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He stopped at the threshold of the guest room. Though Alessandra hadn’t slept in it for months, her touches remained. They had been planning to turn the room into a nursery, but the dream felt unobtainable now.
“Don’t you think I should?” Alessandra whispered.
“Absolutely the fuck not. If there’s a chance this is our last night, we’re spending it together. I’ll let you decide if we sleep in here or the master, but regardless, we’re in one room. If you don’t want to sleep with me, too fucking bad. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“I didn’t really want to sleep alone.”
“Thank Christ.”
Drake swept her up and carried her to their room. He laid her on the bed and crawled in after. Alessandra rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arm around his waist. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the weight of her warm body against him. The sensual smell of her amber and jasmine perfume lingered on the sheets.
“Why did you think I’d let you sleep alone?” Drake asked as he stroked her hair in a way he’d come to learn calmed her.
“Some part of me thought sleeping alone would be easier.” Her tears moistened the sparse hair on his muscular chest. “Drake, I don’t want this to be our last night together. But I can’t let Enzo kill Marcello. He’s my brother.”
He didn’t begrudge her.
Drake squeezed her. “I love you, bella.”
They knew the morning was their nemesis and would come too soon. Clinging to each other, they traded kisses and caresses.
At some point, they fell asleep, only for Alessandra to bolt upright, jostling Drake awake. She was shaking and sweating. Drake pushed himself up and wrapped his arms around her.
“I’ve got you, bella. It’s all right.”
“I had a bad dream.”
“Want to tell me about it?”
“I dreamt Enzo had a gun to your head and Marcello’s. I begged him to save you. I can’t lose you, Drake.” Her voice wavered.
“Shhh… Let’s not worry about that tonight.”
They settled back into bed, but neither of them fell back to sleep.
***
Chapter Thirty-Four
In a twist of fate, Marcello had what was hopefully his final court date, where the charges against him would be officially dismissed.
Alessandra didn’t have the energy to put much thought into her outfit. She pulled on a jean skirt and an off-the-shoulder blouse. She studied herself in the mirror and saw the dark circles beneath her sleep-deprived eyes. Her hair had lost its luster, and her skin was blotchy. The ache in her heart was permanently etched on her face.
Alessandra met Marcello as he exited the courthouse. His girlfriend and lawyer, Jenny, was with him, and they were flanked by two Russo guards.
Marcello rushed forward and captured his little sister in a big bear hug. “I’ve been waiting so long to do that. I’ve missed you, sis. It means so much that you came after the way things ended last time.”
“I’ve missed you too, Marcello. But I needed some time. I hope you understand that.”
Alessandra’s joy at seeing her brother was cut short by the weight of her looming decision. In a few hours, she needed to decide whether to sentence her brother to death or lose her husband. She couldn’t make such a decision.
In a way, the whole situation had begun with Marcello. If he hadn’t messed up the job he was sent to do, she wouldn’t have married Drake. While her marriage left things to be desired, she couldn’t imagine being married to anyone else.
“You need to leave the city as soon as possible.”
“What? Why?” Jenny asked.
“Marcello’s in danger.” Alessandra explained everything that had occurred recently, including Enzo’s threat.
