I love this chapter 😍 Enjoy!

Question of the Day:

How are you? 🥰

"Stai bene?" (You okay?) Costa murmured next to me, squeezing my hand.

"Uh..." I took a moment to try and figure out what he said before giving my answer - the only Italian answer I knew. "Sì?"

He released a breathy chuckle, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I asked if you were okay."

"Then you should translate afterwards." I quipped back, narrowing my eyes at him. "And don't laugh at me. I told you those statistics on how hard it is to learn a new language in your twenties. You need to cut me some slack. It's not like you're going to be trying to learn Greek - you wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Okay, baby." He was still smiling after my rant, just as we pulled up to the gates of the Accardi villa.

And just like that, the nerves hit me all over again. Costa might have asked if I was okay, but I really wasn't.

The last time I saw any of his family was when I tried to kill myself. I didn't see them again after that. The very next morning, Costa was quick to get me out of there and on a plane to a much calmer and more peaceful environment.

Being in Mauritius did a world of good. It helped me take time to process everything that had happened recently, but it also helped us to connect on a much better level.

If we were ever going to survive this war, or just Mafia life in general, we needed to be strong. Costa and I needed to be on the same page at all times.

And this trip did just that.

But now, I was going to see his family again. And judging by the number of cars parked on the driveway, there was a lot of them here.

"We're late, aren't we?" I pouted my lips, cursing the stupid turbulence that delayed our landing by half an hour.

"It's okay." Costa laughed, helping me out of the car. "Come on."

He pressed a casual kiss to my temple before guiding me to the front door. His staff were already unloading our things from the car as we stepped inside the entry hall.

As usual, the first thing I saw was the huge family portrait of the Accardi family. It used to give me chills, especially looking at Costa's mother and her piercing eyes.

But now it oddly gave me a sense of comfort to know she was watching over us every time we set foot into our home.

"Costa." Rocco was the first one to greet us at the front door, coming out of the nearest living room.

He gave Costa one of those bro hugs, lingering a little longer than usual since we'd been gone for a while. As he pulled away, his eyes landed on me and an air of awkwardness rose up between us.

"Millie." He nodded, his tone softer than it usually was when he spoke to me.

"Rocco." I forced a small smile, stepping closer to Costa when all those awful memories came flooding back to me.

I lost control of myself that night and I'd regretted it ever since. That was one thing Costa did his best to try and help me through - the regret and feeling of weakness. I was so broken that night and the after effects weren't easy to navigate.

But my husband did a great job helping me through it.

Rocco seemed to understand where my mind went because he quickly changed the subject, stepping back with a smile.

"Daria is talking with Dad and Tristano right now. When you're ready, we can go and join them."

Daria was the woman who was in a relationship with Costa's uncle before he died. I'm sure they were already grilling her for information about what happened when he was killed. And, how they could use any of this information against Viktor Kozlov.

He was, after all, the last remaining problem. Once he was dead, all the threats to the Sicilians and Greeks would be finished - for now, at least.

"Where's the baby?" Costa asked, but he received his answer as soon  as soft cry came from the nearby living room.

All of us turned in the direction as excitement built up inside me.

I love babies. I could spend hours squishing those cute chubby cheeks and never get bored.

Before we could go inside though, Riviera suddenly appeared next to Rocco. She flashed Costa a bright smile, pulling him in for a hug.

The tension between them had simmered down during the Christmas period. Before she went back to Portugal after New Year's, the two of them seemed back to normal.

Things between us were still tense though. At least, that's what I thought until she turned to me.

"Millie." She seemed hesitant, taking a step towards me. "How are you?"

I frowned at her sudden, and very odd, change in behaviour. But the moment I recognised the pity in her eyes, I knew exactly why she was being like this.

And my walls shot up before I could stop them.

"Fine." My clipped tone caused her pause but then she eventually stepped closer with a renewed determination.

She took my hand, forcefully tugging me closer so she could wrap her arms around me in a hug. I stayed completely still under her touch but she didn't seem to mind as she held me in her arms.

