Page 69 of Dark Mafia Bride

“Where’s Mamma?” I gasp, looking back toward the smoky hallway. My stomach twists with fear.

Nonna grabs my arm, her grip tight. “She’s still in her room. I tried to reach her, but the smoke...I couldn’t breathe. I already called 911.”

I’m zoned out as she continues to speak. My mother is inside the house!

My sick mother is inside theburninghouse.

I don’t think—I just move. I’m charging back toward the house, the thick smoke stinging my eyes. But suddenly, a firm grip pulls me back.

I whip around, heart skipping, and find myself face-to-face with Abruzzi. He’s here. But how...and why?

But I don’t have the time for questions as he pulls me back.

“Get your sister and grandmother to safety,” he says firmly, his eyes locking onto mine.

I don’t have time to argue or question him. In an instant, he’s moving past me, disappearing into the smoke.

I lead Nonna and Giulia farther from the house, my heart pounding. Flames have started to lick up the left side—the side where Mamma’s room is. Grabbing Nonna’s phone, I dial Ettore’s number which I now have memorized. It rings, but he doesn’t pick up.

“Come on, come on...” I whisper, my voice thick with tears. The phone rings out, and I scream in frustration, throwing it down.

Abruzzi reappears carrying Mamma, who is coughing and clinging to him as he brings her outside. Relief floods through me, and I rush to her side, taking her hand.

“Mamma, are you okay?” I whisper, holding her close.

Someone hands her a bottle of water, and she sips it slowly, regaining her breath. Behind me, I feel Abruzzi’s presence again.

“It’s cold,” he says in a low, steady voice. “You all need to get somewhere safe.”

I’m about to demand why the hell I should go with him when I glance back at the house, watching the flames consume it. My tired mother, my frail grandmother, and my anxious little sister all stand beside me, and I let out a shaky breath.

Without another word, Abruzzi helps us into his car and drives us to one of his safehouses on the quiet side of town. I have so many questions, so many things to say, but I’m exhausted. I just want my family safe.

An hour later, we’re seated in a sterile, quiet room. My family is asleep in the other room, but I can’t even close my eyes. My mind races with everything that’s happened. Abruzzi brings over two glasses of water, sliding one toward me as he sits down.

He watches me over the rim of his glass. “I warned you, didn’t I?” he says, his voice calm but edged with something darker. “Ettore’s protection isn’t as solid as you think.”

I stiffen, his words sinking into me like ice.

“He doesn’t know...”

Abruzzi snorts, his eyes narrowing. “He doesn’t know? Is that a fucking excuse? He made you his wife, Mira. He’s supposed to protect you and your family. Two hours have passed. Where the hell is he?”

“Ettore wouldn’t just leave me for dead,” I snap back, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear. “Maybe he’s...busy. He hasn’t been home for two nights. He’s?—”

“Busy?” Abruzzi cuts in, voice sharp. “So, his work comes before your safety?”

I hate that the doubt is creeping into my mind, wrapping around my thoughts like the smoke from the fire. Abruzzi leans back, studying my face and watching the seed of doubt he’s planted grow.

“I have watched over you and your family since you got involved with that...brute,” he spits.

“You’ve been watching me?” I choke, unable to process everything that’s been happening.

“Yes.” He lets out a sigh, a hint of frustration mingling with something I can’t quite place. “I know you hate me, Mira—despise me, even. But I know what happens when vulnerable people like you get involved with monsters like Ettore.” His gaze drops to the floor, and he mutters, almost to himself, “You told me to stay away, and I did...at least in the ways you could see. I could’ve ignored what I saw tonight, could’ve let things take their course. But I didn’t.”

I want to lash out, tell him he’s wrong, call him a liar and manipulator, but...deep down, I know he’s right. Without him, this night might have gone horribly wrong. And he knows it.

Abruzzi stands, crossing his arms over his chest. “Think carefully, Bella. I may be a bastard, the monster you once accused me of being, but tonight, I was there, and Ettore wasn’t.” His voice lowers, but his words are sharp as knives. “I saved your mother’s life. Maybe you hate me for it. Maybe you owe me for it. But don’t forget that when it mattered, I was there.”

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