Enjoy this chapter!! 🩷

Question of the day:

Hot or cold vacation? 🛫🏝️

It was early morning, and the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon. The golden light shone right into my eyes, waking me up from my nap on our private beach.

Costa was renting a secure villa on a secluded beach where we had total privacy. We'd been here for a week already and I was still nowhere near ready to leave.

I stretched out on the lounge chair, the gentle sound of the waves lapping at the shore the perfect sound to wake up to.

I don't think I'd ever been so relaxed.

Costa had a phone call from Rocco during the night which woke us both up. While Costa took the call outside, I couldn't fall back to sleep. So, I decided to come and rest outside to get some fresh air.

I woke up at the perfect time to watch the sunrise.

Costa also stayed up, but he was attending to some work calls instead of resting. But, he promised he would join me as soon as he was done.

True to his word, I saw him approaching a few minutes later. His tall, dominant frame appeared as a silhouette against the bright morning light. As he got closer, I saw the tray in his hands, carrying two plates of breakfast, some fresh tropical fruits, pastries and drinks.

"Breakfast is served, principessa." He announced with a proud smile that made my heart flutter.

Ever since we'd been in Mauritius, he made every effort to make me feel cared for and pampered. Unless I actually wanted to, I didn't have to lift a finger.

The funny thing was, he hired a lot of staff to work in the villa while we stayed there. But he was proud of himself whenever he served me food as if he was the one who cooked it.

I sat up, making room for him to put the tray down while he sat down on the lounge chair next to mine. We began to eat, sharing bites of juicy pineapple and mango and flaky croissants.

"Is everything okay? You've been busy all morning." It had been at least two hours since we woke up - maybe around 5am.

"Sì." He nodded, swallowing his food. "I'll tell you about it later."

Deciding to give him a break from work, I steered the conversation in a different direction. We ended up talking about everything and nothing - sometimes enjoying the peaceful quiet as we watched the sunrise.

"Really?" I tilted my head, thinking about what he just said.

"Yeah. Come on." Costa scoffed. "It's so fucking obvious. I should have seen it coming."

"But, why wouldn't he just tell you? He's your brother. If he was in a relationship, he wouldn't need to keep it from you."

"If there's anything to know about Tristano, it's that he can be very reserved about his personal shit." Costa explained, sipping on his coffee. "The fucker loves getting involved in other people's shit, but he doesn't share his own."

"Okay." I swallowed my bite of food before continuing. "So who's the girl?"

"Rocco said she's some random bitch who-" The look I gave him causing him to scoff. "Fine, some random girl who works at a fucking bakery."

"Maybe that's why he kept it from you - her status, I mean." It was unfortunate, but in our life, we weren't allowed to go for just anyone.

As the daughter of the leader of the Greek Mafia, I had to marry someone who was going to inherit their own organisation.

A prince and a princess - eventually to become king and queen.

The rest of the inner circle would be expected to marry someone who had a high status - if not for business purposes then for appearances.

"I'm not like my father." Costa shook his head, a soft frown forming on his face. "I never would have stopped him if he truly loved this girl. We would have found a way. But he didn't tell me."

One thing to note about my husband was that he usually hid his emotions from everyone around him - especially vulnerable ones.

But ever since that night I almost killed myself and he told me I was his priority now, that mask just fell.

If it was Costa and I alone, he didn't hide anything from me anymore.

So that's how I knew he was hurt by the thought of Tristano hiding his relationship from him.

"He might have been waiting for the right time to tell you?" I offered the suggestion while he stared at the sea in the distance.

"It's been three fucking months, Millie." He muttered, shifting his gaze back to me a few moments later. "Now I don't know what to do."

"Why, baby?"

"There's so many reasons why he should have told us. For one, he's been slacking on really important shit. So, do I confront him and tell him we already know? Or just wait until he finally decides he can tell his brothers? That puts more work in jeopardy since his priorities are all fucked right now."

Costa had a point. Tristano had been MIA way too many times over the last few months. Most notably, the night Costa and Rocco were punished by their father. Tristano was nowhere to be seen until the next morning. I also know he should have been in some meetings in New York which never attended.

