by Soraya Naomi
“I made a mess in your kitchen,” I put in sheepishly, tossing a utensil in the sink before wiping my brow.
He edges closer and rubs his thumb across my forehead. “You got some flour there.” Then he frames my face. “It’s your kitchen too,” he points out, making me smile. “I’m going to kiss you.”
“Don’t. I’m a sweaty mess.” I try to push past him.
But he grabs my arm, pulling me back around and bracing my cheeks to bring us face-to-face. “I’m going to kiss you now, Brielle, because you won’t stop me.”
Crushing his mouth to mine, he weaves his fingers into my hair, firmly gripping the roots in the way I adore. He kisses me, and my life feels like it will never be the same. Then when he pulls back, he tells me, “I have to go to Palermo. The drug deal is tonight, so I have to make sure Marliya’s father doesn’t screw with us.”
“Will you be okay?” I murmur.
He places another kiss on my lips. “Of course I will. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Fallon’s having dinner alone; you can call her,” he diverts my attention again, and I welcome the distraction.
“I’ll go up to the penthouse,” I reply before he leaves the apartment.
Even though I don’t see anything of Michael’s mafia life, I worry about him, especially now that he’s my husband.
CHAPTER 53
Michael
ADRIANO, LUCA, HENRY, Marliya, and I are all anxious as we stand around the desk in Adriano’s office on the night we’ve all waited for.
As we wait, the Syndicate captains are unloading the largest shipment of the purest cocaine and heroin ever to be smuggled into Chicago. Logan, our head captain, is overseeing it, but we can’t all be present in case anything goes wrong. Which it can, even though a lot of people are being bribed or blackmailed at customs. If it does, we’ll be in a shitload of trouble since our supply is running low and a lot of money is being invested in this deal. Money that will vanish if Reymario fucks with us, or if any of the police we didn’t pay off show up.
Adriano checks his watch. “It’s already nine p.m. They’ve been unloading for an hour. Shouldn’t they be done?”
Luca and I nod as Marliya nervously twirls her auburn hair.
“Don’t look at me. Your men are being slow,” she defends.
Adriano aims a scowl at her. “Your father better not mess with me, or else...”
“Calm down. Let’s just wait ten more minutes for Logan to call with an update,” I say with as much confidence as I can muster.
As I regard Marliya, I notice her restlessly fidgeting with her fingers. Suspicion rears up in my gut, so I gradually slide my jacket back and grip my weapon.
Maybe I was very wrong when I chose to confide in her, thinking she was Brielle’s friend.
At that moment, Adriano’s phone chimes in and he answers, putting it on speaker, “Logan?”
“We’re driving to the warehouse. The drop-off went well and the docks were deserted, like we paid for – no issues. And no guns were used.”
Adriano sighs loudly and I follow, loosening my grip on my gun and letting my suit jacket slide back over it.
Marliya breathes deeply as well. “Wow, you guys are intense.”
When an amused expression crosses Adriano’s face, he responds, “There was a lot at stake. We just got a year’s supply. And since you kept your end of the deal, I’m keeping mine.”
Her interest is piqued.
“I took a chance and went ahead and informed your father that I only trust you as our contact. Then I asked if you could stay, but he wasn’t happy about it. So I explained that you’d be part of my team.”
“Did he agree?” she inquires with hope.
“Yes, he did. He’s going to inform you later. He said he would do it after the drop-off.”
Her lips curve upward. “Thank you.”
“However,” Adriano adds, “we need to figure out what you’re going to be doing every day. Do you want to wait tables?”
“Not really. Can I be a barista?” she asks, being assertive, which I admire. “I like working at the restaurant, and with that cover, I could be an extra guard.”
Adriano glances at Luca and then me, and since we both nod, he agrees, “That’s fine. Work it out with Carmine. Oh, and Cam told me to invite you to dinner on Tuesday at our apartment.”
“Okay, I’ll text her, and I’ll get in touch with Carmine. Thanks again,” Marliya replies and walks out with a big grin on her face.
