Epilogue - Bianca

"Slow down, B, you're going to kill both of us!" Adrain grits out as he holds tightly onto his seat.

I don't reply, merely focusing on the road and pushing on the gas pedal.

Thirty more minutes and we'll get there.

"B! You're not thinking straight!"

"I'll tell you who's not thinking straight. That Agosti little shit. How dare he enroll at the same university as Diana?"

"It's a university. Anyone is free to enroll." He rolls his eyes at me.

"Not him. Not after I told him I would put a bullet through his head if he came near her again."

"B, he's a good boy."

"He's not a boy, Adrian. He's a man. A twenty-two year old man who has designs on our daughter. I am not letting this slide."

"Diana is eighteen. She can date whoever she wants."

I glare at him.

"What?" I screech at him. "Instead of pulling out a shotgun you're encouraging this?" I ask in outrage.

"You know I'm not Enzo's biggest fan. But Luca is different. He's always been the quiet and studious type. I don't see him trying to take advantage of Diana." He sighs.

"That's because you're too blind to see. It's clear as day and night that he's been harboring a crush on her for years. Before she was eighteen."

"And he's stayed away from her."

"Because I pulled a gun on him every single time I caught him near her. But he must have a death wish if he enrolled at the same university. There are thousands of universities in the world. Why did he have to enroll at Cambridge, too? Tell me you don't think this is a little too much of a coincidence."

"B," he groans. "So what are you going to do? March into the university and shoot him? Don't think I didn't see the artillery you packed in the trunk."

"Maybe," I grumble.

"You know. You might just ask Diana what she wants. She's old enough to decide for herself."

"No, no." I shake my head. "I don't care what she wants. No man is good enough for her. Especially that Agosti little shit."

"B, you're overreacting."

"No. I am not. I knew I shouldn't have let her go to university so far away from us. I should have kept her close," I mumble under my breath.

"You wouldn't have been able to stop her from living her life. You've already made sure that she never dated while she was at home. She needs to experience life like a normal teenager, not one who can assemble a gun in less than a minute."

"If only she'd use that gun to shoot any prick who tries to get close to her…"

"Bianca," Adrian groans.

"You're her father. You should be more strict with her. How come you're so lax about this? You should have been the one to drive over there and threaten the living shit out of that Agosti prick."

Adrian closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Diana already has you breathing down her neck. She doesn't need another overbearing parent."

"Adrian! I am not overbearing."

"Oh, dear, I think you are way past overbearing. You might get both of us arrested if you keep this up."

"As long as I stop that little shit from going near my daughter."

He shakes his head at me.

I press on the gas pedal, moving faster towards Cambridge. I may be breaking a few speed limits, but my daughter is more important than a few tickets. Adrian can pay them, as usual.

When we finally reach the university, I drive around until I find Diana's building. I'll check on her first and then I'll go coerce someone from the registrar to give me all the information they have on Agosti. Yes. That is a good plan.

Parking near the entrance, I get out and open the trunk, grabbing a couple of guns and strapping them to my thigh.

Adrian comes behind me and wraps his coat around my shoulders.

"People will see," he whispers.

"See, this is why I love you," I murmur as I turn to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "You might disagree with my choices, but you're always supporting them."

"Don't remind me." He rolls his eyes, but a smile creeps on his face.

Now armed, I grab his hand and pull him toward the building.

When Diana told me she'd found a place, I, of course, found out everything about the location and made duplicates of all her keys. I haven't yet gotten to the point of installing cameras, but now that Agosti is sniffing around her again, I might have to.

We get past the doorman and we go to the elevator.

"I don't know what you think you're going to find, B. They likely haven't spoken in ages. I doubt she even knows he's studying here, too."

"You're far too optimistic, babe. Even if Diana doesn't know now, she will know soon enough. I have no doubt Agosti will try something."

"I truly don't understand what you have against that kid."

I suddenly turn to him and stare him in the eye.

