Forbidden Claim: A Mafia King’s Obsession

Chapter 29: Horrifying promise

Nadia’s POV

Copper and burnt gunpowder are the only scent that hangs thick in the kitchen. Before I can even process the pool of blood on the floor, two guards rush in, flanking a man carrying a heavy medical kit.

“Don Lorenzo, we need to move you upstairs this minute,” the medic says, his voice tense but professional as he takes in the wet, dark stain spreading across Lorenzo’s shirt.

Lorenzo doesn’t move. He keeps his gaze locked onto mine for a moment longer, his grip tightening on his side until his knuckles turns white. “The estate is secure, Viktor?”

“Yes Don. The perimeter is locked down. No one comes in or leaves tonight,” Viktor replies, his eyes resting firmly on the hilt of his weapon.

“Good.” Lorenzo says, shifting his gaze to his mother. “Go to your quarters, mother. We will finish our conversation tomorrow.”

Francesca looks at him, worry rippling visibly across her features as she scanned the blood on his hand. She presses her lips into a line, straightening her shoulders and walking out of the kitchen without sparing me a glance.

“Nadia. Upstairs. Now,” Lorenzo orders, his voice dropping low as a visible wave of pain passes over his features.

My legs move on instinct. I quickly follow closely behind Viktor and the medic as they help Lorenzo up the back stairs. Refusing to lean on them because of his stubborn pride, Lorenzo forces himself to carry his own weight despite the heavy trail of crimson he’s leaving on the stairs.

The sheets have already been pulled back by the time we reach his massive bedroom. He sinks into the edge of the mattress, letting out a low, guttural groan as the medic immediately goes to work, grabbing a pair of sharp scissors and cutting the expensive black fabric away.

I stand frozen by the doorway, feeling completely lost. I try to look away, but my eyes are glued on the injury. The bullet tore through the flesh of his lower ribs — a jagged, bleeding mess that looks really painful.

“Hold this,” the medic orders, handing a thick pack of sterile gauze toward me without looking up.

I freeze. “Me?”

“Take it, piccola,” Lorenzo rasps. He rests his head back against the headboard, his eyes closed, beads of sweat building at his hairline.

I swallow in panic and step closer to the bed, the scent of bergamot, raw copper and tobacco dulling my senses. I take theguaze and press it against his side. The minute I apply pressure, Lorenzo’s hand flies up, his rough fingers clamp around my wrist in a bruising, painful grip. His eyes snap open, dark and wild with pain.

“Steady,” he growls through clenched teeth.

“I… I am steady,” I lie, my voice shaking as I feel the heat of his skin against my palms, and the heavy, rapid thudding of his heart.

The medic works with speed, cleaning the wound and preparing the needle to stitch the torn flesh. “The bullet passed through clean, Don Lorenzo. It missed the vitals , but you’ve lost a lot of blood. You need to rest.

“I’ll rest when they are all dead,” Lorenzo mutters, clenching his jaw and groaning softly.

The next twenty minutes that follows, the only sound in the bedroom is the sharp snap of medical gloves and Lorenzo’s heavy, shallow breathing. I don’t move an inch, keeping the pressure exactly where the medic needs it. Lorenzo’s grip on my wrist tightens anytime the needle pierces his skin, but he doesn’t make a sound. His threshold for pain is terrifying.

After stitching, the medic wraps a tight, clean bandage around his torso and packs up his kit. “I’ve given you something for the pain, Boss. It should kick in soon. I’ll be right outside if the bleeding starts again.”

The medic alongside Viktor exists the room, shutting the heavy double doors behind them, leaving me alone in the dim room with the monster who holds my life in his hands.

Lorenzo releases my wrists slowly, leaving dull red marks on my skin. He leans back against the pillow, his chest rising and falling roughly. Despite being injured and pale from blood loss, his towering frame entirely dominates the bed. I take a step backward, trying to return to the safety of the door, but his dark gaze tracks my movements.

“Where do you think you are going?” he murmurs, his voice thick and laced with the sedative the doctor gave him.

“To my room,” I whisper, wrapping my hands around my waist. “You need to sleep.”

“Your room is here tonight,” Lorenzo says, gesturing at the empty space on the mattress beside him. “The estate was breached, Nadia. You stay where I can see you.”

“Lorenzo, you are hurt—“

“I hate repeating myself, Nadia,” he cuts me off, his eyes narrowing as he forces himself to sit up slightly, despite the fresh blood seeping through the edge of the white bandage. “Don’t make me repeat myself. Come here.”

I slowly drag my feet to the opposite side of the massive bed. I lie down on top of the covers, keeping as much distance between us as possible, my back facing him.

The silence that follows is heavy and suffocating. Hours seems to pass as I stare at the dark curtains, waiting for another gunshot to shatter the night.

“Nadia,” Lorenzo’s voice rumbles softly through the dark, sounding closer than before .

I don’t dare look back, my voice trembling as I force myself to respond. “What?”

“If anyone dares come after you again,” he murmurs, his breath warm on my neck. “I’ll burn the whole city to the ground before I let them touch what belongs to me. No one is allowed to take your life, apart from me.”

I freeze, a chill running down my spine. This isn’t a declaration of love, this is a promise of absolute, horrifying possession. His breathing suddenly becomes steady as the sedative kicks in finally pulling him into sleep.

I am safe from the enemies outside for now, but as I lie in the dark next to a sleeping predator, I realize that the most dangerous place in the world is exactly where I am standing.