Riley watched as Maria was questioned by yet another FBI agent. Other agents were moving around her father’s office, extracting files from drawers and packing it in boxes for them to take away.

The urge to shoot Giovanni Moretti had been strong. The guy deserved it for not only kidnapping his only daughter, but for all the deaths he’d been instrumental in causing.

The guys had known they couldn’t go balls in and get Maria out. They weren’t a group of off the grid mercenaries. They were military. So with the information Italy had provided, not only to him but to Tex as well, the decision had been made to bring the Feds into the operation.

The FBI were more than happy to be involved in an operation to bring down one of the biggest mobsters in the U.S. They’d be chasing him for years. The information Italy had provided was only the tip of the iceberg. With what the Feds had on Giovanni as well, it had been enough for a raid to be set up, not to mention a rescue operation as well. All they needed was for Giovanni to implicate himself and he’d done that. It was up to the Feds now.

Over time he would pay a couple of visits to Giovanni to make sure he kept his distance from Maria. No way did he want to put her through anymore of what she’d been through the few weeks. He’d spoken to Tex about the tracking devices he’d given, to not only Melody and his girls, but also the women and kids on Wolf’s team. He would get one for him and Maria. He would do everything in his power to keep her safe.

His Doc.

His love.

The agent who’d been questioning Maria moved away and her shoulders slumped in tiredness. In two quick steps he was by her side.

He pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head as he traced a trail down her arm until he reached her fingers. “Hey, Doc.”

A small smile stretched his lips as she swayed into his side. “Get me out of here, Riley. Please.”

The request didn’t need to be asked twice he scooped her up in arms and strode toward the door.

“Um we will need Ms. Moretti for a little while longer.”

Riley turned toward the voice that had spoken. “What? You’re going to ask her the same questions the last three agents have all asked her? She’s tired. She’s been through enough. You’re not going to keep her any longer. I’m taking her home.”

The agent looked like he was about to protest, but then spied the look in Riley’s eyes and backed away. “Right. Well if we need anything we’ll be in touch.”

“You do that.”

Riley continued on his way until they were outside in the night air. He let Maria slide down his body as he released her from his hold, keeping his arms wrapped loosely around her waist.

They stood there for countless moments, both lost in their own thoughts.

A shudder wracked through her and Riley worked out the days event had finally caught up with her and all her emotions were being released by an onslaught of cleansing tears.

His heart ached at all she’d experienced. And it wasn’t just recently, it was a whole lifetime of living with someone who should love and protect her, but wanted her as a pawn in the sick game he called life.

“It’s over now, Doc. You’re safe, sweetheart. I swear. He won’t hurt you again.”

“I want to believe that, but you heard him. He’s got so many people on his payroll that he will be out before we know it. The moment he is, he’ll come after me. I’ll never be free.”

“Stop,” he said and took a step back so he could look into her eyes. The pain and fright dulling them had his anger at her father welling inside of him again. He tamped it down. Getting angry with Giovanni wouldn’t solve the issue in front of him. He needed to be calm. If he was calm then hopefully, some of it would radiate toward her and calm Maria as well. “Listen to me. The FBI will make sure he’s taken care of. And do you want me to be brutally honest?”

“Yes.”

“I’m pretty sure once word gets out on the streets that Giovanni has been caught, all the families who have a beef with him will be chomping at the bit to get their hands on his territory. He’ll be lucky if he survives long enough to go to trial.”

While he didn’t know it for sure, Riley could imagine that with Giovanni captured by the FBI, no other family in the New York area would want him walking the streets again.

“I hope that’s true. I don’t ever want to see my father again.”

Maria closed the small gap he’d created by stepping away from her and rested her head against his chest once more.

Contentment washed over him. He’d never given a lot of thought of having someone who he could call totally his own, until now. Today when he’d found out she’d been kidnapped he had felt like his heart had been ripped out. Now he understood all that Storm and Tex went on about when they spoke about the women they love. How they would give up their lives for them. How when their women hurt, the hurt was multiplied ten times within them. How the thought of not waking up next to the most important people in their lives crippled them.

Riley understood it all now, because that was how he felt about Maria. He hooked a finger under her chin and raised it until her gaze connected with his.

“I don’t ever want to feel what I felt when I found out that you’d been taken today, Doc. The pain inside of me was worse than any bullet wound I’ve ever had. The thought of anything happening to you brought me to my knees.” He smoothed the hair back from her face. “I know it’s too soon, and these feelings growing within me are ones I never imagined experiencing in my life. I’m falling in love with you, Maria Moretti. And it feels wonderful.”

A breath hiccupped out of her. Her eyes sparkled with the tears she’d shed. “Oh, Riley.”

His heart plummeted. Here it came, the I had a good time last night but I’m not looking for anything serious speech. What had he been thinking laying his guts out on the table for her to walk all over?

As though she could read his mind her hand cupped his cheek. “No. No, it’s not what you’re thinking. When I was taken all I could think about was you. How you would be feeling. I knew deep down you’d come and save me, even though I thought it was hopeless. Thoughts of you kept me going the whole time I was in that wretched house. I may have told my father I would do what he wanted, but I wasn’t going to. Any chance I had I was going to thwart whatever he wanted me to do. You gave me that strength, Riley. You. I’m falling in love with you, too.”

Tension raced out of his body like a bullet train racing down the train tracks. He lowered his head and captured her lips with his. Everything he felt for her he poured into the kiss. His fright at her being taken. His pride at how she stood up to her father. And last of all, the burgeoning love he had for her.

When they finally broke apart, their uneven breaths echoed around them.

“Take me home, Riley.”

“Always.”