Page 65 of Taking His Heart

“This cartel prince isn’t your only stalker, Dani. I’ve been keeping tabs on you for years.” He smirks.

“How?”

“I have my ways.” That’s the only answer I get out of him before he swings the door open and jogs around to my side.

“Hey, Zara, how are you?” I greet my cousin’s girlfriend before him because, well, she’s nicer.

“Good, how was your trip?” she asks.

“Eventful.” I smile wide and hold up my left hand, sporting the huge freaking rock CJ put there.

“I heard, congrats,” Zara says. “Damn, that’s gorgeous.” She grabs my hand and takes a closer look. “And real.”

“Why the fuck would it be fake?” CJ sounds almost offended.

“There’re a lot of fakes out there. Everyone wants a big ring these days,” Zara tells him. “Not everyone can afford one.”

“Okay, so who is this mystery guy who broke my sister’s heart?” I turn to Ares.

“We should go inside for this conversation.” Ares looks past me to the guards at the front. “Oh, and do me a favor? Tell that guy Kevin you need him to do something inside for you.” Ares turns and walks into the house with Zara.

“Hey, Kev, can you give me a hand with something inside?” I call out to one of my dad’s younger soldiers.

“Sure, Miss De Bellis,” he calls back, making his way towards me with a smile.

“It’s Mrs. Bianchi,” CJ grunts.

“Sorry, Mrs. Bianchi. No disrespect. I just… slip of the tongue,” Kevin replies.

“It’s fine. Come on. I’ll show you what I need.” When I walk into the house, a gun being pointed in our direction is the last thing I expected.

CJ immediately puts himself between me and my cousin.

I push at his back. “Idiot, he’s not aiming it at me.” Ares is, however, aiming a gun right at Kevin’s head. This should be interesting.

“What the hell? Ares, put that away.” Rosie comes running down the stairs and then it clicks. This is the guy she was seeing. This is the guy who made my sister cry. One of my father’s men. He’s either brave or stupid—my vote is for the latter.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Idon’t care who the fuck you are. If you’re pointing a gun anywhere in the vicinity of my wife, we’re going to have a problem.

“I agree with Rosie. You should put that down before I shove it up your fucking ass,” I tell Ares, holding Dani firmly behind me, no matter how much she’s pushing at my back to get past me.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Aurelio decides to join the party, and then Rosie steps in front of Ares. Without a care in the world that he’s holding a gun. “If you’re going to shoot him, you’re going to have to put that bullet through me first.”

“Again, what the fuck is going on here?” Aurelio picks Rosie up as if she weighs nothing and moves her aside.

Ares looks to his cousin. “Rosie, you want to break the news or should I?”

“This is none of your business, Ares,” she counters.

“Mmm, I think a soldier screwing around with royalty is very much family business,” Ares says before looking to the soldier, who is staring right back at him, fear written all over his face. “You touched something that was out of your league, mate.”

You can see the moment that it all clicks in Aurelio’s head. He spins around and faces Kevin. “You touched my sister?”

Kevin doesn’t answer. He looks to Rosie, as if begging her for help.

“Aurelio, no. It’s not what you think,” Rosie says. “It’s not him.”