+25 Bonus Chapter 111: I’ll Protect You With My Life
Dante’s POV
A short laugh escaped me. Not mocking. More impressed. I liked the way she pushed back even when she was scared.
“As you wish.”
I dragged her closer by her waist, my bloody hand leaving a faint smear on her dress. “You still haven’t given me an answer.”
She took a deep breath, thinking, weighing her choices. Finally, she spoke. “If my father reaches out to me, I’ll hand him over.”
Satisfaction flooded through me. I leaned closer, almost brushing her lips.
“Don’t break that trust, Gianna. I have your word now. And I don’t handle betrayal well.”
She bit her lip, nervous and still unsure. I didn’t like her hiding behind that, so I reached up and gently pulled her lip free with
my fingers.
“Use your words.”
Her lashes lowered.
“You have my word.”
Then her eyes dropped to my hand, widening. “You’re still bleeding. We forgot all about it. Come on. This needs to be cleaned.”
I looked at the cut. I had lived through far worse. “It’s going to be alright. I’ve had much worse.”
“Nonsense. We’re getting it cleaned.”
She took my wrist and led me to the bathroom. We stood in front of the mirror. She turned on the faucet and guided my hand under the water. I pulled back slightly as the water hit the open cut.
The blood swirled down the drain, pink at first, then clear as the water washed over the wound.
“Hold still.” She reached up to the cabinet above and pulled out the first aid kit. Her movements were careful and gentle as she dabbed at the wound with gauze. It stung even more, but this time I didn’t pull back. I liked that she cared enough to touch me like this. So I welcomed the pain. I would do it again.
She looked at the cut closely. It was deep but not too deep. The kind that bled heavily but would heal.
“Does it hurt?”
“A little.”
“You told me you’ve handled worse.”
I chuckled. “I have.”
She applied pressure. “When did you start fighting? How old were you?”
I let out a low breath, almost amused. “My father was a mafia king. I started as soon as I could walk.” I watched the small smile appear on her lips. “He used to take me to the shooting range when I was five. Missions not long after.”
Her head snapped up. “Shooting range? At five?”
Another quiet laugh left me. She had no idea what my childhood looked like or the weight I carried before I even understood what weight meant. “Being the only child of a mafia king meant a lot was expected.”
She stopped moving. Her eyes went wide. “Wait. You’re the only child? You don’t have siblings? Not even half–siblings?”
“No.”
She spoke almost to herself. “So you really did grow up alone. Just like me,”
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I held her gaze. “There are things we have in common, Gianna. I told you.”
She wrapped the gauze around my palm, her fingers moving like she had done this before. “Have you ever had to defend yourself? Physically, I mean.”
“No.” She taped the bandage in place. “My father kept guards around me all the time. I had no friends. He never let anyone visit. So I stuck to my books.”
I tilted my head. “So how did you learn to tend to wounds with so much skill?”
A small smile tugged at her lips. “My dad.”
She paused, watching my face, unsure if it was safe to mention him again.
“Go on,” I murmured. “I want to know everything about you.”
She swallowed, then continued softly. “Some nights he came home hurt. He taught me how to clean his wounds, how to wrap them the right way. Said I needed to learn because one day I would be doing the same for my husband.”
She scoffed under her breath. “I guess he was right about one thing”
A brief smile pulled at my mouth. She didn’t miss it.
Then she looked up at me. “Would you teach me how to fight? And shoot?”
My brows lifted. The question surprised me. “You would never need to defend yourself. I would protect you.”
She slipped her hands away from the sink, her posture firmer now. As the wife of a mafia king, I should know these things.”
Her voice held no fear anymore. “I don’t want to stand beside you and know nothing. If this marriage is going to work, then I want to learn your world. All of it. The business. The danger. Everything.”
I reached up, brushing her cheek with my good hand. She leaned into the touch without thinking. Her mind, her fire, the way she refused to be small, kept pulling me closer.
My eyes dropped to my bandaged palm. She had done it cleanly and neatly. Better than some of my own men.
“In time, pretty doll.” My thumb grazed her cheekbone. “I’ll teach you everything.”
“When?” She pressed. “When will you start teaching me?”
“Are you always this impatient?”
“Are you always this vague?” She shot back.
I laughed quietly. “Fair point. But it will happen when I decide.”
She opened her mouth, probably to argue, but I cut her off.
“The wedding preparations start tomorrow.”
Her face went pale. “Tomorrow? But I need time. To process all of this. To understand what I’m agreeing to.”
“No time.” I moved away from the sink. “It happens in a week.”
“A week?” Her voice rose. “Dante, that’s impossible. I can’t plan a wedding in a week. I need at least a month to…”
“You’re not planning anything. My people will handle it.”
“But it’s my wedding too.” She followed me out of the bathroom. “Shouldn’t I have a say in something? Anything?”
“You had your say when you agreed to the deal.”
“That’s not fair.” Her hands balled into fists at her sides. “One week isn’t enough time to take care of…..”
HELP
I cut her off. “It’s all been handled, you have nothing to fear..”
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“How can it be taken care of when we just discussed this minutes ago?” She stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Unless you’ve been planning this since the day you bought me.”
I looked down at her, a cocky, arrogant smile tugging at my lips. “I’m a man who can command thousands, move the world, bend it to my will. If I want it, it’s done. No questions, no debate.”
Her mouth opened, then closed. “L… I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to.” I leaned closer, my voice confident. “Know this, I always get what I want.”
“But a week, Dante. That’s unreasonable. What will people think?”
“They’ll think I’m a man in love who can’t wait to make you his wife.” I brushed her back. “That’s the whole point, remember? A love match to the world.”
She crossed her arms. “What about my dress? I need to be fitted. That takes time.”
“The designer will be here in a few days with options. You will choose one. She will make alterations.”
“What if none of them fit right? What if I don’t like any of them?”
I smirked, knowing it was just an excuse and had nothing to do with the dress. “Then she will make you a new one. She has seven days. Anything else can wait until tomorrow.”
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