"I'm sorry - for everything, Millie." She murmured before pulling back slightly. "And I'm sorry about what happened with Alina. That bitch is a psycho. But I'd also like to personally thank you for shoving a knife into her shoulder. Although, I don't see why you didn't just kill her. Like seriously, that was your chance to-"

"Okay, Riv. That's enough." Rocco chuckled, pulling her away from me.

"What? It's true. Millie was this close to ending her pathetic existence." She held up her thumb and pointer finger for emphasis. Then she turned to me with a bright smile as if she just had the best idea. "Shall we do it together? Think of it as a sisterly bonding experience."

"No." Costa jumped in, although I could tell he was amused by her suggestion. "You're not killing Alina together. Find another way to bond with my wife."

"You're no fun." Riviera pouted, showing just how much she fit in with this psychotic family. "Fine. But my offer is always there, Millie."

She flashed me a grin which seemed a lot more genuine than I'd ever expect from her. The longer I observed her, I felt the tension ease up in my body.

It seemed like she was really making an effort to be nice - even if it was as a result of the events of that night.

The nice moment was cut off by a loud screech followed by a cry coming from the living room.

"Marina, stop." It was Giovanni who whimpered and then Aidan who spoke next.

"You want the rattle? Have the rattle." Cue another cry and then a smash which sounded like the rattle being thrown across the room.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the baby and then you can come to Dad's office." Rocco spoke, nodding towards the living room where the cries were getting louder by the second.

Which idiot decided to leave the twins alone with a baby?

Rocco, obviously.

Costa and Rocco headed into the room but Riviera grabbed my hand before I could follow them.

"Millie." I stopped, waiting for her to speak. "I really would like it if we could start again. I'm truly sorry for how I treated you. I just...I'm a little protective of my family. I'm the only girl left after Mama died and I just assumed the role of the protective-"

"It's okay, I get it." I whispered, squeezing her hand. "I know a lot has happened, but I'm tired of always being at odds with you and your family. I'd love to start again with you."

She returned my smile just as her three year old daughter came running down the hallway followed by one of the maids. It was a chaotic scene of a giggly toddler being chased by a frantic maid.

"Uh...I should go before she does something that gets me in trouble." She gave me one last smile before chasing after the maid who was chasing her toddler.

I laughed at the scene, heading into the living room where Giovanni was currently holding a baby - by her shoulders. He was holding the crying baby at arms length while Aidan stupidly waved a toy in her face in an attempt to calm her down.

Rocco and Costa uselessly watched the scene with stupid frowns on their faces like they had no clue what to do. The poor little thing was red in the face, kicking her little legs which was causing Giovanni to hold her tighter so she didn't fall.

I dropped my purse to the floor, rushing over to the baby when she released another wail.

"What are you doing?" I gasped, quickly taking her into my arms. "You're not supposed to hold her like that."

"She wouldn't stop crying on the couch and her mother said to hold her if she gets fussy."

"Not by her shoulders." I snapped at Gio before cooing at the eight month old baby in my arms.

She had lightly tanned skin and the classic green eyes that ran in the Accardi family. She was most likely a beautiful combination of her Sicilian father and Russian mother.

"Shh." I whispered, holding her to my chest while she cried. "They didn't mean to upset you. Your brothers are just really stupid."

I spoke softly, stroking her chubby cheek to soothe her. Since we'd only just met, I was trying really hard not to squish her cheeks.

Like, really fucking hard.

But she better prepare herself because there's a lot of cheek squishing in her future.

"Sorry, Marina." Aidan frowned, stepping closer to us. "Have your toy."

He tried again to give her a little doll and this time she seemed like she was willing to accept it. She studied the toy for a moment, her cries pausing. She sniffled, resting her face against my shoulder causing her cheek to appear even chubbier.

I was dying on the inside.

Then she reached out to take the toy, gripping it in a tight fist. I rubbed her back as she held her toy, now watching her older brother as he smiled.

"You like it?" Aidan smiled, stepping in closer now she seemed to have calmed down.

