Page 99 of Dark Mafia Bride

Giovanni doesn’t look convinced as he pulls me into the apartment, locking the door behind us as if I’m in immediate danger. “I find that hard to believe,” he mutters, leading me toward the living room.

I try to muster a smile, but it fades instantly, and I let out a shaky breath. “I just had a rough day. Do you mind if I hang out here for a while?”

“Of course not.” Giovanni exhales, pulling me into a warm, brotherly hug. The moment his arms wrap around me, I feel the walls I’ve been holding up start to crack, and I can’t hold back the tears any longer. They spill down my cheeks, hot and heavy.

From the kitchen, I hear Alessia’s voice. “I heard Mira’s voice just now,” she says, before I hear her sharp intake of breath. “What happened? I told him I’d cut off his balls if he messed with you,” she says, rushing towards us with concern written all over her face.

I sniff, pulling away from Giovanni to wrap my arms around Alessia instead. “Who?”

“Ettore, of course. Isn’t this because of him?”

“Oh my God, please tell me you didn’t actually threaten to cut off my husband’s balls to his face.” I pause, half smiling. “You do realize he has men who could easily make you disappear for that, right?”

She huffs. “Of course, but I’d like to see him try. Now, don’t change the subject—what happened? And since you’re still referring to him as your husband, I’m guessing your sobbing has nothing to do with him?”

“Nooo.” I chuckle, wiping away a tear.

“Oh, thank God,” Alessia sighs in relief. “For a minute there, I thought I was gonna have to smack him in the face and then move to another country.”

“Not so quick with the smart mouth, huh?” I tease.

“Have you seen the muscles on that guy?” Alessia shoots back. “One hit from him and I’d be sporting a face only a mother could love. And I can’t afford plastic surgery—at least not until I get some better clients.”

“I’ll protect you, baby,” Giovanni adds, with an exaggerated wink.

“Yeah, right. You couldn’t even kill the spider we saw last week.”

“Babe!”

“What? She already knows you’re all talk and no action.”

I burst out laughing as Giovanni smacks Alessia on the ass playfully, then pulls her into a hug from behind, shooting me a look.

“So, why did you both come to the conclusion I was crying over Ettore?” I ask, finally starting to calm down.

“What conclusion?” they both ask, looking at me like I’m speaking a different language.

“That I was crying because of Ettore. It could’ve been anything else. My mom, my annoying in-laws—heck, even hormones! I tear up at the slightest thing these days.”

“Well, we’ve kind of been expecting you to burst in here any day now, singing some tragic love song with his name on your lips,” Alessia says.

“Why?”

“Because he’s a bad person,” Giovanni spits without hesitation.

“Babe,” Alessia chides, giving him a pointed look.

“What? We can’t keep hiding the truth from her. She has to know.”

“Know what?” I ask, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

“That Ettore Greco is as sinister as they come. At least, he used to be.”

I know that. He killed three men to save my life the first time I met him. But I still haven’t told my friends the whole story. I don’t want to get into it right now—not until I hear what they know.

“What exactly did he do to make you hate him so much?” I ask, wiping the last of my tears as we all settle onto the sofa.

“I don’t hate him,” Giovanni clarifies quickly, though there’s no missing the bitterness in his voice. “I just hate him for you. He’s dangerous, Mira. Men like Ettore have no business being involved with a good woman like you.”

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