Lahat ng Kabanata ng SUBSTITUTE BRIDE FOR THE MAFIA DON: Kabanata 251 - Kabanata 260

Andrea's POVI gritted my teeth and yanked open the back door, throwing myself into the seat with probably more attitude than necessary. I slammed the door shut and crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at the back of his head as he slid into the driver's seat.He adjusted the rearview mirror, and suddenly his dark eyes were looking right at me through the reflection. That smirk was still playing on his lips."Seatbelt," he said.I reached for the seatbelt and yanked it across my body, clicking it into place with more force than needed. "Happy?""Thrilled." He started the engine, and the SUV rumbled to life. The sound was deep and powerful, just like everything else about this stupid vehicle. "Luca said to take you straight to his place. He's gonna meet us there in about an hour."I didn't respond. I just stared out the window as he pulled away from the curb and merged into the chaos of airport traffic. My hands were still dirty, and I could see a few small cuts across my palms. My k

Dante's POVWatching Luca's cousin get out of the car, I couldn't help the amused look on my face. From the moment I had met her till now, it had been nothing short of eventful.She stood there on the circular driveway, her back rigid with indignation, clutching that carry-on bag like it was a weapon she might use against me. Her dark hair was still messy from the fall, falling in tangled waves around her shoulders. Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty, her jeans still dusty at the knees. She looked like she'd been through a war zone instead of just a simple airport pickup.And she was still glaring at me.Most people didn't look at me like that. Most people knew better. I had a reputation in this city—Luca Romano's right hand, his enforcer, the guy who handled the problems that needed handling. I'd built that reputation carefully over the years, made sure people knew that crossing me meant crossing Luca, and crossing Luca meant ending up in a very bad situation.But this girl? She gla

Dante's POVI set Andrea's suitcase down near the bed and turned to find her standing in the middle of the room, looking uncomfortable now that we were alone together."So," I said, leaning against the doorframe and crossing my arms. "What do you think?""It's... a lot." She wrapped her arms around herself, a defensive gesture. "I've never seen anything like this.""Yeah, Luca's done pretty well for himself." I studied her face, watching her process everything. "You okay? You look a little overwhelmed.""I'm fine." She said it too quickly, her chin lifting in that stubborn way I was already getting familiar with. "Just tired from the flight.""Uh-huh." I didn't believe her for a second. She was overwhelmed, probably culture-shocked, maybe even a little scared now that the reality of where she was—and who she was staying with—was sinking in.But she wasn't going to admit any of that to me."You should probably clean up those scrapes properly," I said, nodding toward her hands. "Mrs. C

Dante’s POVI shut down that thought immediately and focused on cleaning the wound."You're good at this," she said after a moment, her voice breaking the silence that had fallen between us. "The whole medical thing. Have you done it before?""Yeah. Lots of times.""For Luca?""For Luca, for myself, for other guys who work for him." I didn't elaborate on the circumstances—the gunshot wounds I'd patched up in the back of cars, the knife cuts I'd stitched closed in safe houses, the broken bones I'd set in warehouses while the guy screamed. All the times I'd played field medic because going to a hospital meant too many questions and too much attention from the wrong people.She was quiet for a moment, and I could feel her watching me. Studying me. Trying to piece together the puzzle of who I was and what I did.I finished applying the ointment to her left hand and reached for the gauze. As I started wrapping it around her palm, I became even more aware of our position. Me, kneeling at h

Andrea’s POVAfter Dante left my room, I lay back on the bed, staring up at the elaborate ceiling with its intricate molding and that massive chandelier. My heart was still racing, pounding so hard in my chest I could hear it in my ears. My skin felt hot, flushed, like I had a fever spreading through my entire body.I could still feel it. The heat from where his hand had been on my thigh when he'd applied ointment to my wounded knees. The weight of his palm, the roughness of his calloused skin against mine, the way his fingers had pressed just slightly into my flesh like he was trying to hold himself back from something.His scent was still in the room—leather and something dark and masculine that I couldn't quite identify. Something that made my stomach flip and my breath come faster. It clung to the air around me, and every time I breathed in, I was reminded of how close he'd been. How he'd knelt between my legs, his broad shoulders blocking out everything else, those dark eyes focu