Chapter 20
Roland stepped out onto the balcony, the bright, cinematic city lights illuminating the sharp, handsome lines of his face. He didn't lie to her. He never would.
"The Thorne family has placed a bounty on me," Roland admitted, his voice a low, steady rumble. "They are attempting to leverage European syndicates to execute a hit while we are abroad."
Mavis gasped, her fair skin paling slightly. "We have to go back to America! We have to get back to the estate!"
"No," Roland said firmly, reaching out to gently cup her rosy cheek with his tattooed hand. "We do not run, Mavis. If we run, they will believe we are weak, and they will hunt us forever. We stay. We finish the exhibition tour. And we show the world that the Ashcroft empire is untouchable."
"But they could kill you," Mavis whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
"They can try," Roland smiled, a cold, terrifying expression that completely erased any fear in her heart. "But I am an apex predator, Mavis. I have an army of elite operators surrounding this building. I control the shadows. No one is going to touch us."
He pulled her into a fierce, passionate kiss, sealing the promise.
May you like
Mavis closed her eyes, leaning entirely into his deeply masculine, protective embrace. She had spent two years locked in a dark basement, terrified of the woman who held her captive. But standing on a balcony in Paris, wrapped in the arms of the most dangerous Mafia boss in the world, she felt a profound, unshakeable sense of absolute peace.
The war would continue. The syndicates would scheme, and the assassins would try to collect their bounties. But as long as Roland Ashcroft stood by her side, Mavis knew they would conquer every obstacle. The frightened housemaid was dead, replaced by the brilliant Queen of the underworld, ready to paint her masterpiece across the globe.
