"Hm. Is he a friend of yours?"
"Yes."
Costa nodded, reaching his hand up to move a stray piece of hair from my face. "If you ever let another man touch you again, there will be consequences. Do you understand?"
He spoke so softly yet so ominously...
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I held Millie tightly in my arms as we made our way back to the penthouse, my heart pounding with a mix of relief and rage.
I never expected Kozlov to make such a rash decision like storming into Millie's office. I mean, I knew he was getting desperate and paranoid - it was all part of my plan. But to go straight into the most protected building in New York was a fatal error.
He killed most of her security team since he brought more men than I had guarding her. But I always had three teams. Team C watches B. Team B watches Team A. Team A watches Millie.
He only killed Team A in a sneak attack when Ryder went into her office. Which meant I had two security teams scrambling into formation.
Her panic button alerted every relevant person in La Famiglia that there was a threat to her life.
Rocco and I made our way there with my brother arriving a couple of minutes before I did since he came from the penthouse. I knew Tristano was handling matters from Sicily and my father would have been on the phone to our allies to make sure we had their support should this turn into something bigger.
There was a protocol that was followed whenever something like this happened.
And thanks to Millie's carelessness, we all got a practice run when she accidentally pressed the button that one time.
This long standing war with the Bratva had finally reached a tipping point, and today we won. Yet, the sight of Millie covered in blood, her face pale from the shock, reminded me just how close I had come to losing her. That was a price I would never be willing to pay.
But I had to act. I had to do something while I still had the element of surprise. The longer that conversation went on, the longer Kozlov was able to form a survival plan in his head.
After all, that's what I was doing the moment I saw Millie at knife point.
The doctor was already there when we entered the penthouse. His expression remained professional yet concerned when he saw the state of my wife.
"Let's get you checked out." The older man spoke softly, guiding me to the couch since she was still in my arms.
"No." She suddenly grabbed my arm causing the doctor to frown. "My couch is white. I'm bleeding."
"Millie-" I tried to interject but she flashed me a scolding glare.
"I won't get blood on my white couch, Costa." She snapped, that same annoying protectiveness coming out. She was obsessed with keeping that couch clean. And on any other day I would have argued about it with her. But not today.
"Fine. We'll go to the fucking cinema room." I muttered, having very little patience for her irritating quirks.
