***ZANE’S POV***
“Thirty-four million dollars worth of drug to be shipped in from Dallas on Sunday. We have approximately two days to prepare for it,” Don Rio says, checking on the board meeting.
It has been six hours and we have been stuck in this board meeting. The mighty Vincenzo men all looking at their spreadsheets, and then, back at me.
“That is a shitload that has to be controlled, but what I want to know is who is controlling the arrivals?” Don Alex asks.
He is the one with dark short curls, the literal baby of the Vincenzo family.
They are all my cousins, but we are more blood brothers and close. We are business associates as well.
“Russell. He says four of his men are working on it.
I know it is about time I asked Reaper and Caleb to join me here. Considering Caleb has a family and wouldn’t be a good bait, I send a message to bring Sinner along with him.
The rest of my men will control the club while they are here with me.
“By tomorrow morning, my men from Lake Side City will be here,” I explain.
They nod their heads in acceptance.
“I need to get to my wife,” I tell them closing the meeting.
They all accept as they lift.
I walk to my room where I had set London in. I feel exhausted and I need to take a shower and then, rest for a while.
When I entered the bedroom, I still first, not finding London in the bed.
“What the fuck?” I blurt out as I walk into the room.
No traces of London, the bed wasn’t made, so, she must have gone downstairs. I took a shower and changed into a simple shirt, denim jeans, and men’s slippers.
I relaxed as much as I could as I walked down the stairs and was surprised to find three men staring at me. I feel goosebumps running down my spine.
“What is the matter? Where are the wives?” I question my voice growing thick.
“Was about asking the same question, I have called Mia but she doesn’t answer my call,” Alex blurts out.
I roll my eyes at that as we walk out of the house. My mind rushed at once to London, I don’t think she has a phone on her, which is something we have established. Whenever she is outside, she is supposed to be with her phone on her, in case I want to reach out to her.
“Their cars aren’t parked,” Don Russell says, and I could see the anger blaring through his features.
Rio’s phone starts ringing and as he picks it up, he puts it on speaker, the volume of music blaring through the speaker.
“Where are you, Casey Bunny?” Russell asks his anger rooting beneath his voice.
“Where do you think I am, Husband? Having fun with the girls of course,” a drunk Casey replies.
“Where… Are… You…?” Russell asks his voice breaking now.
“Club Trella,” she says.
“Stay right there, we will be there in a moment,” he says cutting the call.
At the end of the call, the rest of the men were rushing to their cars. I took the truck I had there and followed the rest of the guys behind.
I knew where we were going, I just wanted my blood to calm down before I set eyes on London. She needs to know that if I have to keep her safe, she needs to stay close to me.
**
We entered the club and saw four men on our ladies’ side as they rocked their bodies. When I spotted my little fierce bride, she had her eyes closed as the man behind her groped her breast.
I saw red.
“Fuck it guys, let’s get our women safe before dealing with these bastards,” I ordered as I walked toward London.
Screams. The entire club was filled with women screaming and men grunting in pain. I broke a Johnny Walker on the guy’s head and he screamed as he looked at the blood coming out of his head.
“You son of a bitch, who are you?” the bastard growled.
London opens her eyes and the moment our eyes lock together, she shivers visibly.
“Daddy!” she goes straight to little girl mode.
Her eyes slightly bulge and as she takes a step back, I grab her by the arm.
“Let her go,” the man barks out and I feel something hard hit the side of my head.
Pain explodes in my head and my vision darkened as I started falling to the ground.
“Daddy? Oh, Jesus! Zane, please… Please, stay with me,” I hear London cries out as soft liquid touches my skin.
As she shivers, I close my eyes, letting unconsciousness invade my mind.
***
LONDON’S POV
“Zane! Come on, please open your eyes, ppp… Pleaaasssee!” I stuttered out as tears rolled down my cheeks.
I had just wanted some fun with the new friends I have, not to get my husband killed. An ambulance had arrived and I was held by a strong pair of arms.
“London, you have to step aside so that the nurse can access him,” a man says.
The girls were as terrified as me, the girls were looking at me, their sorrow-filled eyes evident.
“Will he… Will he be alright?” I asked the EMT doctor.
He shrugs. “We need to take him to the Emergency room so that he can have his stitches sewn. Nothing can be said now,” he mutters as Zane’s unconscious body is been lifted up and taken into the ambulance.
“Ladies, I bet you all are in trouble,” a man I heard the others call him Rio says and a shiver runs down my spine.
“I am sorry, Rio, please, do not punish them, we just wanted to relax our minds,” I explain.
“Well, letting men touch your body and also wound Zane isn’t a good way of having fun. We shall continue this conversation later,” he lets out.
