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“He’s one of my most loyal men. He was the youngest in my father’s army, and now he’s the oldest in mine.” He smiles.
That smile, it's sparse. A sight you want to capture, because you never know when you’ll see it again. Not his smirk. Not his cunning and mocking grin. But his real smile.
“That’s sweet. What did he do?”
Nico reaches over, places his free hand on the thickest part of my yoga-pant-covered thigh, and kneads at it. I love when he touches the parts of me others ridiculed.
“I told you, he’s in my army.”
I shake my head.“No, I mean you told him ‘good work.’ What did he do?”
He shakes his head, “Tsk, tsk. No, principessa. You don’t get involved with the business.”
I nod.“Hmm, I just show up to all your events and support you andseemas though I’m your partner.”
“You are my partner. You are my queen. You make this a kingdom. You don’t need to be involved with the dangers of my business.”
I look out the window. His words aren’t harsh, and they do make some sense.
I sigh. “I guess you're right. I'll just keep thinking it's all sunshine and rainbows and charity work that you do,” I tease, and he smiles again, this time with a little laugh.
“I do some charity. You will be doing more soon too.”
I look back at him.“Do you do charity for a sense of redemption?”
He peers at me briefly before adjusting his shoulders as well as his hand on the wheel.“No. I do it because I can. I don’t need redemption, Emelia.”
“You don’t ever feel like this life is killing you from the inside out?” I cautiously ask the question, adding my physical touch. I place my hand on his on my thigh, and I trace the rough skin over thick veins.
He shakes his head.“It’s all I know. That’s all I'll ever know. Besides, redemption came already.”
My brows lift, and I'm curious as to what he means by that. “When?”
“We’re here,” he cuts me off, and I know that was deliberate. Nico shares only what he is ready to share. And that redemption isn’t something I’m going to be afforded the luxury of knowing.
Time. Slow, painful, annoying time. That’s what we will have to give one another.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
NICO
Randeno and Giuliofound some more of my shipments, and luckily most of it was there. It was docked along the Oregon coast in the middle of the night. I’m sending some of my men out to investigate further, but this reeks of the Notellis.
Maybe that’s who was backing Lavetti. Giuseppe wants revenge, and he’s knocking at the wrong door. Emelia is now on my side. She isn’t a treaty anymore, or a physical object of alliance; she is now a part of my reign.
I haven’t told her all the details of why I want to end her father, just bits and pieces. Now isn't the time. I’m not ready to strike. It’s too soon. After this incident at my house and sending that sick fuck Damian back to him with my message, they will be too on guard. They can’t know when we’re coming.
I hop out of the car, rounding it and opening Emelia’s door. Extending my hand to her, she takes it and steps out. I open the trunk next and take out her bag with her skates and a change of clothes for her to wear to dinner tonight. She reaches for it, but I take her hand instead, earning me a snort and an eye roll.
“That’s one tongue lashing for you,” I tell her, stopping us and pulling her into me.
“What is that, Nico?” Her voice is raspy yet soft and sensual.
“Each time you act like a brat, I will give your greedy clit a tongue fuck, baby.”
She moans and leans in closer.“Then I won’t behave all day,il mio custode.”
Fuck me.
