Page 114 of Urgent Vows
"Thank you," I say to my husband. "You showed him mercy."
What kind of world do we live in that I feel gratitude for my husband killing my uncle instead of torturing him? But I do.
And I'm thankful that it wasn't my bullet that ended Zio's life. I don't know how I would have lived with that.
"I showedyoumercy." Severu's enigmatic gaze is fixed on my face.
"Yes, you did."
"We should take a shower."
I nod, but I make no move to undress. My husband doesn't wait for me to, but unzips my dress and then takes it off of me without jarring my still healing ribs. They're much better than they were, but it will be a couple of weeks before they stop twinging when I reach too far. He removes my bra and panties too.
I stand there, totally naked my arms wrapped protectively around myself.
He turns on the water, letting it heat, before peeling off his own clothing. Then he ushers me into the shower. I let the hot water fall over me, refusing to look at our feet where I know blood will turn the water pink.
He lathers his hands and then washes my body.
"Here, let's take this down." He's talking about my bun.
Although my hair is already wet, he doesn't seem to have any trouble removing the pins holding the chignon in place. He opens the shower door and tosses them onto the floor near our clothes.
Will a maid take the clothes away?
My dress soaked in my uncle's blood.
A sob snakes up out of my throat and I find myself held firmly against my husband's muscular body. His heat seeps into me and blankets the cold that comes from somewhere deep in my soul.
I tilt my head up. He's looking down at me, his dark eyes unreadable.
"Death is pressing in on me. I can't breathe. Make me feel alive."
He kisses me and my lungs expand. He caresses my body and the oppressive weight of death begins to lift.
Severu takes me against the wall in the shower and then again on our bed. I fall asleep, but wake with a nightmare. It happens throughout the night and every time, Severu is there to soothe and to drown my pain with pleasure. He brings me to climaxes with his hands and his mouth and his gorgeous sex. Sometime near morning, I finally fall into a deep sleep wrapped in my husband's ruthless arms.
He showed mercy tome. The thought chases me into slumber.
SEVERU
The weeks after Francesco's funeral and Giovi's death are busy. Watching the video Catalina made of her and her uncle in the office, we learn the names of the cartel members in New York. Tracking them down is a lot harder than it was finding her naïve sister.
These men and women know how to hide and cover their tracks, but I will not rest until they are all dead. Until my people are safe. Until my wife is safe.
Catalina accompanies my mother to her many social engagements. She hides the bruises of exhaustion under her eyes with makeup, but I know they are there. I do not know what to do about them.
She does not ask about Carlotta. She never mentions the things we brought from her bedroom and the attached secret room in the mansion. I want to show her what I did with them, but not right now.
Not when mafia business keeps me away from our home from before she wakes until after she's gone to sleep at night, with the exception of dinner. While I can't be there every night and neither can Miceli, we both try to eat dinner with our mother and my wife as often as we can.
Despite the shroud of grief surrounding my wife, I am getting to know her better every day. She is such an intriguing woman. She holds her own in discussions whether about finance, family or politics. Day by day, she is less reticent to share her opinions and I like it.
I don't like how wan she looks, but I've had the doctor by to check her out and he gave her a clean bill of health. She's not pregnant. Yet.
Catalina still wakes with nightmares and can't sleep until I've exhausted her body with pleasure. I'm a greedy bastard, because I'm more than willing to drown my own stress in her beautiful curves. And eventually, I will plant a baby in her womb.
Shaughnessy called me with the news he'd identified his own mole before I could tell him who it was. He suggested an alliance cemented in blood.
