(Elena in gif)

After explaining to Sal and the other guys what needed to be done Tony got into the SUV and drove Lorenzo and Elena back to the hotel. Lorenzo had Tony pull around to the back of the hotel so none of the guest would see them entering. Gino, Enzo Marzano and his underboss Roberto along with a few Moretti men were down at the doors waiting and they breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Lorenzo lifting Elena out of the SUV. Gino walked over to them and offered to help the boss out but Lorenzo shook his head no. He wasn't ready to let her out of his sight just yet.

"Get the inner circle together and have them come to my suite." Lorenzo said in a low voice and Gino nodded. "Send everyone else back to Miami."

"Alright boss." Gino said as he walked away.

"Tony?" Lorenzo said in a questioning voice as he walked over to him.

"I'm alright." Tony said patting Lorenzo's shoulder as he glanced down at Elena's sleeping form. "I will handle the orders."

"Enzo will you and your inner circle join us?" Lorenzo asked looking over at his uncle.

"Yes... As soon as my sons return we will be up there." Enzo said as he nodded at his nephew.

"Thank you." Lorenzo said to him.

Lorenzo silently went through the service halls with Elena in his arms as a few of his men followed behind him. When they got into the suite Lorenzo had the men guard the door. He carried Elena into the bedroom and laid her down slowly trying not to wake her. He knew she would probably want to clean up first but after the night she had he wanted her to rest first.

The last thing he had ever wanted was an enemy using her against him and just as things began to finally work between them it happened. Lorenzo stood there staring down at Elena wanting to sear the sight of his bruised and battered wife into his brain. This was going to be the one image that would flash before his eyes when he stared down the men connected to Jacob Vargas as he took them out one by one. Some may die quick and some may suffer more than needed just to satisfy his need for revenge. Juan Vargas was going to be the last to die so he could watch as his organization and anyone connected to it is annihilated.

Just as he turned and began to walk away he heard Elena stir, quickly turning back to her Lorenzo watched as her eyes slowly opened. After blinking a few time Elena laid there staring up at Lorenzo. The anger she saw in his eyes Elena knew was in no way directed towards her but was meant for the men responsible for what had happened. Her body was sore and in a lot pain but the sight of him standing there helped her relax knowing she was safe. She went to sit up but Lorenzo quickly moved to her side shaking his head as he sat next to her.

"Elena you should rest." He said softly as he tried to guide her back to laying down but she shook her head no.

"I feel dirty and disgusted." Elena said sitting up fully when he let her shoulders go. "Please, I need to at least shower."

"How are you feeling?" he asked taking her hands in his and looked down at the raw and redden skin around both of her wrists. "I should get the doctor to examine you properly, that should have been the first thing I did." He said quickly standing up.

"Lorenzo I don't need a doctor." She said before he could walk away. "You do." She gesturing to the cuts on his face.

"I'll be fine, I just want to make sure you are ok." He said wiping the blood from above his eye.

"Other than my wrists and the bruising on my face and neck, I'm fine... I am just sore."

"He didn't hurt you anywhere else?" Lorenzo asked and Elena shook her head. "He said you tasted..."

Elena quickly shook her head again and cut him off before he could finish what he was about to say. "He roughly kissed me and I bit down hard on his lip to stop him, his mouth never touched me anywhere else. The only time his hands went below my neck was when you were standing there."

"You would tell me if had done anything?" he asked.

"Of course I would."

"What I did back there to Rob and Vargas, you know that had to happen?" he asked not wanting her to see him as more of monster than she already did. Lorenzo didn't want Elena to look at him like she had done when he killed the first time in front of her. "I couldn't let them live after what they did, I can't let any of them live."

"I know." She said softly. "They were going to kill you and the way Jacob was looking at me as they waited for you to arrive I knew he wasn't going to kill me and I would have suffered more."

"Why do you say that?" Lorenzo asked trying to stay calm.

"He said it himself to you." Elena said running her fingers through her hair. "He wanted everything you had and that included me. He told me that had my father chose him instead of you I would have not been tied to the pipe instead I would have been tied to his bed."

Lorenzo walked over to the bed again and sat down next to her, placing his hands on both her cheeks holding her tenderly. "I swear with all my heart and my life... if anyone ever thinks or tries hurting you again they will never breath air into their lungs again. I am not saying or doing this because of any agreement that our families have with each other, I am promising you this because you are my wife and I love you."

