All Chapters of Sold to the Mafia and Gives birth to Sextuplets : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

He waves his hand dismissively. “I won’t bore you with the details, but a few of the other captains see the value in pursuing another route for peace. I’ve persuaded enough of them to override Sergei.” I leap out of my chair and throw my arms around his neck. “Oh, Ben, that’s wonderful. Thank you,” I say, pelting his face with kisses. “I can imagine how difficult it must have been, I can’t believe you risked all that for me.” He gently takes me by the shoulders and stares intently at me with those entrancing eyes. “Chleo, you have no idea the lengths I’d go to hold onto you. You’re my world now.” The chilling frisson of excitement and fear courses through me. I want Ben to love me this passionately, but fear what it could mean. I find myself leaning in to kiss his lips. “And you are mine,” I whisper. He grins, “Sit down and eat, you’ll need your strength.” His voice sends a quivering spark right between my thighs. “You know I do have to go to work tonight?” I say as I move back t

“Come on, babe,” he says softly. “Let’s get you inside where it’s warm.” I obey, putting one barefoot out and then the other. He lifts me effortlessly into his arms and carries me up the stairs, into the house. I revel in the safety and strength of his arms. I rest my head against his chest, feel the beating of his heart, and am comforted. I don’t dwell on the fact that I’d never have been in this harrowing situation in the first place had I not been involved with him. He carries me up the stairs to our bedroom where he wraps me in the comforter. After kissing my brow, he goes to the bathroom and begins running water to fill the garden tub. As I lay there, I watch as he pours in various soothing oils designed to help me destress from the trying ordeal. I must have drifted to sleep because I hear him call my name and feel the gentle nudge. He takes me by the hand and leads me to the full tub, overrunning with sudsy bubbles. The lights are dimmed, and meditative music plays over the

I stroke her face and wish I could wipe the sadness from her eyes. “If you love me…” “Baby, you know I love you.” “Don’t lie to me anymore. Promise.” “No more lies, Chleo, I promise you.” She closes her eyes and nods. But then they pop back open. “You’re calling off the engagement. I can’t see you while you belong to someone else.” My jaw clenches. “It’s already over as far as I’m concerned, but I have to unwind the contract that I signed. That will take a little more time, but I’m working on it.” Her brow furrows slightly. I take her hand in mine, and kiss it tenderly. “Your happiness is all that matters to me,Chleo. I’ll move heaven and earth to make this happen.” The creases in her brow smooth out and her shoulders sink into the cushions. “You need your rest, honey. Let me put you to bed.” When she doesn’t object, I move closer to her and scoop her effortlessly into my arms. As I stand, she rests her head on my chest and slips an arm around my neck. I carry her up the st

I halt in my tracks. “The DEA?” She pulls me aside to an empty waiting area. “Look, Chleo, you’ve got a really bright future ahead of you. That’s why I stuck my neck out to give you such a strong recommendation for the cardiothoracic surgery residency at Presbyterian over Simon. Don’t make me regret it. I don’t know exactly what’s going on with you, but you need to make this go away. It’s not good for the hospital and it sure as hell isn’t good for your career. Understand?” “Yes, completely, I’m so sorry, Dr. Wood.” Her face screws up. “I don’t want your apologies, just make it stop.” She closes her eyes and sighs heavily. “With the field you’ve chosen, you have to make a tough decision about what comes first, your career or your personal life. No man’s worth it, believe me.” Chleo’s been divorced two years now, it’s clear to see what choice she made, even if that means only seeing her kids on the weekends and holidays. She’s made her sacrifices and appears pretty annoyed with me

“I’m telling you, there’s more money in it. I didn’t spend all those years earning a and working on Wall Street for nothing. I think it’s about time we started thinking more with our heads and less with our fists.” “Ah, but where’s the fun in that?” “Don’t worry, you’ll keep your club and run all the action you want.” “What about you? You might be making a fuck load of money, but with no heads to crack, how will you get through the day?” “Ha, now you’re a fucking comedian.” “Seriously, I just hope you know what you’re doing, Ben,” he laments. “You’re making a lot of changes all of a sudden. Not everyone’s going to like it.” “We’ve got to grow and adapt, be smarter. Let the rest of these assholes squabble over the petty stuff. We go big, where the real money is.” “I hear ya, Ben. Just let me know what you need me to do.” “For now, just keep your ear to the ground,” I say. “I have a strong feeling Wood going to strike out at me to make some powerplay.” “You got eyes on the doc?