Page 19 of Mafia Don's Secret Twins

Oh, Dino.

I don’t know what to say to him. I’ve imagined this moment a thousand times, but right now, all of my carefully rehearsed speeches seem to be completely pointless.

I have a perfect memory. I thought I remembered exactly who Dino was.

I was totally wrong.

Suddenly, I’m self-conscious. I know that we never really knew each other, but…

I kind of knew him.

He was my first, after all. The first and only man that I’ve ever had sex with.

My heart cracks a little with the realization that Dino, the sweet young man who treated me so well that night, might be gone forever.

And I have no clue who this one is.

I’m still wondering what to say when he opens his mouth. “You’re not going anywhere.”

That voice.

Dino had a deep voice before. But now, I can tell that there’s been some damage to his vocal cords. His voice is raspy and low, like every word is an effort. It makes chills break out and race over my skin, and it turns my head so that I’m focused on his lips.

There’s a scar crossing his mouth as well, and I lick my own lips as I look at it.

What happened to you?

I blink up at him, realizing that I never responded. “So now you’re going to hold me hostage too?”

“Yes,” he says without hesitation. “I’m absolutely going to do that.”

God, there’s not an ounce of doubt in his voice. He really will try to keep me here.

I can’t let that happen.

I sigh and shake my head. “No, Dino. You can’t. It’s not safe.”

“It’s safer than you walking back out there. Safer than putting yourself at your father’s mercy. Safer than surrendering to fucking Andrei Moretti,” he hisses.

Every word sounds like an effort.

And, with every sentence, he moves a step closer to me until he’s hovering at the edge of the hospital bed.

I can hear the small heart monitor next to me start to kick up.

Oh. That’smyheartbeat.

Dino notices it too. He looks over at the monitor, then back at me.

“Scared, Princess?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“I think your heart says otherwise.”

“You don’t know anything about my heart, Dino De Luca.”

“I think we both know more about each other than we let on, Marisol Souza.”

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