Get the hell away from my wife

My grip on my gun had tightened as I stared into the eyes of the devil.

Drop the gun

He placed his own against her temple. I buried every feeling that seemed to set my skin alight.

Get away from her -!

Drop, the, gun

I couldn't look at her. Not in that vulnerable position that he had her in. Bent over a table, trembling.

P-Patrick, g-get o-off him

I barely believed my eyes when I saw my gun in her hands, shaking.

Whoa, whoa, Eliza drop the gun

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as another being took over her. It was clear that she didn't want to do it, that she couldn't.

No. he's the reason for everything. He killed my parents. He deserves this.

Yeah, he does. But you're not the one to end it, do you hear? This is what he wants

It was my worse nightmare coming true. Seeing my beautiful Amore turn into something that she wasn't. A murderer.

Because this isn't you, this isn't you. Not the woman I fell in love with.

"Patrick."

My body jolted awake at the sound of soft calling. My eyes flicked opened to my bedroom but more importantly to the soft touch of warm breath on the back of my neck. Immediately, a cat-like smile spread across my face as I rolled onto my back.

I took in her face like I was viewing a work of art.

First, taking in her messed up bed hair that seemed to fuzz at the top on her head before curling around her shoulder. Then down to the crease of her breasts that were being pressed against the mattress. Up to her fair collarbone and neck that had small love bites along the edge. My eyes followed the trail to her strong jawline and soft, smooth cheeks and to those kissable pink lips that seemed to haunt me. And finally to those big blue eyes that even to this day seemed so innocent.

She shook with excitement, her teeth claiming down on her lips as she struggled to contain whatever she wanted to say.

"Happy anniversary," she giggled, her shaking her shoulders.

I couldn't help but chuckle, lifting my arm to reach up and play with the curl that had fallen from the larger bundle. A sigh escaped my lips as my eyes looked over her once again.

"Happy anniversary," I breathed, brushing the backs of my fingers along her neck that had my marks all along it.

"I know we said we wouldn't celebrate it, but..." she trailed off, starting to draw circles on my chest that tingled, "but I like to think of it as the day we first met properly, rather than the day of our first wedding."

"Oh really," I teased, taking her hand and bringing it to my lips, "then I suppose you don't wish to repeat our wedding night."

"Well," she purred, tilting her head as she became the seductress, "I seem to remember we spent our wedding night in two separate rooms."

"And whose choice was that?" I questioned, tucking my fingers under her chin and titling it up.

"The choice of a respectable woman who didn't want to get into bed with a stranger," she teased, leaning in close to my lips.

God she was a trickster. Always showing me what I wanted but making me fight for it.

"Well," I growled, easily rolling her onto her back and climbing on top, "I was thinking about our second wedding night."

Her lips made a knowing O as the memories flooded her head as they did mine. God, the feeling of her body under mine never seemed to fail in bringing that fire in my own. It made me stiff and aching to be inside of her.

"And what exactly do you remember?" She purred, clawing at my pulsing neck.

My eyes took the opportunity to wonder freely down her body that was no longer shielded by the covers. Immediately, my mind went to that night, reminding me of our positions, even the little phrases that she spoke.

Finding her smooth legs under the cover, my fingers slid up her thigh. My fingers squeezed the soft skin, feeling her whole body relax underneath me.

"Well, this was here," I corrected, sliding my hand to her under thigh, running up to beneath her knee and guiding her leg to wrap around my hip.

"Yeah, and where were my hands?" She question, waving them in front of my face.

"Mmm, I think they were here," I thought taking her wrists and raising them above her hand.

Now nothing stopped my eyes from exploring her body, particularly those perky breasts that caused my shaft to throb. My fingers broke my animal train of thought as they found their way to the cool touch of her wedding rings that dressed her ring-finger. She noticed my distraction, titling her head to see the source.

The day that changed our lives forever.

"I love you, Eliza Uccello," I processed, lowering my eyes from hers.

Even to this day, the words seemed foreign on my lips. Only was she allowed to hear them.

Her head rolled back to the front, her eyes signing back at me. That light that I envied.

"I love you, Patrick Maestri," she claimed, brushing the backs of her fingers against my cheek.

I couldn't hold back anymore. I dropped down and took her lips for myself. My tongue slipped into her mouth with little effort, listening to her sharp breaths and small hungry moans. I could feel her legs squeeze my hips, egging me on. But I took my time.

