-Helping Mr. Gang Leader.Chapter 25: overprotectiveness . Gianna asked her brother, “So I take it you’re sufficiently plied with food, drink, and comfort?”Currently Giovanni was stretched out on Gianna’s bed, a can of soda on the nearby bedside table, a bag of chips mere inches away, and a mound of pillows behind him. From Gianna’s tiny kitchen the smell of something delicious, which would be Giovanni’s dinner in about a half hour, came drifting in.Giovanni flashed her a thumbs up. “You’re officially the best big sister ever.”From nearby Gianna reached for a bag of gummies, tossed it to him, and tried not look smug.“Seriously,” Giovanni said, “If this were an anime, I would have little hearts in my eyes right now. And I’d probably be calling you my love.”Gianna snorted, though she was secretly pleased, and she turned back to her wardrobe.It was the night of the gala and she’d been in an intense staring match with the dress she was supposed to wear for several minutes. Gian
.Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 26: An old friend, you say? .“He said that if any of Mariposa went around you, if they even just happened to pass by an area they knew you were in, they’d be out.”“Out?” Gianna echoed. “Out of what?”Giovanni’s eyebrows ran high on his forehead. “Out of the gang.”Gianna’s mouth went dry.“Has that ever happened before?”Silently, Giovanni shook his head.Once more Gianna said, “He’s trying to protect me. That means he isn’t learning. Because if he was, if he was paying attention at all, he’d know that I’m not the kind of person who’s delicate or in need of that. I need him to trust and believe in me, to take chances with me, and to be patient with our relationship. Not this.”Giovanni blew out a breath of air. “I think he thinks you’re delicate. He was asking me, you know. About your heart.”Gianna groaned. “That’s my fault.”Her condition wasn’t exactly anything she went around advertising. People who knew tended to either treat her as if she
Helping Mr. Gang Leader.Chapter 27: surprise surprise . Gianna blinked in surprise at the sight of her old friend rushing towards her.“Harold,” Gianna greeted him quickly, and then laughed when she was swept up into a tight hug. She regained her senses a second later and introduced, “Victoria, this is one of my oldest friends, Harold. We did our residencies at the same time and were close.”Harold, who’d always been such a free spirit that Gianna had envied him greatly, gave Victoria a bow and said, “I’m honored to meet you. Also, do you have a sister?”.“Victoria is a friend and a neurosurgeon,” Gianna said, clearing her throat. “She’s smarter than the both of us put together. Chew on that.”“Oh!” Harold bowed even more deeply than the first time.Victoria brushed the comments off. “I’m new to the city. Gianna was kind enough to invite me along to meet some of the doctors in the area.”Harold looked skeptical. “Gianna is about as social as a recluse.”Gianna rolled her eyes. “N
Helping Mr. Gang Leader.Chapter 28: I feel like Superman when I’m with you.“Actually,” A new voice cut in, deep and tentative, “I was hoping Gianna might want to come with me instead.”Gianna turned so quickly she got a little dizzy, and she could hardly believe that Dante was standing in front of her.Dante, looking dashingly handsome in his own suit, cufflinks shining under the florescent light, was looking over at her with a pinch of nervousness, but a whole lot of hopefulness. His hair was slicked back in a stylish, debonair way, and he looked like someone’s prince charming. God, and the smile, it was still the smile that was getting Gianna.“How … why …”. Gianna didn’t know where to start.“Hi,” Dante said, smiling a little. “You look nice.”“How did you know where I was?” Gianna asked, unable to concentrate on anything but Dante standing in front of him. “And how did you get in here?”.Dante put his hands in his pockets and said, “After your brother got done yelling at me f
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 29: There is no cure for her heart condition . Gianna sighed contently as warm lips trailed across her bare shoulder, sparking all the nerve endings along the way.Because it was so early in the morning, and probably because Gianna had slept so well aided by Dante and alcohol, her reply came out a little rough and not unlike a rumble. She said, face half burred in a pillow, “I’m not normally this easy.”Dante, who was crowded up against her, smiled against Gianna’s smooth skin. “Trust me, there’s nothing easy about you.”Light was just starting to filter its way into the bedroom Dante called his own, and Gianna wasn’t looking forward to getting up and breaking the illusion of perfection they’d managed to achieve.But fondly she recalled the night before … or the early morning hours. They’d kissed and kissed until Dante was panting and Gianna’s lips hurt. Then Dante had brought them to his place, and Gianna, so lost in the overwhelming feelings she
.Helping Mr. Gang Leader.Chapter 30: wow.Gianna gnawed on her bottom lip for a moment, then said, “If you can’t handle something like this, or if it’s something that’s a major worry for you, I understand. My father loved my mother very much, but this put an extreme amount of pressure on their marriage. We--”“We,” Dante interrupted, “will be just fine.”Gianna stroked the soft skin at Dante’s chest. “It’s not going to get better. I really want you to understand that. I was diagnosed as a kid, which is pretty rare, actually, and only because they knew to look for it. When I was young, I could do a lot of things I can’t do now. And there are things I can do now, that I probably won’t be able to do in a few years from now. I don’t know what will happen between us, but you should be prepared.”Dante shook his head slowly. “I’m not going anywhere. I hope you’re not trying to run me off.”“Never,” Gianna swore.“Then trust me,” Dante offered. “I can handle this. And I’ll tell you if th
.Helping Mr. Gang Leader.Chapter 31: acknowledging there is now a relationship between them .Gianna gnawed on her bottom lip for a moment, then said, “If you can’t handle something like this, or if it’s something that’s a major worry for you, I understand. My father loved my mother very much, but this put an extreme amount of pressure on their marriage. We--”“We,” Dante interrupted, “will be just fine.”Gianna stroked the soft skin at Dante’s chest. “It’s not going to get better. I really want you to understand that. I was diagnosed as a kid, which is pretty rare, actually, and only because they knew to look for it. When I was young, I could do a lot of things I can’t do now. And there are things I can do now, that I probably won’t be able to do in a few years from now. I don’t know what will happen between us, but you should be prepared.”Dante shook his head slowly. “I’m not going anywhere. I hope you’re not trying to run me off.”“Never,” Gianna swore.“Then trust me,” Dante
Helping Mr. Gang Leader.Chapter 32: restraining order? .“How did they take it? Me being here.”Dante lifted himself to sit on the countertop, but jumped down the second Gianna swatted at him with an angry expression on her face.“So, you’re one of those cooks,” Dante said merrily.Gianna told him, “Yes, I’m that rare breed of cook who doesn’t want another person’s butt where I’m going to put the ingredients that I’ll cook with, seriously who does that?. Will the wonders never cease?”.More than once Gianna had been told that her sarcasm and aptitude for unfunny jokes would be something that ended up alienating people. For years Gianna had tried to curb her thoughts, soften her reactions, and always, always, think before she ended up speaking about something.But there was something to be said for Dante who didn’t seem upset by her comments in the least. In fact, he seemed to find them delightful.The evidence was staring Gianna in the face as Dante turned his nearly naked body to