But at the same time, I had a soft spot for romance. If he was in love, he was just a little distracted. It was nothing a conversation with his brothers wouldn't fix.

"I think you should tell him." I announced after mulling over it for a minute. "As much as I'm happy for him, he shouldn't be putting this relationship over his work. He's going to be your Underboss, he doesn't get that luxury."

It was kind of mean to say, but it was the truth. And, I was always on Costa's side first. He needed an Underboss he could trust to be there when he needed him.

"It could cause problems." My husband replied, breaking off a piece of his croissant to hand it to me.

He must have known I was staring at it.

I gave him a sheepish smile which had him chuckling. He knew I was always going after his food, it was just something he should expect now that I'm comfortable enough with him.

Actually, scratch that. Even when I hated every shred of his existence on our wedding day, I still stole his food.

When it comes to food, all bets are off.

"Just broach the subject carefully. Maybe do it with Rocco too, just so you're not the only one he can take his anger out on."

"Rocco will make it ten times worse." Costa scoffed. "That fucker always knows the wrong fucking thing to say."

"You know-" I turned to face him properly on my lounge chair, completely changing the conversation. "-you swear way too much."

I'm partial to a few curse words myself, but not as many as my husband. He swears in almost every single sentence.

"You only just noticed?" He cracked a grin. "It's part of my personality. If I could have sworn during our wedding vows, I would have."

I didn't doubt it for a second. Especially since he hated me then.

"Well, you have to work on it. When the time comes, you're not allowed to swear around our children." I pointed my fork at him which had a piece of pineapple on the end of it.

That's one thing that also changed between us recently. I've become so much more comfortable discussing the topic of children with him.

We agreed we'd wait for children. It wasn't the right time to bring a baby into our life - not with the war with Kozlov and the uncertainty of our future in New York and Sicily. We wanted some time to enjoy life in our penthouse in New York before we eventually chose where to settle down. Then we would decide if it was the right time to have a baby.

"That's not going to happen." My husband laughed, snatching my fork to eat the pineapple. He completely ignored my protest. "Don't be surprised if our baby's first word is a curse word."

"Costa, you can't swear around children. It's a universal rule."

"I don't follow rules." He waved me off, using my fork to eat another piece of fruit.

"Just wait - if you even try to swear around my children, I'll kick your ass."

"I think we both know you can't kick my ass." He smirked, still using my fork while his own perfectly fine fork sat on his own plate.

"Yes, I can." I snapped, full of determination.

He rose an eyebrow at me, pausing his movements. He held my stare, almost like he was thinking about something. Then he suddenly put the fork down, standing to his feet. I watched him come closer, his green eyes sparkling with mischief.

"What are yo-" Before I could finish my sentence, he reached down to scoop me up into his arms.

"Costa!" I yelped as he effortlessly threw me over his shoulder, now heading towards the shore. "Costa, put me down!"

"If you can kick my ass, do it." He challenged me, still walking with ease while I struggled to get out of his hold.

"I didn't mean right now! I've just eaten! Costa!" I screeched, hanging upside down over his shoulder. "I swear, if I throw up I'm going to murder you!"

He stepped into the shallow ocean, the water reaching just below his knees. Then he suddenly adjusted my position, now holding me bridal style.

"Still think you can kick my ass?" He smirked down at me, while I held onto him, looking down at the crystal clear water.

"Get me back to the sand! I mean it." I glared at him, hating the way he looked so fucking smug.

Stupid maláka.

"Just admit you were wrong and I'll make sure you stay nice and dry." He grinned, now swinging me for emphasis. Any second he could drop me in the water, ruining the expensive silk pyjamas I was still wearing from early this morning.

"Bitch, this is pure silk. If you even think about-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence before he let me go, dropping me on the soft sand of the shore. I yelped at the contact, the water much warmer than I expected it to be at this time of the morning. Since the waves were still lapping around me, a splash of salt water went into my mouth causing my scrunch my nose in disgust.

I looked up at my husband who chuckled at the sight of me completely drenched. The water reached my shoulders, soaking the ends of my hair.

