All Chapters of PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

DIANABefore I could say anything, the reality of the nightmare hit me like a punch to the gut: my father's body on the floor. Nico's. The sound of gunshots. The searing pain of my skin tearing open. A sob broke out of me, and without hesitating, Rocco wrapped his arms around me.I grabbed his shirt, my fingers twisting into the fabric as I cried. I felt the solid wall of his chest under my hands, and he started stroking my hair, slow and steady. I cried into his shoulder, feeling the texture of his skin against my cheek.Slowly, the sobs started to quiet. The feeling of safety grew with every breath. His smell—a mix of soap, sweat, and something unmistakably him—filled my senses, pulling me back to calm. He didn't say anything. Just held me tight, letting me find my own rhythm until, finally, I felt steadier.I pulled back to look at him."Why are you still here?""I was worried about you. Earlier." His voice was softer than usual.I remembered my conversation with Alessandro and loo

ROCCOI was on the terrace, watching Diana and that piece of shit, Alessandro, head down the garden stairs. A light breeze rustled the leaves, but my focus was locked on her. Diana, in that white dress with the strawberry print, made every step feel like a silent dare. There was no way not to notice how the fabric clung to her, showing off every single curve.A black car pulled up to the gate, and Alessandro’s eyes zeroed in on it. Everyone knew who was inside before the door even opened.So, the rotting fish known as Visconti had finally arrived.Alessandro went on alert, waiting for the politician to get out. In that instant, Diana looked my way. Our eyes met, and fuck—it was like everything around us just vanished, and some memories hit me like a fucking freight train.I remembered the smell of her skin, the way she’d curl into me, the feeling of having possessed that delicate body. I remembered how she’d moan, begging for more, my mouth exploring every inch of her. Heat flooded my

ROCCOThat NightI shoved the door open and tossed my car keys onto the table. Diana's engagement bullshit was still clawing at my brain. I knew I had to get her out of there, no matter the cost. The plan was already mapped out in my head, just a few fucking details left to nail down.I paced through the living room and let out a huff when I saw Luca glued to his computer again. Felt like the kid did nothing but game and stare at that damn screen all day. But at least he had a brain for this kind of thing, and he'd been proving more useful lately.I stopped next to him, staring at the screen full of graphs and code I didn't understand. Luca pulled off his headphones when he heard me."Rocco, what now?" he asked, not even looking away from the monitor. Kid needed to learn how to show a little more respect."I need you to do something." My voice came out rougher than I meant it to."What?"I took a breath, bracing for his reaction."I'm running away with Diana."Luca nearly choked, whip

DIANAI covered my ears on instinct and ducked, completely disoriented. Rocco pulled his gun beside me and stepped in front of me like a shield, firing toward the other side of the building. We ran until we reached the cover of a wall, and I clung to him, shaking.“You okay?” His voice was thick with concern.I nodded, even though fear was eating me alive. He grabbed his phone and spoke to the helicopter pilot.“Abort. Pull back now. There’s a shooter in the adjacent building.”He looked at me, cupping my face in his hands.“You need to get back to the restaurant. Now.”“What just happened, Rocco? I’m not following. We were supposed to—”“Your safety is the only thing that matters, Diana.” His eyes locked on mine. “There’s a door back there. Shooter’s on the other side—he can’t get an angle from here. Go.”Tears started falling, frustration and fear choking me.“I don’t want to go back. Take me with you, Rocco. You promised.”“Go now, Diana. Go!” he ordered.I forced myself to do what

DIANAThe afternoon sun was still high when I stepped out onto the terrace. The cool breeze was a welcome break from the suffocating heat inside. I had no idea that peace was about to shatter in a matter of seconds. As I got closer to the railing, the scene hit me like a punch to the gut.Alessandro stood there next to a kneeling man—blindfolded, hands tied behind his back. A single gunshot cracked through the air, and the guy dropped lifeless to the ground. My heart nearly stopped when I watched Alessandro lower the weapon as casually as someone setting down a book.“Get rid of the body,” he ordered, his voice ice-cold.I froze. Too shocked to move, too shocked to even breathe. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen someone die, but I’d never get used to this kind of brutality. He turned slowly, face unreadable, and started walking toward me. When he finally noticed me, his eyebrows went up in surprise.“What are you doing here?”I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. “I… I was