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We lay there entwined for several minutes, our breathing and heartbeats gradually returning to normal. Finally, Nicholas rolled onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow, looking deeply into my eyes.
“Remember when I told you that you can have anything you want?” he asked, his voice tender but firm.
I nodded, recalling his earlier declaration.
“Believe me, Liliana, I meant every word of it,” he said, his gaze unwavering. “I would do anything for you. Anything to make you happy.”
As I looked into his eyes, I realized how deeply I loved this man – not just for his strength and power, but for his vulnerability and the way he allowed me to see the real person beneath the hard exterior. I knew there was nothing more that I could ask for.
“Nicholas,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “I don’t need anything more than what I have right now. You’ve given me everything I could ever want – love, protection, and feeling belonging.”
He looked at me, his eyes shining with a mixture of affection and pride. “Liliana,” he said softly as he leaned in to press a tender kiss on my forehead. “You deserve the world and more, and I’ll do everything in my power to give it to you.”
I smiled, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “Having you by my side is enough for me,” I admitted, my heart swelling with love.
“Then I promise you, my love, that I will never leave your side,” Nicholas vowed, the conviction in his words leaving no room for doubt.
As we lay together in the dimly lit room, our bodies still tangled together, I felt the exhaustion from our passionate encounter beginning to overtake me. Drifting toward sleep, I allowed myself to bask in the warmth of Nicholas’s embrace.
“Nicholas,” I said drowsily, wanting him to know how grateful I was for everything he had done for me. “I already have everything I want.”
In response, he tightened his arms around me and pressed a gentle kiss into my hair. As I finally succumbed to sleep, I knew without a doubt that Nicholas would always be there for me - and that our love was strong enough to withstand anything life might throw our way.
Chapter 5
Nicholas
The weight of my pen seemed heavier than usual as I signed another document, the ink forming a deep bond with the paper. The scent of leather and aged wood filled my nostrils as I tried to keep my mind on my work. But my thoughts drifted to Liliana and the work she was doing while sitting on my couch. I should get her a desk in here, if she was going to continue working for the family business.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the front foyer, tearing me from my reverie. Shouts and thuds echoed through the halls of the house, jarring my senses. It sounded like trouble - unexpected and unwelcome.
“Nicholas!” Liliana’s voice pierced the chaos, her concern for me palpable.
“Stay here,” I commanded, grabbing my gun from the desk drawer. “Lock the door behind me.”
Her chestnut hair framed her face as she nodded, biting her lip with worry. I could see the gears turning in her mind, calculating the potential danger. I was surprised she didn’t follow me, but she slammed the office door and locked it.
I sprinted to the foyer, my heart pounding like a war drum in my ears. As I arrived, I saw three men lying on the floor, while James, our butler trained his Glock on them. My men were rushing to his aid, their faces a mixture of shock and determination. I realized the situation was under control, but that didn’t ease my tension.
“James,” I barked, my deep voice echoing through the foyer. “Explain what the hell is going on here.”
The butler maintained his calm composure as he answered, “Mr. Romano, these three men are seeking sanctuary from Bianchi. They messed up an operation and Bianchi threatened to kill their families in front of them. They ran, got their families out of town, and now they want to take Bianchi down before he finds them.”
Their desperate expressions made me believe their story, but I wondered if I wanted men who would screw up an operation. I motioned to Enzo, one of my most trusted men.
“Enzo, zip tie them and help them up.”
As my men helped them up, I surveyed the scene before me; the Bianchi men looked strong and healthy, but their eyes betrayed a deep-rooted terror. It occurred to me that if they were truly seeking protection from their own don, they must have been desperate. But did I really want men who had failed an operation under my roof?
“Look at me,” I commanded, my eyes locking onto theirs in turn. The fear in their faces was real enough, but a calculating part of my mind weighed the potential risks and rewards. I had always been strategic, resourceful in crisis situations, but taking in former enemies was not a decision to be made lightly.
“Sir, Mr. Romano, please, we had no choice,” the first man pleaded, his voice strained with fear. “We’ll tell you everything.”
“Talk,” I demanded, my gaze piercing each one of them. “And don’t leave out any details.”
“Sir, we were assigned to kill David Ricci, your wife’s brother, in rehab,” the spokesman of the group blurted out, trembling as he spoke. His revelation sent a shiver down my spine and my blood ran cold.
“Did you hurt anyone during the attempt?” I asked, trying to suppress the anger boiling within me. The thought of David being targeted under my watch horrified me. Not to mention Paulie, the man I sent to keep David safe.
