When my head’s above water, I yank out the mouthpiece and breathe before pulling off my goggles. Hers are already pushed from her eyes to her head. Her wet hair borders her face in a messy wave. The cage is still being cranked up. The waterline slaps at our shoulders.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“Yes.” I reach for her, slowed by the water.

“Was it fun?”

“I don’t know.” I kiss her salty lips. “Was it?”

“The best.” She puts her arms around my neck and returns my kiss, opening her mouth for me so I can taste her excitement. We’re linked all the way up until the cage bangs onto the deck.

“Da!” Nico cries.

“How was it?” Mom asks when we’re out. The baby’s arms are wide, squirming away.

“Da!”

“Fantastic.” Sarah reaches for Nico, but he pushes his little hands to me. I take him.

“So you won’t have to do that again,” Mom says, releasing her grandson.

“Nope,” I say with Nico’s hand cupping my nose.

“No.” Sarah whips her goggles off her head. “We’re not doing it that way again.”

“What way?” I ask.

“Next time, no cage.”

No cage?

“Excellent,” Rylee cheers. “That’s a very popular experience with guests.”

“Experience?” What is she talking about? I’ve been shot. I’ve been held captive, starved, and tortured. Those are experiences. Sharks without a cage is more like choosing a nightmare.

“Da!”

“Are you going to do it with me?” Sarah asks.

I’m going to back out of this one. She can do it herself.

Sarah takes my arm and leans into me. Her lashes are stuck together and droplets of saltwater bead on her lips.

I don’t want her to experience a single thing without me at her side.

“It has to wait until next shark season,” Rylee says.

That’s next year. I have time. My wife can’t go underwater with sharks if she’s pregnant.

I’m going to work on that. Daily.

“Not a problem!” Sarah assures her then turns to me. “Next year, no cage. Okay?”

Okay? As if she needs my permission to drag me back underwater.

“No cage?” Mary wrings her hands.

“No cage, Mom!”

“Nocah!” Nico chirps.

Sarah gasps. Mom claps her hands together. That’s the first thing he’s said besides Da!

That settles it. I can’t argue with Nico. Or Sarah. Or anything.

“No cage,” I say, holding my son at my side and pulling my wife close. “Never again.”

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER

The dark, sensual world of Mafia Bride and the Manhattan Mafia series continues with Mafia Kingdom, a brand new standalone from the NYT bestselling author CD Reiss.

If you’re looking for something to tide you over until Mafia Kingdom is out, I recommend The DiLustro Arrangement…a complete mafia romance trilogy.