Chapter 9
MADALINA
“ I ’m heading out with Lorna tonight,” I announce to Dario when I find him in his gym room. He’s lying on his back lifting a huge weight, so I guess I have an advantage. He says nothing to start with, just places the bar back on the rack and slowly sits himself up.
“Did you hear what I said?” I stare at him, waiting for him to try and deny me. We don’t seem to have been fighting at all these past few days and it feels kind of strange.
“I heard you.” He uses the towel beside him to wipe over his forehead then flings it over his shoulder.
“So, shall I have her pick me up around eight?” I smile as he steps toward me forcing me to step backward until my shoulders hit the mirrored wall behind me.
“Tell her we’ll pick her up at eight.” He kisses me like any normal husband would kiss his wife and it sets off that spark of thrill that I’m becoming addicted to. The smirk as he pulls away and leaves me smiling doesn’t even make me angry as he casually strolls out the room.
Until I recall what he just said.
“Wait…” I call after him.“What did you me an we ?”
I smile at Lorna awkwardly as she sits opposite myself and Dario in the limousine we picked her up in, and she smiles to herself when her eyes drop to the hand he has rested on my thigh.
“So, where are we headed?” She sounds cheery, trying to break the silence. I’m a little pissed off that Dario insisted on tagging along, but hardly surprised. He doesn’t seem to keep me out of his sight these days, even when we’re at home.
“The Vault.” He shrugs as he strokes his thumb over my thigh. We've already argued over what I chose to wear tonight, and although I’m not in the dress I wanted to be, just like the birth control situation, we managed to compromise.
“The Vault! You have got to be kidding! That place is insane, you have to either be a celebrity or a politician to get in there. I hear the owner’s so stuck up his ass that he...” She notes the way Dario slides his hand over his mouth and immediately slams her hand over her mouth.
“Oh god, you're the owner, aren’t you? I didn’t mean… I think it’s good that you…”
“Lorna.” I shake my head at her to let her know it’s a lost cause and she stays silent for the rest of the journey.
“Mr. DeMarco.” The guy at the door looks surprised to see him when we arrive and as he pulls back the red rope to allow us past the people who are in the line, Lorna grabs my hand from behind.
“This is so freaking cool,” she whispers as we pass through the foyer and into the club. We both look up and stare at the huge crystal chandeliers that hang from the ceiling and I try not to look overwhelmed by how glamorous the place is.
“Wow.” Lorna makes no attempt to hide how impressed she is and almost trips when I drag her forward, trying to keep up with Dario as he holds my hand and makes his way through all the people. I don’t know what kind of music the DJ is playing but it’s loud, sounds trancy, and has an awesome beat. Lorna bops her head to it as Dario leads us up some stairs toward another man who’s standing guard.
“Mr. DeMarco, it’s a pleasure to see you,” he calls over the music, as he lifts another red rope so we can enter the balcony that looks over the dance floor.
“Mr. DeMarco!” The waitress who comes to our table practically skids on her heels when she notices him.
“Evening, I’ll take my usual.” His eyes move to Lorna.
“Oh, ummm, can I get a glass of Prosecco?”
“Bring her a bottle of the Dom Pérignon 2025.” He shakes his head and looks almost offended by her request. “And my wife will have an orange juice.” He slides his hand behind me and tugs me closer to his body.
“A what, now?” I turn my head and look at him in disgust.
“You're underage,” he reminds me, flicking my nose with the end of his finger and smiling as if he’s acting perfectly within reason.
“So is Lorna,” I point out.
“Lorna isn’t my wife, and there's not a chance that Lorna could be carrying my–” I place my finger firmly over his lips to stop him from finishing that sentence.
“Dario, there's no–” He bites my finger and shuts me up.
“Until you get your period there’s a chance, a small one, but a chance nonetheless,” he reminds me with a wink, and although it puts the fear of dread inside me, the thought seems nowhere near as terrifying as it did before. I like the side of Dario that I’ve seen over the past few days, even if he is still overbearing.
We both look at Lorna, who immediately averts her eyes in a different direction and pretends she hasn’t heard our conversation.
The waitress returns not long after with our drinks and I roll my eyes as I lift up my orange juice and clink it against Lorna’s champagne flute.
“Dario DeMarco.” Some guy around the same age as my brother stumbles over to sit beside him, uninvited. He’s clearly wasted but Dario shoos away the guard who makes his way over to march the guy away.
