Dimitri's POV
As Rena slept peacefully in my arms, I couldn't help but marvel at the way she was managing to worm her way into my life.
I had always been a solitary man, content to keep my own company and avoid the complications of romantic entanglements.
But something about her had made me let my guard down, and now here I was, allowing her to sleep in my bed after just one night together.
I carefully shifted her weight onto the bed, taking care not to wake her as I observed her sleeping form.
It was then that I noticed her preference for cuddling, something that had become all too apparent throughout the night as I was constantly woken by her trying to tightly attach herself onto me.
Despite my initial discomfort, I had eventually grown accustomed to her touch, finding solace in the warmth of her body against mine.
As I gently brushed the back of my palms against her cheeks, I couldn't help but notice the way her skin was still tinged red from our earlier activities.
A small smile played at the corners of her lips as I watched her sleep soundly, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
Despite my reservations about getting too attached too quickly, I knew that I was already beginning to have feelings for her. And as I lay down beside her, feeling her body mold to mine, I knew that there might be danger to this intimacy between us.
Her small breathing's mimicked a quite contented person and I would've woken her up for the fourth time and take her if she wasn't exhausted from my onslaught on her body.
I felt the need or need to protect her for unknowable reasons, which was more than wrong. It's possible that the fact that I had obtained the purest form of her had something to do with it, but either way, it wasn't good.
After noticing shadows outside my door, I went to the door, opened it, and went outside. In the dead of night, I was perfectly aware of who was standing in front of my door.
"Non riusciamo a trovare Rena purtroppo, eravamo appena partiti e siamo tornati per scoprire che non era nella sua stanza e ora non abbiamo idea di dove possa essere."
(We're unable to find Rena unfortunately, we had just left and came back to find that she was not in her room and now we have no idea of where she might be.)
"I gave you two a basic task," I repeated, my voice low and steady. "A task that was so simple, anyone could have done it. All you had to do was safeguard the girl, and yet you chose to leave her unprotected. This is a clear indication that you are not ready for anything simple, much less significant." I shook my head, my disappointment palpable.
As soon as the words left my mouth, I could see the shock register on my younger brothers' faces.
It was not the first time that my brothers had let me down, but this was different. This time, their carelessness had put someone else in danger, and that was something I couldn't let slide.
As I looked at their wide eyes, I wondered if they truly understood the gravity of their actions.
"Give me one excellent argument," I demanded, my voice rising in frustration. "Why I shouldn't ship you both off to college, despite the fact that you both failed this small task?" I pressed both of them, my eyes piercing theirs.
The twins looked down at their feet, ashamed and silent. But I didn't let up. "You had one job," I continued, my voice shaking with anger.
"One job, and you couldn't even do that right. Do you have any idea how serious the consequences could have been? You put someone else's life in danger with your recklessness." I paused, taking a deep breath to steady myself.
"So tell me, why should I let you stay here and continue to put others at risk? Give me one good reason why you deserve to be trusted with anything important." As I waited for their response, my mind raced with all the possible arguments they could make.
But deep down, I knew that there was no excuse for their behavior. They had failed, plain and simple, and it was up to them to make things right.
"Avevamo pensato che siccome Sofia non sarebbe arrivata per le prossime ore potessimo uscire e lei sarebbe stata al sicuro visto che avevi avvertito tutti di non toccarla." Aggiunto Ricco.
(We had thought that because Sofia wasn't arriving for the next few hours we could go out and she'd be safe since you warned everyone not to touch her.)
"Non credevamo che se ne sarebbe andata o che le sarebbe successo qualcosa quando sarebbe tornata. È stato un errore onesto e non accadrà mai più."
(We didn't believe she would've been gone or something would've happened to her by the time she came back. It was a honest mistake and it won't ever happen again.)
"What is your best guess as to her whereabouts? What if something bad happened to Rena? That poor defenseless, helpless, and confused girl? Even the basics of self-defense are beyond her." Nico's response was unduly concerned.
"Even in self-defense, she lacks the knowledge." Rico added with concern.
I felt alarmed by their excessive concern about Rena. They came here to safeguard, not to develop a romantic attachment to or be duped by someone they were supposed to be protecting.
"Spero sinceramente che tu non sviluppi un attaccamento sentimentale alla donna che dovresti semplicemente difendere. Come affermato in precedenza, le tue emozioni e il tuo lavoro non dovrebbero essere mescolati insieme. Prima di perdere veramente, potrebbe essere prudente prendere le distanze dalla situazione."
(I sincerely hope you do not develop a sentimental attachment to the female you are simply supposed to defend. As previously stated, your emotions and work should not be mixed together. Before you truly lose, it might be prudent to distance yourself from the situation.)
I kept listening to both of my younger brothers ask for forgiveness and assistance in finding Rena, but before I could chastise them, I heard movement inside my room because the door was partially open.
"Is Rena inside your room?" They both tried peering behind me.
"We will continue this conversation tomorrow, get back to your rooms now, I will let you know when I have found her." I instructed for them waiting for them to leave before going back inside my room to find Rena standing inside the room dressed in my t-shirt while sleepily rubbing her eyes.
"Dimitri?" Rena asked, repeatedly blinking in an effort to clear her sleepy eyes.
"Why are you awake, Rena? Is it that your in need of more intimate time?" I teased her watching her eyes widen.
She looked pretty damn good in my shirt, and I noticed how her tiny yet amusingly gratifying physique tempted me to offer her a few kisses as I stood in front of her.
Rena pouted as she sleepily glance up at me with a pout. Leaning downwards I lifted her up into my arms.
"Where are you taking me?" She questioned curiously glancing up at me.
"Back to your room."
"I-is it because of Sofia?" She murmured resting her head against my chest.
"I believe that being in your domain will make you much safer."
"A-are you...." Rena stopped, her eyes closing shut once again as she had completely fallen back to sleep comfortably in my arms.
I carefully positioned her on the bed after entering her room and then moved toward the door to seal it once she was inside, but the abrupt noise from behind me made me halt.
After turning around, I discovered Rena sitting up in bed and dazedly attempting to stand. "I-I don't want to stay in here alone," Rena spoke uneasily.
"You don't need to be worried, Rena; I'll have my brothers stand watch outside your door." I tried to soothe her by telling her, but Rena simply disregarded my words.
I'll need to speak with the twins about not scaring Rena to death about that specific name she mentioned.
"I will come with you." Rena stated sleepily.
I grimaced as I approached her and tugged at her hand, imploring her to lay down in bed so I could climb into her bed and put her to sleep. She came into my arms right away and cuddled up while sighing softly. A short while later, I could hear her faint breathing, which indicated that she had dozed off.
How effortlessly Rena snuggled in my arms and clung, as if she no longer regarded me as a dangerous mafia man and as a threat.
Was she a foolish girl for seeking comfort in the arm of a monstrous mafia man rather than being afraid of him?
I took a deep breath in; her alluring aroma made her one of the most innocent temptresses I had ever encountered.
But it was obvious that Rena had no place in my deadly world, and I had to do everything in my power to keep her away from me.
But there was one thing, however, I was unable to answer for myself: Would I allow her to leave when the time comes?