The Return Mafia Bride

ng it, he whi

the voice answere

obvious. Her movement is unique. She touches her

sight n

acked it personally. Resor

once

can. Handcrafted. emoti

the steady, unhurr

not sure ye

lay on the seat, stem cut precisely. He stared at it for a

lem. It was a lesson fo

what she's done," then rep

atched Cathy vanish around the bend

, raising the lid just enough to expose a hidden came

han we could

ank to a lo

lready been poured for

a picture of the rose, and forwarded th

he had a neat suit, a straight

him with boots thudding against the

y surface, something felt strange. Not incorrect; simply suspended.

One envelope, tucked under a stack of unopened letters, rested on the foyer t

annot tell the

oze t

nd it; his eyes narrowe

a return

omewhat harder towards the conclusion of every word. He had commi

cut the

nce

aga

anot

by line, word by word, like

lose to his temple by the time he finished.

n front of me.

said no

the words: I am pre

arted to w

t him in one,

ined, he muttered,

slanted head. But right

ent quietly in. "Do you w

away. His eye stayed on the l

pectations. Right the truth. Just the intol

he said,

l agr

turn trip from Ne

" Rafael said.

Maximo tighte

it away

hated

to have le

ing more than sh

is face was invisible, his voice

ps my bloo

ndow, eyes darting the ocean as though he were trying to figu

Rafael remarked ge

er. "then I'll offer her a cause to

s jacket, and folded the let

e continued, voice n

"What are you going to

ed once to

er it

with a clear click. As always, Rafae

, Don

et and structure served as a reminder of the power he possessed as he felt the weight of the city

ons," Maximo stated, his voice low as if th

t at all. "Understandi

New York fastened to the wall, her last known place, the threads he had already pull

now. "She walks with every stride. She eats somewhere. She spe

ll edge of apprehension. And assuming she is hiding

a storm building. Not just outward but inside him. Indeed, he answered, his voice icy

were meticulously evaluating every syllable. "Maximo," he started, wary not

he phone. Not expected was what he had found. He wanted not to consider it. But he unde

ty in his words like a vow: "I want everything." "I am

while. Maximo slowed his

el responded his voice tigh

ing would change to reveal something he had missed the first time. But they had

that as well. It

s thumb slid over her picture, following the contour of her face as if it ma

he floor, and his heart accelerated. The intensity of the instant shot through him. Right now she was in New York. On your alone. Fragile. H

d her last known place. With his finger tracin

im once more. She was

had spent his whole life establishing an empire. Now, this woman who had been a brief moment

nice's darkening skyline, he watched the city reflected in the wa

hone, and without thinking started dialling.

teely and frigid: "I nee

erged as a firm a

r, seeing her anywhere, in a wor