That was until she screeched, throwing the toy at his face. She started crying all over again while Rocco and Costa laughed in the background.

"Ow." Aidan pouted, rubbing his nose while Giovanni picked up the doll.

"Why don't you want it?" Gio questioned her, coming in closer like that was going to help the situation. "Your mama said you like-"

She cut him off with another cry, turning her face away from her brothers. Now she had her other cheek resting on my shoulder and her little arms holding onto me.

I'm not ready for a baby.

Then she yawned and I knew I needed therapy before I made a bad decision.

It was too cute.

She's too cute.

I'm not ready.

"She's tired." Aidan pointed out, rubbing her back. Since she couldn't see the twins, she didn't cry when Aidan touched her.

"There's a crib upstairs." Rocco announced. "We had one delivered when Daria agreed to move here."

It was only then that it really hit me that this little baby was going to be living with us now in Sicily.

It seemed Costa was thinking something similar because his eyes were glued to the baby and I. There was an intensity in his green orbs I hadn't seen before.

Why's he looking at me like that?

"Millie, will you take her? We need to go to my father's office. You can join us when you're done." Rocco broke the weird tension in the room, forcing me to look away from my husband.

"Sure." I smiled, glancing down at the chubby baby in my arms. "I'd love to."

"The twins will show you to their room."

"We will?" Gio frowned, still holding the doll.

"Yes, you will." Rocco narrowed his eyes at his younger cousin before finally leaving the room.

I shifted my gaze to my husband who was still looking at me. We had a lingering stare before he eventually turned around, following Rocco down the hallway.

"Did you feel the sexual tension too?" Gio nudged Aidan next to me, apparently trying to whisper.

"It's all I could feel, bro." Giovanni replied.

"Shut up." I glared at the two of them, adjusting the baby in my arms when her eyes began to droop. "Let's go."

The twins led me up the grand staircase, without their usual bickering because of the presence of their new baby sister. Every few steps, Giovanni would look back at Marina with a mix of curiosity and unease, while Aidan seemed more focused on keeping his steps quiet to avoid waking her fully.

It was strange being back here after so long. The last time was after New Year's - around two months ago. As I walked through the house, memories of past encounters with Costa's family flashed through my mind. But after what happened that night before Costa whisked me away to Mauritius, it seemed things were okay for now. I just hoped our relationship wasn't as fragile as it felt.

We finally reached one of the guest rooms on the opposite side of the house from where the Accardi family slept. No doubt these idiots decided to put the baby across the house so they wouldn't get disturbed during the night by her crying.

Pftt, when Costa and I have a baby, our child will be keeping them all up every night.

Bitch, you're not ready.

Oh shit. Yeah, I'm not ready.

It was a spacious room with pastel walls and a large window that let in soft sunlight. A crib stood in the corner, surrounded by plush toys and baby supplies. Lots of baby supplies.

They really went all out for their new arrival.

"Here." Giovanni said, gesturing to the crib with an exaggerated flourish. "Her new palace. Fit for a baby princess."

I gently lowered Marina into the crib, careful not to disturb her peaceful state. She stirred slightly, then settled back into her slumber, a tiny fist clutching her blanket.

"She's really cute." Aidan murmured, leaning over the crib with a soft smile. "Who knew babies could be this...small."

"And loud." Giovanni added, though there was no malice in his voice, just a trace of wonder.

I watched them, the twins who had once been the center of chaos, now looking at their baby sister with a mix of awe and protectiveness. This new responsibility might just be what they needed.

"She'll need both of you. You know that, right?" I kept my eyes on her sleeping form, gently stroking her cheek. "She doesn't have a father now. She'll need you to guide her through this life."

"Yeah." Aidan replied, his gaze also still fixed on Marina. "We'll take care of her. Promise."

I believed them. Despite their usual antics, there was a depth of loyalty and love in these boys that I had come to understand over time.

"Good." I gave them a reassuring smile before turning back to the sleeping baby. "Now, let's leave her to rest. She's had a big day."

