Page 52 of Unwanted Marriage with the Mafia Boss

An obnoxiously loud beeping sound wakes meup. My eyes fly open, and I blink around me in confusion.

“Don’t move.” A familiar voice makes me look to my right.

Chiara is sitting in a chair next to my bed. I recognize the view through the window behind her. Matteo shot me, and Chiara brought me here.

I open my mouth, but the words that come out are too hoarse and my throat feels as dry as a desert. Chiara hops to her feet and grabs the water bottle next to the bed. She opens it and brings it to my lips. I stare at her for a long moment as I take a few sips.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

Am I dead? Because there’s no way Chiara is here with me. Why would she be? She’s free. Free to go wherever the fuck she wants. No one in their right mind would stay with me.

No one ever does. I’m always on my own. Maybe I’m actually in a coma, and this is my mind trying to trick me into believing things are fine when they aren’t. It wants to make me think someone gives a fuck about me.

“Do you want me to leave?” Chiara’s brow furrows in confusion. “I can call the doctor—”

“No.” I keep my gaze on her.

She’s still so fucking beautiful, but she’s no longer wearing the dress. She’s in a plain white shirt and pants.

“Are you okay?” I ask, and I don’t care if none of this is real.

I’ll pretend it is, just to have her with me a moment longer, before reality comes right back for me. I’ll bask in her light before the darkness swallows me forever.

“Yeah, thanks to you. You saved my life,” she says.

“It was the least I could do. My conflict with Matteo has nothing to do with you.”

“But you could’ve let me die anyway, and you didn’t.”

I study her face. If only things could be different between us. I want her to stay with me. Forever. She’s the goodness I need in my life. Someone that can make me forget everything bad that’s happening. Someone who’ll smile at me and tell me everything’s going to be okay. Someone capable of truly caring even for someone like me.

“Wow, pathetic!”Gennaro’s voice fills my head, but I push it away.

Saving Chiara wasn’t just pure instinct. It was more. If anything had happened to her, I would’ve gone after Matteo and torn him limb by limb. Actually, anyone who even thinks about hurting Chiara needs to die.

The biggest problem now is that Matteo knows I have a weakness. Chiara. She’s not just my fake wife now. She’s someone I absolutely refuse to let anyone harm.

He knows I have a deal with this clinic, and if he doesn’t, he’ll figure it out quickly enough. He’ll come for me, and when he does, Chiara will be his target too. We need to get out of here.

I try to push myself up, but the pain is strong enough to make me groan, even with all the meds that must be in my system. Fuck. I’m useless.

“No! The doctor said you shouldn’t move.” Chiara places her hand on my arm, her eyes wide with worry.

How can she be concerned about someone like me? After everything I’ve done?

“Is Rocco here?”

“Yeah, he’s right outside, but you were in surgery and lost a lot of blood. You should rest.”

“I need to talk to him.” I should tell Chiara to get as far away from here as possible, but I can’t.

I don’t want her gone, and I want to be able to keep an eye on her. Even like this, the thought of letting her out of my sight unnerves me. If Matteo comes for me, fuck it. But if he comes for her... I’ll use the last atom of my energy to stop him.

Chiara will be safe even if it’s the last thing I do. I don’t give a fuck if Gennaro or Matteo judge me for that. I don’t give a fuck if they think I’m an idiot and a loser who would risk his life for a woman.

Is this love? The warmth inside me when I see her face and her smile? The fierce need to protect her no matter what? I don’t know, but there’s no going back now.

Chiara watches me with her brow furrowed, but she goes to the door anyway and calls for Rocco. He enters the room a moment later, relief evident on his face when he sees me.

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