"I don't like the way he looks at her."

"And that is?"

I take a deep breath.

"The way I used to look at you before you knew me. Intense. Calculating. He's waiting for the right moment, I know it. And he won't stop."

Adrian blinks. Then he releases a string of curses.

"Then I suppose we must make sure he understands she's off limits."

"I'm glad we're in agreement." I nod.

The elevator pings and we reach Diana's floor.

I march down the hallway with Adrian following behind. But as I get closer to her apartment, the worst of my fears start to materialize.

"Shhh," I whisper.

We both lean to listen at the door.

Moaning.

I hear moaning.

Both Adrian and I turn to look at each other, and for the first time, we're on the same page. He reaches for my thigh and grabs one of my pistols.

I unlock the door and we both burst inside, guns out.

She's on the floor, on her belly.

Naked.

A man is on top of her, pulling on her hair while he's fucking her from behind.

He has a buzzcut, three ear piercings and an eyebrow one. His entire body is covered in tattoos. But there's no mistaking the signature Agosti green eyes. He certainly doesn't look like the quiet and studious boy Adrian was talking about.

Oh sweet Jesus and mother of God, this is not what I wanted to see today.

"Diana!" Adrian thunders.

Both Diana and Luca startle. She wiggles from underneath him and puts her body in front of him to protect him.

Adrian squeezes his eyes shut.

"For fuck's sake, Diana! Put something on." He grits out.

Her eyes are wide with shock as she looks between her father and me.

Luca is the one to cover her with a sheet, all the while holding her tight.

"Luca, run!" She calls out.

He doesn't move.

"No, no. There's nowhere to run," I snicker.

At the same time, Luca grumbles, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not afraid of them."

With how much smaller Diana is than him, I have quite the aim, so I don't think twice about pulling the trigger. But since I don't want to risk injuring my darling girl, I only get him in the shoulder.

"Mom! What the hell is wrong with you!" Diana cries out. "Luca, you need to run. Now. She will kill you."

"I will kill you first, damn it!" Adrian says, and though he's not the best shot, he fires the gun into his other shoulder.

Luca groans in pain. Diana's eyes are full of tears as she pleads with him to run away. He reluctantly agrees, and once more, Diana places himself in front of him to protect him.

Too bad there's nowhere to run. We're standing in the doorway.

Blood pours from his wounds, and I can see the signs of pain in his face. They move toward the back of the apartment. He leans in to whisper something in her ear, after which she nods.

I'm waiting for her to move again to get a better aim.

I can't say I've been left speechless too many times in my life. But this time might be one of them.

That crazy ass man doesn't try to run past us. No, he dives out the window.

On the sixth floor.

What the…

Adrian and I rush to the window to look for any signs of him, but there's none. No body on the pavement, nothing.

We can the surrounding area without luck.

Diana's put on a robe. His blood is still splattered all over her blonde hair and across her skin.

"You guys are insane, you know that? You could have hurt someone."

"You, young lady, are grounded!" I tell her firmly.

She shrugs.

"You don't seem too worried about your boyfriend," Adrian interjects.

"Why should I? He's fine. Though he could have done without those two bullet holes."

"What?" I gawk at her. Adrian too, is frozen in place, as speechless as I am.

"I'm late for class," she says as she heads into the other room to put on a pair of shorts and a shirt. "You can make yourselves comfortable in the spare bedroom. I'll be home later in the afternoon."

"Diana, we just shot your boyfriend. Twice," Adrian adds drily. "I thought we'd get some more… I don't know…tears?"

"He's not my boyfriend," she mentions with a roll of her eyes.

We both frown.

She's almost out the door when she waves a sparkly ring at us.

"He's my husband."

Oh, no, she didn't. That little….

"Will you, or should I make her a widow?" Adrian asks.

I nod at him, proud. There he is, finally asking the right questions.

THE END

For more dark romance check out The Cute Psycho, featuring Bianca"s best friend Vlad!