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“A large sum of money was recently transferred from one of the Colombo’s offshore accounts to a known black-market weapons dealer. A few days later, a shipment of explosives, guns, and ammo was intercepted and redirected to New York City. We don’t know where exactly it ended up, but it’s no coincidence.”
“They’re stockpiling,” I grunt.
“Enough for a war,” Romeo finishes for me. “We have our own reserves, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
The room is silent, the air still as the realization of war sets in.
“Our number one priority is finding the stockpile of weapons. Without that to fall back on, we might be able to get the upper hand and mitigate lives lost,” Dante rattles off. I’m sure he has plans on plans and three backup plans for each additional plan, but I’m not in the headspace to go over the minutia.
“Armando and I will hit the streets again, hopefully with more luck this time,” Valentino says.
I nod in agreement, though I’m hoping to see Allegra before going on another assignment. As if reading my thoughts, Romeo stands from his chair and interjects.
“Tomorrow. For today, rest. We have many battles ahead of us, men.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Aye, Boss.”
“We’re with you, Boss,” all three of us say in unison.
He dismisses us, and I bolt out of his office, not bothering to say a single word to anyone else. Tensions have been high between the two families for a long time, but now it seems war is imminent. It makes every moment with Allegra that much more precious.
Hopping in my car, I rev the engine and get the fuck out of there, hitting the road at nearly twenty over the speed limit. With the timing of everything, I’m more positive than ever I made the right decision this morning to stop by the jewelry store.
I don’t know jack shit about rings, but luckily for me, Leif recently married the love of his life. They were both all too happy to help me pick out the perfect ring for my angel. Now I just need to figure out a way to ask her.
As soon as I step inside my house, my eyes are drawn to Allegra. She’s lounging on the couch, scrolling through the iPad.
A smile takes over her delicate features when she sees me. “You’re home,” she says excitedly, patting the seat next to her.
“So are you,” I reply, sitting down and drawing her into my arms.
“Really? I mean, I was hoping, but just in case, I was looking at apartments…”
“I want you here with me,” I tell her, capturing her blue eyes and letting her see how much I mean it. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep without you by my side.”
“Are you sure? Everything happened so fast between us, and if you need space–”
Unable to listen to any more of her doubts, I untangle myself from Allegra and slide off the couch, kneeling on one knee in front of her. She blinks down at me, a look of shock and disbelief written across her face. I hope it’s good shock, but I can’t be sure.
“I never want space from you,” I rush to say. “Knew you were it for me as soon as I held you. It was my mission to protect you, and even though I let you down once, I’d like to apply for the job full-time. Forever.”
I take out the little velvet box, opening it to reveal a white-gold ring with a princess-cut diamond in the center, surrounded by light blue sapphires that match her eyes.
“Armando… oh my god,” she breathes, her eyes filling with tears.
Shit.“It’s too much,” I mutter to myself. “I’ll take it back. We’ll get something else. Whatever you want. One for each finger. We can–”
“Armando,” she says again, snapping me out of my spiral. A smile curls up one side of her lips, and the sparkle has returned to her beautiful eyes. “It’s beautiful. I can’t believe you want to keep me.”
I take her left hand and slide the ring on her finger, not giving her a chance to turn me down. “I thought I made that clear,” I tell her, standing and caging her in with my body. “You’re perfect, Allegra. My sweet girl. Yes, things happened very fast between us, but what we have is real. You feel it too, right?” She nods, easing the tension in my shoulders. “So what do you say?”
“You didn’t really ask, you know,” she sasses, nibbling on her bottom lip.
“Allegra. My strong, brave, brilliant, precious girl. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
A devious spark flashes in her eyes. Christ, I’m going to love bringing more of that out.
