“Never, angel.” I gently press my palm to her cheek, her skin warm beneath mine. “And I will kill anyone who touches you.”
Her breath catches. “Is this a trick?”
“No trick. I protect what’s mine, angel.”
Her face falls.
“What’s–”
“Boss!” Gilly calls.
“What?” I keep my eyes on Angelica.
“Got a message from Bartholomew. They did a drive-by on our front gate, but no one was hurt. We returned fire, killed a few of them, but the driver still managed to get away before we could catch them.”
I grit my teeth.
“Did you recognize the assholes back there?” He hitches a thumb over his shoulder. “Because I did.”
“I did, too,” Angelica says softly. “One of them was on my father’s security team. He usually hung out at the back door by the pool. I remember his face.”
“Two of them were definitely at the wedding. I saw them in the crowd.” Gilly glances at me in the rearview. “This wasn’t a coincidence.”
“No.” I don’t believe in coincidences. “Your father married you off to me, then tried to take me out. He and another family, I would guess. But which one?”
“Why would he do that?” Tears well in her eyes. “Why would he want me dead?”
“Not you, angel. Me.” I think Constantine would’ve sacrificed her to get to his goal, though. If it meant he had access to my holdings, he’d have no problem letting his pathetic soldiers shoot his daughter. The fact that he would touch her in anger, would wreak violence on her–he’s a son of a bitch.
“But we just got married. I thought he wanted our families joined. Hemademe marry you.” Her tone turns from sad to seething. “I never wanted to marry anyone, and he’s the one who said I had to. When I told him no, he beat me. But his intention the whole time was to kill you?”
“He wants access to my money, my holdings, my part of the pie. The way for him to get that would be to marry me off to his daughter. You. Then if he knocked me off, he’d have you back in his control, and through you, my entire estate.”
She swallows hard. “So all your stuff would bemystuff?”
I smirk. “Getting ideas, angel?”
She looks away quickly. “No, I just … I didn’t really think about that.” She meets my gaze again. “What makes him think I’d let him have a penny ofmymoney? This is bullshit.I’mthe one who had to marry a stranger. I earned your estate, not him.”
A laugh barrels from me. “That’s what concerns you?”
“Yes!” She throws her hands up, then quickly grabs her dress again before it falls and reveals her breasts. “He just thinks he can kill you and steamroll over me? No way.” She shrugs. “I mean, he can kill you, I guess. But I’m not letting him touch my new mafia empire.”
“Cutthroat.” I grab her chin lightly. “I rather like that in a woman.”
She tries to pull back, but I hold her in place. “You want me to smack you again?” She wets her lips.
“If that’s what turns you on.”
Her mouth opens in surprise. “Excuseme?”
“Does hitting me make you wet?” I lean closer to her, our breaths mingling. “Because you can hit me all you want, angel. I’m still going to be inside you once I get you home.”
“No you arenot!”She pushes against my chest.
I kiss her, claiming her roughly as she beats on my shoulders. Pressing my tongue against the seam of her mouth, I will her to open for me. She doesn’t, her body still trying to refuse me. Sliding a hand up her thigh, I skirt the lace panties underneath her dress.
She jolts, and when I slide my hand higher, I cup her breast where her dress has fallen down. That makes her open her mouth, and I slide my tongue in, caressing hers as I thumb her hard nipple.