ears.
"Axe," Seb’s voice cuts through the noise in my head, "don’t," he growls.
I swallow down the fear that bubbles up my throat, then raise my hands.
"Good," Freddie smiles, "now we talk."
43
Theresa
I woke up and found myself alone. So, I dressed quickly in his T-shirt and boxers and wandered down, where I heard voices from the library. Hate to say, it but I decided to spy on the Sovranos and my husband. I know, I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it. I was curious about the dynamics between them. And I wanted to see how Axel would react to them. Would they actually end up fighting it out? Or would they arrive at some kind of agreement? And would Axel actually agree to return to Palermo?
To be honest, I don’t want to return, but I wanted to see how things would play out between them. So, I stayed silent and peeked in on the conversation. I was so engrossed in the dynamics between the four of them that by the time I heard the footstep behind me, it was too late. I turned and recognized him as the man I saw leaving after threatening Axel the other day; by which time, he already had a gun pressed to my temple.
I’m so damn angry for allowing myself to fall into this situation. I’m conforming to the stereotype of the helpless woman in distress, something that the Cosa Nostra has always warned us about. It’s why they don’t want us involved in the business end of things—there’s also their belief that their women make them weak—which is why they prefer us to be hidden out of sight of their enemies. And dolled up and waiting for them when they come home. Even when I had thought that I'd be married to Xander I had sworn that I wouldn’t be a typical Mafia wife. Xander was an artist; no way, would he have forced me to be so submissive.
When I had met Axel, though, everything had changed. I had been so attracted to him, so under his spell that I could never deny him anything, anyway. Which is all the more reason why I want to find my backbone, some semblance of being my own person. At least, in other parts of my life.
That’s why I had decided to stay back and not let them know I was there, so I could get more information on the situation, because, hell, everyone in the Cosa Nostra knows that information is power. And while I’d never have consciously kept anything from Axel... Hell, I also wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity that had presented itself… And now I’ve landed in exactly the kind of situation that the Mafia has warned us about.Cazzo!
I hold Axel’s gaze, take in how his jaw is clenched, how his features are pale and his gaze angry as he glances from me to the man who’s holding a gun to my head, then back at me. Is he upset with me? I wouldn’t blame him if he were.Maledizioni,I am upset with myself for landing in this quandary.
The man urges me forward and I take a step toward Axel, then another. The whole time, Axel holds my gaze. The anger bleeds out of his features, leaving an expressionless mask. He holds up his arms, palms face up, as he tracks us. I pause and the man behind me digs his gun into my temple again. My heart slams into my chest, sweat pools in my underarms, and I can’t stop the breath that catches in my chest. Axel notices it and his jaw tics. His blue gaze deepens. For a second, I spot something like fear—for me?—then it’s gone and the inscrutable look is back on his face.
"Keep moving," the man behind me barks. I walk in the direction he urges me. He grips my shoulder and I almost stumble, but he rights me with an arm around my waist. I flinch, try to pull away, but his grip tightens.
"Let go of her," Axel says in a hard voice.
"I will," the man drawls, "but you understand, the only way to ensure your cooperation is if I keep her hostage?"
"If you dare hurt one hair on her head, I’ll kill you," Axel’s tone is impassive, like his face.
The man laughs, "Wonderful. All that passion just waiting to be unleashed. It will make for an impressive finale."
"The fuck you talking about?" Axel growls.
