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I nod, my throat tight as my brothers have much the same reaction. They respond to Antonio, but fuck if I can concentrate on what they are saying. EZ breaks the moment up by slapping his hands on his desk. Okay, enough of this shit. I have a woman waiting on me and she’s better company than you assholes.”
“I need to check on Angelina too,” Victorio adds.
“I’ll check in with you in a couple of days,” I tell Antonio and Niko.”
They say their goodbyes as my brothers shut down the monitors and the four of us stare at one another.
“Times have changed,” Sebastian says, proving he is the master of understatement.
“It feels damn good,” Gio answers and I nod.
“It may take me a bit to get used to it,” Elias confesses.
“It will come,” I tell him, standing up. “We owe much to Antonio, but the truth is this building and the homes we’re building, in fact everything you see around us, came from money that the four of us earned—even while our fucking father was still trying to control us and destroy what we were already putting together. We may be part of the DeLuca family now, but our family is strong and good. We’ll never be what we once were again. We’re better.”
They all nod and in that moment, it seeps into me that it’s the fucking truth. The past is gone. Now, we have a future to build.
Luckily for me, that future contains Helena. That thought makes me smile. Then again, everything about Helena makes me smile. My life is completely different and so much better.I walk out of the room and go to join her in bed. Our bed.
Chapter 45
Helena
Two Days Later
My hand slaps against Marco’s pillow, finding it cold. I sit up and try to focus on the clock.
One in the morning.
I look around the room, but I already know that Marco is nowhere around. He’s happy. I know he is. There’s a lightness about him that has never been there before. I also know that other than using his hands or his mouth to get me off, he hasn’t touched me. That’s getting annoying.
I have asked him about it, and he told me I needed time to work through everything and he wants me to feel safe without the specter of what I’ve been through hanging over us in our bed.
I’m not sure what that means, exactly. I think he has it in his head that the fear I experienced is still haunting me. Zervas doesn’t have that kind of power over me. I need to make sure Marco knows that. I also have a pretty good idea where my man is right now. With that thought in mind, I stand get out of bed. I leave my silk nighty on because I know Marco loves it. Truthfully, I do too. It feels soft against my skin and the soft sage color matches my coloring perfectly. It covers me but leaves nothing to the imagination. I do, however, grab the matching robe—which has long sleeves and falls to my ankles. I put it on, knowing it covers everything. Marco will like that because my man tells me repeatedly how my body is only for his enjoyment. A smile plays on my lips. God, I love him.
I slide my feet into my slippers and then walk outside of our room. There are signs of construction everywhere, but our house is looking better and better. I can’t wait until I can get the designers started on painting and making this place into a real home. I love everything that has been done. The plans are exactly how Marco and I would discuss late at night in our bed—before building ever started. He never planned on letting me go, ever. The truth in that settles over me.
I’m right where I belong.
I always knew it, even as a kid. Marco is all I’ve ever wanted. I walk out of the courtyard, the moon shining down from above and the smell of ocean air greeting me. Home. Then I make my way back into the main entrance to the compound and find the elevator. Gordon and another guard that I don’t really know are standing there.
“I’m looking for Marco,” I murmur.
Gordon looks uncomfortable. “He asked not to disturbed Miss Kratos. You should go back to bed. He probably won’t be much longer.”
I cringe at the mention of the name Kratos. I don’t want that name anymore. With everything my father has done, that name is disgusting to me. I put that thought out of my head and study Gordon, doing it while shaking my head in disagreement.
“I need you to take me to my husband, Gordon. Now.”
“That’s not possible and unless I’ve missed something, you’re not married yet,” he has the bad manners to point out. That’s when I’m done.
