Mine Forever: A Dark Mafia Romance

Chapter 23 Sonia -Instinct

I wake up to an empty bed surrounded by soft sheets but no Dante. He's not here. He's nowhere to be found.

Where is he?

We had the most incredible night last night. It's hard to think of anything else. I remember the way he made me come so hard, the way he rescued me from the dark forest, scooping me up off the ground and marching me back to the house.

I've never met a man like him, someone so strong, so powerful, and tender at the same time. I mean, he washed my hair, for god's sake. If that doesn't scream tenderness, then I don't know what does. The smell of the shampoo emanates from my still-damp hair, and my body feels fresh and renewed after last night's bath.

I roll over, wanting Dante with me here now to hold me and to whisper sweet nothings in my ear. But the bed is empty.

Regretfully, wishing that I had spent the entire morning in bed with him, I get up. I go to the master bathroom, wash my face, and brush out my stick-straight black hair. Then I put on his oversized terrycloth robe, cinching it around my waist so that I can tiptoe down the hall to my bedroom. I need to pick out some clothes.

Once I'm in my room, I find it untouched. My bed is made, the sheets perfectly fitted. I didn't sleep here last night because I was with him. The mere thought of it makes hot spirals of desire burn inside of my stomach. I want him. Even though I spent the night with Dante, I still want more. I don't think I'll ever get enough of what he has.

In my generous closet, I look among all the racks of my new clothes and eventually decide to put on another pair of jeans. There's nothing to dress up for. It's just another day at the mansion. I pull on a T-shirt and a comfy soft sweater to layer on top. Then I find a pair of black boots.

Heading out of my room, I go downstairs to find Ludovica. I can smell breakfast cooking as it effuses throughout the house.

Eventually, I find her in the kitchen making a sumptuous spread.

Turning around, she hands me a coffee. "Nice to see you this morning, Miss Sonia," she says. "May I offer you a brioche?"

I take the warm bread from her and smile. "Thank you so much. It looks delicious."

Taking a bite of the delicious bread that nearly melts in my mouth, I realize how starved I am. I haven't eaten since yesterday.

With my coffee and the brioche, I sit down at the enormous kitchen island.

"Where is Dante?" I ask.

Ludovica shrugs. "Mr. Dante is likely working. He said he would take his breakfast later on."

My heart drops a little bit. I had wanted to see him this morning. But I imagine Dante is busy with work, though I'm not exactly sure what it is that he does, what being in the mafia entails. A part of me shivers to think what his business means. Is he going to kill somebody? Organize a shady deal? What happens behind closed doors in the De Rose household?

The idea of it makes that slightly depressing feeling come back even though I try to shoo it away. It's the same feeling I fought while living in the penthouse on Fifth Avenue. I always knew that my family was up to no good, which was a life I wanted to escape from. Now, I'm living here with Dante, and for all I know, he's doing the exact same thing.

Trying to distract myself from Dante and what he is or is not doing, I talk to Ludovica and watch her work. She's making quite a feast, though only Dante and I will be eating it as far as I know.

I ask her about all the different Italian makings. And she tells me exactly what's going into the focaccia and the frittata that she's cooking up. She describes the difference between cornetti and a croissant.

I find all of it fascinating. And my hunger starts to dissipate as Ludovica feeds me samples of all that she's making.

But just as I'm finishing my second coffee, I hear a rumble down the hallway, a commotion. Before I know what's happening, Dante and a couple of his men, one I recognize as Romano with his tattoos and squared jaw, burst into the room.

Dante's eyes center on me. They're aflame with green and tones of hazel, reminding me of the dark forest I was in yesterday. I witness the darkness there, in him, but it doesn't scare me. I know Dante would never hurt me. He's been too careful with me so far. He's never laid a hand on me even though I am technically his captive.

"What's going on?" I ask.

His eyes sweep the room, taking note of the fact that I'm eating breakfast with Ludovica. "We have to leave," he says.

I shake my head, trying to understand what exactly he means by that. After all, I've only just arrived in this fortress, this jail. "What do you mean we have to leave? I just got here a couple of days ago. I don't want to leave."

His voice is a stern command. "Our position has been compromised. I need to get you to a safe location. Finish your coffee, and then we're going to go. The helicopter is waiting."

All at once, I realize that I don't have a choice in the matter. If Dante says we're leaving, then I guess that's what we're going to do.

It also occurs to me that I don't know where he's going to take me. If I go with him, I'll be farther away from my family. They may never find me again.

How did I get into this position?

But there's an instinct inside of me, a primal urge that whispers for me to follow Dante. I would follow him to the ends of the earth though I can't explain why.

Silently and without argument, I get up from my seat and go to him. I walk past him to the hallway, where I wait for further instruction.

He turns towards me, his eyes scanning my body. I could explode under the pressure of his gaze. A slick cream starts to form between my thighs.

"Let's go," he says.

I follow him out of the house, not knowing where we're going or what my future holds. All I know is that, for some reason, I trust Dante. I trust him with my life.