Renato has me in his arms before Oscar's body even hits the floor. He presses his mouth against mine in a hard, possessive kiss. I cling to him, wanting to reassure him that I’m fine.
“You’re okay?” he asks when he breaks the kiss. He may appear calm, but I can see the rage still lingering in his eyes.
“I’m okay. Great, actually.” I put a smile on my face. It’s a little forced but not completely.
I’m a bit freaked out with all the dead bodies in the room, but overall, I’m good. Renato steps back, his eyes taking in every inch of me. With everything that just went down, I forgot that I’m practically naked.
“Here.” Clara shoves the pants she brought me into my hand.
I take them, seeing the rage building again in Renato’s eyes. He turns, stomping on Oscar’s head. The loud crunch makes me cringe as I quickly pull the pants on and then the sweater.
“I want to kill him again.”
“Renato, I’m okay. No one did anything to me.”
“They did, they took you from me,” he seethes. He takes a controlled breath before he speaks to me again. “I’m sorry little bird I–”’
“Don’t do that.” I place my hand over his mouth to stop him. “We saved Clara. It was worth getting taken.” His jaw flexes, and I’m not so sure he agrees. I give him a pleading look to relax, and he actually does. He kisses my palm before pulling my hand down.
“My little bird is always looking on the bright side.” He wraps his arm around me, pulling me into him. I rest my head on his chest, relieved to be back in his arms.
“And that’s why we work so perfectly together,” I say, recalling one of my conversations with Payton.
I’m the light to his darkness. We need each other to be whole and to balance one another. Our hearts and souls knew that the moment our eyes locked. We might have come from different worlds, but all of that is why we actually fit.
“My wife is starting to understand she was always meant to be my queen.”
This time when I smile up at him, it’s not forced at all. I’m actually quite proud of myself for getting my husband’s anger under control so quickly.
“You’re not going to kill me next, are you?” Clara asks.
“No!” I rush to say. “Right?” I elbow Renato.
“Your fate belongs to Claudio.” Renato lifts me into his arms to carry me out of the house, stepping over dead bodies in the process.
“Claudio?” I ask, confused. It’s as if we spoke him into existence, because seconds later, he comes rushing in and right past Renato and me. I glance back to watch him grab Clara and kiss her. “What if she kills him?” I whisper into Renato’s ear.
“Claudio has chosen her. If she kills him, then he likely has it coming.”
Thankfully once the surprise wears off, I see Clara start to kiss him back. “So it’s okay if I kill you?” I ask teasingly.
“I welcome death over you trying to leave me,” he says as we exit the house. Antony is waiting next to a black SUV. He opens the door for Renato.
“That’s actually really sweet.”
“My little bird likes my depravity,” he teases me back.
“No.” I shake my head. “I love it.”
“Speaking of love.” Antony glances around. “Where’s Claudio?”
“Claiming his woman,” Renato responds.
“I guess true love conquers a sour stomach.” Antony chuckles while Renato slips into the back of the SUV, never letting go of me. He doesn’t take his hands off me the whole way home. When we arrive, he carries me into the house and straight up to our bedroom.
“I want his fucking blood off you.” He sits me down on the bathroom sink.
“It’s the mark of my hero saving me from battle.” I pull the sweater and bra off while Renato starts the shower and strips out of his clothes. I go for my pants, but he beats me to it, yanking them down my legs and dragging my panties with them.
“Need you.” I swear I see a tremble to his hands as he plucks me off the counter. Seeing how much he needs me has my body already primed as he carries me into the shower.
I wrap my legs around him, claiming his mouth. He’s impatient, pinning me to the wall as he thrusts inside me. I gasp at the sensation of being full to the brim.
“Fuck, sorry. I can’t stop. Have to fill you. Need it.”
“Take me, Renato. I need you too.” That’s all he needs to hear.
His control shatters. He thrusts in and out of me, taking me hard. “No one touches you but me,” he growls.
“Yes.” My nails sink into his shoulders as I hang on to my husband. He gives us both what we need. “Only you. I belong to you, Renato.”