“Yes!” she cries. “Like that. God, don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
Every muscle in my ass pulls taut as I fuck her with quick, incessant, wild thrusts, grinding into her.
“Can I come?”
“You better come before I do.”
With a violent shudder, her pussy walls clamp down around my cock, pulsing as her orgasm peaks. Her body tenses, her thighs squeezing my sides so hard she stalls me and fucks with my rhythm. I pull her back up, and she throws her arms around my neck as I pull her close, her body flush against mine, and I sink so deep into her that I come instantly, the pleasure bursting through my veins.
“I love you,” she mutters through panting breaths, my cock jerking, pouring my cum inside her.
“I love you, too.” I’m breathless, but I claim her mouth, willing to give my last breath just to kiss her.
My cock slips out of her, and I pull her into my arms, carrying her over to the tub, setting her down and helping her step in. I kiss her cheek as I crouch down beside her, splashing the water over her chest. To others, this strong connection I have with this woman is insanity, but to me, it’s life. It’s air. It’s the blood that keeps me alive.
I place my forehead against the side of her face, closing my eyes as her presence intoxicates me. “I want to burn down the world for you, stray. Rid it of all the monsters for you.”
“I know. And I love you for it.”
There are a few seconds of silence, enough time for reality to bleed back in and pull us out of the moment.
“I need you and Mirabella to leave.”
“What?” She pulls away, staring at me with confusion.
“Maximo is arranging for you to be taken to a safe place. Just for tonight.”
“Why? What else is happening tonight?”
I reach out, tucking a wet strand behind her ear. “Tonight, I end a war.”
ChapterTwenty-Two
ALEXIUS
“They’re safe,” Maximo confirms as he comes toward me. “They’re at—”
“Don’t tell me.” I stop him. “No one can know where they are except you.”
He nods, and I place a hand on his shoulder.
“I’ve never thought of you as anything other than a brother. You and Mirabella are as much a part of this family as the rest of us. Your loyalty has not gone unnoticed.”
“My loyalty is out of love and respect for this family.”
“Yourfamily,” I urge, squeezing his shoulder. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re blood, and nothing will change that. But I need you to promise me that whatever goes down tonight, Leandra’s and Mira’s safety come first. If a decision needs to be made, you choose them above all else. Even me.”
“It’s not gonna come to that. I won’t let it.”
“Just,” I sigh, “promise me you’ll protect them. Protect my children. If anything has to happen—”
He cuts me off, slapping his hand on my shoulder and gripping it tightly, looking me straight in the eye, his voice low as he says, “I promise, Alexius. I will protect them.”
“Thank you,” I breathe out, and Maximo’s phone chimes with a message.
He pulls it out and slides his finger across the screen before cutting his gaze to mine. “They’re here.”
“Good. Let’s get this over with.” I unlock the doors to the Dark Sovereign room, sliding them into pocket walls. Every time I walk in here, I’m hit with nostalgia, the smell of fresh, polished furniture reminding me of my father and how I sat beside him, taking in every word, every decision with the hope that I’d one day be able to make him proud as head of this family. But the more I walk in his shoes, the more I realize I won’t ever be able to fill his shoes. I’ll never be Vincenzo Del Rossa. But I am his son, and I will be the best leader I know how to be without sacrificing the happiness of those I love.