Page 67 of Bound in Vengeance
Before I can even process the old man's words, one of the police receptionists looks over her desk, offering a warm smile. "We have a clinic down the street if your wife needs to sit down, sir. The first trimester can be so draining, especially with this kind of stress."
I glance down at Sienna. She is looking everywhere but at me, her cheeks flushing a bright, guilty pink as she suddenly finds the pattern on the floor fascinating.
The dark realization hits me. I don't know what kind of game she played with the feds, but everyone in this building—and apparently my own men—believes my new wife is pregnant.
I force my jaw to relax, smoothly tightening my arm around her waist and flashing the capo a tight, knowing smile. "Thank you. Yes... it's a blessing. We wanted to keep it quiet, but today has been unpredictable."
Sienna peeks up at me through her lashes, and she can instantly tell by the dangerous, amused glint in my eyes that I am demanding a full, unfiltered explanation the exact second we are behind closed doors. She swallows hard, realizing she got herself out of one trap only to land right into mine.
We walk out of the precinct, the security detail clearing a path. I guide her down the steps, keeping her close to my side until the driver opens the door of the waiting black sedan. We both get into the car outside, the heavy doors shutting out the rest of the world.
The car smoothly pulls into traffic, and the moment we are safely away from the chaos, I turn my entire body to face her.
“What was that about back there, Sienna?” I ask, raising an eyebrow as I study her face. “A new generation? First trimester?”
She rolls her eyes, letting out a long, exhausted sigh before she reluctantly explains everything. She tells me about the officer guarding the front doors of the mansion, how she needed a desperate excuse to bypass him and get upstairs to the bedroom, and how the lie snowballed during her interrogation until the feds were too terrified of a medical liability to keep pressing her.
A low rumble starts in my chest before it breaks into a full, genuine laugh. The audacity of this girl is staggering.
"Smart," I murmur, my eyes tracing the sharp line of her jaw. "But that doesn't answer the real question. Why did you help me? They offered you a clean slate, didn’t they? You could have handed over the laptop, annulled the marriage, and walked away from me and the syndicate forever. Why didn't you?"
She scoffs, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, and deliberately turns her head to look out the tinted window, watching the city lights pass by. "Don't flatter yourself, Alessandro. I just didn't want the feds winning."
It’s a deflection, and we both know it. I don’t push her on it, even though I am absolutely dying to know what truly went through her head in that sterile interrogation room—why, when given the ultimate key to her cage, she chose to lock it from the inside and stand by my side.
By the time the car rolls through the gates of the Gallo estate, the chaotic remnants of the raid are already being cleared away. Our home has been unlocked, the yellow police tape has beenruthlessly torn down and discarded, and the full household staff is already back in position.
Looking at the pristine facade of the mansion, a dark, lethal promise forms in my mind. I got incredibly lucky today because of the woman sitting next to me. Luca thought he could bury me on my own wedding day, and I plan to make the bastard pay for this stunt with every single drop of blood in his veins.
The car grinds to a halt in front of the entrance. The driver rushes to open the door, and I step out, turning to offer Sienna my hand. She takes it, stepping onto the cool stone driveway.
I lead her through the double oak doors and into the grand marble foyer. Waiting for us in a neat, respectful line is the entire household staff—the housekeepers, the chefs, the butler, and the indoor security detail.
I take a step forward, keeping my hand firmly anchored to the small of her back, and address the room.
"This is my wife, Sienna Gallo. She is your mistress now, and she is the absolute authority in this house when I am not here. You will accord her the exact same respect, loyalty, and obedience you give to me."
The staff immediately bows their heads in unison, their voices rising in a chorus of disciplined respect.
"Welcome home, Mrs. Gallo."
“Thank you,” Sienna smiles, her voice carrying a polite, poised warmth.
I lead her away from the foyer, guiding her up the grand staircase and down the corridor to my bedroom—the very room she sneaked into just hours ago under the threat of federal arrest. Now, she enters it legally, as the woman whose name is bound to mine.
I close the heavy wooden door behind us, shutting out the rest of the world. "The guards will bring your things upstairs soon. Anything you left at the reception or your father's house will be delivered by tonight."
She nods silently, her body completely tense as she looks around the space. Moving with deliberate slowness, she walks over to the massive mattress and sits on the edge of the bed, the lace of her white dress spilling over the dark silk sheets. She looks small against the backdrop of my world, yet completely in control.
I study her for a long moment. Part of me wants to crowd her space, to demand the answers she refused to give in the car, to find out exactly what it feels like to hold my wife without a war brewing outside. But I decide to leave her alone while she adjusts to this sudden shift.
Besides, the fury that has been simmering in my veins since the feds slapped cuffs on me needs an outlet. I want to find Luca, and I want to punish him for what he did. Leaving her to rest while I hunt down a traitor is a win-win.
"I have an urgent meeting downstairs," I tell her, fastening the top button of my suit jacket. "I will be back soon."
She nods again, her eyes tracking my movements but her lips remaining sealed.
I have half a mind to stay with her anyway, to pull her into my arms and force the tension out of her shoulders, but my soul demands blood today. So, I force myself to turn on my heel and leave the room.