We quietly left the room, closing the door softly behind us. The moment we stepped into the hallway, the twins resumed their usual banter.

"So, how was your vacation?" Aidan smiled.

"Good." I replied, heading down the hallway towards the stairs.

"You're glowing." Gio grinned. "You guys must have had fun, huh?"

"Giovanni." I warned, heading down the stairs with the two idiots following me.

"What? The sun did your skin wonders." He smirked, feigning innocence. I can't say I missed Giovanni while we were gone.

When we reached the main floor, the house felt unusually quiet. We made our way to Edoardo's office where he was holding a meeting with Daria.

I paused outside the door, taking a deep breath before entering - coming face to face with Edoardo Accardi after so long.

Inside, Costa stood near his father behind the desk. Rocco and Tristano were standing off to the side of the room and Daria sat across from Edoardo at the desk.

I know they were trying to be nice to her in their own way - the coffee and plate of cookies on the table next to her said it all. But they were treating her like she was being interrogated.

"Millie." Costa's father greeted me with a nod, his voice as steady and authoritative as ever. "Welcome back."

Is he being nice? I can't tell if he's being nice.

"Thank you," I replied as the twins closed the door behind us.

"We have much to discuss." He continued, his gaze shifting to Costa and then back to me. "But first, let me introduce you to Daria."

I took a moment to study the brunette Russian woman, her flawless skin and striking brown eyes. She wasn't old like I expected since Costa's uncle was in his fifties when he died.

She was young - very young.

"Daria this is Costa's wife. Their marriage formed an alliance between us and the Greek Mafia." The way he was speaking to her was a lot politer than he ever has with me. But it was still cold, as one would expect from Edoardo.

She took a moment, no doubt studying me too before she finally nodded, speaking with a thick Russian accent. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too." I smiled, hoping to ease her tension. "You have a beautiful daughter, by the way."

"Thank you."

"I'm sure she'll love living here, there's always so much going on - especially with these two around." I nodded towards Gio and Aidan who grinned in response.

"She's lucky to have such a big family." Daria smiled, seeming to relax more and more. "And two brothers."

"I have a question." Gio raised his hand, his eyes focused on Daria. "Are we supposed to call you mom now?"

His stupid question caused Costa and his brothers to laugh while Edoardo only shook his head in amusement.

"Do I look old enough to be your mother?" She scoffed, although her lips did twitch into a smile.

"How old are you?" Aidan asked, his tone laced with a curiosity.

"That's rude." I snapped at him, earning a confused frown from the 19 year old.

"What? How is that rude? I just want to know how old she is."

"You're not supposed to ask women their age. It's bad manners." Edoardo was the one who answered Aidan's question, amusement shining in his eyes.

"That's stupid. I just want to know how old she is." Aidan frowned.

"What if I went on a date but the girl turned out to be under age because I didn't ask her how old she is?" Giovanni's question had me rolling my eyes among the few laughs.

"Just don't ask women who are older than you. They're sensitive about their age or some shit." Tristano explained, but the twins still remained utterly confused.

"So, I can't know how old Daria is?" Aidan scoffed, refusing to give up on his mission.

"I'm 26." She finally huffed, relaxing back into her chair. "He forgot to mention how irritating you both are."

This time I joined in the laughter at the expense of the twins.

"But, Dad was 51." Gio murmured thoughtfully while studying the young Russian woman. "Damn, he did good."

Once again, the men in the room laughed while I rolled my eyes, dropping down on the chair next to Daria. I wasn't about to stay standing intimidatingly around her like the rest of those morons. Plus, I was tired from our flight back.

"You'll get used to them." I sighed, taking one of her cookies off her plate. I caught Costa's eyes as I took a bite of the heavenly cookie. His plump lips twitched into half a smile while we held eye contact.

"Now that that's over, let's address the most immediate concern: ensuring the safety and well-being of Daria and Marina." Edoardo shifted the conversation to logistics, security, and the future, especially with our intensifying war with Viktor Kozlov.

