A Burning Flame by Daniella Kunz (book recommendations txt) 📕

off the bed shaking her head. “That isn't going to work this time Daveon.” I don’t miss the hint of sadness echoing in her voice, like the sliver of hope she allowed herself was crushed.

Putting her clothes back on she moves towards the door. Looking back at me with her hand on the doorknob. “Thank you.”

I’m confused at her words and the sincerity ringing through them. “For what?”

Her back to me she opens the door is a crack. “For allowing me something to hold onto when I get back and my life becomes too much to bear.” Before I can ask her what the fuck she is talking about she slips from the door into the darkness, silently closing it behind her.

I don’t sleep at all that night, trying to wrack my brain for some kind of plan to make this work without damning us all because if worse comes to worst. I will do whatever I have to to keep her.

***

The next few days are excruciating as Gianna does her best to ignore me. Acting as if what happened between us and my declaration of claiming her didn't happen. I let it slide for now as I still have work to do to get something figured out. By the time the wedding comes, I still have nothing. My irritation grows at the situation and the knowledge that I may have to involve Nico in this.

No, I’ll wait until I absolutely have to because he may just shoot me, putting an end to this disaster before it can get any worse. With Nico and Liliana staying at the hotel for the night, Gianna and I arrive back at Nico's alone. She tries to go up to her room, not giving me even a short word before I catch her wrist spinning her around to face me in the hallway.

“What do you think you're doing?” I growl out, unable to hide my frustration.

Shaking my hand off her wrist she looks up at me. “Daveon, stop it, there is no point in this.” She motions her hand from me to her. “Us, I am engaged to be married to the Chicago Capo. He isn’t just a lowly soldier you can just break off an engagement too. There will be repercussions and I won’t damn my family in Los Angeles and Liliana and hers here for my own selfish desires!” Shoving past me, I am a little stunned at her anger she lashed out with. I don’t stop her as she goes into her room slamming her door behind her.

Rolling my shoulders I made my way back downstairs, needing to step out and calm myself with a smoke. Flipping my lighter I watch as the flame dances around at the night's light breeze before lighting my cigarette. Hearing my phone’s ping, I place the cigarette between my lips, grabbing it out of my pocket.

As I glance down at the screen reading the text from Marina, my muscles tense. My hands ball into a tight fist, turning white as I allow the cigarette to fall from my lips before clenching my jaw. Marching back inside I barrel my way to her door, not bothering to knock, I rip open the door walking in. She sits up startled on her bed as she looks at me. Her eyes glare at my intrusion and I can see the snarky comment about to spill from her lips like poison before I silence her with my gaze.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?” I roar out in my rage. She looks confused until I toss my phone down onto the bed in front of her, the information of Enzo collected by Elijah is on full display. Image after image of women beaten and raped that were brushed under the rug to protect his image.

Her eyes widen as she realizes I now know. “How did you get this?”

“I have my resources. Now, why the fuck did you keep this from me?” I’m seething as my anger spills out of me, rolling off in waves as I try to contain it around her. Anger that her father would give her to such a man makes me want to grasp him by the throat, strangling the life from him with my own hands.

“Because I didn’t want you to pity me. I didn’t want you to know.”

“Does Liliana know?”

“Yes, she does.” She drops her head, resigning herself to her fate.

“Now you're definitely not going home.” I clip out darkly. No fucking way is she leaving now.

Her head snaps up to me, looking distraught. “No, you can’t. That man is deranged. He already threatened my family along with everyone else in the Cosa Nostra. I won’t have their blood on my hands over this.”

“And I will not allow him anywhere near you!” As my voice rises so does her fire. Sliding off the bed she steps in front of me, her own pissed off expression painted on her face to match my own.

“You don't own me, Daveon! Tomorrow I will be leaving, going home as I promised my father and carrying out this arrangement. There is nothing you can do.”

Unable to control my anger any longer, I turn slamming my fist against the wall needing to direct my uncontainable wrath away from her. The sheetrock cracks under my force and I turn catching her flinch at the noise that carries between us. Stalking toward her, she reacts by backing away from me and matches each step with her own. I push until she is backed against the wall with nowhere left to go.

“I will do whatever I need to do.” My voice is dark and menacing as it leaves my lips.

“So, you will just defy Nico and bring a war down upon you all?”

“If I have to, then yes, I will.” She looks down at the floor between us not wanting to meet my eyes.

“No, I won’t let you.” Thinking of her going back to him makes my blood run hot again. Before