Page 129 of Onyx Realm

The room the ladies led me to was huge. The ceilings were tall, the centers indented a foot higher to give the illusion of grandeur. Everything, from the four-poster bed to the sumptuous vanity, screamed luxury. One thing was quite clear, we would need a bigger house for my princess...and our little heir or heiress.

Only once we were safely inside did I let Serena go. She hurried around, pulling a matching set of lounge clothes, a soft dress, and toiletries onto the bed.

I leaned against the wall, feeling like a stray. Why she chose me, I couldn’t say. But I would happily spend my millions to make sure she never felt like it was a downgrade to be mine.

A creak in the hall had me pricking my ears.

The brother stopped in the doorway. It was as if he didn’t trust his own wife around me.

“Do you need security for the night?” he asked roughly.

I flicked him a glance. “It will be a cold day in hell that I can’t protect what’s mine.”

The don snorted.

The sound sent the hair on the back of my neck prickling. I’d disarmed myself the moment the threat was neutralized, knowing that if I kept my weapons out, that soldier wouldn’t have hesitated to shoot.

But in a flash, I took the long knife strapped at my thigh out and lunged.

To his credit, the don anticipated the attack. He moved into a defensive posture, but it was too slow. My blade brushed against his throat as I shoved him into the doorframe.

“Shoot near my wife again, and I’ll cut you open,” I growled.

Mancini glared at me. “I wasn’t anywhere close to hurting her.”

“Down range from your gun is too close.”

We stared hard, waiting for the other to make the next move.

“Oh, for the love of heaven!” Penelope snapped, coming out of the walk-in closet. “Will you two quit pissing on one another?”

“Please, stop it,” Serena added, wrapping her arms over her chest.

I disengaged and stepped back, both hands raised in acknowledgment. “Not again, don.”

“But I will have my vengeance,” Mancini promised.

“I look forward to mopping the floor with you,” I responded with a grin.

It took another ten minutes, but we managed to leave with both the don and I breathing.

The drive to the hotel was quiet. I let Serena have time to decompress. There were a thousand things I wanted to ask her, but it wasn’t until we pulled into the valet lane and I stopped the vehicle that I asked the most important of them.

“How are you feeling? Physically?” I leaned over and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, holding her behind the head.

Serena leaned into my touch. “Exhausted.”

I nodded. “Just that?”

“Hungry, but food sounds gross,” she admitted.

“Well, if there’s something that sounds good, we can order it to the room.” I massaged the skin on her neck. “We can...how do you say? Veg and chill?”

My words had the desired effect. Serena chuckled. Tension eased from her body.

“That sounds perfect,” she sighed.

My hand traveled to her cheek, thumb stroking the soft skin there. “Something’s still bothering you.”

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