Page 70 of From the Darkness (Akrhyn 3)

“Mia figlia, I know you didn’t do this to yourself. It’s your birthmark though. It was the mark of a very important family. A family that is still in danger, so we will protect you. My son says you are his and you are getting married. I suggest a short engagement to protect yourself. I need to go now and find out how you are here and who did this to you.” His words are said with calm, but I can feel the mounting anger and worry as it ramps up in the room. It causes my palms to itch, wanting my blade in it. I need to protect her from whatever he isn’t telling me.

“Figlio, take her to your villa out of the city. If you have to go to work, bring her to me. She isn’t to be with anyone but our personal security. Do you understand?” His voice is tight, his brows dropped. I nod because if I speak right now, my voice will be too tight. I’m worried more now. For him to state our personal security means this is a direct threat and to not trust anyone.

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. I need that stone cold part of myself to make it through the words. “I’ll turn down jobs to be with her. No one but me will protect her.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” McKenna asks as she looks between us.

“Please, I beg you, don’t trust anyone but Dante and myself. It’s a matter of your life. I must go now.” My father leaves the room on those parting words.

“What?” McKenna looks up at me as I fall back to the chair. I want to fall on her and cover her body with mine. I need to protect her, but I can’t figure out what is going on. I can’t see through to the reasons my father has. Even proposing isn’t saving her. I swore to return to the family to protect her, and now I can’t even do that.

“What is going on here? Are you the mob?” Kara’s voice breaks through my thoughts.

“Kara, can you give us a moment? My fiancé and I need to speak.”

“That’s the problem. He isn’t your fiancé. He’s not even your boyfriend. I don’t know who he is, so I’m taking you from here.” Kara raises her voice and I wait for McKenna to push me away, but she doesn’t. Her grip tightens on mine. She nods her head.

“Kara, a moment. I know,” is all she says, and I wait for her to fight me on this.

As soon as the door closes, McKenna turns to me. She pulls her hand from mine and careful of her cast sits in the bed prim and proper like she’s not half dressed, has purple hair, and is beaten up. She sits like the queen she’ll be someday. I know in every fiber of my being she is mine and will rule the Lupo family with me.

“I can explain,” I start, but she holds up a hand, stopping me.

“I didn’t know until she said the words. I know you. We dated, but we weren’t’ engaged. I don’t even know how long we dated. I’m not afraid of you. I know deep inside we have something. Was this what we were arguing about when I was attacked?” She waits for me to answer and I sit there stunned.

“You’re right, we dated.” I tip my head to the side and lock my fingers together so I don’t jump on her. She’s never turned me on more than she is right now. “We are engaged to protect you. But that doesn’t change the fact that we would have been engaged no matter what. You aremine.” I bite out the last part as I lean toward her. She doesn’t pull away. “That night, I was pissed about how you were raised. It brought back memories of my sister. I’m not taking back that ring, and I’m not letting you go. I can tell you what you told me of your past, but I can’t tell you more than what you told me.” I pause, unsure of how she’s going to take the rest. “I have a friend looking into you.”

“A background check?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I want to know. But I won’t marry you, no matter the danger, until I’m ready and I know who I am. Why this happened to me. And why I’m drawn to you. I want to marry for love and nothing less.” She tips her chin up like that’s going to stop me.

I lean over her and push her back into the bed, draping my body carefully over hers, not wanting to hurt her. “Bambola,once I get into this little cunt of yours, you won’t be able to get rid of me, ever. You will give me it and be tied to me.”

I don’t doubt she wants me as much as I want her. Even tired, sore, and hurt, her body reacts to mine, her nipples pebbling, her breathing increasing.

“If I put my hand on that cunt, it would be soaked right now.” She doesn’t deny it as her eyes drop. I look down her body and see her legs shifting under the blanket. “You’ve had a busy day, so I won’t today. But soon I’ll be tasting all of you and drinking from your source directly.” Her legs shift more, and she pushes up into me.

I lean down, my lips going to her neck where I nip and suck for a moment. I want to leave a mark, but I don’t want others to see my marks on her like that. The only thing others will see is my ring on her finger and someday my baby in her belly.

I pull away to look into her bruised eyes and find her pupils dilated. Her cheeks flushed.

“Dante,” she begs me.

“When we get to my home, you will be in my bed tonight. I won’t sleep without you. You can bring Kara, but the first inclination I get that she is a danger to you, she is gone.”

“Okay.” She acquiesces and I pull back.

* * *

A coupleof hours later one of my father’s armored Mercedes AMG G classes is pulling up to my villa outside Venice. I watched McKenna’s face light up as we passed all the vineyards, but it’s the garden that she is focused on right now.

“Tomorrow I can carry you out there and you can rest there. I’ll have the housekeeper order you some art supplies if you’d like.”

“I do art?” She pauses and looks out the window, her face breaking into a smile that lights up my heart. “I sketch.”

“You do.” Kara jumps in. “You had several journals from our trips. If you could see them, I’d bet that would bring back your memory.”