Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 15: Chapter 15

TERZO
“Are you insane? Are you really desperate to die? Or you like her very much that you’re willing to risk your life and everyone around you to keep that girl?” Maverick was beyond angry. I knew she cared about me. I had no doubt she loved me, and I would do anything to stay alive for her and for everyone I loved.
“This is Papa’s order.”
“My ass.” She glared further. “Does she know?”
I shook my head.
“Oh, my God!” She hit me again close to my wound. “You’re freaking insane! I’ve never heard anyone as reckless as you and still alive. I might have just believed you’re a part cat, part human, jerk.”
“I’ll tell her.”
“What exactly, Papa, told you to do, Terzo?”
I told her the shorter version.
“Then just give her to her father. No killings. No guns. No more enemies.” She held the doorknob ready to get back inside my apartment.
“I can’t.”
“Why the hell not?”
“She’ll be miserable. Have you forgotten about our sister?”
“I did not, Terzo, but you can’t save everyone. You did what you thought was right to protect me, and I am beyond grateful for that. But she’s not your blood. You don’t owe her anything.”
“I feel like I do, sis.”
“Oh, God. Kill me now. You want to save her for your redemption?”
I shut my mouth.
“What if she finds out and kills you in your sleep? I can’t lose you, asshole.”
“You won’t, sis. I promise you.”
“Don’t promise me something you can’t keep. God, I hate you right now. Make sure she’s worth it or I will punch her pretty face.”
We got back inside my apartment.
“And I’m marrying Dani.”
“Right. You don’t need a wife. You need a psychiatrist.”
Dani hadn’t moved a muscle, still in the same position and place. I also noticed something different about her. She was in her pajamas and was wearing glasses.
“Hi.” I walked close to her and looked at her closely. She looked beautiful without makeup. Her natural hair color was back. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and looked over my shoulder.
“Apologies. I haven’t told my sister about you. She’s protective of me.”
“Very protective,” Maverick interrupted me. “I kill for my family.”
Dani looked like a wet cat under the pouring rain in front of Maverick. I knew my sister would not hurt her, she was clearly enjoying intimidating Dani.
“Enough, baby sis, or I will call your husband to pick you up.”
“I’m not afraid of Lake.” She glared at me and smiled so fake at Dani. “Where are my manners? I’m Maverick Bates II. Terzo’s baby sis. I may maybe small, but I’m venomous. And you are?”
“Dani Souls. I survived in Russia under Ilya Vasilyev’s protection, I’m sure I can handle a mean future monster-in-law.”
I couldn’t help but smile, and so did Maverick.
“Ilya?” She grabbed me on the arm. “Ilya, the blue-eyed handsome devil Ilya?”
“Don’t let your husband hear you say that, but yes. The very same Ilya.”
“Okay.” She eased down. “Dani, will you clean his wound before it gets infected?”
“I can do it by myself, sis. Don’t worry about it. And thanks for dropping by.”
“I’m not going until she cleans your wound. I just want to make sure she knows how to take care of you.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“I’ll do it,” Dani said, walking to the couch. She grabbed the plastic bag that Maverick brought earlier. “Let’s do it in the bathroom so that I won’t mess up your place.”
I shook my head in amusement as I watched Maverick grin at her triumph.
“Don’t lock the door. I don’t wanna wait here while you two make out!” she yelled at us as I shut the door.
“Is she always like that?”
“Yeah. She’s actually sweet and kind. She’s tough, but you’ll get along just fine.” I pulled my shirt over my head.
Her gaze landed on my bare chest. I had some tattoos that couldn’t be seen with a shirt.
She swallowed hard before she spoke again. “I highly doubt that. She hates me.”
“She doesn’t hate you. She has a good heart. Trust me. After what her father-in-law did to her, she still invited him over for dinner and forgave him like nothing happened.”
She slowly and carefully pulled the adhesive that secured the bandage on my wound as if she didn’t want to hurt me while biting her bottom lip. I had to hold my breath and look away when my cock started to harden in my jeans. Every time her soft little fingers touched my skin, I fought hard not to suck a breath.
“Just take it off. The more you take it slow, the more it hurts.”
She lifted her gaze to me. She must have seen the strained expression on my face. It wasn’t from pain. I’d had worse, but she looked so delicate and soft, and yet she thought that she could hurt me.
“I don’t want to hurt you. That’s the whole point.”
“You won’t hurt me, and what’s worse than shooting me?” I watched her reaction, and it was instant.
Her eyes were slightly narrowed behind her black-rimmed glasses. I thought it was cute. “You can’t let this one go, can you?”
I pushed her glasses up, and she crunched her nose. “Do you have a problem with your eyesight?”
“No. It feels like a shield to me, a wall. This also protects my eyes from radiation.” She began cleaning my wound with swabs, and it stung. She watched my reaction before she smiled. “You’re a big bad wolf mafia, and you’re scared of a little alcohol swab? What about a needle?”
I pointed at my tattoos.
“The artist used a topical anesthetic. It won’t hurt your bad boy ego to admit you still feel pain.”
“Of course, I do. I feel physical, emotional, and mental pain. I’m human. I’m not immortal.”
Once she was done cleaning, she applied a topical antibiotic to the wound.
I waited and watched her struggle to take off the adhesive on the side, making me chuckle. “You struggle without the fake nails.”
“Shut up.” Once she did it, her eyes lit up.
“Are you guys having sex in the bathroom?” Maverick knocked on the door, interrupting us.
Dani and I shared a look as she finished the application of the bandage,
“We’re done, Maverick!”
We settled on the small sitting area when Maverick kept eyeing Dani.
“You’re Maverick Bates. I thought you looked familiar earlier,” Dani said out of the blue.
“Let me guess, you watched my humiliation video on Tiktok,” Maverick replied.
“No. You worked at the Bazz, right?”
“Yeah, I was.”
“Right, and my roommate went there a couple of times.”
“Really? I stopped working after I got married.”
“I uh. I just want to say I’m so sorry for what I did to your brother. It was an accident. I found a gun in the drawer. At that time, I was so scared that he and his men might bring me to my father. When they pointed their guns at me, I got frightened. Just so you know, I never held a gun even if I was in Ilya’s custody. I never shot anyone.”
Maverick turned to me. “See? You’re lucky, piglet.”
“Piglet?” I snorted like a pig, making her laugh.
“Atlas and I watch Peppa Pig, and she has a new sister.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re teaching your kid a British accent? What would be his first word? Woo-a?”
Dani and my sister laughed.
“Where did you learn how to say that?” Dani was amused.
“My job.”
“Your job?”
“Yeah. He has a lot of jobs, Dani. So when are you two gonna get married?”
Fuck.