Into the Darkness: a mafia love story

Giovanni POV: 

Pulling up to the house, I hurried her inside more men than I could count now lined our walls, Luca pulled up and hurried in after us. I had never once felt the need to question my men, but now I looked over their faces and wondered if any of them sought to hurt her. 

I guided her past every one of them, and she held onto me tightly, she always could feel safe with me, the thing I took all my pride in. Now, she was unsure of who else was going to hand her over. I would have to see to it that loyalty was an absolute, if I couldn't rely on them, this was all going to fall apart. She turned her face into my chest as we passed through the foyer, a large group of them discussing defense. At the very least, she didn't have any doubt in me, I'm sure now that it would break me if she did. 

I nodded to Luca as I got her up to the bedroom, and he turned, heading back downstairs, no doubt already starting to find out if there were any other rats on the ship. If there was one man in this world I knew wouldn't betray us, it was him. 

I started down the hall towards her room when she stopped and grabbed my arm. 

"Please, I-I don't want to be alone tonight," She blushed slightly, but there was no nefarious intention in her eyes, no innuendo in her voice. I gave in and took her to my room, the converse to her bright linen swept room. Mine was dark and cold until she stepped inside. 

She let go of me and crawled on top of my bed like she owned it, huddling her knees up to her chest. I went over to the dresser, reminding myself that she'd had a traumatizing day, any thoughts I might have should remain thoughts. 

I grabbed a shirt of mine and handed it over to her. "Here, why don't you go and take a shower," I suggested, and she nodded. 

She took my shirt and headed off I got changed myself it wasn't even five, but I was sure she was exhausted. She needed to rest after everything she had gone through, I was worried she'd gotten a concussion tumbling down that hill the bruise on her collarbone worried me as well. Still, I wouldn't torment her further with a doctor's inspection, she could be looked at tomorrow. 

I sat down on the bed, covering my face with my hands, we couldn't go on like this. I had lost good men in the office bombing, my cousin had nearly been blown to death. We were fighting the devil, and all I could think about was the fact she was in my shower naked. I would get us both killed if I didn't pull myself together. I had made grown men beg for death, toppled large corporations, ended families, and I was undone by one woman. I was a deranged fool today without her by me, irrational and bullheaded. If Luca hadn't been there to stop me, I would have walked head first into a trap, even when she'd found safety herself. We were going insane being this close yet being so far apart. Still, I couldn't give in it was too complicated. 

Just as I thought it, she exited the bathroom in nothing but my shirt and drying off her hair. A thousand times, I had thought of her like this, wrapped in my scent and covered in my clothes. She'd had a horrible day, but I was a horrible man. 

I crossed the room without reeling I had left the bed, and I had pulled her to me before I could stop myself, her lips were against mine without thought. 

Every time I had thought about this before, it was too complicated, but I had almost lost her today, all for the sake of honor. I couldn't keep her at arm's length, or else it would keep me off my game I needed every square inch of her.

The image of her sitting in the police department flashed into my head, and pulled back. "I'm sorry I-" 

She silenced me by resuming where I had left off, I grabbed her tightly, picked her up, took her to my bed, and gently sat her on the edge. I grabbed onto her thigh, releasing a sigh from her, I was horribly selfish. The day she'd had, and I was relieving my anxiety by consuming her. She took her lips off mine and traced them down my throat, it appears I wasn't the only one tired of pretending. 

I chuckled internally, focusing my mind on the feel of her skin, like silk beneath my fingertips, as soft as the ocean. I pressed further, taking her down to the bed, I had no control even though my reason was slowly returning to me, it was deafened as she pulled at the hem of my shirt. 

All those moments we had let slip by all these months, all of those days spent in quiet desperation now unleashed, and neither of us was capable of giving in. Further and further, we delved all the tension, leaving us like steam off the boiling water. We plunged ahead, only coming up for air when we were done. 

If I had ever come to regret anything in this game, it would be not giving in sooner. She lay now nestled in my arms, no fear on her face, replaced instead by bliss and serenity. I kept the onslaught of kisses and touches that I had deprived myself of as she laughed underneath me. If only she knew how long I could keep this up, she might be more uneasy. 

I did stop when I heard her stomach growl, I pouted slightly that I would have to give up my quest to keep her tangled here with me. I picked up my phone and dialed for pizza. She giddily kicked her feet beside me as I asked for the food. 

We waited together, still tied up in the sheets I would only leave this bed until it was absolutely necessary. Even then, we stayed distracted by our desires and joy, I wondered if I would she would suffer this god-awful day again if it meant we ended up here. 

"I'm not your delivery boy!" Luca snipped as he stormed into the room. The angel beside me squealed and ducked under the covers. I kept my laughter inside as Luca spun on his heel and turned a bright red. 

"Well then," He dropped the pizza on the sofa. "I'll leave you to it," He walked back out the door but not before muttering. "About damn time," 

I busted out laughing, pulling her back out of the covers. "He's gone now," 

She covered her face, her cheeks a delightful shade of red. I turned my head slightly, admiring the shade. She whacked my arm, "Stop it," She cried. "That's so embarrassing!" 

I shrugged. "It's not the worst he's seen me do. Besides, at least we weren't in a more compromising position," I raised my brows with a wicked grin. 

She rolled away from me, and I growled at the absence of her she toddled off to the couch wrapped in the sheet, grabbing the pizza before coming back to me. We had our picnic on the bed, enjoying the food we had earned. 

"You know I have to tell you something," Her face turned sullen as she brought it up. 

"What?" I brushed her hair out of her face, not wanting a dark expression to blanket her features. 

"He said that he wanted me to be his successor," She laid back on the bed. "I don't think he'll stop," 

It was a ludicrous notion, the thought of her doing anything it required to run the Capto Mafia. She had none of the evil notions that her father did, "Don't think about it, you're here with me. I pulled her over to me again, and she laid her head on my chest, eyes closed, a soft smile on her lips. 

"He won't be able to hurt anybody when we're done," I promised her.