The Mafia Boss Who Captivated Me
32

It would be all too easy to wrap her in my arms and promise her that she's safe. A part of me would like to tell her that she never has to see those two sick fucks ever again. But life isn't that easy. Strength is never that easy. "You have to."

She shakes her head.

I tuck her hair back from her face. "These are the men who haunt your dreams, Kat. You have made them into monsters - powerful monsters. But they are not. They are simply men - weak, pathetic men."

She blinks at me, her eyes deep pools of fear and uncertainty.

"I will hold your hand every second if you need me to.

Come with me and let me show you how powerful you truly are."

She wipes the tears from her cheeks. "I'm not powerful.

I just literally peed my goddamn pants. You are the one they'll be scared of, not me. Can't I just stay up here?"

I cup her face in both of my hands now. "You have no idea how strong you are, kitten. You will go in there and make those men tremble with fear, and not because I'm by your side but because you are equally powerful standing alone." She blinks at me, her long dark lashes fluttering against her cheeks. "I am?"

I press my forehead against hers again, pulling her closer until she wraps her arms around my waist. "You are the only woman who has the power to bring me to my knees."

"Dante," she whispers my name, and the way she does it makes my heart ache. Her arms tighten around me and then she's silent, letting the enormity of what I just said hang uncomfortably between us for a moment, before she breaks the tension again. "But I peed my pants."

"I know."

"I feel so embarrassed."

I kiss her forehead. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You need me to help you get cleaned up?"

"No. I can do it myself."

My eyes narrow as I search her beautiful face. "I'll wait right here. Okay?"

She swallows and then gives me the faintest nod.

"Okay."

I HAVE a view of the study from here although I can't see inside because the blinds are partially drawn and the sunlight bounces off the windowpane, obscuring the glass.

But I know they are in there. Lorenzo won't let them leave no matter how long he has to wait for my return.

The shower stops, and a few seconds later, Kat emerges in a white towel. Her hair is piled on top of her head and her tanned skin glistens in the sunlight coming through the windows. She used to be so pale because she worked nights and rarely left the house, but she's been spending so much time in the gardens these past few months. And fuck me, she is beautiful.

I nod to the bed where I have laid out one of the new dresses Joey and Anya helped her choose.

"Thank you," she says quietly while I turn back to the window and allow her to dress without my eyes on her.

When I turn around a minute later, she's fully dressed and smoothing the fabric of her dress over her hips in that way she does when she's nervous. Crossing the room, I take her hand in mine. "You ready?"

"No," she says with a faint smile.

I brush her cheek with my knuckles. I could pretend that this isn't going to be difficult for her. I could wrap my arms around her and whisper promises in her ear that this will be a walk in the park, but that is not who I am. And that's not what she needs right now. "They will never hurt you again. No one will ever hurt you in this house, Kat.

Understand?" I tell her, my tone harsh and clipped.

"Yes."

"Then let's go." I stride out of the door, my fingers laced through hers as she follows me. Her hand trembles in mine, and I squeeze it tighter.

The sound of Elmo's annoying laugh echoes down the hallway as we get nearer the study, and she falters. "Dante, I c-can't," she stammers.

I push her against the wall, one hand on the back of her neck and the other still holding onto hers. "Breathe," I command.

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She sucks in a breath and stares into my eyes.

"Which one of them carved that word into your skin?" I growl.

"Not him," she whispers. "Not the one with the crazy-ass laugh."

"But he hurt you too?"

She bites her lip and nods.

"Come." I pull her with me and walk quickly down the hallway because if I don't get my hands on those scum-sucking little cunts, I will fucking explode.

As we reach the door and she hears both of their voices, she squeezes my fingers but then she tugs her hand free from mine.

She's going to run. And I can't say I blame her after what these animals did to her.

But she doesn't run. She strides into the room all on her own. My fucking tiger. I walk behind her, closing the door.

"Ah, you're back," Lorenzo says, his eyes narrowed as he tries to read the situation.

"Yes. I went to replace Kat to introduce her to our colleagues. Have you met my fiancée and the mother of my child?" Elmo and Tony turn in their seats, smiling, as they look at me and then her.

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Elmo says.

Evil fucks don't even recognize her.

"Actually, I think we've met before," Kat says. Her voice trembles slightly, but I have never been so fucking proud of her.

Now... they recognize her. Tony's mouth drops open, and Elmo's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates.

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I slip my arm around her waist and pull her to me.

Letting them know that she is mine. Letting them know they will never see the light of another day.

"Is that so?" Lorenzo asks, leaning forward in his seat, his hands steepled beneath his chin.

"Yes," Kat replies as she glares at the two useless sacks of shit sitting across from her. Now they are the ones trembling with fear. "It was kind of a memorable few days for me. I'm surprised you don't recall." "W-we..." Elmo stammers.

"You know my new sister-in-law?" Lorenzo asks with a scowl.

"It was b-before-" "We had no idea who she was... who she'd be," Tony interrupts Elmo's babbling as his eyes dart around the room, looking for a weapon or something to defend himself with.

He won't replace either of those things. He could be holding a semi-automatic in his hands and he still wouldn't have a hope in hell. Nothing will protect him from the vengeance I'm about to take.

"You didn't know who I'd be?" she yells as she steps toward the desk, placing her palms flat on the solid mahogany. Her legs tremble and her voice falters, but she goes on. "It shouldn't matter that I'm about to become Dante Moretti's wife. It shouldn't matter whether I mean nothing to him, or everything. You have no right to do that to anyone. Every woman is someone's daughter, someone's future partner or wife, someone's mother or sister or best friend. Who do you think you are that you can just take someone and do...?" The breath catches in her throat as she forces out those last words.

"What the fuck did you two do?" Lorenzo barks.

"It was just a bit of fun," Tony says, his eyes wide and pleading as he turns to Kat, trying to appeal to her sweet nature as a last-ditch attempt to save his skin. "Right?"

I'm filled with pride as she reaches across the desk and slaps him across the face so hard that his head snaps backward. "Fun! You kidnapped me. You raped me. You tortured me for two days. You think a single second of that was anything but a living hell for me?" she shrieks.

"Breathe, my little wildcat," I whisper in her ear, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her back. She shudders against me. "I'll take care of them for you now."

"They laughed at me," she says. "They laughed when I fought back."

"Rest assured, they will never know a moment's joy for the rest of their very short and very miserable lives, Katerina," Lorenzo snarls as he glares at the men in our office with such ferocity that I'm surprised they don't wither under his gaze alone.