CHAPTER FIFTEEN

brAXTON

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“That was Agent Scott,” Connor says as Decker, Nathan, Mack, and I stand together on the balcony waiting for all the guests to arrive and dinner to start.

Connor pockets his phone and looks unhappy.

“Pissed he didn’t get an invite?” Nathan smirks.

“There was a drive-by shooting outside Dante’s house.” He shares without even a twitch of his lips as Nate’s joke.

Fuck.

I glance over at my wife—my fucking wife!—glad she can’t hear. I haven’t told her that her brother showed up at my parent’s house to scare them.

To scare me.

I know Gianna. She will be on the phone to him and shouting so loudly, the entire New York state will hear her.

But right now I need to know her remaining relatives, Dante and her mom, are alive. So I ask, “Anyone dead?”

My Italian princess is strong, but not that strong.

“No.”

Thank fuck.

“Let me guess,” Mack says. “One of the other families.”

“Yeah, a message from Carlos Baldoni. Dante’s taken his daughter.” Connor nods. “From what the FBI teams are reporting.”

He has done what?

Gianna has shared with me his obsession with the girl— pillow talk stuff—and I didn’t pay that much attention. Honestly I wrote it off to mafia gossip and her just wanting to chat about her family.

I know she misses them.

So I have Gianna.

He’s taken Adelina...

“Jesus, this is getting complicated.” I run a hand through my hair and toss back the rest of my whisky.

Decker leans his hip against the railing and crosses his arms. “So he shows up at your folk’s house to get your attention, then returns home and someone tries to take him out. Fucking hell. Bad first month on the job, Dante.”

I nod slowly.

He’s not wrong.

Talk about stirring things up.

“Adelina Baldoni,” I say, although I’m almost certain they know her better than I do. These men have studied the mafias in the United States over the past six or so years.

Nathan and Decker lived among them in their undercover roles.

They all nod, confirming my assumption.

“He wants your wife.” Nathan turns to me, connecting the dots.

“He’s right,” Connor says, as they all catch up.

“I know.” I glance once more at Gianna and wonder how long I need to stay at this little party until I can steal her away and make love to her.

Yes, to consummate this marriage, so her mobster brother can’t claim her back. But also, because she’s never looked so radiant and beautiful.

The rest of them can blow each other up for all I care.

That’s not completely true. I don’t want Gianna to lose more of her family.

Goddamn it.

“Let’s meet up after the weekend to discuss how we move forward. Enjoy your short honeymoon. These fuckers wait for no one.” Mack shakes his head in disgust.

That gives me forty-eight hours to be with my wife before we step into dangerous territory.

Who am I kidding? We’re there now.

At any point, Dante could show up and try to take her from me. Not fucking happening.

“Fuck. Okay. Monday.” I nod and the Dark Kings all give a sharp nod in response.

“Monday,” Connor confirms. “Meantime, you will be protected. You’re one of us now, Brax.”

Thank god.