Page 96 of Dark Mafia Vows

Tears spill down my cheeks as I listen, my heart breaking for him. I had no idea what my parents had done...what Lorenzo had done.

“Lorenzo came to the funeral,” Dario continues in a hollow voice. “He admitted that his mother had forced him to lie. But the damage was done. I told him I’d never forgive him.”

I can barely see through the blur of tears. “Dario, I’m so sorry... I never knew...”

He shakes his head, turning to me with a sad smile. “It’s okay, Ginny. Yes, I was angry at everything that happened, but as I got older, a part of me realized he was just a kid, too. He was just obeying his mother by lying. He didn’t know what he was doing.”

“But he hurt you so much.”

Dario cups my face, his calloused thumb brushing away the remaining tears. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You came into my life, and everything changed. I’ve been in the dark for so long, but you’re my light, Ginny. You’re the family I never had.”

His words send a rush of warmth through me, my heart hammering against my chest.

Dario nods, his eyes filled with love. “I love you, Ginny. And I want to make a family with you. I don’t care about the contract, or revenge, or everything else. I just want to have you and our baby for the rest of my life...”

Tears pour down my eyes as he leans down to rest his forehead against mine.

“...If you’ll have me.”

40

DARIO

I’m still sitting beside Ginny on her hospital bed. The room is suddenly too quiet, tension thick in the air. Her fingers toy with the edge of the pale-green blanket, her eyes staring at mine. I don’t breathe, waiting for her to say something...anything.

“I’ll be yours,” she finally whispers.

It takes a moment for her words to sink in, but when they do, my chest tightens with a flood of emotion. Without thinking, I pull her into my arms, holding her as tight as I can without hurting her. “Thank god.” I bury my face in her hair, kissing her lovingly. “Thank god.”

I hear her soft sigh as her arms circle around my waist. For a moment, we just hold on to each other. Everything else fades away—the past, the present, and the only thing I can think of as her warm scent fills my lungs is our future together.

I haven’t felt this in a very long time.

Peace.

My heart slows into a steady rhythm, joy dancing in my stomach as she clings to me. It’s a reassurance that everything is going to be okay. When I pull back slightly, she whines softly.

“I was really loving that hug.”

A chuckle slips past my lips as I tilt her chin up with my fingers. Her eyes meet mine. Hues of brown, green and golden dance together, filled with warmth.

“You have me forever now, Ginny. There are millions of hugs to come.”

As I brush the pads of my fingers across her cheek, a warm blush appears on her face. “I really love the sound of that.”

“You and me,” I say, brushing a strand of dark hair from her eyes. “It’s for real this time.”

Ginny smiles, soft and sure. “I don’t want to wait anymore for us to get married.”

I chuckle again, though the thought of her being my wife officially makes my chest tighten with emotion. “The wedding is the day after tomorrow. I made sure Rosa went on to take care of everything though it had postponed. Nothing’s going to stop us from being together now.”

“Promise?” Her voice is teasing, but I sense the edge to it. I know that there is still fear lurking around her chest somewhere. I don’t expect her to recover from the trauma of being kidnapped in a short time.

But I’ve sworn to protect her, to shield her. Nothing like this will ever happen again, I’ll make sure of it.

“I promise,” I say vehemently before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I love you, Ginny. More than anything. And I’ll spend every day of our lives together showing you just that.”

“I love you too, Dario,” she whispers, her words wrapping around me like a warm blanket. “I’ve only said it once, but I promise to keep saying it. I’ll never hesitate or waste any second to tell you exactly how I feel.”

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