The fact Daria had finally moved to Sicily wouldn't sit well with Kozlov - probably out of pride more than anything. He killed Costa's uncle for his relationship with her and he tried to kill her too.

Unfortunately for Viktor, that knowledge was now fuelling the Accardi's anger towards him even more.

So far, the Bratva were responsible for the deaths of Costa's mother and uncle. They were using any means possible to bring down the Sicilian Mafia - either through physical war or business dealings. That's not to mention all the threats and chaos they've brought into our lives.

"Costa, when will you next be in New York?" Edoardo turned the attention to Costa who instead looked over at me.

"I'm not sure. Whenever Millie is ready. But, Luca's handling everything there right now."

Costa really meant it when he said he would put me first.

"I don't think we need to go back yet." I voiced my opinion, surprising myself with the strange desire to stay in Sicily - for now at least. "But if Costa needs to, I don't mind."

"No. It's good to have you back here while we work on our plan." Edoardo spoke, although I'm sure his words were aimed at his son and not me. "It's also safer to be on home territory. Maybe you can go in a couple of weeks to check in on everything."

"What is your plan?" Some might say I have a lot of guts to outright ask Edoardo Accardi what his plan is when it comes to the Bratva. But so far, no one was telling me anything of use.

I couldn't tell what he was thinking when he looked at me - the rest of the room remaining completely silent.

"We're playing the long game." He answered after a moment of holding my stare. "We have the Serbs and the Greeks handling their sides of the plan. When it's our turn, we'll play our part."

"And that is?" I probed, still not satisfied with the answer. This time Costa jumped in, answering the question instead of his father.

"The Serbs are handling the main situation in Europe - physically and financially. The Greeks will be weakening him in New York so he'll start to lose international control. When it's our turn, we're going put a plan in place to kill Kozlov."

"And what if he retaliates? My family live in New York, Costa. He's got a strong hold there."

"Not as strong without the support of Aco Petrovic. He relied too heavily on his arms and his men to get jobs done for him. He knows he's a target now, so he'll have his men laying low. We just need to wait for him to become paranoid - that's when he'll start making mistakes."

"Plus, Julius has already said your family will be moving to Athens for a while - once they've got things under control." Rocco added the last part from his place at the side of the room.

"What about Alina? She's hell bent on destroying our alliance." When I mentioned her name, you could almost feel the blanket of tension settle around us. The sudden change in mood caused me to frown, looking around at the silent Accardi's. "What?"

"Non glielo hai detto?" (You didn't tell her?) Rocco asked Costa.

"Era già troppo per lei. Non volevo spingerla oltre il limite." (It was already too much for her. I didn't want to push her over the edge.)

I looked between Costa and Rocco who were busy glaring at each other, having some tense conversation in Italian.

Of course they'd switch to Italian when they didn't want me to understand.

"Costa?" I cut in, raising an eyebrow at my husband. Let's just see if this bitch dares to lie to me.

He won't get away with it.

He was reluctant to tell me, but my glare and the expectation from everyone else in the room seemed to force him to spill the beans.

"Kozlov and Alina put a bounty on your head."

So maybe I should have let him keep that one to himself.

A bounty in the criminal underworld wasn't something to be taken lightly. It essentially means anyone looking to get in favour with Kozlov, anyone who wants an alliance with him, anyone who wants a reward or just a leg up the ladder - all of these people will be coming after me.

"So that's why we stayed in Mauritius for so long?" Costa suggested we lay low after what happened, I just didn't know he was trying to hide me from all the vultures who would no doubt be circling now.

It also explained why his family weren't calling him to come back. It was strange that Edoardo allowed Costa to be away for so long, but now it makes sense.

He didn't have a choice.

"I thought it was better you didn't know." Costa murmured, watching me carefully from where he stood behind his father's desk.

I took a deep breath, trying to absorb this new information. My heart pounded with a mixture of fear and anger. I understood Costa's intentions, but I hated being kept in the dark - and he knew that.

"Better for me or for you?" I asked, my voice sharp. Costa's eyes softened, but he didn't flinch.

