Aria’s POV
The house felt quiet without them.
I sat by the window, my hands wrapped around a warm mug of tea, wearing one of Dante’s black shirts. It smelled like him–clean soap, dark cologne, and something spicy. I closed my eyes for a second and breathed it in. I didn’t know how or when it happened, but I missed them already. Their teasing. Their sharp words. Even their loud footsteps echoing down the hall.
Now, everything felt still.
Chiara had stopped by earlier, dropped a kiss on my cheek, and made a joke about me being “a mafia wife already.” She offered to bake something sweet together, but I wasn’t in the mood. I just wanted them back.
I touched the side of my neck where Matteo had kissed me last night, his lips hot against my skin. There were faint marks left behind–nothing painful, just reminders. It made me smile. I didn’t think I could feel this full and soft inside. Not after everything.
Suddenly, I heard the door open downstairs.
I froze.
Voices. Footsteps. Heavy and sure.
I was already moving before I could stop myself, hurrying out of the room and down the hallway. My heart beat faster, not with fear, but with something else something warm and needy.
Matteo was the first to see me.
His eyes lit up like fire in the dark. “There’s my girl,” he murmured, walking over and pulling me into his arms. I buried my face in his chest, breathing him in. He smelled like leather, gunpowder, and home.
“Missed you,” I whispered.
“Same,” he said into my hair. “Every damn second.”
Dante came next, brushing his knuckles across my cheek before leaning down to press a soft kiss to my forehead. “You okay, baby?”
I nodded, heart fluttering.
Enzo didn’t say anything. He just scooped me up with both arms and spun me around like I weighed nothing. I laughed out loud, holding onto
him.
“She smells like cookies,” he said, grinning as he set me down.
“She does,” Matteo agreed. “Which means we should take her upstairs and ruin that.”
Dante rolled his eyes. “You’re a savage.”
“You love it,” Matteo shot back.
They took me upstairs like I was something precious, something soft they wanted to protect. Matteo led me straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower.
“Join us?” he asked, voice low and warm.
بالله
Chapter 128
I nodded.
Inside the steamy bathroom, everything slowed down. They weren’t rough or demanding. Just gentle. Hands slid over my skin, careful and warm. Dante washed my hair. Enzo traced lazy circles on my back. Matteo kissed the water off my shoulder.
“I could get used to this,” I said softly, eyes closed.
“You should,” Enzo said. “We plan on spoiling you.”
hummed a little under my breath, a soft tune I barely remembered. Something my mother used to hum when I was scared. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until everything went quiet.
“Don’t stop,” Enzo murmured. “You sound like peace.”
After the shower, they wrapped me in towels and carried me to bed like I was made of glass. We ended up tangled together on the giant mattress. Warm skin, soft touches, and slow breaths.
I lay between them, safe.
“Did everything go okay?” I asked after a while.
Matteo was quiet, so Enzo answered. “It did. But nothing out there matters more than you do.”
My heart ached a little at those words.
Dante, always calm and closed off, reached for my hand and kissed it. “You’re becoming our calm in the storm.”
I didn’t know what to say.
So I whispered, “I’m scared… I’m starting to need you guys. Too much.”
“Good,” Matteo said without hesitation. “Because we already need you.”
Matteo pulled me tighter against his chest, his hand splayed over my stomach like he was anchoring me there. “You realize we’re never letting you go, right?” he murmured into my hair. “You belong to us now.” I turned slightly to glance at Enzo, who was lying on his back with one arm lazily draped across my legs. He smirked. “Even if you tried to leave, we’d drag you right back. We’re clingy like that.” I laughed softly, but the sound faded when Dante rolled onto his side, brushing a knuckle over my cheek. “They joke,” he said quietly, “but we mean it. You’re not just some pretty girl we’re entertaining. You’re important, Aria.” My throat tightened. No one had ever looked at me like that before–like I was something sacred. “You guys are intense,” I said, trying to lighten the moment, even as my voice shook. Matteo chuckled darkly. “We’re mafia kings, baby. What did you expect–flowers and love songs?” Enzo grinned. “I could write you a song. It’d just be about how good you look in my shirt.” “Disgusting,” Dante muttered, but his lips twitched with a smile. I rolled my eyes, cuddling deeper into Matteo’s side. “You’re all insane.” “And yet… you’re still here,” Enzo said. “Which means you’re either brave or crazier than we are.” I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. The way they held me, touched me, looked at me–quietly possessive and strangely gentle–it felt like home. A dangerous, chaotic home, but mine all
the same.
And for the first time in forever, I didn’t feel like I had to run–I felt like I’d finally been caught by something worth staying for.
No one said anything else after that. We just laid there, breathing together.
And in that moment, I realized this was the first time in years I felt like I was truly wanted. Not for what I could do or give. Just… me.
Just as I was drifting off to sleep, my phone buzzed.
It was a text from Chiara.
Chiara: We need to talk soon. About who you really are.
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Chapter 128
I stared at it, frowning a little. Confused. Nervous.
But I didn’t move.
I was too warm. Too held.
For now… I let sleep fake me
Author’s Note:
Loving the tension? Cuz I am, Tell me your
favorite scene so far!
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