“Thank God you’re safe and here.” She kissed his lips. Then she kissed him again. And again.
“I think we drove the Volkovs out of their own sitting room,” Leon murmured a long time later as he sat on a plush sofa, his arms about Carla as she sat on his thighs, her head against his shoulder.
The two of them had been so intent on each other, on reassuring themselves they were both still alive, they hadn’t even noticed the Volkov family leaving the room.
Carla lifted her head to look at him. “Are you okay? They didn’t hurt you?”
“I’m a bit battered and bruised, but otherwise fine.” He breathed out heavily. “I was very relieved to see Padraic is still alive.”
She nodded. “He was marvelous once I realized you’d been taken, and kept me calm and focused. Although, I think his ribs might be broken from being shot.”
“Already taken care of,” Leon reassured.
“You called Matteo’s doctor back again, didn’t you?” she said knowingly.
He shrugged. “Several of my men need medical attention, and the man needs to do something to earn the hefty retainer Matteo pays him.”
Carla gave a husky laugh. “Hard-ass!”
“I’m a hard-ass?” he mocked. “Padraic is singing your praises, and my other men tell me you almost verbally ripped your ex-boyfriend a new one when you arrived at the warehouse. That you actually did hit Russo.”
Her cheeks colored. “He was being rude.”
Leon chuckled. “My men respect you. My allies respect you. My daughter respects you. I love you. How do you feel about becoming the wife of the capo dei capi?”
She looked stunned for a few seconds before recovering her usual feistiness. “Would that make me the she-boss of all bosses?”
Leon couldn’t help but laugh at the resilience of his warrior queen. After the past few hours of death and destruction, it was a relief to do so.
Roberto and Sebastian Russo were both dead, their men along with them, and they were currently being disposed of in a manner that wouldn’t alert the authorities to the massacre that had taken place on their territory.
Somehow, Benny Calabro had lived, and he was one of the men the doctor was now attending.
Leon had decided, under the circumstances, he should perhaps leave Calabro’s future for Carla to decide. He had a feeling she would be happier if they allowed Benny to live and perhaps even be forced to work for the Russians, as Nikolai had suggested as an alternative. Apparently, they’d taken several such men into their organization. Nikolai soon had them appreciating where their loyalty lay.
Yes, Leon had no doubt that his beautiful Carla would definitely see that as poetic justice.
Once the smoke had cleared and Leon was free and able to check on his own men, he had heard nothing but their praise, along with Nikolai’s, for Carla and the way she had handled herself at the warehouse. She was, as they also told him Don Sebastian had grudgingly said, a degna donna.
But she was Leon’s “worthy woman,” and he wanted to leave her in absolutely no doubt about that.
“Marry me, Carla,” he pressed urgently. “I know we haven’t been together long, but it has been the longest forty-eight hours of my life. And I love you as I have never loved another. Please say you’ll be my bella degna donna for all time?”
“Yes.” Carla, quickly over the surprise of his proposal, felt absolutely no hesitation in giving him that answer.
Yes, they’d known each only other a short time. And yes, no doubt there would be times when she would worry for Leon’s life.
But, like Leon, she knew that when something was right, it was right.
And she and Leon together were absolutely perfect.
Their happiness was added to when Marco Leonardo Brunelli was born nine months later. Followed by twins Sofia Carla Brunelli and Chiara Natalia Brunelli a year after that.
Perfection.
Newsletter and Social Media Links
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About the Author
Carole Mortimer is a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2015, RT Career Achievement Award 2017, RT Pioneer for Romance Award 2014. She was also recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for her ‘outstanding service to literature’. Carole has written over 260 contemporary, Regency and paranormal romance novels.
She is happily married to Peter. They have 6 sons, and live on the beautiful Isle of Man. She also loves to hear from Readers!
Other books by Carole Mortimer
Dance with the Devil
MATTEO (Dance with the Devil 1)
LEON (Dance with the Devil 2)
KILLIAN (Dance with the Devil 3)
More to come in this series
Russian Dragon Heat
VLADIMIR (Russian Dragon Heat 1)
VAUGHN (Russian Dragon Heat 2)
More to come in this series
Steele Protectors Series:
LOGAN (Steele Protectors 1)
ATTICUS (Steele Protectors 2)
BRYCE (Steele Protectors 3)
ROURKE (Steele Protectors 4)
HAYDN (Steele Protectors 5) Author’s 250th Book
LUCAN (Steele Protectors 6)
Series now complete
Regency Club Venus:
Bastian’s Surrender (Regency Club Venus 1)
Gabriel’s Torment (Regency Club Venus 2)
Benedict’s Challenge (Regency Club Venus 3)
Julius’s Passion (Regency Club Venus 4)
James’s Lady (Regency Club Venus 5)
Series now complete
Regency Men in Love:
Hidden Lover (Regency Men in Love 1)
Hidden Desire (Regency Men in Love 2)
More books to come in this series
Regency Lovers Series:
INDECENT (Regency Lovers 1)
OBSESSION (Regency Lovers 2)
CRAVING (Regency Lovers 3)
FORBIDDEN (Regency Lovers 4)
SURRENDER (Regency Lovers 5)
SCANDAL (Regency Lovers 6)
This series is now complete
Regency Sinners Series:
Wicked Torment (Regency Sinners 1)
Wicked Surrender (Regency Sinners 2)
Wicked Scandal (Regency Sinners 3)
Wicked Deception (Regency Sinners 4)
Wicked Captive (Regency Sinners 5)
Wicked Temptation (Regency Sinners 6)
Wicked Sinner (Regency Sinners 7)
Wicked Christmas (Regency Sinners 8)
Series complete
Dragon Hearts – Contemporary paranormal
Nathaniel (Dragon Hearts 1)
Deryk (Dragon Hearts 2)
Bryn (Dragon Hearts 3)
Dylan (Dragon Hearts 4)
Grigor (Dragon Hearts 5)
Garrett (Dragon Hearts 6)
Aeran & Rhys (Dragon Hearts 7)
Dragon Reunion (Dragon Hearts 8)
Series now complete
Regency Unlaced Series:
The Duke’s Mistress (Book 1)
Claimed by the Marquis (Book 2)
Taken by the Earl (Book 3)
Pursued by the Viscount (Book 4)
Desired by a Lord (Book 5)
Captured by a Gentleman (Book 6)
Pleasured by a Duke (Book 7)
Seduced by a Marquis (B
ook 8)
Tamed by the Earl (Book 9)
Series is now complete
Knight Security Series: Spin-off to ALPHA series
Resisting Alexandre (Knight Security 0.5)
Defying Asher (Knight Security 1)
Challenging Gabriel (Knight Security 2)
Capturing Caleb (Knight Security 3)
Tempting Zander (Knight Security 4)
Enticing Ian (Knight Security 5)
Seducing Ethan (Knight Security 6)
Series now complete
ALPHA Series:
Christmas Alpha (Alpha 1)
Dark Alpha (Alpha 2)
Shadow Alpha (Alpha 3) Author’s 200th Book
Midnight Alpha (Alpha 4)
Renegade Alpha (Alpha 5)
Warrior Alpha (Alpha 6)
Rogue Alpha (Alpha 7)
Savage Alpha (Alpha 8)
Series is now complete
Leon (Dance with the Devil 2) Page 12