Page 80 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

The Valentinos were here, on the Cristenello’s turf, and they’d come for me.

Without preamble, the guys had swept me into the car and tore out of the cemetery. We sped down city streets, but I didn’t see a thing. Everything around me was a blur as numbness crept along my arms and legs. Was I even breathing?

With a vicious growl, Gio pulled me into his lap. A sad, pathetic whimper crept up my throat as I let myself melt into him. I hadn’t realized how badly I’d needed that contact. That comfort. My hands fisted in his shirt and my lower lip wobbled as I tried not to cry.

Slowly, gently, he slid his hand up the back of my neck and tangled his fingers in my hair. He guided me forward until my forehead rested against his own. This close, every one of his ragged exhales ghosted across my lips.

He’d been just as scared as I was, just as terrified of losing me as I was of losing him.

“Mine,” he growled, his resonant rumble rolling through me, awakening all my senses and letting me finally feelsomething.

“Y-Yours,” I managed to murmur back.

A purr blazed to life in his chest, and the soothing vibrations helped to settle my jangled nerves. The utter terror eased enough that I could finally draw in a lungful of air. Tingles raced up my fingers while spots danced along the edges of my vision.

“I think she’s on the verge of passing the fuck out.” Tommas’ voice sounded like it was echoing down a long tunnel, and yet his hand landed gently on my leg. “Breathe, Butterfly. Just breathe.”

“We’re almost there,” Marco promised, speeding through traffic with practiced ease. But his fingertips drummed on the leather steering wheel, betraying his otherwise calm composure.

My attention fell to the empty front passenger seat. “Where’s Dimitri?”

“He stayed behind to hunt those fuckers.” Tommas’s tone was angrier than I’d ever heard it. “How fuckin’ dare they come for what’s ours in our own fuckin’ territory.”

The world outside continued to blur past in a sickening rush, but inside the car, time felt suspended. My heart thudded against my ribs like a caged animal, desperate to escape its confines as I worried about Dimitri. I laid my head on Gio’sshoulder and closed my eyes, desperately wanting to soak up the security he provided. To let his presence chase the shadows back into their corners. But knowing one of my mates was out there, potentially facing off against my dangerous enemies—it was too much.

“Dolcezza,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear, sending tremors through me that had nothing to do with fear. “Look at me.”

I blinked up at him. His hazel eyes burned with promise. “D will be fine. You’re safe, and those assholes will never get that close to you again. You hear me?”

I nodded, trying to make myself believe it. But I hated leaving him behind almost as much as I hated Vincent and Rocco.

Within a few minutes, we turned onto a private drive. Carved out of the center of the city, the property was enclosed by towering arborvitae. What struck me immediately was the sheer amount of greenery, an unexpected oasis amid the urban sprawl. The gates ahead opened smoothly, allowing our car to pass as Marco gave a subtle nod to the security detail.

As we drove, a house took shape through the trees.

“This is our family home,” Gio explained after catching sight of my confused expression.

“It’s also where our dads do most of their business.” Tommas didn’t look thrilled at that.

“Yeah, but it’s the safest place we could be right now,” Marco tacked on, appeasing his younger brother, who sighed as the car drew to a stop outside the intricate front steps.

Tommy opened the door and offered me his hand. I took it and climbed out, all while staring in awe at the impressive home—if you could even call it that.

The grand, stately mansion had a distinct Mediterranean flair. The exterior walls were painted in a warm, terracotta pink that contrasted beautifully with the rich, dark red rooftiles. Large, sky-blue shutters framed the numerous windows, adding a vibrant pop of color and charm. Lush, meticulously maintained gardens surrounded the house with neatly trimmed grass, stone pathways, and manicured boxwoods that formed symmetrical patterns, all guiding the eye toward a central fountain where water gracefully cascaded from a sculpted figure.

Everything about this place screamed luxury and elegance. My mouth gaped open as I stared, transfixed.

“I think she likes it,” Tommas pseudo-whispered to his brothers as he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me securely into his side.

“It’s gorgeous.”And absolutely daunting…

The interior was just as intimidating, if not more. While the outside held an old-world charm, even for such a mammoth home, the inside was polished glamor.

Marco took my other side, capturing my hand, while Giovanni positioned himself behind us. As a unit, we made our way through the maze of a house. Every room we passed, conversations quieted as the occupants, mainly men, stared after us. The guys paid no attention, but I pressed tighter against Tommas, my head on a swivel, that unease I’d started to tame in the car rising to new levels all over again.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, judged, dissected by every pair of eyes we passed. My skin prickled with awareness, and I fought the urge to bolt. These men, with their sharp suits and sharper gazes, were ridiculously intimidating.

We climbed a grand staircase and walked down a long corridor lined with oil paintings of austere Alphas. I tried not to look at them, focusing instead on the warmth radiating from my mates.

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