“She really didn’t want to go back to Mexico,” Luca comments.
To which Adriano explains, “I get it though. You should’ve heard how Reymario talked about her as if she’s a little girl, while she can clearly hold her own.” Grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair, he proposes, “Let’s have a drink. We’re going to have a normal year for once and we won’t have to worry about another shipment for a long while.”
“I’m going home,” I say, making Adriano smile.
“Don’t want to make the missus mad?”
“Yeah, I learned from you guys,” I retort around a smirk and stride out, hurriedly exiting Palermo and driving to the Blackhall with a sense of eagerness I’ve never experienced.
Finally, my worries fade entirely. My workload will lighten up since we won’t have regular shipments anymore. Tonight, I can simply enjoy the evening with Brielle. My wife who never asks for money and wants to keep working. Rachel used to require so much money, which I didn’t mind, but it did make me question if it was mostly my wealth she loved.
Though with Brielle, I’m positive she loves me, even the parts I hide.
WHEN I ARRIVE HOME, the apartment is dark, so I hike up the staircase to find Brielle sound asleep in the middle of our bed. I strip my suit and climb under the covers to spoon her, kissing her behind the ear as she stirs.
“Hey...” Her voice is husky as I firmly pull her close and she teases, “Did you miss me so much that you have to squeeze me so hard?”
“Yeah.” Rolling her over, I smooth her blonde hair out of her heart-shaped face, becoming lost in her innocent green eyes. “I did miss you. Because I love you. Ti amo, Brielle.”
She touches my jawline, showing off her gorgeous dimples. “I love you too, Carrion.”
I dip my head and brush my lips across hers before stealing a long, languid kiss.
“Why do you love me?” she wonders out loud.
“Because you make me feel content and because you’re sweet and you have a smoking hot body.” I spoon her again and rub her hip. “Because you’re still the only one who can pull me out of my thoughts and allow me to live in the present.”
She winds my arm around her middle and clasps my hand when I kiss her hair, and before I know it, I conk out and sleep for entire night for the first time in ages.
CHAPTER 54
Brielle
BY AUGUST, THE SUMMER has become hot and humid. Fallon, Cam, and I are on Fallon’s terrace, and I’m lounging on a chaise, letting the wind breeze through my hair to cool me off, when I hear murmurs and the scampering of small feet.
“Blielle!” Little Amalia hops out onto the terrace, wearing an adorable dress with Little Miss Sunshine embroidered on the bodice, followed by Adriano and Luca, who each claim a chair next to their wife.
Then Michael comes out and perches beside me on the lounger, pressing a kiss to my lips while cupping my cheek in that way that makes me feel treasured.
“Hey, isn’t it too hot for you out here?” he asks, and I love how protective he is of me.
“No, it’s okay,” I answer as he rubs my six month baby bump.
At that moment, Amalia climbs into my lap and removes Michael’s hand from my stomach, making him grin as he flicks her nose. “You’re a bossy lady, sweetheart.”
“Yeah,” she mutters, clearly not understanding him and we chuckle.
“Hey, pumpkin!” I kiss her chubby cheek and comb her auburn curls out of her face since she’s all flushed from the heat.
She gently pokes my stomach while Michael reclines and extends his arm along the back of the chair, stroking my nape and causing gooseflesh to rise on my skin. He touches me constantly, as if he always needs to shield me.
“Is baby awake?” Amalia asks.
“Yes, she – or he – is.” I guide her hand to the side of my belly when I feel the fluttering movement and then a kick, which makes Amalia grin from ear to ear.
“She kicked me!” she cheers, so I smooch her neck as she giggles.
“Hey, did you enjoy your birthday?” I comment.
Her eyes widen and she nods vigorously.
“How old are you again?”
She brings up her hand, thinks really hard, and holds up three fingers in the cutest manner.
I fold one down. “No, you’re two, not three.”
“God, no,” Adriano pipes in, winking at his daughter. “I don’t want her to grow up any faster.”