He didn't even bother to help me up. The smug bitch just watched me struggle to get up, my clothes now clinging to my body.

"Fuck you." I glared at him, immediately launching myself at him.

Of course, him and his fucking mafia skills knew what I was going to do. He grabbed me by my wrists, smirking down at me.

"We haven't fucked here yet." He nodded towards the white sand of the shore, clearly trying to goad me. "What do you think?"

"I hate you." I tried to tug my hands out of his grip while I continued. "If you think I'm having sex with you for the rest of our vacation, you're wrong."

And we still didn't know how long we'd be here either.

"Please." He chuckled, effortlessly holding onto my wrists. "You're more sex obsessed than I am."

"I am not!" I paused my efforts to break free from his hold, giving him an incredulous look.

"No?" He cocked an eyebrow at me. "So you're saying you weren't the one who came looking for me yesterday to lick y-"

"Costa!" I screeched, finally finding the strength to pull out of his hold.

Him and his crude remarks will be the death of me.

And just to clarify, I did not go looking for him to do...that. I missed him, so I went to give him a hug and one thing led to another in the study room of our villa.

I made a move to walk away when he suddenly pulled me into him, dipping his head down to capture my lips in a kiss.

Despite my annoyance, I melted into his kiss as he pulled me in tighter against his body. The warm waves crashed against our legs as we kissed, the sunrise just coming to an end around us.

"You know..." Costa broke the kiss, now pressing kisses along my jaw and my neck. "I wasn't kidding when I said we should fuck here."

"Outside?" I spoke breathlessly, biting my lip when he sucked on the skin just behind my ear.

"We're all alone." He wasn't wrong. The villa was completely secluded, there was no one around. There was also no way any of the staff in the villa would see us where we were.

We were completely alone.

And that's how I found myself laid down on the damp sand, with Costa hovering over me a few moments later.

He peeled off my wet satin strappy vest, exposing my bare chest to himself. He tossed the very expensive clothing item somewhere on the sand.

"That's expensive." I pouted my lips as he began dotting kisses along my chest.

"I'll buy you some more. Shut up." He tugged off my shorts and underwear, leaving me completely naked on the sand. Then he pulled back, taking some time to survey the scene be for him.

"Cazzo." He groaned. "You look so fucking good, baby."

"Can you just hurry up?" I snapped, sitting up to take off his shirt.

"Remember when I said you're sex obsessed?" He chuckled, allowing me to discard his shirt somewhere near my clothes. I chose to ignore his comment, only because I had other things on my mind.

Some much bigger things.

Costa loves rough sex - which was to be expected with his personality. Personally, I like both rough and dominant and also slow and sensual. But he was good at often mixing the two, which he did that very day on the beach. But let's be honest, this is all about me. So, I lay down so he could do all the work.

He leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to my lips as he began to pick up the pace. And that was when I was truly in paradise.

The tropical breeze, the warm sun and the soft sand. The waves in the distance and the most euphoric feeling of being intimate with Costa.

It was completely bliss.

When we finished, we took a few moments to catch our breath before Costa turned me around. I thought he was going to kiss me or say something cute, but instead he flashed me that confident smirk.

"What did you say about not having sex for the rest of our vacation?"

"Why do you always have to ruin the-" He cut me off with a velvety laugh, leaning down to kiss me like I originally thought he would.

"I love you, principessa." He pecked my lips again, his green eyes lighting up with adoration.

"I love you too." I smiled, my cheeks flushing pink as the realisation of what we just did hit me.

I just had sex outside.

Damn.

I think he knew exactly what was going through my head because I've always been an open book to him. I also get very shy once the moment has passed.

"We can do it again if you want?" He grinned. "I know you loved it."

Instead of gracing him with a response, I hid my face in his chest to hide my blush.

<<<<<<< >>>>>>> <<<<<<<

After breakfast, I arranged for a spa therapist to come to our villa to give me a range of different treatments since we didn't have a hotel spa or anything.

I did ask Costa if he wanted to join me and do a couples massage, but he was busy working - again. Whatever went down early in the morning was still taking up a lot of his time.