"For both of us." He clarified. "You were already dealing with so much. I didn't want to add to your burden."

I looked around the room, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on me. Daria's expression was a mix of sympathy and concern, while Edoardo's gaze was unreadable. Rocco and Tristano seemed tense, like they were ready for an explosion. The twins stood quietly in the back, watching with concern.

"And now? What's the plan to protect me?" I demanded, shifting my focus back to Costa.

"We're increasing security while we try to counteract the threat." Edoardo interjected, his tone firm. "You'll have guards with you at all times. We'll also limit your movements to places we can secure properly."

I nodded, though I felt a sense of confinement already settling in. The thought of being constantly watched and guarded was suffocating, but necessary, I guess.

"And my family? Are they aware of this?" I asked, turning my attention to Rocco since he was apparently dealing with my family the most.

"They know." He nodded. "They're helping us to try and fight off any threats."

"Good." I said, trying to mask the anxiety in my voice. "But we need to be proactive. We can't just sit around and wait for these idiots to come after us...or me."

Edoardo gave a slow nod, a hint of approval in his eyes. "We are. We're working on trying to target any possible threats. But, information is key. Daria might have insights we can use against Kozlov to speed this up."

Daria, who had been silent so far, looked up at the mention of her name. "I'll help in any way I can."

"Thank you." I said, offering her a small smile.

Before anyone could drop anymore bombshells on me, Edoardo's phone rang, effectively ending the meeting.

Without needing to be told, we all filed out of the office with Costa being the last by the door.

"Costa." Costa paused behind me at the sound of his father's voice. "Metti tua moglie a suo agio. Dille che starà bene." (Put your wife at ease. Tell her she'll be okay.)

"Sì." Costa nodded, sparing him one last look before closing the door softly behind himself.

"What did he say?" I asked as we walked down the quiet hallway, a few steps behind everyone else.

"He wanted me to reassure you that you'll be okay."

That's...nice?

"Are you sure that's what he said? You know, your father has never really liked me. I wouldn't be surprised if he kept a journal on ways he could kill me." I can't say I haven't thought about keeping a similar journal for him. Because I have.

"I don't think he has that kind of time." Costa mused, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "And he wouldn't really need a journal. He's already very skilled. And, he has the best assassins and torturers at his disposal."

"Is that a threat?" I scoffed. Let's just see if this bitch can take me. He may be extremely powerful, but he's old. I could take him. I have my knife.

Edoardo Accardi should be scared of my knife.

"Do I even want to know what's going through your head right now?"

"I could take you too, bitch." I muttered, narrowing my eyes at my husband.

"Have you been drinking?" Costa came to a stop, a frown on his face. Although, I could tell he was amused.

"No, but that's a good idea. Let's go drinking." I just found out the Russian Bratva have had a bounty on my head for almost a month while I've been chilling on a beach without a care in the world.

I think I deserve a fucking drink.

"If you get drunk, I'm not taking care of you."

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

"And th-then! He said...don't get lost in f-fairytales." I hiccuped, gripping my glass tight in my hand as my anger flared towards my husband. "He didn't even give T-Tangled a chance."

"What's Tangled?" Rocco asked, pouring himself another glass of Campari.

I've just been explaining about Tangled!

"It's a fucking cartoon about some bitch with glowing hair." My husband spoke drily, sipping calmly on his whiskey.

"Hey!" I suddenly sat up on the couch, narrowing my eyes at him. "She's not a bitch."

"Hm." Costa sighed. He downed his glass of whiskey, tossing the glass roughly down on the coffee table. "Are you ready to go-"

"No." I shook my head, clutching my glass to my chest like it was the most precious chalice. Because it was. "I'm not finished."

We were currently in one of the living rooms in the Accardi villa after our night out drinking.

"I think you drank the entire fucking bar dry." My brother in-law muttered, still as stone cold sober as my husband. "Now you're almost through our own personal supply."

That's not true. They had way more alcohol in the cellar. I saw it when Lula lost her purple ball in the cellar.