Elena looked at him in shock as her words got stuck in her throat at that very moment. Lorenzo pressed his lips against hers then quickly left the room before she could respond to what he said to her. He wasn't sure how she felt about him but he knew how he felt and wanted her to know. Elena stood there silently as her eyes stood locked on the door he closed behind himself. His words kept repeating in her head, he said the three words she had not been sure she would ever hear from him. It took Elena a bit of time to get her brain to work again after the shock it just went through.

When Lorenzo stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door Tony and Gino walked into the suite. Gino nodded his head at Lorenzo knowing he would know he meant everything was done that was asked of him. Tony walked over to the bar and poured a drink for each man knowing the three of them needed it no matter the fact that it was still basically early morning. Lorenzo knew at that moment his inner circle had thinned by one man in the last twelve hours. It now consist of the two men standing there with him and the two men that were just starting to walk in the door. All men looking exhausted from the lack of sleep in over twenty four hours.

Sal and Vinny got the message of them being needed in Lorenzo's suite when they returned back to the hotel. After cleaning up and getting rid of any trace of Lorenzo, Tony and Elena ever being at the water station the two men went straight to the suite as Lorenzo's cousins went in search of their father. When they walked in they gave Lorenzo a rundown of what they did then sat down. Not long after they got to the suite there was a knock at the door.

Gino opened the door allowing Enzo, his sons, his underboss Roberto and three other men to come in. The eleven men greeted each other then Lorenzo wanted to quickly get down to business. Just as they all sat down a loud commotion could be heard right outside the suite door. Sal and Vinny quickly stood up but then Antonio's voice could be heard loudly demanding to see Lorenzo. Lorenzo nodded at Tony who stood up and went to open the door.

"Let him through." Tony said as he opened the door. "You two..." he said pointing at Rocco and Dante. "will wait there."

"I demand that they come in with me." Antonio snapped at Tony.

"You no longer have a right to demand a damn thing." Tony snapped at him. "As a former mafia boss we give you the respect you earned but do not for one minute think your words have any power."

"I don't have all day." Lorenzo said as he sat back in his chair. "Russo either you enter alone or leave."

Antonio sucked in a deep breath and nodded his head as he walked pass Tony entering the room. He glanced around it noticing the Moretti men and Marzano men sitting there. "I want to know why I was stopped from leaving this island last night." Antonio said stopping short of the group of men. "We were held in the conference room and not one man would say a thing to us. Something is going on and I should know what it is."

"I had a situation going on and needed to account for everyone's whereabouts." Lorenzo said calmly. "For your safety I had you located and brought in that is all you need to know."

"My safety?" Antonio snapped at him. "It felt like it was more than my safety."

"I will no longer discuss my business with you." Lorenzo said shaking his head. "You are free to leave and I suggest you do it before I change my mind about your companions."

"I will get the answers I want one way or another." Antonio snapped as he walked to the door again. "Don't test me Lorenzo."

"Do not start something you no longer have the power to finish. I am not someone you want to cross the wrong way. Your safety is only of concern to me because of my wife, piss me off and I will find a way to get her to forgive me for what I do to you. It would not be hard considering at the moment she hates you." Lorenzo snapped back at him. Antonio looked back at Lorenzo but didn't say a word, after a few moments of silent staring he left the room. Lorenzo sucked in a deep breath then got down to business. "We need to talk about what happened last night and this morning."

"Angelo tells me that the Cubans were behind what happened to your wife." Enzo said and Lorenzo nodded then he looked over at Tony. "I'm sorry about your cousin, it's hard when your own blood betrays you."

"He got what he deserves and I would do it again." Tony said with a nod.

"My nephew couldn't ask for a more loyal underboss." Enzo said getting up and shaking Tony's hand then sat back down and looked over at Lorenzo. "I knew you couldn't trust them Cubans."

"I thought the peace my father formed with them could continue with me." Lorenzo said as he leaned forward in his chair. "I was wrong, now I know that."

"What are we going to do about this problem?" Enzo asked as he sat back against his own chair.

"Eliminate it." Lorenzo said sternly just as the bedroom door opened and everyone looked towards it as Elena stepped into the room with them.

"Lorenzo I need to tell you something." She said softly and he nodded at her then looked over at all the men and they nodded as they all stood up to leave. "They don't have to leave." She said before any of them could walk away and Lorenzo looked over at her confused. "It concerns what happened to us."

"What do you mean?" Lorenzo asked her sounding as confused as he looked.

"The Vargas family was behind the shooting back in Miami." She said walking closer to him. "Jacob Vargas had told me that if I had just let you die the night he shot you his family would have already controlled all that you owned. Rob must have told him I was the reason you were still alive."

