Page 63 of Mafia Kingdom

I find him in his office, bent over paperwork, phone pressed to his ear. He looks up when I enter, expression shifting from irritation at the interruption to concern when he sees my face.

"I'll call you back," he says into the phone, ending the call without waiting for a response. "What's happened?"

"Men watching my aunt's house," I say without preamble. "Following her and Lily. For days, apparently."

Marco is on his feet instantly, reaching for his jacket. "You spoke to her just now?"

I nod, relief flooding through me at his immediate response. "She's terrified. I told her we'd send someone to bring them here."

"Tony," Marco barks, pressing a button on his desk that summons his right-hand man within seconds. "Take Mike and four others. Karen Gillespie's house, now. Bring her and the girl back here. Full protection detail."

Tony nods, already reaching for his phone to coordinate. "ETA twenty minutes."

"Make it fifteen," Marco orders. "And Tony? If anyone tries to interfere, show no mercy."

The cold precision in his voice sends a shiver down my spine, a stark reminder of who he really is beneath the moments of tenderness I've glimpsed. This is the Marco Walsh the criminal underworld fears—efficient, ruthless, deadly.

Tony leaves to carry out his orders, and Marco turns back to me, his expression softening slightly. "They'll be safe here," he assures me. "I promise."

"This is my fault," I say, the realization hitting me with crushing force. "I've been so caught up in…everything here, I didn't think about the danger to them. I should have brought Lily here days ago."

Marco takes my hands, steadying me. "This isn't your fault, Sasha. It's mine. I should have anticipated this move." His jaw tightens. "Lucas's allies, trying to find leverage now that he's gone."

"What do they want? Why target a nine-year-old girl?"

"Control. Power. The same things men always want in our world." His grip on my hands tightens. "But they've miscalculated. Badly."

The cold fury in his voice should frighten me. Instead, I find it reassuring. Marco Walsh's enemies have threatened whathe considers his to protect. Whatever happens next, I almost pity them.

"Thank you," I say quietly. "For helping them."

He looks surprised. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

"No, I..." I hesitate, trying to articulate the shift that's happening inside me. "I'm starting to understand that there's more to you than I first thought. That maybe…maybe you're not the villain in this story."

A ghost of a smile touches his lips. "Don't mistake me for a hero, Sasha. I'm still the monster your father warned you about."

"Maybe," I concede. "But you're my monster now."

The words slip out before I can consider their implications, hanging in the air between us. Marco's expression changes, something fierce and possessive flaring in his eyes. He pulls me closer, one hand sliding into my hair as he tilts my face up to his.

"Say that again," he commands softly.

Heart racing, I meet his gaze unflinchingly. The words lodged in my throat, but he doesn’t wait for me to say it again. Instead, he kisses me, deep and claiming, his arms wrapping around me like he never intends to let go. I surrender to it completely, no longer fighting the inevitability of us.

When we finally part, both breathing hard, Marco rests his forehead against mine. "I'll burn this city to the ground before I let anyone hurt you or Lily," he promises, the words a solemn vow.

"I know," I whisper, and the strangest thing is that I do know. I believe him absolutely.

For all his darkness, all his capacity for violence, Marco Walsh would tear the world apart to protect what's his. And somehow, against all odds and better judgment, I've become exactly that.

His.

The realization should terrify me. Instead, as his arms tighten around me and I breathe in the scent that's uniquely him, I feel something I haven't felt since I first stepped off that bus into this nightmare.

Safe.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

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