It was kind of normal during our time in Mauritius that Costa would be busy during the day. But I didn't mind. He took me away from the chaos of our life, so if he needed to spend some hours working everyday, I was more than happy to entertain myself. That's if I wasn't busy working either.

During all of this chaos, I still had a publishing company to run. Even if it was slowly taking a back seat - subconsciously, anyway.

"You okay?" Costa broke me out my thoughts later that evening. We'd just placed our order for dinner at a Spanish restaurant in a local luxury hotel.

We decided not to cook tonight and to go out instead. We cooked for most evenings, including our first Valentine's Day which we spent in Mauritius.

It turns out, Costa and I love cooking together.

"Hm." I nodded, giving him my full attention again. "I was just thinking about work."

"Is there a problem?" He frowned. "You know, if you need help with anything I can hire a-"

"I know." I laughed, leaning back in my chair. I was used to Costa offering to solve any business problems I was having, most likely by hiring a team of professionals.

He's even offered to do a complete overhaul of my management team, just so I didn't have to do so much. He claimed that since he has the money to bring in a bunch of world renowned managers, I should take him up on that offer.

"It's not a problem as such." I sighed, fiddling with the edge of the place mat. I was mentally preparing to admit my feelings out loud for the first time. "I just...I've enjoyed being away from it all. I love my company, but I also haven't had such a good break like this in forever."

I was used to my publishing company taking over my life every day. If I wasn't thinking about mafia issues, I was thinking about my own work.

But now with so much drama going on, I was welcoming the break from everything.

"You know...you don't have to work if you don't want to, Millie."

"I never said that." My response was immediate - almost like an instinctive reaction.

"I know, baby. I'm just reminding you. If it's getting too much for you or if you ever want to take a break - you can."

"I don't know if that's what I want. I don't know what I want."

"That's okay, principessa. You can just take your time to figure it all out." He gave me a soft smile, trying to ease my worries.

"What if it's just because we're away from it all right now? Maybe I feel like this now, but when we get back I'll be ready to get to work again?"

"Maybe." He nodded. "But first let's make sure you're ready to go back. I don't want you to feel any pressure. If you think your company won't survive while you're gone then-"

"I know, you'll send in a team of professionals." I used a teasing tone but my husband only nodded, remaining completely serious.

"Exactly. I already have a list ready so-"

"Wait, really?" I cut him off, sitting up straight in my chair. "You already made a list?"

"Sì. I wanted to be ready incase the day ever came that you wanted to take a step back. I know you're too stubborn to tell me straight away. You'll wait until you really can't handle it anymore. So, I wanted to be fully prepared."

I think he was trying to be nice and make a point all in the same sentence.

"I'm not that stubborn." I shook my head, earning myself an incredulous scoff.

Luckily for my husband, the waitress arrived with our drinks before I could put him back in his place.

He got lucky.

<<<<<<< >>>>>>> <<<<<<<

"Stop." I whined for like the fiftieth time.

Did he listen? No.

"Stop it." I pushed his hand away from me, but it didn't help. A few seconds later, he did it again.

"Costa, stop! I said I don't want to touch the water." I finally snapped, shoving my husband away from me.

He'd been nudging me towards the water while we walked down the beach outside our villa. Each time, my feet would touch the water when the tide came in.

And I hated it.

"I thought you said you wanted to walk in the water?" This bitch knew I didn't want to walk in the water. I was very clear. I wanted to walk near the water but not touch the water. "No. I said near the water but I don't want to touch the water."

"Why do you have to be so fucking weird?" Even though he claims to be in love with me, he's still a dick.

"I'm not weird. I just don't want my feet to get wet." Why doesn't he understand that? It's normal, right?

"Whatever." He muttered, strolling along next to me on the beach.

A short silence fell around us as we walked, still digesting the dinner we had at the Spanish restaurant earlier.

I may have also had two milkshakes. Well, I had one and a half. Costa had to finish the second one for me because I couldn't drink anymore but I don't like wasting things.

That meant I had to listen to him complain how he'd just finished his whiskey. But he drank it anyway like a good husband should.

"I need to tell you something." Costa suddenly spoke up.

"Hm?" I kept my eyes on the sand, analysing the different seashells we were passing.