She was too scared to go down there so she sent me to go alone. I swear I saw a fucking ghost.

Probably Edoardo Accardi killed him and then stashed his body in the wine cellar.

Bitch.

"Come on, Millie. You've had enough." Costa was in a bad mood with me because I was having fun and he didn't know how to have fun.

I was the only one who really embraced the whole point of our outing. We were supposed to go out drinking. In the end, I drank and they sat there all moody.

Like two moody zebras.

You know, because their suits were black with white shirts?

Or maybe penguins.

I don't think he's ever had fun before.

Well, maybe he did with someone else.

Probably another woman.

What a fucking cheat.

"How dare you." I narrowed my eyes at him, downing the last of my drink. "I'm your wife."

"What?" He frowned, his green eyes swirling with confusion.

Or the room was swirling. I couldn't tell.

"You had fun with some other woman. We're supposed to have fun together but no, you decide to go and-"

"That's enough." He sighed, standing up from the arm chair he was sitting on.

Lucky arm chair.

You think he'll sit on me if I ask?

"Let's go. I've had enough of you to last me a fucking life time." He used two fingers, pointing towards the door with so much authority like he thought he was my dad.

He wasn't. My dad was a power hungry Greek psychopath.

"I'm not going." My bratty side came out to play as I stood up, wobbling in my heels. "I'm thirsty."

"Yeah?" Costa breathed, coming in closer to me. "I don't give a fuck."

"That's mean, you-Hey!" Everything was upside down. But I did get a good view of Costa's very nice ass covered by his suit jacket.

"Goodnight." Rocco smirked, lifting his glass in my direction while Costa carried me out of the living room.

"Put me down! I won't tell you again!"

"Costa, it's all spinning."

"If I throw up, I'll just choke."

"I swear, I'm going murder you-"

"Shut up." He sighed, using his free hand to open our bedroom door. He carried me over to our bed, carefully sitting me down at the edge.

It took a good few moments for me to gather my bearings, now that the room had slowly stopped spinning.

"Fuck. Millie, stop." Costa groaned, trying to push my hand away. I was still sat at the edge of our bed, now trying to get away from my ferocious husband.

"Then stop trying to steal my Jimmy's."

"I'm not. If you want to get into the bed then you need to take your shoes off."

"I'm not having sex with you, C-Costa." I hiccuped, narrowing my eyes at him.

"What?" He blinked from his place kneeling down by my feet.

"You're trying to take my Choos off so I'll have sex with you. I won't. We're not friends like that." I clarified, pointing a finger at him warningly.

"We're married." He gave me a deadpan expression like that was meant to help his case.

"So that means you get to stick your penis in my-"

"Okay." He sighed, pushing himself up to his full height. He's so tall. "Take your own fucking shoes off."

"That's what I thought, bitch." I scoffed, watching him take a short step away from me but then pause when he heard what I said.

"One more fucking word and I swear I'll kill you, Millicent."

Oh. He brought out my full name.

Sexy.

"What if I want to say hello? Does that count as a word?"

"Yeah, I'm fucking done with your annoying ass." He muttered, reaching behind himself to pull his gun out.

I couldn't help it. I gasped. "Costa! My ass is not annoying! It's plump and juicy."

"Fucking hell." He pulled back the hammer of his gun, pressing the tip to my forehead. "Any last words, crazy?"

I should have been concerned but instead I giggled, trying to look up at the gun that was pressed to my forehead. "I didn't prepare anything. I didn't know this was happening."

I'm sure I saw his lips twitch at the corners, but otherwise his expression remained highly annoyed.

And that was dampening my mood.

"I'm tired now." I sighed. "Can you kill me tomorrow?"

"Sure, baby." My husband sighed, pulling the gun away. Then he pressed a kiss to the spot on my forehead where the gun was. "Whatever you want."

"Thanks." I grinned, shuffling to the edge of the bed again. "Now take my Choos off."

This was the part when I think he was truly ready to murder me. He gave me the most incredulous, are you fucking serious kind of look.

