XIII

I raise on my tiptoes, and Marco leans in to meet me halfway. Our lips brush against each other.

"There you are!" Francesca shouts, jogging towards us with a grin on her face. I flinch and take a step back. Marco throws me a suggestive look while Francesca has her eyes fixed on my hand. "You didn't get her a ring?" She asks in perplexity, switching her gaze between the two of us suspiciously.

"She's right, Marco. Where's my ring?" I ask with a mischievous smile. I flutter my fingers in the air and to my surprise, Marco takes out a small, square-shaped box from his pocket. "I was going to wait until it was just the two of us" He explains. Marco opens the box and I widen my eyes at the sight of the beautiful rock sparkling under the streetlight.

"Damn, Cortez. What a rock. What are you waiting for? Put it on!" She squeals as she claps her hands together in motivation.

I feel his eyes searing into my skin as he carefully removes the jewellery from it's box. He picks up my hand and wiggles the ring onto my finger. The alluring diamond is illuminated by the street light, making it twinkle and shine under its presence. My eyes light up as I raise the ring up to examine it even further. I transfer my gaze to Marco to thank him before I am interrupted by a strange man approaching me.

"Milana Levine?" The unknown man calls out. I convert my attention to him and notice that it is the same man who was watching me across the street earlier. "Yes. Whose asking?" I interrogate, noticing Marco squint his eyes at me skeptically.

"I have a message for you" The man says. He reaches inside his jacket and I almost gasp in surprise. "He has a gun!" Francesca yells.

She runs in front of me, and Marco scuffles with the man to keep him from pulling out the gun. Three security guards led by Nico rush outside as the man shoves Marco off of him and scampers away into a shadowed alley. The guards instantly sprint after him.

"What the hell? This is Levine property. It's supposed to be safe!" I yell in vexation. Nico takes a step forward and stands between me and Marco. "I know that man! He's one of our people working downtown. He's loyal to your Uncle Tony!" He explains, pointing his finger dynamically to assert his words. "I was attacked by one of our own?" I question in disbelief.

"That's it. I'm taking you out of here." Marco addresses as he grabs me by the arm and starts leading me away. I pull out of his grip, sneering.

"Don't fucking fight me on this, Milana. You can't trust your men to protect you anymore. I'm not leaving you here to get yourself killed!" He yells in frustration.

Suddenly, Nico takes a step forward so he is positioned before me and Marco. He dramatically face plants his hand and lets out a sigh. "You can't seriously consider going to Cortez territory." He snaps, pointing his finger continuously in my face.

"Marco's right. I'm not safe here. Fran, thank everyone for coming and wrap up the party for me." I order. "They'll want to know what happened." She replies. "Tell them its none of their damn business." I snap.

Fran nods and her and Nico head back inside. Marco takes my hand and leads me away from the restaurant.

***

At the end of a silent car drive, we arrive at an opulent apartment building. We take a private elevator until we reach the penthouse on the top floor. I try to assess my surroundings but can't ignore the pit in my stomach.

"This is insane, Marco. A threat from my own Men?! Do you think my father ever had to deal with anything like this?" I ask, waiting for Marco's perspective on this fucked up situation. "There must've been some questioning him at the beginning of his rule. But you know how respected he was later on. You will be too." He explains.

That's oddly reassuring. When has Marco become so good at this? And those eyes... those goddamned eyes!

"I see there is only one bed in here. I hope you won't expect us to share it." I presume. "Why? Do you not trust yourself to share a bed with me for one night?" He challenges. "Besides, we need to keep up appearances in front of the maid." He adds.

"Will she come while we're sleeping?" I ask as I shut the curtain. He stops in his tracks besides me and turns my head to face his. "No, but we need our bed to look like a marriage bed" He explains. I smile, meeting my eyes with his. "Then I'll jump up and down on it until it looks like it's known some action." I say sarcastically.

"If you can scream a little, thats even better." He suggests. We lock eyes once again, the intensity between us palpable.

"Not to worry, bella. I'll sleep on the couch." He whispers. I tilt my head up a little and my gaze freezes on his. "I'm not sure if that look means you want to kiss me or kill me." He asserts. "Take a guess." I say.

Marco's phone starts vibrating incessantly. He frowns slightly when he checks the screen.

