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I had gotten a little rough there toward the end.
"No, you didn't hurt me."
I got up and got a rag from the bathroom. I walked back into the bedroom and wiped Nico down despite his protests.
"It's my duty and my right as your husband to take care of you, whether it's this, providing a roof over your head, or keeping you safe."
It was a sacred oath that I intended to keep until the day I died.
Chapter Twelve
~ Luca ~
I hated leaving Nico before he opened his eyes, but he needed his sleep. It had been a rough night for him. I knew I should have let him rest, but I hadn't been able to stop myself from reaching for him two more times in the night.
Still, morning was here and I needed to speak with my grandfather, call Vinnie, and then decide if I was going to call Vittorio Antonelli to offer my services. He was the acting head of the D'Angelo family.
I tucked the blankets under Nico's chin and then leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead before heading for my dressing room. I dressed in one of my usual dark suits, complete with gun and holster.
Before leaving the dressing room, I grabbed the box I'd had sitting on my dresser for the longest time and carried it back into the bedroom. I set it on the nightstand.
Luckily, it had Nico's name on it so he'd know it was his when he saw it. As a last gesture, I grabbed a red rose out of one of the vases in the living room and set it across the box.
I stared down at him for a moment, soaking up his warmth. I knew the moment I stepped outside of our suite, I'd have to be the hard man that I had been all these years.
Knowing I couldn't put it off any longer, I turned and walked out of our suite. Stefano was standing right outside the door. "Keep him safe."
Stefano nodded. "Yes, sir."
"He's sleeping right now," I told him "Let me know when he wakes up."
"I will, sir."
I walked away, my face turning into a stone mask I showed to everyone in the world except for one man. My strides were purposeful. I wanted to get business done and out of the way so I could get back to Nico. If I timed it just right, I might even be able to have breakfast with him. Kind of depended on when he woke up.
Franco was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.
"Report."
"The night shift said everything was calm last night. I've touched base with a few of our businesses just to be sure and they all report the same, although Dura did say that he's having a bit of trouble. Seems someone in his neighborhood is trying to run an underground gambling house without permission. I sent a couple guys down to deal with it."
"Find out who is doing it and get back to me."
"Yes, sir."
I didn't have a real problem if people wanted to gamble. It was a great way to make money. What I had a problem I had was when someone was doing it in my territory without getting my permission or giving me a share of the action.
"A report of all activities plus a breakdown of current accounts is on your desk," Franco continued. "The numbers are a little low at the marina, but two of the fishing boats are down for repairs. Once they are fixed, I expect the numbers to go back up."
"Keep an eye on it." I squinted as our conversation turned into a thought. "Have our boat mechanic go and check all the boats and make sure they are in good repair. If not, tell him to fix them."
I owned a fleet of fishing boats. The men that worked on them technically worked for me even if that ownership was buried deep in shell corporations. If those boats weren't working, I wasn't making any money.
"Where is my grandfather?" I asked.
"He's waiting for you in your study."
I continued my walk in that direction. The man might have stepped down, but I was glad that he hadn't taken off to tour the world or something like that. He and my grandmother might travel a bit here and there, but he was always just a phone call away.
