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26. He Warned Me
Date de publication:
2026-03-26 21:24:41
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PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL 114. Blood of My Blood
DIANAAlessandro's room smelled like antiseptic and blood. He lay in the bed, paler than I'd ever seen him, a bandage on his left shoulder, the rest of his body as still as a statue. His eyes, when they found mine, were the same: hard, cold, assessing."Diana.""Alessandro."I stopped in the doorway. He didn't smile. Of course not."You look like hell," he said."Why did you take that bullet? Why did you get in the middle of it?""It was stupid."He coughed. Grimaced."That bastard husband of yours still hasn't come to thank me.""He's taking care of your niece."Silence. Alessandro looked at the ceiling for a second. Then back at me."I'm not going to apologize.""I didn't ask you to.""I'm not going to sit here feeling regret. I am what I am.""I know what you are, Alessandro."He stared at me.Another silence. The heavy kind."You could have died," I said, my voice breaking at the end."But I didn't."He almost smiled. Almost. For Alessandro, an almost-smile was worth more than any
PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL 113. Even a Dozen Hail Marys Aren't Enough
DIANAThe clock on the hospital wall wouldn't stop ticking. Each second stretched into forever. I'd been sitting on that hard plastic chair for hours, and Rocco was beside me, our daughter in his arms, his dark eyes locked on me like I was the only thing in the world worth watching.Luna slept deeply. At two months old, the world hadn't managed to hurt her yet. I wanted it to stay that way forever."You're spiraling," Rocco said quietly."I'm not.""You are. I know that face."I ran my hand through my hair. A gesture he knew too well. The same one I'd used since I was a girl, when something was suffocating me and I couldn't—or wouldn't—put it into words.Because how was I supposed to say it out loud? How was I supposed to admit that after everything, I didn't want my brother to die?I didn't say anything. Just ran my hand through my hair again.Rocco sighed. His big, warm hand pressed gently against my back, a soothing touch. That touch had the power to dismantle any wall I tried to b
PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL 112. The Price of Blood
ROCCOThe hammer went up and down about fifty times before I finally got the fucking shingle in place. Sweat was dripping down my forehead, the back of my neck, my spine. My shirt was soaked, glued to my skin. The Hawaiian sun didn't give a damn about giving me a break."Rocco, be careful!" Diana's voice floated up from below, mixed with the sound of the crib rocking."I know what I'm doing.""You're going to fall!""I'm not gonna fall."Said that and almost slipped on the wet shingle. Grabbed the rafter hard, muttering to myself. Fuck. Ever since I'd taken over that house, the roof had been nothing but problems. A leak here, another one there. Diana had already threatened to call a professional, but I said no.Getting that last nail in was a relief. I settled myself on the roof, tossed the hammer aside, and lay down on my back. The sky was blue. That unreal kind of blue, like someone had Photoshopped it. The clouds drifted slow. The wind swayed the palm trees. Down below, Diana was h
PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL 111. A Shadow on the Road
ROCCOLuna came home on a Tuesday.The sun was so bright it felt like someone had ordered it special. Diana walked out of the hospital with our daughter in her arms, her white dress swinging in the wind, and I just stood there, watching the two of them, thinking there was no more dangerous combination in the world.Three weeks later, the routine had turned into a well-oiled machine.Wake up. Feed. Change the diaper. Feed again. Change the diaper again. Repeat.I never imagined a seven-pound creature could produce that much shit.“We’re out.” Diana appeared in the kitchen holding an empty pack of diapers. Hair in a messy bun. Face bare. Still beautiful. “The last one.”“What do you mean, the last one? I bought twenty packs last week.”“Well, she used them all.”I looked at the crib in the corner of the living room. Luna was awake, her little green eyes open, tiny hands swatting at the air. She saw me looking and smiled—a gummy, drooly, completely stupid smile. My heart melted.“I’ll ru
PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL 110. The Heir of Blood
DIANAAlessandro stood there, frozen in the middle of the room. Flawless black suit. Perfectly knotted gray tie. Like he’d just stepped out of a meeting in Milan, not a twelve-hour flight to Hawaii.Then he looked at my daughter.Quick. A second, maybe two. His eyes—usually cold as steel—softened. His jaw, always clenched, loosened. He blinked, processing what he was seeing.“It’s a girl,” he said. His voice was lower. More human.I didn’t answer. I pulled Luna tighter against my chest.“How dare you come here after everything you did to us?” I snarled.Alessandro didn’t move.“An informant told me you gave birth at this hospital.”“An informant?” I repeated, horror crawling up my spine.I looked at Rocco. His green eyes were narrowed, jaw locked. Even far from Italy. Even hidden on some lost island in the Pacific. My bastard brother still had reach here.“Leave,” I ordered. “Now.”“Diana—”“LEAVE!”My scream echoed through the room. Luna whimpered. Rocco put his hand on my back.“You
PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL 109. The Enemy and the White Flowers
DIANAThe hospital light was too white.That was the first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes.The second was the smell.That clean, terrifying scent of places where life and death dance hand in hand.The third was him.Rocco sat in a plastic chair beside my bed, his body slumped, head thrown back, mouth slightly open. He slept like someone who hadn't slept in days—heavy, deep, as if he'd collapsed right there. Dark circles stood out against pale skin. His stubble had grown wild and unchecked. One of his hands still held mine, even in sleep.I looked at that hand.Big fingers, calloused knuckles, tattoos crawling up his arms and disappearing under the sleeve of a rumpled gray shirt.I tried to sit up.My body screamed.A dull, throbbing pain spread through my abdomen like someone had shoved a hot iron inside me. My hand went to my stomach—empty. Flat. Different."Easy," Rocco's rough voice cut through the silence.He was already awake.Those green eyes—red, actually, from exhaustio
PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL 27. Make Me Yours
DIANAMy dress rode up and bunched. I felt his hard length inside his pants pressing directly against my pussy, covered only by the thin fabric of my panties. A wave of heat coursed through my body, my breathing turning ragged.He held me firmly, his fingers stroking my thighs in a way that made
PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL 25. One Wall Between Us
DIANA“What? You know the rain outside hasn’t stopped, right?” Francesco shot back. “The city’s a mess. They just messaged me.”Francesco lifted his chin, and I turned my gaze to Rocco, looking for a solution.“We’re going to have to spend the night in Rome. The rain hasn’t let up,” Rocco explai
PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL 21. I Just Wanted to Be Free
DIANAMy mouth hung open. I couldn't process what he'd just said."You've got to be kidding me. I'm not marrying a stranger." The words came out sharp, disbelief ringing in my voice."That's not an option, Diana. This marriage is essential. It secures our position, strengthens the famiglia. You
PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL 8. This Is a Mistake
DIANANow I got it. Why Alessandro sent Rocco to bring me home.This man is worth ten men.The way he handled four armed guys in seconds—like it was nothing? Scared me? Yeah. But it also impressed me in a way I didn't know was possible.I'll admit it—when the shooting started, I was terrified.
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