Chapter 21: SHE’S ALMOST MINE

DANTE

She was actually in my bed.

My dreams were coming through. I could literally reach out and touch her but I didn't because that would wake her and then this moment would end but right now, I needed it to last a little bit longer.

I'd been awake for two hours just watching her sleep. She shifted in her sleep, turning toward me, and my hand instinctively brushed a strand of hair away from her face, she stirred slightly but didn't wake up

Eventually I forced myself up and into the kitchen because if I stayed in that bed I was going to do something stupide. While making her coffee and breakfast my phone buzzed on the counter.

Marco: We have a family meeting. Father wants to discuss the Shen situation.

I stared at the message for a long moment before typing back: Tell him I'm unavailable.

Three dots appeared immediately.

Marco: He's your father and the Don, tell him yourself.

I rolled my eyes. I typed back: She is finally in my bed, so they can wait.

The dots disappeared and didn't come back. I could imagine Marco's face when he read that it would be filled with concern as he realized that I was prioritizing a woman over family business and that could get me killed if I were in another mafia.

But this wasn't any other mafia and I was the Don's second and if I said I was unavailable then I was unavailable and they'd figure out the Shen situation without me.

I heard her stirring in the bedroom and put my phone away, trying to look like I hadn't just spent the last three hours watching her sleep and then contemplating whether to ignore my father's request because she was more important than a mafia war. By the time she walked into the kitchen, hair messy and wearing one of my shirts that she'd claimed as her own, I had my expression under control and my coffee half-finished and everything about me screamed normal instead of obsessed.

"Morning," she said, voice still rough from sleep, and reached for the coffee I'd left for her.

“Did you sleep okay?" I asked even though I knew she had because I'd been watching.

"Better than I have in weeks." She took a sip and closed her eyes and I wanted to take a picture of that expression and add it to my collection.

She still thought this was temporary and she'd go back to her apartment eventually which I found funny. She also thought I was just her helpful neighbor who'd offered her sanctuary instead of the architect of her terror. I couldn't tell her the truth yet because she wasn't ready because she was still scared, dependent and too fragile to handle knowing that her stalker and her protector were the same person.

Soon though. Maybe. The urge to confess was getting stronger every day. There was this need to have her know it was me, had always been me and would always be me. I wanted to see her scared of me but she would be in too deep that she wouldn't be able to leave. I wanted her to hate it but want it. I wanted her to cry from the pain but cry towards it too.

I wanted to completely ruin her and rebuild her.

Later, in the shower, I let myself think about everything. If she found out, would she run? Would she stay? Would she understand that this level of obsession meant she was the center of my entire world in a way no one had ever been before?

Dinner was pasta again because I'd learned she liked when I cooked it and cooking was easy. It would give her the domestication that boyfriends and their girlfriends had even though we were  more than that.

"This is amazing," she said, and I watched her eat and felt satisfied because I was providing and caring for her.

"Have you dated anyone seriously before?" she asked suddenly.

I froze internally but kept my expression neutral, pretending it didn't catch me off guard. The truth was that I had never felt anything for anyone until I met her. All my previous relationships were shallow and transactional. I mainly wanted sex and they wanted money.

"Nothing that mattered," I said. "Not like this."

She smiled.  "Same."

I paused. She lied to me, on one hand it felt like a victory that she didn't consider what she had with Ren as serious and on the other hand it was irritating that she lied to me.

"I'm glad you're here," I said, choosing not to dwell on it.

"Me too."

She smiled at me and I smiled back then we finished up and cleaned together.

She had no idea she was falling for a monster.