I was building a cute little collection to put in a jar in our penthouse. I already had some from our walks on the beach in Dubai.

"This morning, my men killed Aco Petrovic."

It's rare I'm ever caught off guard, but this was definitely one of those moments. My steps came to a complete stop and I turned to look at Costa who seemed completely at ease.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"This morning, my men killed Aco Petrovic." He repeated it again, amusement shining in his eyes.

"They killed him? He's dead. And you didn't tell me? You had a plan to kill him and you didn't think I'd want to know?"

"I didn't know if it would work." He explained. "It was a bit complicated and it's been going on for a while. Rocco and Julius have been in contact with his cousins figuring out a way to take him down from within."

"Julius? You've been working with my family?" I frowned, still trying to process what he was telling me. Is it bad I felt kind of...betrayed? Or maybe not betrayed, but at least hurt.

"Millie, you were already going through too much. Plus, you still haven't spoken to your brother since that dinner when he found out about us. I just didn't want to give you something else to stress about."

"But I-"

"For once, I just wanted to tell you some good news without all the stress and the build up." His voice softened as he stepped closer, taking my hand. "It's been weighing on my mind for the last two weeks and I know you would have been worrying about your family and mine and-"

"But you've been dealing with it alone all this time." I cut him off, taking a step away. "All this time I've been enjoying our time here and you've been silently stressing about this. You should have told me, Costa."

"I brought you here to give you a break. Why would I want to put all of this on you now when you're already so low?"

"Because I'm your wife." I spoke a lot softer this time, surprising myself with the reason for my anger. "I don't care about any of the other stuff. You've been here for me but you should have let me be there for you, too."

"I had my family handling it, Millie. I just wanted to keep you out of it until it was sorted. Now we have the Serbian Mafia on our side. Kozlov has lost his strongest ally and your family are no longer at war. This is a good thing, baby."

When I chose not to reply, Costa released a soft sigh. He took my hand, pulling me into him. He also refused to let go of my hand so I couldn't step away again.

"I appreciate your concern and your support, Millie. But you're more important to me. I don't want you to worry about things that aren't yours to worry about. My job is to handle it and then tell you the good news. Not to drag you along on the journey with me - not if I can help it."

I kind of understood where he was coming from. And I can't lie, after the things we'd been through recently, it was nice to know things were being handled.

But I also wanted to be there for him.

"Just promise me, if there is ever something you want my advice on or you want to vent to me about, you can. No matter what is happening with me."

"I promise, principessa." He leaned down, pressing his lips to mine in a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Now, come on. I want to go and watch our show." Costa grinned, grabbing my hand so we could start walking back to our villa.

If we weren't relaxing, exploring, working or having sex, we were most likely binge watching Pretty Little Liars.

I think Costa is more obsessed with it than I am. But there's no better way I'd rather spend our vacation.

<<<<<<< >>>>>>> <<<<<<<

Most of our days in Mauritius were just like that day.

We'd been in Mauritius for three and a half weeks and I have to say, I was really loving the island life.

It was serene and quiet and peaceful - a far cry from the life Costa and I were used to. The fact Costa rented a villa meant we had even more seclusion from the world.

He decided to rent a villa instead of booking a hotel room because apparently he's had enough of hotels to last a life time. But I wasn't complaining. I loved having our own independence and just being in our own private bubble. We also had staff and everything we could ever need and it was perfect.

During those three and a half weeks, we celebrated our first Valentine's Day together and my birthday. For Valentine's we stayed at our villa, but for my birthday we had dinner on a yacht.

Of course, on both days we had the most amazing sex too. As a once miserable virgin, I feel it's important to point that out.

Actually, the sex everyday was amazing. But those two days were specifically memorable.

Oh, and the day we did it on the beach.

We managed to explore the island - also going on hikes and boat rides to nearby islands. We tried out some of the different restaurants in the best hotels on the nights we didn't cook.

Considering he had so much work to do, Costa made a huge effort to spend time with me. I mean, just because we were away, it didn't mean his responsibilities were on hold. He just had to balance spending time with me and also working. But I didn't mind. I supported him whenever he had to work. I didn't want to be that wife that competed for his attention and caused him to slack in his work.