Knowing full well, that we weren't going anywhere.

I wanted to stay in bed with Eliza. With our legs tangled together and her head resting on my chest. But our lives weren't exactly like that anymore.

"Patrick, can you do me up?" Eliza asked, bouncing her way into our ensuite.

I nodded, wiping the toothpaste from my chin and turning around to see her back to me. My eyes took the quick opportunity to wonder down her back and feel fulfilled by the way her black dress stopped at her mid thighs, showing off her legs in a classy way, while shaping her hips and waist. She tucked her hair over her shoulder, far away from the opened zipper.

"Okay, first phone meeting with Eagle, then a meeting with Harald," she repeated to herself as I did up the zipper.

I found that she did it often. It was kind of cute. Her way of dealing with her new life.

"You'll be fine," I told her, my hand automatically going to her hip without even realising.

She span around, still in my grip, wearing that cool smile as her arms wrapped around my neck.

"Tell me your plans?" She asked me, trying to hide her uneasiness about her meetings.

She had been getting better, even I had to admit. But it was always her eyes that gave her away.

I refused to tell her my true plans, knowing it would ruin everything.

"Well, I have paper work to do," I told her, knocking her nose with mine.

"Oh, that time of the month, huh?" She joked, leaning in close.

"Mmhum," I nodded, hugging her tight, "can't have some seductress distracting me today."

"Seductress?" She cried pulling back.

"Yes, with your evil teasing looks," I purred, slowly shifting my hands to her perfect round ass.

"Watch it, Mr Maestri," she warned me, playfully slapping my chest, "or you won't be welcomed back."

With that, she whirled her way out of my grasp and strutted back into the bedroom. I chortled at her, bringing my attention back to the sink.

"I'm going down!" She called out, "I'll pour you a cup of coffee!"

"Okay!" I yelled back, waiting till I heard the click of the door.

One, two, three, four, five.

With a devious smile on my face, I soon followed after her.

Our double doors opened out to the hallway, that was lined with doors and turned into a L shape. I continued my journey till I reached the stairs, taking in the view of the void.

The light that rained in from the wall of windows that faced the back yard and through the double glass doors that led to the study, was caught by the light of the white tiles that spread out across the void and up the stair, to the double doors that followed into the dining room that were left open, making me smile as I followed Eliza door steps. Into the dining room I went, barely noticing the large oval table and the chandelier that hung from the roof. Instead, I looked through the three columns that broke the dinning room from the kitchen to Eliza that stood in amazement. My own eyes stared at the large bouquet of flowers, a mix of white lilies and violets.

With Eliza's back to be, I decided to take her by surprise, latching onto her hips and bringing her body to mine. She gasped from the first moment of shock, before melting in against me.

"Do you like them?" I whispered against her neck.

"Like them, I love them," she cried before turning in my grip with a guilty look on her face, "but we said we wouldn't celebrate it."

"I know," I smiled, tugging on the loose strands of her hair.

"But -," she looked back to the flowers, "you must have been planing this for at least a week."

A month, actually. But I wasn't going to tell her that.

"But -," she nibbled on her lips, "I didn't get you anything."

I pulled her tighter, feeling my heart well in my chest.

"You know what you've given me," I proclaim, watching as her head tilt in disbelief.

Leaning in, I took her lips.

"Yeah, an endless supply of free sex."

Alberto spat, stomping into the kitchen.

Eliza jumped from my grip, still determined to not get caught like a school girl. My eyes narrowed at Alberto as he took the kettle and reached up for a mug on the shelf.

Alberto could be described as a Neanderthal. Muscle made up for most of his body mass with his broad shoulders, short hair cut, ear piecing and tunnel-minded attitude to hide his true humble nature. The man that would not allow me to help him and his brother in their time of need, not because of pride but because he knew he could never pay me back. The man on several accusation had save my life as well as Eliza's without little thought of his own. And the man that would put his brother first at all cost.

"Endless supply of free sex?" Eliza demanded, breaking my trail of thought as she narrowed her eyes at Alberto.

He turned around with wide eyes, not realising that he had just offended her. Even after a year, the boys hadn't fully adjusted to Eliza's sometimes soft nature.

"Sorry, Lizzy, that wasn't completely aimed at you," he poorly reassured her, while pouring coffee into his mug.

"I should hope not. Pass a mug," she asked taking two steps towards him.

