Page 14 of The Mafia Bloodline
When he finally lifted his head, to lean his forehead to mine, both of us trembling, he murmured, “You make me forget everything I thought I knew about control.”
And then he kissed me again, so deep, so sure, that the rest of the world dissolved.
The night folded around us, the air thick with heat and heartbeats, the room filling with the sound of our joined breaths. The bond surged, sealing, binding, until the only truth left between us was that there would be no undoing this.
When the frenzy burned into quiet, when the world finally stilled, his arms tightened around me. I could feel his heart thundering beneath my palm, wild and uneven, and mine matched it beat for beat.
“Mine,” he whispered against my temple.
I didn’t argue. Because I understood that it wasn’t possession, It was recognition.
And when sleep finally claimed me, it wasn’t silence that followed, it was peace.
Chapter 6
Runa was still asleep when I slid out of bed.
Her hair, gold and wild against the pillow, spilled across the sheets like sunlight trying to fight its way into the dark. My fingers itched to touch her again, to trace that curve of her neck where my mark burned faintly against her skin.
I forced myself to look away. If I didn’t, I’d never leave the room.
Pulling on my black jeans and boots, I moved quietly, my body still humming from the bond that pulsed between us. Every step away from her felt wrong, unnatural, but there was work to be done.
By the time I made it downstairs, the mansion was alive with the sound of men. The scent of coffee and gun oil lingered in the air, and my brothers were already gathered in the war room, an old oak table buried under maps, files, and weapons.
Roman was at the head, his dark eyes focused on a spread of photos. Draugr leaned against the wall, rolling a knife between his fingers. Lucien was pacing, as usual, his restlessness filling the room. Viking sat half-sideways in a chair, his grin sharp enough to cut steel.
The women were upstairs with the children. The house felt different without them, quieter, but not calmer as quite a few of our men were here getting ready.
Roman looked up first. “Volken, you finally decided to join us?”
Lucien smirked. “Or maybe he’s recovering. You look like a man who’s been through a war, brother.”
Viking let out a low laugh. “War? More like a surrender. That’s the face of a man who’s been claimed.”
“Careful,” I said flatly, pouring myself a coffee. “You might live forever, but I can still make you bleed.” That only made them laugh harder.
Draugr clapped me on the back hard enough to rattle my bones. “Relax, brother. We’re happy for you. Didn’t think you’d ever let someone close enough to bite back.”
“What happened to your five steps ahead all the time brother? didn’t see this happening when you met your woman, did you?” Viking asked with a grin.
I grunted but couldn’t quite hide the corner of my mouth twitching as I lifted my hand showing him my middle finger. They were insufferable bastards, but they were my family.
“I have a whip I can give your mate,” Viking quips with a straight face, “just so she can keep you in the straight and narrow.”
“I don’t think Runa needs a whip, from what I saw she can slash him with her words alone.” Draugr stated as he inclined his head towards Volken.
Roman cleared his throat, bringing the mood down a notch. “All right, give him a break enough teasing. We have a bigger issue.”
He pointed to the photos on the table, grainy stills of Malakai’s known haunts, warehouses, and back channels.
“These are from our scouts. Malakai’s people are moving shipments through the docks again. But the problem isn’t just him.” He tapped another photo, a man in a tailored suit, caughtleaving a meeting with one of the Irish contacts. “The demons aren’t acting alone. They’re being funded.”
Lucien leaned forward, his voice sharp. “And that means someone human is supplying them. We have to cut that supply, and we choke their reach.”
Roman nodded. “We’ve been tracking where the weapons are coming from. There’s a trail through Eastern Europe. We need to intercept the next shipment before it gets here.”
Viking arched a brow. “So, we’re back to storming docks and burning warehouses? Just like old times.”
