Marked For Crime Royalty| Book One | ✓

41 - Fresh Out

He walked past her and she sighed, shaking her head.

She stood there and he turned around noticing that her head was down and she was no doubt silently crying. Squeezing his eyes shut, he blew a breath of air before he walked up to her and slammed his lips on hers. He pulled her waist gently, claiming her lips with passion and regret.

Regret that he failed as a man to protect his woman.

She could feel it. The harsh emotions clouding his head, the thoughts and his expectations of what a man should be, should do and she hated it. But she could only respond with her lips, translating everything would be just fine.

Luciano's eyes began to open as did hers as he began pulling away but not before he gripped her hair, not hard, not pulling, but gentle enough to slide his tongue within her mouth, clashing against hers before their lips retreated with the sound of strong love.

She stared at him and she suddenly got the feeling he was hiding something, and his eyes told her that. "This isn't just about blame is it? You're holding something from me" He began to turn but she gripped his collar, staring at him with hard eyes.

"What has bothered you?" She questioned and he huffed.

"You're going back to the penthouse" He said and her eyes widened because he didn't say anything about him.

"Luciano, what are you planning?"

"I need you to stay with Adriano. I don't know how many there were who were looking forward to my death. And if this man saw you with me, I have to think that he passed that information along before he died." She shook her head, taking a deep breath.

" You aren't coming. Luciano you can't-"

" I can. If they would come, I don't want you with me. I promise you it's only for a few days, and we will be together" She groaned, not exactly like the idea of coming out of the hospital, to only not be in his arms the same day and the day after. That they would be apart. And the way he spoke, she knew he wouldn't be going home, meaning they would be far apart.

He waited for her to complain or to say something, but she just nodded, knowing whether she was okay with it or not, it was going to happen. Besides, he has been beating himself up for not protecting her and he says this would help him with that.

"I just need to use the bathroom and I will be ready" She said and he smiled, the happy smile she was grateful to see. He kissed her briefly before grabbing her bag and he walked out the room, noticing his men didn't follow.

Great bodyguards.

Walking into the restroom, she put her hands on the counter, staring at herself through the mirror. Pulling her shirt back, she saw the patch with a sigh. It felt weird and surreal to have been shot.

At least she had another thing to add to her list of things she thought would never happen to her. Besides the :

1. Being forced to move to Italy because of a Don

2. Being kidnapped but hired mean by that same Don

3. Being threatened to continue a job by a Don

4. Falling in love with that same Don

And now...

5. Getting shot for that Don.

She giggled a little, recalling the events as they led up to one another. The first time she heard Luciano was a Don, it frightened her had she never met one but heard multiple things of an idealistic Don. Turns out, he was pretty ideal, but that fear turned into love.