“You remember me, Aleto? My uncle and your father are great friends. We spent that summer at his villa in Sicily when we were teenagers.”
“It’s been a while, how is your uncle?” Dario asks him politely.
“Never mind him, what I’ve got for you is going to blow your mind, have you heard of?—”
“Aleto, I am with my wife. Now is not the time to discuss business.” His hand slides back around my thigh anchoring me closer to him, and despite being mad at him I can’t help liking the way it feels.
“I heard you got married, though I was sure it was supposed to be the Fabriano girl?...” Aleto silences himself when he sees the warning look on Dario’s face. “Mrs. DeMarco, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He stands up and leans across the table. As his lips start heading toward my cheek, Dario’s hand quickly slides between us and grips around his throat. I see the tension in his fingers and the stiffness in his jaw as he forces him back, standing up and keeping Aleto in his grip as he backs him up toward the balcony.
“You’d better tell me that you were not just intending to put your mouth on my wife,” he snarls as he bends the top half of Aleto’s body over the edge, then pulls a gun from under his jacket and rests it against his temple. I hear all the gasps that come from around us over the music and Lorna takes my hand and squeezes it under the table.
“I was, it was just a greeting. Come on, Dario, we’re practically family.”
“Dario.” I smile nervously at all the people who are watching as I get up and go to him, and when I notice the guy starting to turn purple, I panic. “Dario, it’s fine. He was just being friendly.”
“I don’t appreciate other men being friendly toward my wife.” He takes his focus off the guy to stare back at me.
“Dario, you're hurting him.” I hear Aleto starting to choke and his hands thrash desperately as Dario continues to show his strength and holds him in a one-handed grip. “Please, put the gun away, you’re scaring me.”
His nostrils flare and he makes a low, heavy growl as he slides the gun back into his jacket and drags the man up from over the balcony.
“Attempt to touch my wife again, and her kindness won’t be able to save you,” he warns him, before grabbing the back of his head, spinning him around, and smashing his face into the thick, marble pillar beside us. “Get him out of here.” He looks over to his guard after letting Aleto’s limp body drop to the floor.
“Your nature is far too sweet for this world you find yourself in, Madalina DeMarco.” His fingers slip over my cheek to push my hair back behind my ear and despite the man he almost just killed, bleeding on the floor behind him, I can’t help taking a little comfort from his touch
“Now, aren’t you glad you didn’t drink?” Dario throws me one of his clever looks as a member of his security team loads Lorna into the back of the limousine. She’s wasted, looks like a baby deer on her feet, and can barely string a sentence together. Dario decided it was time for us to leave when she started to try and take her clothes off on the dance floor.
“You know, you two are kinda cute together.” She flicks her finger between us and tries to focus by squinting one of her eyes closed. “And if you have knocked up my best friend, I’m sure your baby will be beautiful,” she slurs, reaching over the seat to open the minibar.
“Lorna.” I shake my head and place my foot over the door to deny her access.
“Your drunk friend speaks the truth.” Dario shrugs, still looking handsome and smug at the same time.
“We are not talking about this now. In fact, we aren't talking about it at all.” I feel nerves stir in my stomach when I think about those three days he came inside me while I was unprotected. I never did anything about it, and he’s right when he says there's a chance of me being pregnant. I’ve just been choosing not to think about it.
“I don’t see anything wrong with a man wanting to give his wife his child, it’s human nature.” Dario slides his arm around me.
“Yes, it is!” Drunk Lorna spurs him on by clapping her hands and I’m surprised that when she reaches forward for a high five, he gives her one. I’d almost go as far as to say he’s having fun.
“Lorna, will you be quiet?” I give her the look that should tell her this isn’t funny anymore.
“You know, she’s starting to grow on me.” Dario looks at me and smiles.
“Come on, girl, he’s hot and you're married, I would totally let him impregnate me.” She giggles and when the car takes a corner she slides across the seat .
“No one is impregnating anyone.” I roll my eyes, unable to believe how fickle my friend is. Sober Lorna would think the idea of me and Dario having a child together is as ridiculous as I do.
“Baby, as I like to keep reminding you…” Dario wraps his arm around my neck, dragging me closer so his lips are against my ear. “...you could already be impregnated.” His other hand slides over my stomach and his teeth graze over my ear lobe, making a shiver slip down my spine.