CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

GIANNA

T he door clicks closed and I turn into my pillow, sobbing. I don't even care about the pain throbbing in my head.

I've lost both my father and Braxton in one night.

It's not just my father's life I'm grieving, but who I thought he was. He's a monster.

An evil and greedy, horrible human being.

But Braxton wasn't.

His betrayal hurt and it still hurts, but I understand why he did it. Those poor women.

How many others were there?

I desperately need to know where Dante is, and I'm scared to ring my mother.

She knows.

I'm sure she does.

The only reason she'll want to know if I'm okay is so she can keep this family together. Speed up the wedding to Leo Baldoni.

I don't want to go back home.

And Braxton has just walked out of my life.

Of course he has.

Sorry I used you. Sorry you are hurting. Sorry that there is no way for me to prove that what we had felt as real to me as it did to you.

He doesn't owe me anything, but why did he leave?

I sob more, feeling guilty for being so selfish when those women and likely thousands more have lost their entire lives or their life.

Probably both.

But my heart feels like it was ripped out of my chest, and he took it with him.

I love him.

I don't want him to walk away.

But he has.

And I'll never see him again— Bang.

I sit up with a gasp.

"So, here's the thing." Braxton stands in my doorway looking enormous in his head-to-toe black outfit—jeans and a bomber jacket—and runs a hand through his hair.

I scramble up on my knees.

"Brax, I—"

"No"—he holds up his hand—"I need to say this."

I wait.

Hope.

Fear.

Panic.

Why is he back?

"Okay." I sniff and try not to breathe so I can hear everything he says.

He crosses the room to the window and then turns, staring at me with anguish. He walks to the bed, and I tip my head to keep our connection now that I've lowered into a kneeling position so as not to scare him off.

Do not scare him off.

"Thing is..." He puts his hands on his hips and drops his head.

Then it whips up, and his eyes lock with mine.

"I fucking love you, Gianna."

I sob out my gasp.

His hand slides through my hair and he pulls me to him. I submit completely and grip his biceps as he holds my head angled and peers into my soul.

"I fucking love you, and I meant it when I said if any man touches you, I will kill them." He growls. "You are mine and I need you to tell me you forgive me."

"I do," I whisper huskily.

"Thank fuck," he rasps and slams his mouth to mine.

I open as his tongue slips inside, and our passion ignites. Hungrily, we press our bodies hard together and I ignore all the pain, letting this man claim me.

Guilt rises, but I push it away.

There is time for this.

I don't know how this is going to work, but I love Braxton with all I am, so I trust we will find a way.

brAXTON

A FEW HOURS later, after being released from the hospital, Gianna is curled up in my arms and in my bed. Connor told me to keep the credit card for a bit longer, so I thought we deserved another night in the Dufort Hotel in Manhattan.

I wasn't taking her home.

Fortunately, she doesn't want to speak to her mother yet.

Gianna is in shock, and I'm going to take care of her.

She's a victim.

And the woman I love.

I showed her the minute the door closed behind us.

Kissing her as I dropped my bags to the floor, I said against her mouth, "Tell me if I'm hurting you."

"No. Yes. I don't care." Gianna wrapped herself around me like a monkey, so I carried her through to the bedroom, yanked off the covers, and placed her onto the linens.

"I need to taste you," I said like a damn animal, tugging down her sweatpants and spreading her legs.

"Please." She kicked away the clothing and reached for me.

Positioning myself between her legs, I kept my eyes on hers as my tongue reached out and lapped at her pussy.

"Brax." Her voice was barely audible.

"Mine." I sucked on the hard nub. "Mine."

Closing my eyes, I reached under her hips and lifted her so I could have full access to her core. In one mouthful, I wrapped my lips around her entire wet, musky cunt and consumed her.

Gianna cried out. "Oh god."

Mine.

I nearly let her go.

I nearly lost her.

I will never do that again.

As her body trembled under my mouth, I yanked my own clothes away and let my cock spring free.

Then climbed over her and thrust inside.

"Tell me you love me," I demanded.

"Braxton. I love you," Gianna cried out again, her nails digging into me.

I wanted her to draw blood.

Passionately, we kissed and bit one another as our hunger took over. Thrust after thrust, I pounded into her, finally fucking the woman I loved as the man I really am.

Braxton Ashford. US Marine.

Now, as she lies sated in my arms, I feel calm and as if the world—or at least my world—has righted itself.

It will take time to fully find our feet.

Together.

"Will he be arrested?" she asks regarding her brother.

"I don't know. The feds are in charge now," I say, pulling her leg over mine.

I want every surface of her body connected to mine.

"He could have shot me tonight, but he didn't." I decide to tell her, because I want to understand. "Why would he do that?"

Her mouth drops open.

"Because he knows I love you." Tears pool in her eyes.

I want to see this woman smile again and one day soon I will. There is a lot of ground to cover first.

We have a life to build.

Promises to make and keep.

"Will they find him?"

"No. Probably not." She shakes her head.

Why do I sense she knows where he is? Right now is not the time.

Right now, I have a question to ask her.

"Did you hear everything I said to you at the hospital, Gia? Really hear me?"

She nods, but I can see she's not sure.

"You said I was yours."

"You are mine. Forever, sweetheart. I promised myself long ago I would never tell a woman I loved her unless I meant it and planned to spend my life with her."

Cue the parting lips.

I smile.

"I'm not doing it here while you have a bandage on your head," I say as her eyes start twinkling.

There it is.

Her happiness.

The Gianna Baldassare I love.

"But—"

"But I should get used to signing my name with Rossi at the end?" she asks coyly.

I cough.

Shit.

"Ah, that would be Ashford." I give her an awkward smile and then kiss her nose. "We have a lot to talk about. But yes, I am going to make you my wife one day. The rest we will work out."

"Wow, do I know anything about you?" she asks, rubbing her hand over my rough jawline.

"You know me, Gianna." I lower my mouth to hers. "Now kiss me."

"Not before I tell you that I love you Braxton... Ashford."

I know.

I know she does.

And I can't wait to spend forever with this woman.