Chapter 10: A Night with Him

Allizander’s POV

Growing up in a house where the walls had ears and the floorboards felt like landmines changes you.

You don’t just "wake up" like normal people; you return to consciousness in layers. First, your hearing sharpens, then your skin registers the temperature of the air, and finally, your instincts tell you exactly how much danger you’re in.

I was in an oversized bed in the Vitale mansion, but my body still thought I was that little girl hiding in my closet. I knew someone was in the room before I even opened my eyes.

The air had changed. It was heavy, charged with a magnetic pull that made the fine hairs on my arms stand up. Then the scent hit me—sandalwood, expensive tobacco, and that sharp, metallic edge of gunpowder.

Gio.

My first impulse was to reach for the blade I kept tucked into the frame of the bed. My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my chest binder, the restriction feeling tighter than usual. I felt a flash of white-hot anger.

'How dare he? I wasn't some toy he could observe while I was unconscious.'

But I didn't move. I stayed limp, keeping my breathing shallow and rhythmic. I wanted to see how far he’d go. I wanted to know what the "woman-hater" was doing in my room in the dead of night.

I could hear the rustle of his clothes—the soft slide of fabric as he shifted his weight. He was standing right over me. I could feel his gaze like a physical touch, tracing the line of my forehead, my nose, my mouth. It felt intimate. It felt wrong. It felt… confusing.

Then, the air shifted again. He was leaning down. I could feel the heat of his palm hovering just a fraction of an inch from my cheek.

He was going to touch me.

I snapped my eyes open.

The darkness of the room was absolute, but the moonlight caught the silhouette of his towering frame. He looked like a god of war carved out of shadow.

"Boss?" I murmured. My voice was husky with sleep, but my eyes were sharp. "You lost? Or did you finally realize your room is too big and lonely for one person?"

Gio jerked back so violently he nearly tripped over his own feet. He let out a sharp, choked breath, his silhouette stiffening.

"I was… checking the security," he growled. The "Boss" mask was back on, but his voice was a pitch higher than usual. It was grumpy, defensive, and completely unconvincing.

I sat up slowly, the silk sheets sliding down my chest. I leaned back against the headboard, letting a lazy, devilish smirk pull at my lips. "The security of my eyelashes? Because you were leaning in pretty close, Gio. If I didn't know any better, I’d say you were admiring the view."

"Don't flatter yourself, Samson," he snapped, though he didn't move toward the door. He stayed in the shadows, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You’re a brat. A liability. I was making sure you hadn't snuck out to sell our secrets."

"At two in the morning? In my pajamas?" I laughed, the sound low and melodic in the quiet room. I reached out and flicked on the bedside lamp.

The dim, amber glow hit him, and my breath hitched. He looked… wrecked. His hair was a mess, his shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his eyes were dark with a frustration I didn't fully understand.

He looked like a man who had spent the last three hours fighting a war with his own soul.

"Admit it," I teased, my voice dropping into a playful lilt. "You missed me. The house got too quiet without someone to argue with, and you couldn't sleep. You can tell me, Boss. If there’s a monster under your bed, I’ll let you stay here. I’ll even protect you."

"I am the monster under people's beds!" Gio hissed, stepping into the light. His jaw was set so tight I thought it might crack. "I am a Vitale. I am not scared of anything in this world."

"Anything? Truly?" I tilted my head, my eyes locking onto his. "Aside from needles, I mean. Because you were practically shaking in that hospital chair. Want me to check your pulse? You look a little… peaky."

"I am fine!"

"You're a terrible liar," I said, sliding out from under the covers. I stood up, feeling the cold floor against my bare feet.

I walked right up to him, stopping only when my chest was inches from his. I could feel the radiation of his body heat. "So, why are you really here, Giovanni? Are you sure you're not here because you have a crush on me?"

The silence that followed was heavy enough to crush a person. Gio went completely still. He didn't roar, he didn't threaten to throw me off the roof—he just stared at me, his eyes wide and panicked.

The silence grew awkward, thick with a tension that made the air feel heavy. He looked cornered, and for the first time, completely silent.

"Fine, keep your secrets," I whispered, breaking the spell. I reached for my medical bag on the nightstand. "But since you're here, I'll do my job. You look like you're about to have a heart attack."

"My wound… it needs cleaning," he stammered, grabbing at the first excuse he could find.

"Boss, I cleaned that wound hours ago. It’s dry. You’re fine," I said, but I didn't push him away. I sat on the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to me. "Sit. Let me do a general check-up."

He sat. He was so stiff he looked like he was made of stone. I grabbed my stethoscope and moved in. I had to step between his knees to get the right angle, putting me so close I could see the tiny gold flecks in his dark irises.

I placed the cold metal against his chest.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

It was racing. It was absolutely galloping.

I decided to push it. I leaned in even closer, my face inches from his, watching his reaction like a hawk. I could see the way his throat moved as he swallowed. I could see the way his gaze kept dropping to my lips, then snapping back up to my eyes in a panic.

Slowly, a deep, burning red flush began to spread across his cheekbones. The "King of Kards" was blushing.

My own heart suddenly gave a hard, painful thud against my ribs. The teasing wasn't just teasing anymore. The air felt charged, like the moment before a lightning strike.

"Your heart is very loud, Gio," I whispered, my voice trembling just a little.

I pulled back, clearing my throat and shoving the stethoscope back into the bag. My hands were shaking. I needed him to leave before I did something stupid.

"You're healthy. Too healthy, actually," I said, trying to regain my bratty tone. "You can go now. Shoo. Some of us need our beauty sleep."

He stood up slowly, but instead of walking to the door, he stayed right there. "Are you… are you done packing? For the mission tomorrow night?"

"I'm a professional, Boss. Of course I'm ready," I said, leaning back on my elbows and looking at him through my lashes. I felt a surge of adrenaline, that old, fearless spark that always got me into trouble. I wanted to see him lose that composure one last time.

I let a slow, hungry smirk grow on my face. "Tell me something, Gio. Before you go back to your lonely room."

He paused, looking back at me.

"If I kiss you right now..." I purred, my voice low and dangerous. "Will you get mad? Or will you actually answer my kiss?"

I expected him to bolt. I expected a roar of anger or another threat about the roof. Instead, something shifted in Gio’s eyes. The panic vanished, replaced by a dark, predatory flicker.

"Though I despise women, I still know how to flirt, Samson," he said, his voice dropping into a smooth, dangerous purr. "Don't test me."

Before I could blink, he moved. He didn't back away; he stepped directly into my space, looming over me so closely that I had to crane my neck back.

My smirk vanished, replaced by a genuine gasp of shock. Our eyes locked—his dark and challenging, mine wide and suddenly racing.

"I... I was just kidding," I stammered, my bravado evaporating as his scent overwhelmed me.

"Well, I’m not," Gio whispered, his face inches from mine.

"What?"

"I'm not kidding," he repeated, a ghost of a smirk finally appearing on his own lips. "If you love teasing me so much, then I’ll start answering. Now, move over."

He didn't wait for an answer. He sat back down on the bed, pulling back the covers as if he owned the place. "Lay down. We’re sleeping together tonight."

I stared at him, my mouth agape. "You... what?"

"You heard me," he grumbled, settling into the pillows and closing his eyes. "We still have a mission to face tomorrow night. I need sleep, and for some reason, the noise in my head only stops when I'm near you. So stay put, Samson. That’s an order."

I lay down slowly, stiff as a board, my heart drumming a frantic beat against my chest.

Beside me, the most dangerous man in the province was already falling into a calm, deep sleep, leaving me wide awake and wondering exactly what kind of fire I had just started.