AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I bend my head down and speak so only she can hear me. “I will always come for you. I’m sorry I didn’t listen. I should have known you wouldn’t leave it alone and would go to the store.” She sucks in a breath, and I know her mind has gone to her grandfather. “Marcus is getting the care he needs. We’ll go to the hospital and check on him when we’re done here.”
The silence of the room has me lifting my head and I look over at my brother to find him looking at me with a soft look in his eyes. I give him a nod and all the softness evaporates when he looks back at Lang.
I look at the man in front of me, the one who thinks he is some mogul, but is really scum. “Unless you want to meet the devil today, you will do exactly as I say,” my voice is like death itself. “You will never speak to Marcus or Marigold Leto again. You will not contact anyone else in the neighborhood about selling. We know what you’re about and we can bring pain to your door in many ways.”
Lang’s eyes go to Lorenzo as if to ask him if my words are sanctioned and my brother gives a nod. I kiss my woman on the forehead and gently pass her to Tazio. When I glance down into her eyes, I can see the concern there.
I step toward Lang and pull my knife from its sheath. “I could gut you here and now and not feel even a hint of remorse for it. You thought you could touch what isn’t yours to touch. What isn’t yours to take.” Lang is shaking and it thrills me. “It would take mere minutes for you to bleed out right here. You deserve nothing less.”
“You can have the bitch. She’s not even that impressive,” Lang snivels.
I narrow my eyes and strike, cutting his cheek with a flick of my wrist. He lets out a yowl of pain that I find immensely satisfying. “That’s a reminder to you. Don’t fuck with what is mine. We both know your words are lies, but if it’s what you need to tell yourself to let it go, then your blood is payment enough for your impudence.”
“If we need to pay you another visit, Mr. Lang,” Lorenzo drawls, “you won’t be leaving with just that little scratch. The entire family will come down on you.”
I step away from Lang, feeling victory flow through me. When I scoop my woman up into my arms, the weight of her and the warmth of her body against my chest soothes the beast in me. I didn’t get to tear the man apart, but I tasted his blood and showed him where his place is.
Below Marigold. Below me.
It’s not everything, but it’s enough. My little beauty has seen enough chaos for the day.
CHAPTER 9
MARIGOLD
Relief is sweet…and exhausting. I’ve never felt the kind of relief I experienced when I was back in Sergio’s arms. Then for him to tell me that he found my grandfather and he was getting medical attention? Bliss replaced the fear crawling through my blood in an instant.
Now that I’m safe and Lang has been told what happens now, backed up by the full weight of the Agosti name, I’m still not sure if I can relax or not. I keep stealing glances at Sergio and I’m unsure what is going to happen between us.
When we walked out of Lang’s building, Lorenzo smiled at me and kissed my forehead. “Good to have you back safe and sound, little sister,” he whispered.
I gave him a watery smile before extending my thanks to him and Tazio. The quiet man nodded before fading away along with Lorenzo and leaving me alone with my man. That’s when I started to worry.
How angry would Sergio be? I had put myself in danger. I shouldn’t have done it, but I’m not sure if I would make a different decision if given the opportunity.
We’re heading to the hospital and while I’m worried about mygrandfather, I also know I can’t ignore the elephant riding in the car with us. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.
Sergio lets out a shuddering breath. “I know you are,piccola bellezza,” his voice is deep with a hint of darkness wrapping around each word. “You can’t do anything like that again. I was so fucking scared I was going to lose you.” He glances over at me, and I nod slowly. “I also think you earned a punishment.”
I should be cowering in fear, but my thighs clench together at the thought of Sergio punishing me. My voice is small, “What kind of punishment?”
“Your ass will look beautiful reddened by my hand,” there’s a promise in his words and a shiver races up and down my spine. When Sergio glances at me again, he flashes me a feral grin and I swear I can see the beast inside of him peeking out at me. “I think you’re looking forward to your spankings,” he teases me.
I’m not going to deny it and press my lips together. I watch the city flow by as I think about the day and then think about how fast everything has moved with Sergio. Today was scary and I never want to feel that again, but I’m also not sad about how everything has happened.
For the first time in my life, I feel like I’ve found a family. It’s not exactly conventional and I’m sure there is a lot I don’t know, and will never know, about the people within it. People are entitled to their secrets, especially if they have them to ensure the protection of others.
I do know that the men who make up the Agosti family are men of honor, even if they aren’t men of the law. I think I can live with that. I glance at Sergio, taking in the strong set of his jaw and the way his clothing pulls across his muscles, and know I’ll have to live with it because I’m not giving up the love of this man.
We haven’t said the words, but that doesn’t mean the feeling isn’t there. I love this man. I think I fell in love with him the moment he approached me in the alley for the first time. Then he became my protector.
Who wouldn’t fall in love with a man like him?
He’s strong. He’s sure. He’s a warrior. He’s everything I’m not, but he’s so much more than that as well. He is gentle with me when he needs to be. He looks at me like I’m his everything. He transports me to another realm when he kisses me.
By the time we make it to the hospital, I’m on edge again and now it has nothing to do with my relationship with Sergio. If my grandfather isn’t okay, I don’t know how I’ll move forward. I need him in my life and I’m not ready to let him go.
Sergio escorts me inside and then upstairs. When we step out of the elevator and onto a floor, he kisses my temple and murmurs, “Everything is going to be just fine, my Marigold.”
