Chapter 5 - The Shadows GatherMorning broke over Positano in brilliant shades of gold, rose, and sapphire, washing away the rain and lighting up the Mediterranean Sea below.
I woke up wrapped in soft silk sheets, the heavy, warm weight of Marius’s arm draped possessively over my waist, pulling my back flush against his chest. His rhythmic, deep breathing vibrated against my shoulder, a comforting, unshakeable rhythm that filled my entire soul with peace.
For three years, I had dreamed of this moment. But now, lying in his bed, the cold reality of his world began to settle back over my thoughts.
Marius was the head of the Orlov syndicate—a man with a hundred enemies across Europe. By stepping out of the shadows as his woman, I had painted a massive target on my own back.
As if sensing my thoughts, Marius shifted behind me, his lips pressing a soft, warm kiss against the nape of my neck before his hand tightened gently over my hip.
"You're thinking too much, moya dusha," Marius rumbled softly in his morning voice, his Russian term of endearment making my heart swell with affection.
I turned in his arms, resting my hand against his warm, scarred chest, looking up into his clear gray eyes.
"I'm thinking about Calabria, Marius," I whispered softly. "The meeting with Romano is tomorrow at eleven. He isn't going to like the fact that you drove Marco Santini out of Naples."
Marius's expression hardened into razor-sharp focus, his eyes narrowing slightly as his thumb stroked my jawline.
"Romano is an old dog who barks louder than he bites," Marius said smoothly. "He relied on Marco to bridge his network with the northern families. Without Marco, Romano has no leverage."
"And if he decides to ambush the meeting?" I asked, my voice laced with genuine concern.
Marius sat up, pulling me with him, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, pressing a sweet, lingering kiss into my hair.
"Then Dimitri and fifty of my best operators will remind Romano why the Orlov family has controlled these ports for thirty years," Marius swore softly. "You stay at the villa tomorrow, Elena. Under heavy guard."
I looked into his eyes, holding his jaw with my hand. "No, Marius. I am your chief advisor. I organized those contracts. I go with you."
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Marius stared at me for a long, quiet moment, taking in my fierce, unyielding courage, before a proud, breathtaking smile illuminated his features.
"As you wish, my queen," he whispered.
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