Page 234 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

“Miss Torres?” A pretty brunette rushes over, a smile on her freckled face. “Your brother is awake and asking for you.”

I gasp, flashing a smile at the guys. “I’ll be back!”

I follow her into the recovery area for the emergency surgery wing and run right up to my brother’s bed. “Nate! Oh thank God, you’re awake!” I grip his hands, pressing them to my lips.

“Your head…you’re hurt?” He makes a funny noise as he shifts slightly on the bed. “What the fuck happened?” he mutters. “I heard the nurses and doctors talking about some attack?”

“Oh, wow, that’s a loaded question.” I let out a sigh before giving him the rundown of what happened while he was under anesthesia.

“Fuuuuck,” he breathes once I get to the end. “Jae, you could have been killed.”

“You, too,” I say, a gaggle of tears clogging my throat. “But thank God, we’re both okay. The doctors were able to finish your surgery and Bruno saved my life. They were looking down on us, Nate. Mom and Dad. I am a thousand percent sure of it. They protected us, just like they always tried to do when they were alive.” One tear slips down the side of my cheek. “They made sure we would still have each other. I love you so much, Nate. I don’t know what I’d ever do without you.” My head falls onto his arm and his fingers ruffle the top of my hair.

“Stop crying,” he croaks. “I’m never leaving you, Jae. I will always be here to watch over you and keep you safe.” He clears his throat. “But I won’t be the only one with that job, will I?”

I raise my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Well, first of all, I am very capable of taking care of myself.”

“As evidenced by the grapefruit-sized lump on your head,” he grumbles.

I roll my eyes. “Okay, that aside, I’m pretty damn tough in case you haven’t noticed.”

“So tough that you got yourself kidnapped by a fucking mafia goon who probably can’t even add two plus two.”

“He’s a little jagged around the edges,” I muse. “But I like it rough.”

Nate groans, holding his side. “Don’t ever say that again.”

I giggle. “Oops, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, it’s true, but?—”

“No more!” Nate growls.

I smooth back his hair. “He’s an acquired taste for sure.”

“Great, that’s what people say about sushi. Why the fuck would I keep trying something I hate?”

“Because I…” I pause. I what? Lust him? Like him? More than like him?

All of the above?

There is one thing I know for sure. Sergio Villani came into my life for a reason. And whatever the reason may be, I’m not letting him go.

EPILOGUE

PART 1: SERGIO, FOUR MONTHS LATER

Istretch my arms overhead as the late-afternoon California sunshine beats down on my flushed skin. Damn, it feels good to be mobile again. It also helps in the bedroom. Hands-free sex is all fine and good, but I need full use of all limbs to perform at my best, especially when taming a vixen by the name of Jaelyn Torres.

I close my eyes, listening to the crashing waves as they break at the shoreline. The salty scent of the Pacific consumes me, and for this tiny sliver of time that we’re here in Palm Springs on a much-needed vacation, I actually feel somewhat relaxed.

It’s been a long four months since the fallout with Becerra and his crew. I finally got my seat at the table, my efforts earning the respect I’d been after. But it turns out, I didn’t need their approval after all. That wasn’t gonna fix my splintered relationship with Matteo. But saving his life definitely helped it.

And that’s a good thing since he and Heaven decided to stay out here in Vegas for a while longer. Turns out, my sister-in-law prefers the dry desert weather than the four seasons in Manhattan, and since she’s about five months pregnant, she’s the one calling the shots right now.

We closed down our nightclub Verve. It wasn’t worth the cash injection to keep it operational. Instead, I turned all of my attention to my new nightlife venture. Even with two bum arms, I jumped right into my new role as co-owner of the Sapphire Lounge and all of its sister clubs. And while Nate took a few weeks to recover, I had Jaelyn by my side, running her show, her way.

As always.

Even now, I can hear her grousing a few feet away, barking orders to her assistant Ashleigh into her phone.

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