Epilogue.2
Mario
I was on the brink of winning her over. As the evening unfolded, her eyes softened, her guard melting away with each question I posed. Hannah was a challenge from the start, and I thrived on challenges. Her feistiness and stubbornness only fuelled my desire. She was exquisite, and I yearned to explore every inch of her being.
As dinner concluded, I sensed victory within reach. “So, are we done?” She asked, breaking the spell momentarily.
With a smile, I replied, “Yes, bella,” suppressing my primal urges. After settling the bill generously, I extended my hand to her. Reluctantly, she accepted, but her defiance lingered.
Walking her outside, the air crackled with tension and unspoken desire.
“Ro,” she whispered, using my brother’s nickname for me, drawing me closer.
I couldn’t resist cupping her cheek, our eyes locking. “Tell me you don’t want to see me again,” I challenged softly, already knowing her answer.
Her lips parted, but no words escaped, confirming what I already knew.
“I want you, bella,” I confessed, brushing her cheek with my thumb, the intensity palpable. Her admission followed, tentative but undeniable.
With a slow, deliberate lean, I sealed our mutual longing with a kiss. It started gentle, a tease of what could be, until she surrendered, her response igniting a fire within me.
My hand slid possessively down her back, claiming her in the most primal way. When her lips parted, I made my move and she tasted perfect, her moan against my lips a testament to our undeniable chemistry.
“See, you like me,” I teased, a playful slap on her rear punctuating my point. Her defiance surfaced, but I relished it, knowing she’d learn to yield.
Stepping back reluctantly, I took her hand, only to be rudely interrupted by a stranger who thrust an envelope into my chest before disappearing.
Opening it revealed a foreboding black cross, a mark I recognized all too well—an ominous sign from the Genovese family.
“We need to make a pit stop urgently,” I insisted, urgency creeping into my voice.
“Will you tell me what it means?”
“Han, the less you know, the better. I want to protect you, bella. I care about you.”
“Then tell me. Keeping me in the dark doesn’t protect anyone. Hell, Ethan hid shit from Ash and look how that turned out.”
I groaned. “It means that I’ve been marked.”
“For what?”
“Death, bella.” I saw her swallowing a lump in her throat.
I smirked despite the threat looking over my head. “See, you care about me.”
“Well obviously I don’t want you to die,” she muttered.
“Just admit that you care about me, bambina.”
“Fine, I care about you,” she snapped. “I’ve enjoyed tonight and I liked...” She took a deep breath. “I liked the kiss.”
I grinned with triumph. “So did I, Han. Nothing will happen to me, bella. My family will fight whatever trouble comes our way.”
She nodded.
I pulled up outside Ethan’s house, walking straight up to the front door and knocking. Hannah came up beside me standing awkwardly.
Mags opened the door a few minutes later wearing nothing but some sweatpants. “Mario, what the fuck are you doing here at this time of night?”
“Have you received any envelopes?”
“What?” He frowned.
I barged in and looked behind the door at the letterbox, frowning when I saw the envelope sticking through it.
“What the fuck is going on?” Ethan asked, stepping into the hall with his shirt hanging open.
“How did you miss this hanging through your door?” I muttered, snatching the letter in my grasp.
“I’ve just had the damn soul sucked out of me. Sorry if I’m not paying attention to the fucking letterbox,” Mags muttered.
“Too much information,” Hannah mumbled.
“Hannah?” Ashlee appeared beside Ethan in nothing but a long t-shirt and presumably panties. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Hi Ash,” Han waved awkwardly.
“We have a problem,” I said.
“Fine, come in,” Ethan said.
I held my arm out for Hannah to enter in past me, and then we all made our way into the kitchen. I opened the other envelope and pulled out the sheet inside, revealing a identical black X to what I’d received.
“Fuck,” Mags hissed.
I pulled mine out and threw it onto the table. “Some bastard shoved this into my chest as we left the restaurant.”
“Who’s marked us?” Ethan hissed.
“Don’t you remember the rumours?” I asked. “This is the Genovese family in New York.”
“Who?” Ashlee asked. “Wait, you said restaurant. Were you two out together?”
“Ash,” Hannah said. “Don’t be mad.”
“You went on a date with him?”
She was definitely mad but that wasn’t my problem.
“Infine,” I smirked.
“Cazzo, fratello,” Ethan muttered.
“Mi importa di lei,” I hissed.
“Guys, can we get back to the matter at hand,” Mags snapped. “What the fuck are we meant to do about this?”
“Well, we find out who else has one. My bet is it’s the whole family.”
“And then what?”
“We deal with it. Dad will know what to do,” I said.
Ethan released a sigh. “Great, we deal with one problem just to have another jump in out faces.”
“Ethan, we will deal with it. We always do.”
He nodded, wrapping his arm around Ashlee’s waist. “Tell dad that I’ll be around in the morning.”
I nodded. “I’ll go over after I drop Hannah home.”
I placed my hand on Hannah’s lower back as we left, leading her back to my car. This couldn’t have come at a worse time. She didn’t need to be involved in this, but I was a selfish man. I wanted her.
The drive back to her house was quiet, and as I parked the car up outside, I turned at studied her. She was such a beautiful woman, and those lips. Fuck me, I couldn’t get enough.
“Bella, I need you to make a choice. This letter has changed things. I really care about you, bambina, and I still want you. I’ve been marked for death, but nobody can take me down that easily. You need to know that being with me comes with risks, but know that I will protect you with my life. Hannah, do you want to be mine? I will let you go if you want no part of this mess.”
She studied my face for a few moment before releasing a sigh. “I like you, Mario.”
“So, you’ll be mine?” I grinned.
“I’m not a possession.”
Fuck, this woman. “I know that. I mean, do you want to continue this between us?”
“I do.”
I crashed my lips into hers hard, my tongue begging her for access. When she caved and opened, my tongue dived in and devoured her. I was going to claim every part of this perfect woman. I was going to make her mine in every form. I just needed her to submit to be fully.
We’d need to have a talk about what it meant to be mine because she had no idea what she had just agreed to, but I’d get to that later. Right now the fact that she’s said yes was enough.
“Bella, I need to speak to my father about this new problem. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay, Ro. Thank you again for dinner.”
“It’s my pleasure.” I grinned. I watched as she opened the car door and slipped out. “And Hannah.” She turned to look at me. “Don’t speak to any strangers. Be careful.”
“Am I in danger?”
“You know the answer to that, bambina. I’ll call you tomorrow. Goodnight.”
“Night,” she replied with a smile.
As she departed into the night, I watched her disappear, knowing the storm brewing threatened everything I held dear. Yet, I vowed to protect her, to shield her from the dangers of my world. Igniting the engine, I set course for my father’s counsel, ready to confront the forces that dared challenge our family.
No one would take us down easily. The mark was a declaration of war, but I was prepared to unleash hell to safeguard those I loved. Hannah included.
I released a long breath and turned the engine back on. Now it was time to speak to my father about us being marked. I knew one thing for sure though. No fucker was taking me or my brothers down that easy. I was a force to be reckoned with when provoked, and they had just unleashed the devil.