Dark Saint

Chapter 37: Yes

Adriano POV:

It was a mercy, firing that bullet at his head, he should've burnt alive for everything he had done, the pain he caused my family, but Sophia was right. There is nothing more important than the time I could be spending with my future wife, not that I've asked her, but I'll tie her to that alter and make her swear herself to me because this life without her- I cannot even imagine.

I shut the car off in the garage of our "new house" in Michigan, the sooner we are out of here the better. I rest my forehead against the steering wheel and let out a long sigh. "It's over." I take a deep inhale and unclick my seatbelt coming back to my senses. When I close the garage door and round the side of the house to the front that's when I see the flashing lights of an ambulance.

Before I even realize it, I'm running, bursting through the door calling her name. I step in blood.

"No."

"Gabriella!"

Where the fuck is everyone. I take the stairs two at a time and push every door open calling her name. My chest is tight, too tight.

"Gabriella!" I try again.

I make it to the end of the hall, our bedroom and the door is slightly ajar. The pain lodges itself deep beneath my ribcage when I see her face, pale and brow furrowed in pain. I'm on my knees next to the bed before I know it. I hear disgruntled sounds, maybe I pushed someone over to get to her, but that should be the least of their worries. I'll kill them all for letting this happen to her.

I take her hand in mine and squeeze before I look to Sophia, "Explain! Now!"

I clutch at her hand, brushing stray strands of hair from her face while Sophia explains that the paramedics had to come because of her blood loss, she in fact did hit an artery and fainted and gave herself a concussion. The paramedic, who I did indeed push over told me she would be okay but I still grabbed him by his collar and spewed a bucket of threats at him, he paled and begun to sweat but to his credit he was confident in his work, assuring me the stitches would be good, and that since Gabriella was a nurse, could probably tend to the wound herself once conscious again.

Sophia shooed everyone out of the room before returning to my side, her hand on my shoulder she turned me and knelt in front of me, wrapping her arms around my neck tightly, I froze from the sudden affection.

"Thank you." She whispered. "I will never forget him, or what you did for him."

After all this time, and the stone cold exterior I put on I thought to myself how fucking lucky I was to have a family, Mi Familia. With that thought I lifted my free arm, and held Sophia to me, tight.

"He deserved better, and for that I am sorry."

I felt Sophia's tears at my shoulder and her sobbed exhale. I wish I could bring him back and tell him to go for it, I hate that I made rules and forced them apart. Stopped them from growing together, and now it is too late.

"I will carry the shame of this for the rest of my life."

She didn't need me to explain, she knew, but she still pulled back and looked me in the eye, "Do not blame yourself. Marry her, make her happy. Live Adriano, live. Don't let his death be for nothing. Create a life."

Sophia didn't give me time to reply before standing and pressing a kiss to the top of my head and closing the door with an audible click.

I looked back to her, the axis of which my world spun and removed my clothes before climbing in next to her and pulling her close to me, careful not to touch her injured arm.

"Tu sei il mio mondo. Anche nella morte ti seguirei attraverso mondi. Ti amerò ogni respiro di ogni vita che vivo."

I felt her stir next to me and then in a hoarse voice, a whisper, "You know I speak Italian don't you? The last time you spoke to me in Italian you said "I would die a thousand deaths if it meant I would only have a moment alone with you."

She rustled the sheets as she turned in my arms to face me.

"Here is your moment Adriano."

'You made out like you didn't understand me you brat."

I didn't let her respond as I crashed my lips down against hers, punishing, claiming, longing fulling every breath between us.

"Do not ever do anything that reckless again."

Her eyes met mine, and even in her condition the spark of defiance was strong, it made my groin tighten in anticipation.

"Don't lock me up like a princess and I wont have to resort to such extreme measures."

"Okay, I'll make you a deal..." I slipped my hand between her thighs and grazed her pussy with my knuckles, watching her lips part on her inhale at the contact. "I will never lock you inside without your knowledge, because I cannot guarantee that I wont do it for your safety..." I slipped a finger inside her and her hips bucked at the movement, slipping another in I watched the pink climb up her neck and across her cheeks. Pulling my fingers out and slowing pushing them back in curling them, "If..." Out and in again. "You marry me."

Gabriella stilled, her eyes opening and finding mine.

"Marry me, pequeña ave."

"I feel like this is coercion with an orgasm on the horizon."

"Orgasms." I corrected

I withdrew my fingers, and she pouted at the loss. "I am serious princess, marry me, be my wife, be my world."

I watched as she sat up leaning against her good hand, her gaze was calculating.

"I have my own terms I want met."

Laughing, I encouraged her with a nod of my head, "Of course you do, hit me."

"I want unrestricted access to my phone, visits with my dad whenever I want and unlimited spa days with Sophia."

"Done."

Her face looked shocked that I had said yes so quickly, so easily.

I lifted a finger and traced her jaw line, then her lips, leaning in I kissed her deeply, drawing her bottom lip back with my teeth. "Anything else?"

Flustered, she took a breath, "I want twenty four hours to create a list of demands."

"Of course princess."

She watched me, then took my hand in hers, "Then yes."

I tilted my head, the question written all over my face.

"Yes Adriano, I will marry you."