He smiled, doing as she asked.

"Hey, if this is your anniversary, do you know what that means? It's a year tomorrow since we first met," he pointed out, nudging her shoulder.

"It is too," she smiled, just remembering herself.

I watched them from the bench, refusing to feel any kind of jealous. It was only partly succeeded.

"So what's my present?" He asked her, a cheeky grin forming on his face.

I watched him carefully, not quite sure of the game he was playing.
Eliza smiled, reaching and pecking a kiss on his cheek.

"There," she cheered, patting his shoulder.

"Oo, do we all get that as well?" Piero asked as he and Antonio strolled into the room.

"What's with the flowers - Ahtoo!" Antonio sneezed, causing Eliza to jump three feet high.

"Bless you," I said as Antonio wiped his nose with a groan.

"You better not be getting sick Antonio," Alberto snapped at his brother, looking at him with both fear and disgust.

"Huh, no, I'm fine," he coughed, sounding a little nasally, "I think I'm energetic to lilies."

"What?" Eliza cried, "not my flowers."

"Flowers?" Piero questioned this time, looking at me with suspicion, "what'd you do? Forgot to leave the toilet seat up...again?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, not pleased by his little joke.

"No, it's for our weddings anniversary?" Eliza corrected for me, wearing that beaming smile.

"Oh," Antonio and Piero sighed together before reaching for the kettle.

"Where's Garrick?" I asked, noticing him and Nickola still missing.

"He left awhile ago, said he had to check something out," Piero shrugged, sipping on his coffee, "you could call him."

I nodded, rubbing my chin as I thought. What could he be up to?

"So, what do you really have planed?" Eliza purred slinking back into my arms.

All thoughts were forgotten as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"Well, you'll just have to wait, now won't you," I teased, squeezing her tight in my arm.

"Urh," Piero and Alberto gagged in unison, not letting their opinion be unheard.

"Sometimes I wish for the good old days," Alberto sighed, dreamily.

"Good old days?" Antonio questioned with a chuckle.

"You know, when we didn't have to knock or hide the chocolate around certain weeks of the month and, ah, there's hair, like, everywhere."

My eyes fell to Eliza's glare, like she was trying to burn him.

"Get out," she growled, causing the lot of us to snort.

God, sometimes she was so adorable.

"Hey," Nickola puffed, stumbling into the kitchen.

I frowned, taking in his appearance. His hair was a mess and his clothes that he went out in last night were all crumpled. His eyes were dark and bags hung under them.

"Where the hell have you been?" I demanded, looking him up and down with suspicion.

"Sorry," he groaned, rubbing his eyes, "Zoey had me up till all hours."

Piero, Antonio and Alberto snorted into their mugs, knowing exactly what he had been doing last night. I, however was less impressed. Zoey was Eliza's best friend. Actually, she was more than that. Eliza had once said that she was like a sister. But, we had never seen eye to eye. She was uncontrollable, hot headed and high spirited. If she had ever given me a chance to show that I had Eliza's best interest, it was very short. Admittedly, at the beginning, perhaps I wasn't very convincing.

Now, she was in a relationship with one of my best men. And these continual late nights weren't doing him any favours.

"That's third time this week," Antonio teased, punching him in the upper arm.

"I'll get you some coffee," Eliza offered, her little skip in her step not going a miss.

Unlike me, Eliza was thrilled that Nickola and Zoey were seeing each other. And this was the exact reason why I kept my thoughts to myself.

"I'm really sorry, Patrick," Nickola apologise, "I'll be on time tomorrow."

Just as I was about to yell, Eliza stopped me, "why should you be? It's not like there's anything happening around here."

All eyes fell to me, waiting to hear my response. Their smirks didn't go amiss, knowing full well that I didn't share Eliza's views.

"Well," I huffed, turning to Nickola, "don't stay up too late tonight."

Nickola nodded, pleased for my understanding. Nickola was a good lad and his heart was always in the right place. It was one of the reasons why I had placed him in charge of Eliza. That and he was different to the rest of us. He wasn't forced into this life during times of hardship and difficult choices. Only stumbled upon it through others' mistakes.

Sighing and rubbing my temple, I decided it was time to get to work. Firstly, finding out what the hell Garrick was up to.

"I'll talk to you later, Amore," I said to Eliza, kissing her on the cheek before turning around and heading out before she could stop me.