Page 26 of The Forever One

“How’s Lina?” River ignores the urgency in Enzo’s voice and goes straight for his heart. He takes a step back like he’s been punched in the gut.

“I wouldn’t know. She stayed with Tyler all night.”

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

RIVER

All this mafia stuff is getting a bit much for me, in all honesty. I mean, I’m trying really hard to adapt as quickly as I can, but it’s fucking difficult. It’s not happening as fast as I want it to and I feel like I’m on a never-ending downhill slope, picking up speed and shit as I roll head-first toward the lake waiting to drown me. Only, with Marco by my side, it’s like I have a life-preserver, my very own PFD to help keep me afloat.

It’s corny as fuck but I find myself grinning at the thought. Six months ago, I would have outright laughed at anyone who tried to tell me I’d ever find my twin flame. Because that’s what Marco is, he isn’t just my soul mate, we aren’t just two souls extraordinarily linked. We are one soul, split in two, destined to be together for all eternity.

Just the idea of never feeling his breath on my skin, seeing his eyes glow with happiness, or hearing his laugh as it pierces my soul, hurts my heart like nothing before. All the secrets, lies, deceptions; they’re inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. I’m not a dumbass who’s about to run away at the first sign of trouble or from misunderstandings, I get his reasoning for keeping things from me.

I don’t like the reasons, but I understand them.

Knowing that he fell in love at first sight all those years ago sends a thrill through me every time I think about it, causing my grin to grow wider as I stare out of the window of the car, watching the beautiful Italian scenery as it flies by.

We were destined from the start, and while that is something I would have refused at the time, I guess the universe and the fates had their own ideas.

“I hope that smile has something to do with me, Tesoro.” Marco’s fingers affectionately squeeze my thigh, dangerously close to my pussy, and I roll my eyes as I look at him.

His facial scruff is longer than he usually keeps it, and his dark floppy hair could do with a trim at the sides, but I won’t complain at having more to hold on to. Right now, it falls into his steel-gray eyes as they hold my gaze, and I can’t help raising a hand to gently brush it back with my fingers.

“It might be.” I lift a brow at him and he grips my hand at his head before I can let it drop, holding me in place.

“It can only be me. I’ve only seen you smile like that when my cock is buried deep inside you.”

Cocky bastard.

“Marco, baby, I think about a lot of things to do when your cock is buried deep inside me. Like my taxes… how I can improve the clu—” I squeal as I’m cut off by his lips on mine in a bruising kiss, and I give just as good as I’m getting. My tongue battles Marco’s for dominance, tasting every inch of his mouth, and this, combined with his grip on my face, makes me want to fuck this meeting with the capos off and take my man to bed. Or be taken by him to bed. Either way, I’m not fussy.

We nip and suck at each other’s tongues until finally I bite at his lower lip and pull away.

I know he’s trying to help distract me from what’s about to go down, and really, I still have no clue what’s going to happen. I’m pretty much winging it, which is a first for me. I’m all about the research research research, give me all the information so I can make proper informed decisions. But not this time, it’s all a little rushed and now my head’s out of the clouds with daydreams, I really should think about what’s going to happen when we arrive.

My emotions are all over the place; I’m up, I’m down, I’m in love, I’m scared shitless… even my thoughts are a jumbled mess of everything.

Marco must notice the sudden change in my mood and wraps an arm around me, bringing my head to rest against his chest. I lift my feet up onto the seat and lie all the way down, resting my head in his lap instead.

“If you were hungry, you just had to say, Tesoro.” Marco winks at me as I stare up into his face and I grin back at him.

“You’re a horn dog, Mr. Mancini.”

“And you wouldn’t have me any other way, Mrs. Fox-Mancini. Or is it Volpe-Mancini?” He’s genuinely curious as he asks this and, truth be told, so am I.

But no, am I? No.

“Actually, I’d like to remain Fox-Mancini. It feels disrespectful to my parents to take away everything they tried to give me.” Yeah, that feels right.

Volpe may be what I have always been, who I was always meant to be, but the universe had other ideas and I’m sticking to what feels good. Volpe is long dead. And with it, any claim the mafia thinks I have on Naples.

Marco continues to softly stroke my hair back from my face, massaging his fingers over my head with each movement, nodding in understanding.

“I want to give it all up.”

Marco stills for a moment, processing what I just said before continuing with his movements and asking, “Give what up?”

“Whatever claim on Naples I have as a Volpe. So I think I need to know more about these capos and who would be the best person to take over. I can do that, right?”