"I have some business to attend to downstairs." He announces, grasping his phone in his hand. "What's downstairs?" I ask curiously. "My casino. Feel free to join me when you're ready. I have men posted everywhere in the building. It'll be safe for you here." He mentions, providing me with a sense of security.

"I'll double check that." I reply. He slides his hand into his pockets and takes a step towards me, leaning down slightly. "I'd expect nothing less from you, Milana. Although I'd hoped you'd started to trust me by now." He mutters.

"You know me better than that." I state. "Do you want to know if I trust you?" He asks, pinning a lock of my hair behind my ear. "I don't care." I reply.

More like I'm scared to find out.

"Cold as ice, bella. Why doesn't it surprise me?" He questions. "Because you know me too well? Because you're just the same as I am? Take your pick." I deliver. He walks towards the door but turns to me before opening it. "You plan on sulking in here all night long?" He asks.

"Why? Do you want to play with me for a while?" I ask, following his steps and leaning into his chest. "Come with me downstairs and you'll find out." He answers back. I smile in amusement and notice him cross his arms over his chest.

Ugh, he loves displaying those muscles. Look at them rippling under the clothes with every move he makes.

Marco watches me with an unnerving intensity. I hesitate for a few moments then follow him downstairs to the casino. I pretend not to notice his eyes lingering on my body.

He shouldn't be looking at me like that. But I don't want him to stop.

Before entering the casino, I pull out my phone and message James. I invite him to play some poker with me so we can catch up after all of the drama.

Half an hour later, I meet James at the entrance of Marco's casino. The sound of slot machines greet my ears, as the hallway opens into the casino's crowded floor. I follow James to the bar and he chuckles cheerfully. We are instantly greeted by a smiling bartender.

"Ms Levine, Mr Cortez told us that you'd be coming by. The drinks are on the house for you and your guest." The bartender says with a grin.

"How generous of Mr Cortez. In that case, I'll have a whiskey neat." James orders his drink and turns to me. "And I'll have a sex on the beach please." I add sweetly, then cross my legs and patiently wait for my drink.

"Hey sexy. My dick died."

I raise my head, unsure if I heard that right. I turn around and see a man staring at me intensely. "Excuse me?" I snap at the man.

There's something familiar about this man, though I cannot put my finger on it.

"I said my dick died. Can I bury it in your ass?" He speaks, chuckling to himself like he's the funniest person in the world.

I stand up, but before I get to react, Marco emerges out of nowhere and grabs the man by the collar, almost lifting him off the floor. "Apologise to the lady before I break your neck" He yells, frantically.

The man mutters an un meaningful apology then Marco shoves him away.

"What the hell? What a creep!" James speaks, raising his voice in irritation. "You ok?" Marco asks. "I wish everyone stopped asking me that." I snap.

"We're just worried about you." James says, raising his glass to take a sip. I shake my head and slam my drink down on the counter. "No, you're alpha males desperate to be saviours, but I'm not a damsel in distress." I snap.

James nods, understanding my side of things. I finish my drink in one large gulp and stand up, coming face to face with an enraged Marco. "Now, I've come here to play some poker. So wheres my table?" I ask.

Marco watches me carefully for a few seconds, before turning his frown into something much more teasing. "Follow me." He orders, grabbing my hand and leading me away from the bar.

Me and James follow Marco down a series of hallways and go through the back door, leading to a VIP room. I take a seat at a large, central table, admiring the sumptuous decorations.

"Just the three of us?" James asks. Marco nods as a waitress brings over a tray full of varied alcoholic drinks. "I figured you and Lana would both want some privacy after the long day it's been." He suggests, handing me a drink and taking a sip of his own.

"Is that really the reason why we're here? Or are you afraid someone else might catch your fiancée's eye tonight?" James questions suspiciously.

"I care about her safety, and she knows it." Marco expresses. I smile at him and he returns it. "Well, now that's settled, shall we lay down the rules?" I ask.

"What's there to say? We play for money here" Marco asserts. I direct a pointed look to him. "That's awfully boring, considering we are all rich here." I mention as I grab another drink off the tray.

"What do you propose then?" Marco asks.

"I propose that we order more drinks and get absolutely fucked." I say, noticing James eyes light up at the idea.

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