Page 112 of Savage Prince

She waves a dismissive hand before curling onto the couch beside her husband. “Gawd, please don’t call me that. It makes me sound so old. Rose is just fine.”

“Okay, then, Rose. Now, I see where Serena gets her good looks and sparkling personality.”

Dante’s scowl morphs into something truly murderous, and I give up on any further attempts at flattery.

Serena plops down onto the couch, and I fold down beside her, my gaze darting between her and her father. Would he bring up the idea, or should I?

A long moment of silence passes, and when he doesn’t utter a word, I turn my attention to mytesoro. The bright sunlight streams into the windows, setting those vibrant blue irises aglow. Her lips pucker as she regards me, cheeks growing rosy when I don’t speak for an endless minute.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

It only takes me an instant to decide. Since the moment this woman dropped into my life, it’s been pure chaos, butDio, I can’t remember the last time I was happier. She awoke something inside me, something I was certain had long since shriveled up and died.

I drop to my knees and take her hand, eyes locked to hers.

A gasp squeezes out through her perfect pink lips.

“Serena,” I begin, my voice unsteady with the overwhelming weight of my emotions. “From the moment we met, my life has been a whirlwind. A whirlwind of danger, of uncertainty, but also of unimaginable excitement and unexpected love—all because of you.”

She shifts on the couch, free hand pressed to her chest.

“You've seen me at my absolute worst, yet somehow, you saw something in me worth saving. You challenged me to be a better man and to love as fiercely as I fight.”

I squeeze her hand tighter, my nerves getting the best of me. “Serena Valentino, you stole my heart in ways I never imagined possible. I love you more than I thought I could love anyone. Will you marry me? Will you be the one I wake up next to, fight for, cherish, and protect, for the rest of our lives?”

My gaze remains fixed to hers, vulnerable and hopeful. Everything else fades to a whisper as I wait for her answer, my future hanging in the balance.

“Where’s my ring?” she blurts.

A chuckle dislodges the tension in my chest as her sparkling eyes meet mine. “I—I don’t have one. Yet.”

Serena’s eyes dart to her father, brow curved in an incredulous arch. “Did you make him do this?”

“Of course not,” Dante grumbles. “You think I want you to marry him?”

Grasping her chin between my thumb and forefinger, I force her wary eyes to mine. “Amorè, it might seem sudden, but I meant every single word. And I’ll get you any ring you want as long as you agree to marry me.”

Her eyes light up, the blue shimmer more radiant than the rising sun. “Sounds good to me.” She slides off the couch and into my waiting arms, claiming my mouth with a ravenous kiss.

I may have taken her hostage in a blind quest for revenge, but she captured my heart in return, and now I would make her my wife and spend the rest of my days proving how much I love her.

EPILOGUE

Alessandro – One Month Later

The happy laughter, clinking glasses and soft music seeps through the very walls, infiltrating the crevices of the closed door. I roll over on the bed, wincing, and bury my head beneath the pillow. Every movement still hurts, the skin grafts across my body requiring frequent dressing changes. I never should have come to Serena and Antonio’s impromptu engagement party. The whole thing was set up to prove to the other powerful crime syndicates that the joining of the Ferraras and Valentinos was a calculated move, not a kidnapping gone wrong.

I’m still surprised Serena agreed to the whole thing. I don’t doubt she loves the guy, but I never thought my eldest cousin would get married at all.

And to think, if none of this had happened, I would be the one about to get married. It turns out that the reason my Uncle Dante was initially unavailable to discuss Antonio’s ransom demands was because of me. He and Luca were on their way to meet my parents in China to arrange my marriage with thedaughter of a rival family. I nearly lost my shit when I found out which was what sent me on that plane to rescue Serena. I’m not sure what would have been better, being forced to marry a stranger or dealing with this.

Footfalls and animated chatter echo out in the hallway, and I tense.For fuck’s sake, I just want to be left alone. The sound falls away a moment later, and I draw in a breath of relief. After a month in the burn unit at New York Presbyterian hospital, the best specialized facility on the continent according toPapà, I thought I was finally ready to face the world again.

But fuck, the sound of all that happiness only magnifies my misery.

Alessia wheeled me into the party in the hospital scrubs which hide the depressing compression garments underneath, the only asshole not in a suit or tux. I refused to come with my live-in nurse; the impossibly cheery woman only makes me feel like an invalid. After quick hellos to my family members, I only lasted out in the great room of Serena’s apartment for a minute before losing my twin and ducking into my cousin’s spare bedroom.

Still the muddled voices and contented laughter surround me, each happy sound only amplifying the bitterness in my heart.

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