Page 129 of Mafia Kings: Dario

I looked at him, suddenly furious. “You said it yourself – they want to destroyyou.They want to destroyYOURfamily.They don’t give adamnabout me. So let me go.”

He sat down on the bed and tried to take my hand. I wouldn’t let him.

“Alessandra,” he said, trying to sound reasonable, “they nearlykilledyou in Florence – ”

“They nearly killed Massimo and Valentino. I was just there by accident.”

Dario turned away from me. I could tell he was angry and trying to control his temper.

When he spoke again, he was at least partially composed. “Look… it’s dangerous. They will try to get at methroughyou – ”

“And that’s all you care about, isn’t it?”

“I care about YOU, GOD DAMMIT!” he roared as he stood up from the bed.

I shrank down in fear as he angrily paced back and forth.

Then he sat back down next to me. “I care for you. I do.”

“But you don’t love me,” I whispered.

His face hardened. “What are you saying – thatyouloveme?”

I nodded, and tears spilled down my cheeks. “Even though I was a fool to do so, it seems.”

Something happened to his expression, then – something I had never seen on Dario’s face before:

He looked like he was in pain.

Like inside, he was breaking.

“I can’t let you go,” he whispered.

“I’m just a whore,” I said bitterly, “good for a week of fucking. You can always get another.”

The vulnerability thathadbeen there on his face suddenly disappeared, replaced by a cruel mask.

“So be it,” he said coldly. “If that’s what you want.”

“It’snotwhat I want!” I cried out.

“THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT?!” he shouted at me.

“I want you to love me,” I sobbed. “I want you towantto marry me.”

He stared at me for what seemed like forever…

And then he said, “That’s the one thing I can’t give you.”

I broke down crying into my hands.

There was a long silence. Then…

“I’ll arrange for someone to take you back,” he said quietly.

I heard his footsteps across the floor…

I heard the door open and close…

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