Page 31 of Dark Mafia Vows

“We’re family,” I insist, my voice firm. “We face whatever problems we have together. Just promise me you’ll be careful moving forward.”

Finally, he nods. “I promise, Ginny. For you.”

I smile at him, and the room falls silent for a few minutes before Lorenzo speaks up again, his tone lighter.

“Also, I’m glad you broke up with Rinaldo. I know I sound selfish when I say this, but he was of very little help to you and to our family.”

I can’t help but chuckle at that. “Our relationship was arranged for business purposes. Both parties knew that, so you aren’t selfish for recognizing we weren’t gaining anything from him. If anyone is selfish, it’s him,” I say, and we both laugh.

“I don’t think you even liked him.”

I groan. “Honestly, I tried. He’s just the kind of person who keeps giving you reasons to stay away.”

We laugh again. But when the laughter dies down, Lorenzo’s expression shifts.

“Dario brought you home. He dealt with Esteban,” he says, his voice lowered.

My heart skips a beat at the mention of Dario. “Wait, Dario? He did?”

“Yeah,” Lorenzo says, his eyes narrowing slightly. “He made sure you were safe.”

And that’s when bits and pieces begin to return. The kidnapping, the beating I received, getting rescued by strange men, and bumping into Dario in my kidnapper’s bedroom. I’d refused to look at any of them, but I saw the blood...so much blood.

“When you say Dario took care of him, did he...” I choke, unable to complete the sentence.

Lorenzo clenches his jaw. “Esteban won’t be a problem for you anymore.”

A breath leaves my mouth as I sink back into the bed. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. I feel a confusing blend of gratitude and bewilderment. For someone who claims to hate me, why would Dario deal with my threat? Even if he had his own issues with Esteban, why would he go through the trouble to rescue me and bring me home? Why would he even care?

I’m not surprised by what happened, though. Personally, even though I haven’t witnessed it firsthand, I’ve heard enough to last a lifetime. The real darkness that lurks behind men like Dario—businessmen with Mafia ties who aren’t afraid to eliminate anyone who gets in their way.

In a world like theirs, only the strongest survive and remain relevant. Dario is a cold, shadowy figure with deeper secrets that I’m not sure I want to uncover. Whatever went down between him and my brother is undoubtedly part of that darkness.

Noticing the furrow in my brow, Lorenzo sighs.

“Just rest, Ginny. Don’t worry about anything right now,” he urges, getting on his feet.

I look at his face again, and I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something else he’s not telling me—something important. I don’t press the issue, though. I can see the sadnessin his eyes, and I know he still feels guilty for everything that’s gone wrong.

After Lorenzo leaves the room, I take a moment to collect my thoughts. After a few minutes, I retrieve my phone from the bedside table to send Dario a quick text to thank him.

“Hey. This is Ginny. I just wanted to say thanks for bringing me home. I appreciate it.”

His reply comes almost instantly.“No problem.”

It feels cold, distant. I don’t know what I expected, but I can’t shake the feeling of disappointment. I decide to push back, trying to lighten the mood.

“You know, you could be a little nicer. Do you think you can manage that?”

My heart races as I wait for his response.

A moment passes before his reply arrives.

“There are so many things I’d be willing to do for you, Princess. Being nice isn’t one of them.”

My breath hitches, and I pull my lower lip between my teeth.

“Why are you so crude?”

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