THE DON'S BRIDE

Rossi… please

I glanced back toward the ballroom where my men and her father’s were securing the area. Marco Romano was barking orders, face pale. Lorenzo stood nearby, eyes locked on Kiara in my arms with barely concealed fury and jealousy.

Let him look.Let them all look.Bianca Moretti was nowhere in sight. Interesting,I tightened my grip on Kiara, one hand possessively cradling the back of her head while the other stroked down her spine.

“You’re mine now, little virgin,the wedding happens in two weeks,And until then, you stay with me,In my house,Under my constant watch.”

“But first… I need to find out who ordered this attack. And when I do, their entire bloodline will wish they’d never been born.”

She pulled back slightly, eyes flashing with defiance even through her fear. “My family...”

“Your family almost got you killed tonight,” I cut her off coldly. “From now on, your only family is me.”

I pressed another hard kiss to her forehead, tasting the salt of her skin mixed with the metallic tang of blood.

“Come, *mia moglie*. Let’s go home so I can clean the blood off both of us… and show you exactly how a Don protects what he owns.”

I led her away through the c*****e,stepping over bodies, her small hand gripped tightly in my blood-stained one,I felt the dark obsession settle deeper into my bones.

Kiara Romano would be my wife.And I would burn the world to the ground before I let anyone take her from me.

****

The armored SUV cut through the rain-slicked streets of Milan like a blade,I sat in the back with Kiara pressed tightly against my side, her small body still trembling from the adrenaline crash.

My arm was locked around her shoulders, fingers idly stroking the bare skin of her arm while my other hand rested on her thigh, thumb tracing slow, possessive circles over the crimson fabric.

Blood stained my shirt and suit jacket,dark, drying patches that marked every life I’d ended tonight,the metallic scent mixed with her sweet perfume, creating something darkly intoxicating.

She hadn’t spoken since we left the venue,her eyes were fixed on the window, but I could feel her pulse racing under my fingertips.

Good.

I wanted her afraid,I wanted her wet,I wanted her to understand exactly who she belonged to now.

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror once. One look from me and his eyes snapped back to the road. Smart man.

We pulled through the iron gates of my estate on the outskirts of the city,high walls, armed guards, floodlights,a fortress,my fortress,and now hers.

As soon as the car stopped, I stepped out and pulled Kiara with me, lifting her into my arms bridal-style when her legs threatened to buckle,she gasped softly but didn’t fight me,her hands clutched my bloody shirt as I carried her up the wide marble steps into the main house.

“Rossi… put me down,” she whispered, voice hoarse.

“No.” My tone left no room for argument. “You’re shaking,and I like having you exactly where I can feel every tremble.”

Inside, the staff had already been alerted. Lights were dimmed, but my head of security, Matteo, waited in the foyer with a quick nod.

“Perimeter secure, Don. Three of Romano’s men are in the holding cells downstairs. One might talk.”

“Later,” I said curtly. “No one disturbs us tonight.”

Matteo’s eyes flicked to Kiara for half a second before he wisely looked away. “Understood.”

I carried her straight to my master suite on the top floor,massive, dark, dominated by a king-sized bed draped in black silk, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the lit gardens, but the heavy curtains were already drawn,privacy,control.

I kicked the door shut behind us and finally set her on her feet, but I didn’t step back. Instead, I backed her against the wall, caging her in with my arms on either side of her head.

Her crimson gown was ruined,blood smears on the silk from where I’d held her,strands of dark hair had escaped their pins, framing her flushed face,those wide eyes looked up at me, a intoxicating mix of fear, defiance, and unwanted arousal,I know she hates me and right now she only feels safe around me, I'm just going to play along for today.

“Look at you,” I murmured, voice low and rough,one hand came up to cup her jaw, thumb smearing a streak of dried blood across her cheek.

“Covered in the blood I spilled for you,my perfect little virgin, already marked.”

She swallowed hard. “My father… Lorenzo… they’ll want to know I’m safe.”

“They can wait.” I leaned in, brushing my lips against hers in a teasing almost-kiss. “Tonight, the only person who matters is me,and you.”

My hand slid down her body slowly, deliberately, tracing the curve of her waist, the flare of her hip, until I reached the slit in her dress,I pushed the fabric aside and cupped her between her legs over the thin lace of her panties.

Fuck.

She was soaked.A dark chuckle rumbled from my chest as I rubbed my fingers along her slit, feeling the heat and wetness through the fabric.

“Already dripping for your monster, Kiara? After watching me paint the walls with their blood?” I pressed harder, circling her,with my thumb. “Does violence make this tight little *** ache?”

A soft, broken whimper escaped her,her hips jerked involuntarily against my hand before she caught herself and tried to pull away,I didn’t let her.

I pinned her harder against the wall with my body, my tool hard and throbbing,pressing insistently against her stomach through my slacks.

“Don’t lie to me,” I growled against her ear, nipping the lobe sharply. “I can feel how much you need it,how much you need *me* to ruin you.”

I hooked my fingers into her panties and ripped them aside with one sharp tug,the sound of tearing lace echoed in the quiet room,then my bare fingers were on her sliding through her slick folds, teasing her entrance without pushing inside.

“So f*****g wet,” I groaned, voice thick with dark hunger. “And still untouched,this virgin *** is going to feel like heaven when I finally stretch it open around my cock.”

Kiara’s head fell back against the wall, a soft moan slipping free despite the way her hands pushed weakly at my chest.

“Rossi… please…”