Amalia scoots off my lap and jumps into her daddy’s arms. Adriano hugs her tightly, closing his eyes when he smells her hair. These commanding men melt around their kids, and I hope Michael will be the same.
“I fear for when she’s ready to date.” Cam beams at Adriano as she pours herself an iced tea and sits back in the cushioned chair.
Adriano looks at Amalia. “You’re not going to date are you?”
She simply shakes her head in agreement and Adriano smirks.
“You’re going to marry daddy, aren’t you?” he says.
She loops an arm around his neck. “Yes,” she answers seriously, making us break out in laughter.
Michael scoots closer to me, tucking me against his side and hanging his arm around my shoulders, so I tangle our fingers as we relax together.
“Brielle, are you still going to work full time after the baby’s born?” Luca inquires, and when he glances at Michael, I look up at him.
“You know that you don’t have to. You can quit. I make more than enough to support you and our baby.”
“It’s not really about the money. I love being the pastry chef at Palermo,” I tell him. “And I’m safe there. Wouldn’t you rather have me working there than somewhere else?”
“True,” he relents. “But isn’t full-time a bit much? Why don’t you work three days a week? That way, you’ll have your job and enough time with the baby.”
“Can I work part-time after my pregnancy leave?” I ask Luca, who points to Adriano, indicating that he has final say.
“Sure. We’ll hire another part-timer. We’ll inform Gianni together this week, okay?” Adriano replies, not seeing an issue at all.
Then I say to Michael, “We’ll see how it goes.”
“Maybe once the baby’s here, you won’t even want to go back to work.”
“That could happen...what do I do then?”
He dips his head and whispers into my ear, “Then we’ll end your contract. You can stop working any time. Just tell me and I’ll take care of it.”
I smack a kiss against his lips. “Where would I be without you...”
His smile eases up all the way to his ashy-grey eyes. “You’ll never have to find out,” he vows.
See, when it’s with the right person, love allows for an inexplicable trust in the other. Michael and I have had that since I first found his gun.
Suddenly, Amalia’s high-pitched voice breaks through when Logan and Rosalia walk out onto the terrace, “Adam’s here!”
She stops in front of Logan and when she peeks behind him to see that there’s no one there, she asks in the saddest tone, “Where Adam?”
Logan picks her up. “He’s playing at a friend’s, sweetheart.”
Amalia pouts, completely disappointed, so Logan hugs her.
Cam catches my gaze and I tease, “She has a crush on Adam...”
“Yep,” she comments. “But he says girls are stupid.”
We laugh as Michael pulls me into him, caressing my belly. Finally, I’m content with my newfound family.
It’s been six months since I started working at Palermo and stumbled upon my man in black, who doesn’t have a black heart at all. Quite the opposite, my first instinct about him was correct; he is caring and it’s useless to oppose the strength of his protective love. Everything’s happened in fast forward, but Michael has kept his promise. He takes care of me, protects me, and I barely notice anything of his organization. Deep down, I don’t even care that he deals in drugs or launders money – like Fallon said, I don’t know everything he does, and I don’t need to. I know he adores me and will always protect me and our child.
Ultimately, I believe that fate brought us together. If he hadn’t met Rachel or I hadn’t lost my parents, we would’ve most likely never met each other.
Because if my parents hadn’t passed away and left me alone, I wouldn’t have picked this path. When you’re an only child and your parents die unexpectedly, the love you know gets taken away in an instant, and you search for it relentlessly, perhaps even instinctively. Luckily, I found it with Michael. My heart chose him, regardless of his job. I choose to turn a blind eye. Although don’t we all do that when it comes to the sins of our loved ones?
Because, in the end, we all need unconditional love to get us through this life.
EPILOGUE
Michael
LIFE IS A PECULIAR journey. One filled with ups and downs for everyone, whether you’re a regular civilian or an underworld member. But the human mind is resilient, although there’s one emotion that seems to be too much to bear for some: grief coupled with guilt. I never realized how tormented I’d become until I met Brielle, until she evoked profound emotions in me that I couldn’t deny.
