"We'd be tearing up all the floors and walls, anyway." He waved me off. "Besides, I think Rafe would say that building a business on top of the blood of your enemies is always a wise business decision."
"Should I be concerned that you are now taking advice from a man who Ryker says is psychotic?" I asked, quirking a brow at him. He chuckled, lifting Rebel's head off my lap to shift her over to the side. She growled in her sleep, such a ferocious little monster, as she resettled on the other side.
"I don't feel the need to suddenly burn my enemies alive, don't you worry," he said in what seemed to be his attempt at reassurance. "Except maybe Tiernan."
"No sign of him?" I asked. He shook his head.
"The warehouse may be where you nearly died, but it's also where you survived and where you first told me you loved me. It may not be pretty or perfect, but it's us. Gritty. Real. Ride or die," he murmured, reaching into the back of his pants.
Enzo took my left hand in his, raising it slightly so he didn't hurt my shoulder too much. The ring he slid onto my finger gleamed in stunning platinum. The teardrop shaped onyx stone sat nestled in a thin band of diamonds as he moved it past my knuckles. "I know you won't be able to wear it sometimes with fighting, but we'll get tattoos to go underneath it."
"Oh, we will?" I asked, turning a dry look his way as he left the ring there. My eyes immediately went back to the very simple and beautiful ring. I'd never thought I wanted an engagement ring, finding the shining gleam of diamonds so impersonal and predictable, but the stunning onyx gem might have converted me instantly.
"Yes," he said, touching his lips to the corner of my mouth. "You can pick the design. We'll get them the day we're married."
"Seems like you have it all figured out," I grumbled, glaring at him.
He grinned in the face of it. "All you have to do is say yes."
"Did you ask me a question?" I returned, shifting my body to face him.
"Nope. Still," he murmured, teasing my lips with his as he taunted me into giving the response he wanted. "Say yes."
I giggled, desire pooling in my stomach. With the kid gloves he'd treated me with since the injury, neither of us had the sexual outlet we’d wanted after all the adrenaline. "Yes," I whispered, grinning against his mouth when he lifted me off the couch and made for his bedroom at the back of the house.
That alone would have been worth the concession of marriage.
Let alone the reward of the rest of our lives.
My shoulder hurt. As much as I appreciated Ivory and her love, the tight grip she had on me was less lovable.
"Ow," I said. She pulled back with a grimace, staring at the sling on my arm as tears filled her eyes.
"I'm sorry. Fuck, I'm sorry," she cursed, dropping her head to lean on top of mine as she pulled me back into her arms with less force. Luna tottered along at her feet, racing around the room while Matteo fretted that she'd fall and hurt herself. Never mind that the kid had been walking since before her first birthday.
Enzo and Scar watched in amusement, but Enzo's eyes filled with something I'd never seen before. We hadn't talked much about kids beyond the desire to wait a bit. But when the day came, I knew he'd be an amazing father. It seemed almost strange, all of us being together while some of us were missing. We tended to all get together in huge groups, but the visit hadn't exactly been planned.
Ryker was busy hunting Murphy. Lino was busy trying to coordinate the initial repairs on both of my warehouse gyms. The poor sap.
"Where's my paperwork? I want to own a damn gym." I laughed, but the truth was my father had already said he'd be signing over the original Fists of Fury. He'd held onto the reins for too long so I'd always know there was help if I needed it, not because he didn't think I was capable. That conversation had been a long time coming for both of us; as it turned out, neither of us knowing how to start it. From zero to two—I'd own a gym with multiple branches damn near overnight. Wasn't it funny how quickly life changed?
Enzo laughed, grabbing the stack of papers off the counter that we'd both sign at my suggestion. Being only mine offered less protection than having Enzo's name and the Bellandi backing on it. While I was excited to rebuild the gyms to my exact desires, I only wanted to do it once.
No more burning buildings for me.
Enzo pointed out all the places we needed to sign, grinning at me as we took turns with an audience. The intercom buzzed from the front gate, and Matteo went to it and pressed the button. "Yeah?" he asked.
"Judge Ryan is here," the front gate guard said.
"Let him in," Matteo responded, though his brow furrowed. I had no clue who Judge Ryan was, but I suspected Matteo didn't often have house calls from judges. Still, Enzo and I kept signing and initialing, making our way through the stack of papers until we'd signed the last dotted line.
"We own a gym," I whispered, watching as Don emerged from the other room to answer the front door when Judge Ryan knocked.
Scar stilled as Judge Ryan stumbled in through the front door. Blood soaked the front of his dress shirt, his salt and pepper hair disheveled as he blinked rapidly and his lips moved slightly like he was mumbling to himself.
"Where's Irina?" Scar asked, his voice deathly quiet. When Judge Ryan didn't answer, he repeated it on a roar. "WHERE'S IRINA?!" The windows shook with the force, and I
