How dare he be around her at all.

My mouth fixes in a sneer, “I am the judge, the jury, and the executioner. And that is not good news for you.”

His eyebrows furrow together and Ilaria pulls back, knowing what I mean as I reach into the back of my pants pulling out my gun that I hadn’t expected to need to use.

But there isn’t a chance I’m going to let him disrespect her.

Not now, not ever.

His eyes widen as the wet stains grow on the front of his boxers as he pisses himself.

The fear reaches the woman who was inching her way out of the bedroom and is now standing looking at the scene shocked by what is unfolding.

I don’t think she expected this from her simple hookup.

Ilaria is looking at me, her eyes still leaking tears but her mouth not moving to try to change the situation.

I can see she didn’t want me to shoot him but, she wasn’t going to say that in front of him. She had been taught respect and as much as she could talk back to me in private this is exactly how I wanted her to be in public. Just looking at me knowing whatever I did I would do without her intervening.

“You are going to come over here and apologize to my fiancée now.” He nods his head and my eyes flip to the other woman who was still against the wall, “Both of you.” Her eyes widen but she didn’t argue with me, “And If I don’t like the apology I’m not going to give you a second chance.” The threat hung in the air and they both knew what I meant by that.

My thumb brushes against Ilaria’s tears, wanting to tell her that they didn’t deserve them but I would give her the respect she was giving me and tell her when we were back home not to waste her tears on dead men.

Maybe I could get used to being a husband.

“Ilaria I’m-”

“Keep her name out of your mouth.” I snap. I didn’t want him being familiar with her. Hated the way her name sounded in another mans mouth.

I pull the safety back, finger on the trigger as I watch his knees buckle as he almost fell into his own puddle of piss on the floor.

Good.

Let him deal with the consequences of his own actions. People don’t do that enough now days.

How could a girl like Ilaria be interested in a man this pathetic?

She was so strong today telling me to fuck off and now this man had hurt her and made her cry? This nothing of a man had gotten more emotions from her than I did and that pissed me off.

I wasn’t a jealous man but right now the emotion ran wild in my blood.

“I’m sorry. He told me that you two weren’t together. You hadn’t even had sex and…I didn’t mean to disrespect you.” The woman squeaks out and I nod at her, pulling Ilaria away as we step to the side.

Distance between her and the woman was good. I wanted to keep her away from this person.

I wave my gun that she could go, letting her get close to me before my arm shot out and my eyes met hers as she looked up at me, freezing up.

“You’re Lou DiPlatzi’s daughter.” Her eyes squeezed closed as I recognized her. The soft shake of fear coursing through her.

Lou was an older guy who worked cleanup for a lot of things. He was someone that my family trusted and I would have to go to him about his daughter.

“Your father is loyal. Don’t make him have to come clean you up.” She knew what I meant and nodded her head as she vanished out of the apartment.

At least I didn’t have to worry about her snitching.

My eyes looked down at Ilaria, she had sighed in relief when the woman left like she was thankful I wasn’t going to kill her. Or maybe just glad she wasn’t around anymore.

I couldn’t imagine being face with infidelity like she had been.

My hand slid down her back, letting her once more lay her tear stained face against my chest as she sniffled out. Her legs are shaking and I want to lift her up, take her out of this place but she hasn’t gotten her apology from the person who  most owed it to her.

And I’m not leaving without it.

Justin looks at us, his face blanched white as he starts to realize that I really would have no problem ending his life tonight. He wouldn’t be the first person I killed or the last.

He would just be another mark on my soul. At least this mark would be done to protect someone in my life. That always made them less damaging.

“I do not like to wait.” I warn and I debate how Ilaria would be if I shot her ex-boyfriend in the face. Probably wouldn’t be the best thing at the moment.

“I-I am s-s-sorry.”

The blubbering idiot was sobbing and by the way that Ilaria squeezed her fists into my shirt hearing him say it wasn’t helping her. He was shaking as he stood, exposed and pathetic in his piss stained boxers.

At least he looked the part.

He deserved the humiliation for what he had done. He deserved worse.

“Don’t make me come back here.” I warn, shifting the gun back, tucking it away to free up my hands.

Pulling Ilaria’s left hand in mine she looks up at me, so much smaller than the proud girl who broke two of Enzo’s toes earlier today with the heel of her shoe.

I don’t like seeing her like this.

The way she is unsure about everything didn’t sit well with me.

No one would shatter her again.

All of her emotions were mine and mine alone. And I didn’t share well with others.

It didn’t matter that we weren’t a love match. We had made a promise to our families and I always made good of my promises. My words were my bond and that was the code I followed.

I should have asked if she was ready but I had waited long enough and I wanted that son of a bitch to see me slide the ring onto her finger. She looked at the ring and then at me, And there she was again. The girl who wouldn’t be broken.

“Dante.” My name on her tongue made my mouth dry.

The way she said my name, her hand slipping into my hair as she pulled me down so close to her that I could smell the skin of her neck, wishing to kiss the pulsing point that was beating there.

“Get me out of here.” She whispered for just me to hear.