17. Gabriella
“Where are we going?” I ask Dante as we get in the car and speed off. “Back to the safe house?”
“Yes. Hopefully, they won’t find it. I don’t have any other place lined up, and I need a spot where I can defend myself.”
I stare at him. “You mean in case my brothers find you? You’re preparing for a shootout, aren’t you?”
“If it comes to that, yes.” He grips the wheel so tightly it makes his knuckles whiten. “How did they find us there?”
“I think it was an accident.”
“There are no accidents when your brothers are looking for me, and their wives just happen to show up at the one restaurant we decided to eat at.”
“But why?” I ask while I hold onto the door handle. Dante is driving fast and swerving around cars to get away. “Why send my sisters-in-law? My brothers would do anything to protect them. They wouldn’t send them to confront you.”
He lets out a slow sigh. “You’re right.”
“I know I’m right. It was an accident. Maybe they were taking a vacation out of the city and just happened to be there right at the same time. It was bad luck, but it was an accident. I don’t think my brothers know where you are.”
“They will soon. Your sisters saw us. There’s no way they won’t tell their husbands.”
I slump back into my seat. “I know. You’re right.”
“I know I’m right,” he says, flashing me a small smile, which makes me smile in return.
“So, what are we going to do?”
“We’re going to go back to the safe house and wait. It’s defensible.”
“I don’t want you to die,” I admit in a soft voice.
Dante looks at me with surprise before returning his eyes back onto the road. “I don’t want to die either.”
After we reach the safe house and hurry inside, Dante barricades the door with the couch. He locks every window, then covers them. Then, he grabs a rifle from the closet and places it on the kitchen table.
“Just in case,” he says when he catches my eyes.
“Well, just in case you don’t survive this, I want you to kiss me again.”
“Gabriella, we might not have time.”
“We have time.” I grab his face and press my lips to his in a lingering kiss. Dante responds, grabbing my waist and pulling me closer. “This might be our last time together. Let’s make it count.”
He growls as he lifts me into his arms and carries me into the bedroom. The thought of losing Dante really does scare me. I’ve grown to care deeply for him in the short time I’ve known him. He can offer me the life I’ve always wanted—one of excitement. That is, if my brothers don’t kill him first.
Within seconds, we’re naked in each other’s arms.
Dante lays me onto my back and gets on top of me. “I don’t want this to be the last time we share together,” he says, sounding the most sincere I’ve ever heard him.
Tears spring to my eyes, and I blink to push them aside. “I don’t want this to be our last time either.”
“Let’s make it count.” He kisses me deeply as he opens my legs and settles between them. I clutch his shoulders as he thrusts into me, much more gently than he’s ever been. Despite the gentleness, there’s a desperation in how he makes love to me.
I gasp as our bodies move faster. Our rhythm is perfectly in sync with each other.
Dante grinds his hips down, entering me deeper, and my moan catches in my throat. He wraps his arms tighter around me, making me feel safe. Who knew I could see safe with the man who kidnapped me? But I don’t view what Dante did as kidnapping. I view it as him freeing me.
Every time he moves his hips, his cock brushes that perfect spot within me. Pleasure spreads farther and farther up my body until I can’t hold it back anymore. I come.
“Dante!” I moan, burying my head into his neck.
He quickly follows after me, groaning as he comes.
We’re lying in each other’s arms when there’s a loud bang at the front door. We jerk apart. Dante doesn’t have time to reach for his gun before my three brothers burst into the room. Rocco sees me in bed with his enemy, and I know what he must be thinking—that Dante has taken me against my will.
“Rocco,” I start to say, but he’s already rushed to Dante. Rocco pulls him off me and tosses Dante onto the ground. “Stop!”
Rocco grabs his gun and points it at Dante’s head. He’s going to kill the man I love.
I jump out of bed—noticing both Massimo and Emilio avert their eyes because of my naked state—and stand in front of Dante.
Rocco jerks back. “Gabriella? What are you doing? Get dressed.”
Massimo hands my clothes over to me, and I quickly change into them.
“There,” I say. “Better?”
“Get out of the way,” Rocco says. “I’m going to finally kill Dante.”
“How did you find us?” I ask.
“Lara called me. I was able to figure out where you were from there. Now, Gabriella, I’m here to save you and kill Dante. So, move.”
“No. I’m not moving because I don’t want you to kill Dante.”
Massimo raises his eyebrows and whistles. “Talk about a change of plans.”
“Shut up,” Rocco tells him before turning back to me. “I’m taking you home.”
“Fine. I’ll go home with you. But do not kill Dante. I’ll hate you forever if you do.”
Rocco looks taken aback, but slowly, he nods. “Fine. I won’t kill him. Not yet, anyway. I want to torture him for what he’s done to you. Come on. Let’s go.” He grabs my arm and takes me out of the room. Looking back, I see Massimo and Emilio lifting Dante and dragging him out behind us.
None of this is good. None of this is what I want.