Nowadays, when I come home, I’m not the man who schemes and can’t afford to lose control. No, I’m merely a husband. To Brielle, I’m not a mafia member, because I keep a lot of business hidden so that she never has to know how vicious the Syndicate can be. Even though she could’ve raged and run when she found out I was a member, her easygoing ways triumphed. I know that she believes the incident with Ivo was a rare occurrence. She thinks we simply launder some drug money and face a few issues at times. She doesn’t truly understand that I’m a killer and that violence is a big part of my world, but she doesn’t need to know that – I shelter her because it’s my duty to keep her safe. The whirlwind of events surrounding our marriage, coupled with an unplanned pregnancy, most likely helped make the transition easier because she didn’t have time to worry about the Syndicate, so I’m damn glad we had our baby for more than one reason.
As soon as I enter my apartment that’s decked out with Christmas decorations, I hike up the staircase to the mezzanine level. When I pass the bed in search of the two people I’ve missed the entire day, I toss the black box in my hand onto it.
Brielle stands at the bassinette in the corner of the room and looks appetizing in a red floor-length gown with spaghetti straps, her blonde hair in loose curls framing her face.
She turns around, cuddling our little bundle. “Hey.”
I grasp her hips that have become a bit wider and kiss her lips before gazing at the tiny baby wrapped in a yellow blanket. Then I take my four-week-old daughter, who weighs absolutely nothing, into my arms, and she stares at me with droopy green eyes that are struggling to stay open.
“Hey, Olivia. Are you sleepy?” I speak softly and peck her button nose.
She wriggles as I keep her close to me so that she can smell me, and while we all huddle together, Brielle strokes her sparse dark hair, murmuring, “Her hair’s going to be as black as yours.”
Olivia sighs in contentment, her eyes closing as I rub her little foot.
“It is,” I reply as Brielle moves to the vanity and opens her jewelry box to pick out her silver earrings.
“You can lay her down. She drank her milk,” she tells me.
I put Olivia in her bassinette, smiling at her when her mouth falls open, and I kiss her petite nose again before getting the square black box with a red ribbon tied
into a bow and stopping behind Brielle.
“I want you to open my gift,” I say, holding it up for her to see as I hug her from behind.
“What did you get me?” She accepts it, leaning back against me, her curvaceous ass pressing into my groin. “It’s too large for a wedding ring.” She arcs a brow, slightly pissed that we don’t have them yet, and pulls the ribbon, lifting the top and seeing a platinum bracelet and two wedding rings. Her gaze shoots up and she swivels around.
Now, I arc a brow. “See, I know you. Even though you never ask for anything, I didn’t forget we don’t have wedding rings. It just took me a while to find what I wanted to get you.”
Taking out the bangle, she reads the inscription: I’ll protect you forever. Lo prometto.
“You got me a matching bracelet?” Then she brings up her ring and reads our last names: Carrion & Duchenne, May 10th. “These are so beautiful.”
“You love wearing a single bracelet, so I got you a new one. I want this to remind you of us when you wear it.” I take it from her and slide it onto her wrist.
“Thank you so much.” She regards her gift with pride, and then I remove the ring from the box and lift her hand as we stand opposite each other.
“Since we didn’t have any vows and you didn’t want a ceremony after the fact, I’m giving you my vows now,” I start, causing her dimples to show as she listens intently. “Even though nothing between us has happened at normal speed, I don’t regret that you found my gun ten months ago and caught me in reckless moments. If I hadn’t met you, I’d still be in my despondent frame of mind. But you pulled me out of it. I didn’t hesitate to marry you because you were wrong about one thing.”
A crease crosses her faces.
“Rachel wasn’t the love of my life. You are. You’re the mother of my child, and I will always protect you and Olivia with everything I have. Ti amerò per sempre. I’ll love you forever.” I slip the ring onto her finger.
“Do you promise?” she asks, taking the other wedding band as I raise my hand.