The ladies were riding in their husbands’ cars, so, I didn’t have a ride. When Casey approached me, she had tears in her hands.
“You can ride with us to the hospital, London. If you do not want to, that is alright, here are the keys to the car Zane drove here,” she explains handing it to me.
I take it and thank her.
*
Four hours. That was how long it took for us to hear anything from the doctor who had taken Zane in. If I had never been so terrified in my life, now was when I was. I prayed to a god I didn’t know believed in to keep my husband safe.
I cried as well. The mafia Lords barely said anything through the past hours, their wives were curled up in a ball beside them and they held them close enough.
“London Vincenzo,” a voice calls out to me.
I snap my head upwards with a speed that could break it.
“Me?” it was more of a question than a response.
“Your husband would like to see you… Alone,” he premises when the other Mafia Lords started getting on their feet.
“Sure,” I reply.
I was still in my skimpy shorts, I felt my cheeks grow hot and embarrassment hit my cheeks, causing them crimson.
Zane had been moved to a room and when I walked in, his face beamed as he stared at me. There was a large white bandage on Zane’s head, it made me feel bad.
My man was in pain, and as much as he hit it well, the pain was behind those glassy brown eyes of his.
“Daddy,” I burst out crying as I walked slowly to the bed.
I didn’t know how Zane would react to me being this close but as much as he wants me, I am ready to be there for him.
Pushing forth his hand for me to hold it, I don’t hesitate to slide my hand in it, Zane tugs it lightly and I fall over his chest. I start sobbing into his soft shirt.
“Forgive me. Daddy, I am sorry. Please, don’t leave me. Get well soon so that you can punish me, and also hurt my bum bum for being a bad girl,” I cry against Zane’s neck.
He smelled good, so manly.
When Zane groans, I pull back, my eyes searching his face.
“Should I call the doctor?” I inquire my voice breaking once more.
Zane hadn’t uttered a word to me, I feel weak just by knowing that. When he shakes his head, he grunts, pain coursing through him.
“I am fine. I just need to get out of this fucking hospital,” a very moody reply left Zane’s mouth.
“No, you wouldn’t. You were unconscious, Zane, do you understand the gravity of that? You could have internal bleeding or must have suffered a concussion. No. You aren’t going home,” I lecture him.
“To hell with that fucking lecture, London. And whose fault is it that I am bound to these bloody machines?” he shoots out, his eyes digging daggers at me.
“Mine. Fine, I accept it, the fault was mine, but if you wouldn’t have attacked a man for having a dance with me…” I trail when Zane’s fingernails dig into my hands.
“Shut up!” he barks out.
“No, don’t tell me to shut up, Zane. You think you are a barbarian and anyone can bend to you because you are some alpha male of some mafia pack. No, you aren’t that invisible, now, get that into your head,” the words come out in a rush.
I wiped my tears as more tears threatened to pool out. Zane was looking at me keenly, I bet he didn’t know that I was going to give him a piece of my brain.
If he thought otherwise, then he was playing with me.
“London, you are a married woman and you had a man groping your ass in a club,” he grunts.
I slip out of the bed pacing the floor before me.
“Like I said, I am sorry, Zane. You should rest, I need to go on a ride,” I mutter.
“Get back here woman, you stress me a lot,” Zane growls out the words but I ignore him.
“I am going to go get a coffee, and…” Zane jerked out of the bed.
“For fuck’s sake, London, don’t the hard on me. You are a pregnant woman. I bet you first had alcohol at the club, and now, you want coffee?” he barks out.
“For your information, I wasn’t taking alcohol. Also, I would be having a decaffeinated drink. If you will excuse me,” I bite out.
“I got hurt, London. You could treat me with a little bit of remorse,” he says.
I needed to be strong. The wall I was building around myself was crumbling with Zane coming into the picture. I don’t know why, but he does something to me. He makes me want everything, and then, more.
“We need space,” I say, walking back to him and placing a small kiss on his head.
“You should sleep, Zane, I will be waiting for you when you open your eyes next,” I say.
Zane’s large arm snakes around my waist, refusing to let me go. He even presses his lips on my neck.
“Snuggle with me until I sleep, please,” he begs.
Zane doesn’t ask for much, so, I can’t say no to him.
“I am sorry, Zane. Also, I don’t want to be more trouble than I am worth it,” the words slip past my lips before I can stop it.
“You are just enough trouble for me to handle,” he chuckles at that, I do believe him though.
My husband knows how to control me, and he puts me in line too.
Lifting myself to look at his face, I ask,
“Am I in trouble, Daddy?”
Holding my breath, I wait for his reply.
“No, you aren’t. But we will have a small discussion while we are here in Italy. I need my body to protect you, Little girl,” he says.
“Yes, Daddy,” I reply, allowing our body warm to comfort one another.