"Please?" I smiled, tapping my shoes together like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

I love that bitch.

"Fucking irritating brat." He grumbled, getting back down on his knees to undo the buckles.

That's what I thought, bitch.

I didn't say that out loud because, even in my intoxicated state, I knew it would be the end of my life.

Once my shoes were off, I decided to stumble into the bathroom to take a shower. I lazily took off my make up before stepping into the shower. It's safe to say the shower did a good job of sobering me up - a little, anyway.

Half an hour later, I was in bed waiting for Costa to get in next to me. He switched off his lamp and I felt the bed dip. Seconds later he came up behind me, placing his arm over my waist.

He didn't say anything, he just pressed a kiss to my cheek. I think he was trying to sleep while I just stared straight ahead into the dark room.

"I'm sorry."

"Hm?" He asked sleepily. "What for?"

"Annoying you." I sniffled, turning a little so I could see him behind me. "I didn't mean to make you so mad."

"You have nothing to apologise for, principessa." He frowned, stroking my cheek. "I'm not mad."

"You're lying."

"Okay, maybe I was slightly annoyed. But I'm fine now. We're good." He smiled, wiping away the few tears that leaked from my eyes. "You've had so much going on. It's okay."

"I shouldn't have got so drunk. We just got home and then you had to deal with my drinking and-" My voice cracked, more tears gathering in my eyes. "I'm scared."

There were people all over the world who heard that Kozlov wanted me dead.

That meant people who didn't know me - people who had no real reason to hurt me - were coming after me.

If I've learned anything, power can make people do anything - even kill someone they have no personal issues with.

"They're going to come for me. Someone's going to take me to Kozlov or kill me or-"

"Shhh, Millie. Calm down. It's okay." He frowned, turning me in the bed so I was fully facing him. "Listen to me, you're safe here in Sicily. No one is going to hurt you."

"But-"

"I promise, baby. You're safe with me. Always." He leaned in, pecking my lips with so much tenderness.

"But now you're forced to stay in Sicily because of me." All because that stupid blonde bitch couldn't leave me alone in the bathroom. "We have no choice but to stay here."

"So? It's my home and now it's yours too."

"Is it?" I sniffled.

"Of course it is. You have me, my brothers and the twins, Lula and even Marina. She liked you." Costa smiled, referring to his baby cousin who fell asleep in my arms earlier.

"I'm excited to play with her." I grinned, despite my cheeks still being damp with tears. "And Riviera was nice to me too."

"She was." Costa nodded, smiling softly while he played with a lock of my hair. "Maybe she can be your friend?"

"Maybe." I murmured, thinking back to our earlier interaction when Costa and I first arrived home from Mauritius. "Are you sure we can't kill Alina together?"

Costa released a breathy laugh, leaning in to press a kiss to my cheek. "I'm sure, baby. Maybe you can bond over movies or something?"

That suggestion had me perking up, my excitement spiking. "We can watch Tangled!"

I love Tangled.

"You think she's still awake?" I started pushing the covers away with the intention of going to find my sister in-law, but Costa was quick to rain on my parade.

"It's midnight. She has a toddler asleep in her room, Millie."

"She can watch too." I shrugged. "Everyone loves Tangled. Well, everyone but you."

"Maybe tomorrow. You're still drunk." He pointed out, pulling me back into his arms.

"Just a little bit." I pouted, knowing I wasn't going to be getting out of his hold anytime soon. "I'll just wait for you to fall asleep then I'll go. Let's see if you can stay awake all night, bitch."

I spoke so challengingly, but Costa just stared at me with an amused expression. "I think the question is, can you stay awake all night, principessa?"

"Of course I can. I'm a boss bitch."

"Hm?" He hummed, guiding my face to the crook of his neck. "Boss bitches need to sleep too."

"Not me. I'm too cool."

The last thing I heard before I fell asleep with Costa's velvety laugh. "Goodnight, my love."

What did you think? Drunk Millie is a classic 🥲🤩