I wanted to be a supportive wife and, so far, I think I'd done pretty well.

"Babe?" I called, padding out of the bathroom in my huge fluffy robe.

"Costa?" I called again, frowning when I saw our bedroom was empty.

If he's eaten all of our food, I'm going to kick his ass. I asked the private chef he hired to cook us some dinner while I went to take a shower. But Costa was going to eat it all without me, I could just feel that shit.

Heading downstairs, I made my way into the living room where the scent of the food hit me as soon as I stepped inside. However, it wasn't the banquet laid out on the table that caught my attention - first, at least. It was Costa who was sat on the couch with his head in his hands.

"Costa? I've been calling you." I spoke softly as he looked up, watching me come closer. "Did something happen?"

"I...uh-" He cleared his throat. "I got a call from Rocco." He seemed hesitant to continue, licking his lips nervously. "I know I said you can choose when we go back...but I think we need to go now."

"Why?"

"I've told you why the twins father was killed by the Bratva, right?"

I stopped in front of him, sitting on the edge of the coffee table so I was right across from him.

"Yeah. You said he was sleeping with a woman who was part of their organisation. He went to convince her to move to Sicily because she was pregnant."

"Sì." He nodded, taking my hand. He kept his eyes on my wedding rings, fiddling with them as he spoke. "He was killed but she got away. After Luca found out, I had a team searching for her and the baby."

He paused for a moment, his movements with my hand also pausing. "Rocco said they found them."

"They did?"

"The baby is 8 months old." He whispered, still avoiding my gaze. "Her name is Marina."

"Marina." I tested it, a slow smile spreading on my face. "It's cute."

"Hm." My husband only nodded, for some reason still unable to meet my gaze.

"So...so she's the twins sister?"

The twins have a baby sister.

Wow.

They couldn't even take care of a fucking pet goldfish, never mind a baby.

"Sì. Rocco said our men found her hiding out somewhere in the States - Phoenix, I think. Maybe." Costa seemed so...conflicted. Or distracted by something. He's never really like this.

He's always so confident and assertive in everything he does.

"He took Tristano to convince her to come back to Sicily. It took some time but they'll be arriving home tomorrow evening. They're going to surprise the twins." He was still speaking quietly, fiddling with his mother's ring on my finger.

"Baby, what's the matter?" I frowned, softening my voice. I placed my hand on his cheek, gently tilting his face up so he would meet my eyes.

He hesitated for a second, guilt surfacing in his expression. "I promised you we wouldn't go home until you were ready. I'm breaking that promise."

How is it possible he can make me fall in love with him all over again?

"You're not." I shook my head, trying to reassure him.

"But-"

"Of course we should go back." I could tell he was surprised by my response from the way his eyes snapped to mine.

"What?" His wide eyes and parted lips caused me to giggle. I turned my hand over so I could intertwine our fingers, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"That baby and her mother are your family. You're going to be the head of the family one day so you should be there to welcome them home." I gave him a shy smile, shrugging my shoulders. "Plus, I want to see the twins reaction to meeting their baby sister for the first time."

Knowing those two idiots, that baby is going to keep them on their toes. But, they're going to love her so much.

And they need this. It will give them some responsibility - someone to protect instead of always being the protected ones.

"Thank you, Millie." He leaned in, pecking my lips in a short kiss. "I know I said you could choose when we go back and this was all meant to give you space-"

"It's okay. It's been more than enough, baby. We've done so much together here." I smiled, thinking back to how we spent Valentine's Day and my birthday here. "It was perfect and I've loved every second. But, I'm ready to go back - whenever you are."

I truly meant it.

For once I felt rested and recharged. I was able to zone out of our reality for the last three and a half weeks - something I don't think I'd ever done before.

I was able to spend quality time with my husband without the pressures of our responsibilities or families around us.

I was able to let go of all the tension and stress that we'd gone through in the past nine months since we got married.

And I was finally happy to go back, especially to watch Costa meet a new arrival in his family - his baby cousin.

Did you like this chapter? It was such a happy one compared to the recent ones 🥹