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I don’t feel any better afterward. Truthfully, as angry as I am, I miss my husband.
As I sit at the vanity finishing up my nightly skincare regimen, my text alert goes off from Tao, letting me know I have a visitor. I can’t fight the smile that forms, effectively pulling me out of my pity party. Taking a deep breath, I flatten out my hair and school my face before opening the door to my bedroom.
There, in all his six-foot-four glory, is my husband. Leaning against the doorframe, he’s in a casual button-up, with the top ones undone. His sleeves show off those tattoos I love running my tongue over, and his joggers show off his thick, muscular legs. I can tell he’s been tousling his unruly, sexy hair.
Damn, my man looks good.
Focus, girl. You’re mad at him.
Shaking my head to snap myself out of it, I step to the side, gesturing for my husband to come in. He steps up to me, leaning down significantly, then grabs me behind the neck before planting his mouth over mine. He whips away and turns his head with so much attitude he’d give Donna a run for her money. With his chin jutted out proudly, he strolls straight into the bathroom with what I assume is his overnight bag on hisshoulder. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
I climb into bed as the shower begins to run, feeling much better that he’s with me. Before I know it, I feel the bed dip, and Nico pulls me to him. With my back to his front and arm and leg weighing me down, I breathe in his familiar scent.
As I start to drift off, he whispers, “I am in awe of you.”
Chapter Five
NICO
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Satisfied having hit the target straight in the chest, I make my way to the table to reload my gun. Bash scheduled a meeting with the Governor of Illinois while I’m out here. And with that out of the way, my afternoon is free, a rare occurrence lately. Even with Enzo taking over the clubs, I still have a lot to manage. Maybe Anya does have a point. Between work, the wedding, and my mother, we haven’t had much time for each other.
To kill sometime, I find myself back at my father-in-law’s estate, emptying clip after clip in the area Cesare has set up for target practice. Violante’s got a pretty chunk of land outside of Chicago in Winnetka. I’ve decreased the time it takes me to reload a magazine. Needing to give my hand a break, I head over to the table where the maids have set up food.
“Ugh,” I grumble as I plop on one of the chairs. I pull out the note she left me yesterday morning with the bagel sandwich I always get from our favorite bodega.
I love you, even when you’re being an ass.
Well, at least she isn’t ready to leave me. Not that I’d let that happen.
Laughter erupts from a distance.
“I bet I can guess what has my son-in-law all twisted up.” Cesare’s buff ass appears. He helps himself to a cup of coffee before sitting down.
It’s his house, so I suppose it’s his right. I think about his comment. I wasn’t going to say anything, but at the last second, I think,Fuck it. He raised her.
“She’s just so stubborn.”
That causes Cesare to laugh harder.
Never in a million years did I think I’d be in Cesare Violante’s backyard, drinking coffee. The first time I came here with Anya after she killed her uncle, she was at a meeting with her men, and Cesare summoned me into his study.
* * *
“Do you know why you’re here?” Cesare asks, taking a puff of his cigar, looking like the boss and killer he is and not the Papa facade Anya knows.
The man is huge. I’m tempted to ask him if he ate gamma rays for breakfast. He looks damn near to hulking out, but I refrain. The study is surprisingly homey, stacked with books and large oak bookcases.
“Figured you wanted to talk business.” I make a note of the three men in the room.
No Dominic. Interesting.
“This was more of a personal call.” He pulls a revolver out from his drawer and places it on his desk, followed by a bullet, and lays it in front of me. I pick it up to inspect it and see my name engraved in the shell.
I click my tongue, placing the bullet back down.Fuck.
“You didn’t think you’d get away with marrying my daughter without consequences, did you?” He chuckles, but no emotion reaches his eyes.
