Bred In Violence (A Mafia Romance Book One) #𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏

Chapter Ten

                            
                                Raphael

She was awake. Finally. I felt my heart settle, I realized I had been more tense and scared than I dared to admit. Now I can handle all the pending issues that had taken a back seat while I tended her.

But first I had to deal with her hysterics. I looked down at her eyes and I saw fear, anger plus a bit of defiance. This girl had spank which made me want to smile because she was like 5*3 compared to my 6*2 yet she had the guts to want to fight me.

Her panic seems to have won because tears clouded her eyes. Her lips trembled and her misery tore at me.

"Don't cry" I pleaded as I palmed her left cheek leaning to her right shoulder almost in reverence.

"I know I hurt you, but I had to lie or he would have picked on my fear and uncertainty. And believe me, that scenario would have ended up totally different from this one. You don't have to be afraid of me cara" I whispered, my face touching her neck I could smell her. She stilled and I knew she felt it too- this unspoken attraction we shared.

I continued whispering to her until she relaxed but the moment was suddenly interrupted by Bruno's cough

Bastard. I thought

"Why are you still here?" I glared at both Bruno and Romano who still stood side by side at my door"

"Hi Piccola, how are you feeling?" Bruno asked completely ignoring me.

"How do you think she is feeling?" I asked angrily. He didn't even look at me, he just continued gazing at Sophie waiting for a response.

Sophie blushed adorably as she regarded the guys shyly. I concluded I can be kind enough to forgive Bruno for his interference.

"I'm fine...I guess, she said hesitatingly. "No, actually, I'm not fine!" She retorted moving her eyes and glaring at me.

Oh, there she was Spunky. I loved it. I bent my head almost in an act of apology to hide my smile. I didn't want her to think I was laughing at her.

"Oh God, she exclaimed as if it suddenly dawned on her. Someone tried shooting at me, and you told him to go ahead and kill me!" tears began slipping her face uncontrollably.

"I didn't tell him to kill you, I told him to shoot you, there is a difference!" I injected calmly holding her gaze. I wondered if she saw me at all or my image was blurred by the tears.

"What is the difference?" She asked, her voice sounded broken and painfully sad.

"He never had a chance of hurting you, I would never have allowed it."

That proclamation made her cry even more.

She cried her heart out, she cried until I started panicking again. Romano looked painstakingly uncomfortable like he wanted to sneak out and stay out. If I wasn't feeling so helpless myself I would have laughed.

"I think I should say goodnight," he said as he turned.

"Don't you dare!" Bruno and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Why? this is totally out of my lane I can't help. I will probably make it harder or worse though I don't see how this can get any worse"

"And you think it's on our lane?" Bruno asked looking out of his element too.

"I don't know B, is it?" Romano sarcastically retorted. They both glared at each other until Romano broke their eye contact to plead his case.

"All I'm saying is I wouldn't mind if I went down to the vault to finish up some of our pending business." He said the word business draggingly like it had a hidden meaning which in our case I guess it did.