Chapter Thirty-One

Islip around the side of the banquet room where the reception is still in full swing. I peek into every room along the way, hoping to see Marco and Luca, hopefully with a security team.

I'm just withdrawing from peeking into yet another empty room, when I turn and run right into someone. I squeak in shock, then roll my eyes in relief when I see that it's Marco.

He winces from the impact with his damaged ribs, and presses hand to his side.

"I was looking for you," he says to me, his voice sounding tight.

I scan his battered face and sigh. "You look awful," I say honestly.

He laughs at my words, then winces again.

"Did you call the family doctor?" I ask.

He shakes his head and I roll my eyes again. "Men. What would you do without us?"

I hold out my hand. "Phone."

He obliges, handing over his cell phone. I scan through his saved numbers and call Carlos' private doctor.

I arrange for him to come to the hotel, then pass the phone back to Marco.

"Come on," I tell him. "Back to the room. I can't have people seeing you like this. I don't want to have to explain what happened."

I frown as we walk up to the elevators around the corner.

Honestly, I don't even know enough to explain anything to anyone about what just happened.

I do know that Elio La Rosa is a very dangerous man.

I also know that my brothers have been frustrated by him for years because he refuses to share in any of the trade with Russia.

I assume that my brothers are going to try and use Kate and Elio's child as leverage to get some of the trade routes they have wanted for years. That makes me angry, but I also know how business works.

"How do you know her?" I say into the silence of the elevator car as we travel up to the penthouse suite.

The elevator stops at the top floor of the hotel, prompting us to scan our special access card for the top floor.

Wincing again, Marco pulls out the card and swipes it, and the elevator continues up one more level.

"We grew up together," he tells me as he hobbles after me into the opulent suite that was reserved for us by Carlos. "She's the oldest daughter of the Aguirre family."

My eyes go wide at this. "The one that supposedly disappeared seven years ago? Everyone thinks she's dead."

Marco's mouth twists a little. "Well, she's not. I hid her from Elio all those years ago after she found out she was pregnant."

I shake my head and point at the large sofa in the middle of the room. "Sit."

I go into the kitchen and get some towels and a bowl of water before coming to sit down beside my new husband.

Our union isn't even two hours old and I'm already having to fix him up after a fight.

"Elio is a dangerous bastard," I say to Marco as I start to gently clean up his battered face.

"Tell me something that I don't know," Marco says to me wryly. He hisses as I graze over a sensitive spot.

"Will he come after us now?" This is the question I haven't wanted to have to ask, and I feel a thrum of fear lance through me at the thought of one of the most notorious gangsters in the business coming for us.

Marco sighs. "I don't know, but I doubt it. He'll go after your brothers because they have her."

I set my teeth. I figured that was what he would say.

My stupid brothers. Why can't they leave anything alone?

But then I remembered Kate's agonizing fear at the thought of being handed over to Elio, and my anger softens a little.

"Will he hurt them?" I ask, knowing Marco will track that I am talking about Mateo and Kate.

Marco is silent for a moment.

"I can't say for sure, but I think that Elio is still in love with Kate. He doesn't know who Mateo is, unfortunately, but if he thinks that he's mine, he probably won't have much interest in his safety."

"That's not an answer," I say back, folding the towel in on itself and going back to work.

"I know," Marco admits. "All I know is Kate was very scared of him when she came to be seven years ago, and I trusted her instincts. I have never liked La Rosa, and he has a terrible reputation, so I doubt she will be happy about falling into his clutches again."

"I suppose that we will have to hope that his bark is worse than his bite, sort of like the rest of you," I say reluctantly.

Marco chuckles a little, then sucks in a breath as his ribs hurt him. "You should tell your brothers to let Elio know who Mateo is. It'll keep the boy safe."

I scan his face for a moment, wanting to demand so much more from him.

I can't say that I enjoyed finding out about Kate in this way, and I'm certainly not pleased that my groom looks like a vanquished prizefighter on my wedding day.

However, I know that Marco couldn't have predicted any of the things that happened today.

There is only so much that any of us can do to protect ourselves in this business.

"Phone," I say again.

Marco smiles at me and holds out his cell again.

I quickly send a text to Luca, telling him that Marco advises we let Elio know that Mateo is his.

I make sure that I indicate that it's going to help motivate him to make a deal since my brother probably doesn't really care if the child is safe or not.

With that done, I go back into the kitchen in our luxurious hotel room, and pour out the bowl of bloody water and wring out the ruined towels.

I glance down at my damaged dress, which is now spotted with blood.

I surprise myself by smiling. I know I should be angry that my wedding turned out this way, but I'm not.

I'm just glad that Marco and I are safe.

I cross the room to curl up carefully against Marco's uninjured side. He cautiously lifts his arm to drape it over me.

"Think we'll have to postpone the wedding night celebration," he says to me, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

I giggle. "I think we've done enough celebrating over the past couple of weeks to make things official anyhow."

"Do you believe me that Mateo is Elio's?" Marco asks me.

I lace my fingers through his and nod. "Yes. But I wish you had told me about him."

"I know," he admits. "It's a habit to keep Kate hidden and secret. I should have just left her at her house, though."

I shake my head. "No. Things turned out poorly, I guess, but she doesn't deserve to live like that. I should know."

I can feel him stiffen next to me, but I don't help him out by breaking the silence.

"Do you forgive me for keeping you locked up?" he asks me quietly. "Maybe that's my only skill—locking up innocent women, thinking I'm keeping them safe."

I ponder his words for a moment.

It's confusing sometimes, to think about falling in love with someone while they kept you as a prisoner.

But then again, Enzo and Lori fell in love under just the same circumstances.

There is something about living dangerously that makes you feel incredibly alive.

While I would never want to have all of my choices made for me the way that Kate's have been, I can't imagine wanting a bland cocoon of safety to protect me from feeling truly alive.

"I forgive you," I say after a pause. "All any of us can do is what we think is best. You thought you were keeping me safe while building a business legacy for yourself."

"No more secrets," he says to me.

"No more secrets," I say back. I lean my head against Marco's shoulder, and my mind meanders aimlessly for a moment.

Suddenly, my eyes pop open as I realize how many weeks it has been since my last period.

I press my hand to my belly again, and wonder if there aren't some secrets, however, that should be kept just for a little while. Just in case.

I smile to myself.

I close my eyes again, listening to my husband snoring softly, and press my palm against the small life that is most certainly growing inside of me.

Ours is not a fairytale romance, but it's still the kind of love that I could never have imagined finding in this lifetime.

The End

Did you like this book?

Then you"ll LOVE Elio and Kate"s story in book three of the Billionaire Sinners series.

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I'm the monster she's been hiding from.

But now I've found her and her secret…my heir.

For the first time in seven years, I catch a glimpse of my betrothed.

Then a knockout punch sends me to the ground.

Nothing will stand between me and what's mine.

Not even the rival mafia family that"s imprisoning her.

Our marriage was arranged in childhood.

Kate Aguirre belongs to me and it's time to claim her.

But love is a luxury I don't deserve because I've done unspeakable things.

Nothing can stop the inferno that burns between us though.

Even the cold monster inside of me is warmed by our fire.

But when I finally prove to Kate that she doesn't need to hide—hers aren"t the only eyes staring up at me.

I'll tear the world apart to make her my wife and keep our son safe.

Sneak Peek – Chapter One

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