Page 22 of His Mafia Captor

He presses his forehead to mine, his breath warm on my skin. "I love you," he whispers, the words a fierce, unshakable vow. "I love you so much, Enzo. More than anything, more than my own life."

I swallow hard, my throat tight with emotion. "I love you too," I murmur, the words strange and clumsy on my tongue. But true, so true it hurts, a sweet, perfect ache in my chest.

We stay like that for a long moment, just breathing each other in, basking in the warmth of our connection. But then reality intrudes, cold and harsh and unforgiving.

I'm alive. Broken and battered, but alive. And Dante...my uncle, my tormentor, the man who made me what I am...he's dead. By Luca's hand, in defense of me, of us.

The weight of it hits me, a tidal wave of grief and guilt and bitter, aching relief. I'm free. Free of Dante, of the mafia, of the dark and twisted world that's claimed my soul for so long.

But am I really? Can I ever truly escape the shadows, ever outrun the bloody legacy that's been my birthright? I don't know. I'm not sure I'm strong enough, brave enough to find out.

Luca sees the doubt in my eyes, the fear and uncertainty. He takes my hand, his fingers lacing with mine, anchoring me to the present, to him.

"We'll get through this, Enzo," he says, his voice soft but steely with conviction. "Together, like we always have. You're not alone anymore, my love. You have me, and I...I have faith in you. In us."

I nod, my throat too tight for words. He's right. Of course he's right. With him by my side, with the strength of our love...I can do anything. Face anything.

Even a life without violence, without the cold comfort of a gun in my hand and blood on my knuckles. It won't be easy, I know that. I'm too broken, too damaged to ever be truly whole again.

But with Luca...I have a chance. A chance to heal, to grow, to become something more than the monster I've been for so long.

The road ahead is long and dark and fraught with peril. There will be setbacks, relapses, moments when the old urges rise up and threaten to drag me back into the abyss.

I'll lash out, push him away, convinced that I'm unworthy of his love, his devotion. That I'm too far gone, too stained by the sins of my past to ever be clean again.

But Luca...he won't let me go. Won't let me drown in my own self-loathing, won't let me sabotage the beautiful, fragile thing we've built together.

He'll hold me close, whisper words of love and encouragement, remind me of the man he sees when he looks at me. The man I can be, the man I want to be.

For him. For us. For the future we dream of, the life we long to build.

It won't be easy. But it will be worth it. Worth the pain, the struggle, the long and winding road to redemption.

Because at the end of that road...is him. Is us. Is the love that saved me, the love that brought me back to life.

I take a deep breath, my hand tightening on his. "I want to make a deal," I say, my voice rough but steady. "With the feds, with the DA. I want to bring down the family, dismantle the empire that Dante built on blood and fear."

Luca's eyes widen, a flicker of surprise, of pride. "Are you sure?" he asks, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "It won't be easy, Enzo. It'll be dangerous, for both of us."

I nod, my jaw clenched with determination. "I'm sure. I have to do this, Luca. For me, for you...for the chance at a future, a life beyond the darkness."

He smiles, a soft, brilliant thing. "Then I'm with you," he says, his voice ringing with conviction. "Every step of the way, in this life and the next. I love you, Enzo Vitale. And I always will."

I lean in, capturing his lips in a soft, sweet kiss. A promise, a vow, a covenant sealed in the meeting of mouths and mingling of breath.

"I love you too, Luca," I whisper against his skin. "Forever and always, in the light and in the dark. You're my heart, my soul...my everything."

He rests his forehead against mine, his eyes shining with unshed tears. And in that moment, I know.

Know that whatever comes, whatever trials and terrors await us...we'll face them together. Hand in hand, heart to heart.

Bound by a love that's stronger than fear, deeper than death.

A love that will never, ever let us go.

The bedroom is awash in the warm glow of candlelight, shadows dancing on the walls as I stalk towards Luca. He's standing by the bed, his eyes dark with desire, his lips parted on a shallow breath.

I've been craving this, craving him, for weeks. The need is a living thing inside me, clawing at my insides, begging to be let out. And now, finally, I'm ready. Ready to claim him, possess him, make him mine in every way that matters.

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