"You are the reason I'm still alive." Lorenzo said to her. "I would have died that night if you weren't there."

"What else did he say to you sweetheart?" Enzo asked in a soft voice.

"He didn't talk much after that." Elena said softly to him. "He had mostly talked with Rob in a hushed tone that was too low for me to hear but I did hear a few phrases like... waiting too long, it all belonging to him, killing all that was loyal and something about his father getting what he worked for. I'm not sure if any of that is important."

"That is plenty for us to go on." Lorenzo said as he stood up and moved to stand in front of her. "You should go pack our things up, when I'm done here I want to take you home where it's safe."

"Ok." Elena said.

"Can you put some music on while you pack?" He asked with a forced smile. "I rather you not hear anything we say out here, it's better this way."

"I rather not hear any of it either." She said with a smile and he chuckled. "Whatever you chose, whatever you do all I ask is that you be safe."

"I will." He said leaning down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. When Elena went back into the room Lorenzo walked back to his chair and sat down. The men waited to hear the music flowing out of the room before getting back to business. "Enzo, I need you to know that once word gets out about what happened things will escalate. Possibly further than just the Cubans, there is chance this war could travel north if your family is involved at all. I understand if you don't want that."

"My family is already involved." Enzo said sternly. "You and that sweet girl in there are family."

"Lorenzo, the Marzano family is behind you in whatever you do." Carmine said as he sat forward in his chair. "We know the risk we are taking and that will not stop us."

"I don't want your men thinking this is a fight you shouldn't be involved with."

"Capo tells us we are at war then we are." Roberto said sternly. "We don't question what he says, Lorenzo no one loyal to you would ever question your word as their Capo. You will learn that and you will lose men over the years because of it and that is when you will learn who is loyal to you and who needs to die."

Lorenzo nodded his head at them and they nodded in response to him showing they were all in. Angelo and Lorenzo took the helm in planning out the hits and when and where they would happen. Nothing was left undiscussed and when the meeting came to an end everyone involved was in agreement how things would go down. Both families were flying into Miami that day to get the ball rolling before some of the Marzano family had to return north.

Not long after their meeting Lorenzo had gotten word that Juan Vargas had left the morning before and still had no word himself about what happened to his son yet. It wouldn't be long before the bodies were discovered so he planned on using the element of surprise with his first hit on them. Lorenzo had the upper hand because they would know when Juan is informed because they would get the same when Rob is discovered with him.

A few hours later Elena was sitting on the jet waiting on everyone and everything to get loaded on. The trip had not ended in a way she ever wanted it to but she was just happy to be going home. When Lorenzo stepped on the plane he glanced over to Elena and saw her staring out the window in a daze. He walked over and sat down next to her startling her a bit as she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Are you ok?" he asked cupping her face in his hands, he hated that she was scared and couldn't wait to eliminate the problem that scared her.

"Yeah... I'm just still a little jumpy but I'm sure it will pass eventually."

"Alright... you should get some rest." He said with a smile. "There is a room on here you can sleep in."

"I don't want to be alone yet." Elena said shaking her head. "I don't want to seem clingy but I just..."

"You're not clingy." Lorenzo said cutting her off. "You just went through hell and not wanting to be alone is understandable. I want you to feel safe and if sitting right here with me is what you need then I am more than happy to be here for you."

"Thank you."

"No reason to thank me." he said smiling at her.

Lorenzo leaned forward and placed a kiss to her forehead then pulled her close wrapping his arms around her as she snuggled into his side. Had someone told him Elena would see him as a safety net over a week ago he would have called bullshit. Before the wheels even lifted off the ground Elena was sleeping peacefully in his arms. The flight home wasn't long and when they arrived at the mansion everyone was surprised to see Michael Moretti and his wife waiting for them. Lorenzo's mom quickly ushered Elena away with her giving the men time to talk. She knew a war was coming because something similar had happened to her brother Enzo's wife and that ended in blood shed. The outcome of Enzo's situation had been different because his wife didn't make it home alive and Lorenzo was lucky that Elena did. That had been the reason the Marzano family felt so strongly about standing with Lorenzo as he got his revenge.

AN: So sorry this took so long... I had a bit of writer's block. I had another story I was writing stuck in my mind and had tried to ignore it to write this but it wasn't working so I had to write my thoughts on that one first just to get it out. The good thing is that did work and I was able to write this whole chapter in just two hours.