Bound (The Devil’s Vow #2)

17. A Surprising Revelation

Chapter seventeen

A Surprising Revelation

Chapter 17

We stayed there for a while longer, wrapped in each other, the night sky above us, the glowing ocean around us, and the sound of the waves crashing gently against the rock.

My body still trembled with the aftershocks of pleasure, and Gianni's strong hands held me close, steadying me as we both came down from the high we’d reached together.

His voice was deep and raspy in the quiet of the night. “Let’s get you back to shore, Queen.”

Steadying my breath, I straightened myself. “Okay.”

Slowly, he lifted me off his lap, his hands lingering on my hips as if he were reluctant to break the connection between us.

I let out a soft sigh as I sat down on the rock.

Then, he left the rock, helped me leave it too, and then began to carry me away.

“Oh my God.” I shivered against him. “That was perfect.”

“More than perfect. I’ll never forget that moment for the rest of my life.”

“We’ll make more moments too.”

He snapped his view to me. “Yes. . .we will. . .”

A satisfied smile spread across my face.

We headed back and the warmth of the water, the glow of the bioluminescent creatures—it was all so enchanting.

So surreal.

Once again, every step we took disturbed the water, sending shimmering ripples out in all directions.

I watched in awe, the beauty of it all captivating me even more after that intense orgasm.

When we reached the shoreline, Gianni slowly let me down.

Sighing, I stretched. “I’m so out of it.”

“It was a big day.” He bent down, retrieved my discarded gown, bra, and panties, and then handed them to me.

“Thank you.” My body tingled.

He gazed around with this sneer.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure no one can see you naked.”

“Gianni. . .” I stepped into my panties. “Just put your damn clothes on.”

“But—”

“There’s no one out here.” I put on my bra. “All is fine.”

Frowning, he dressed too.

God that was so good.

Once I had my things on and he was clothed too, I looked at him . “We have to do that again.”

“We do.”

“When?”

“It’s our rock and our part of ocean. We can fuck out there whenever you want, princess.” Gianni took my hand and led us back to where the staff and guards waited.

The blankets and champagne glasses had already been cleaned up.

Without acknowledging them, he helped me up the stairs.

This time I knew not to look down.

All I could do was focus on each step in front of me.

Still, for some reason, the climb felt longer this time. Perhaps, it was all the exhaustion from the whole damned day creeping into my bones. If Gianni hadn’t been basically helping me up each one, I might have just gone to sleep on the stairs.

Regardless, when we finally reached the top and stepped onto the balcony, Gianni scooped me up in his arms. “You look exhausted.”

“I am.”

“Then, relax. I’ll carry you back to our room.”

I yawned and leaned against his chest. “I’m thankful.”

“Why?”

“You haven’t shattered my pussy and put me in the hospital.”

“I wanted to.”

I chuckled.

He didn’t laugh, which made me stop.

Oh shit. He’s serious.

He continued to carry me back into the ballroom and walked us through it.

Tired, I took in the space.

The ballroom was nearly unrecognizable from the vibrant gala earlier in the night. It was quiet now, save for the soft murmur of the staff as they moved through the space, cleaning up after the festivities.

Tables were being cleared, glasses collected, and the remnants of food and drink whisked away with practiced efficiency.

When we left the ballroom and headed for the grand staircase, I felt my eyelids growing heavier.

Soon, I rested my head against his chest even more and closed my eyes.

A dark chuckle left him.

I yawned. “What is so funny?”

“You’re fucking adorable.”

“My hair is all curly and wet and all over my head. My make up is probably smudged.”

“And still. . .so fucking adorable.”

I smirked.

A minute later, I could feel us ascending the stairs.

The gentle sway of his movements lulled me into a peaceful daze, the warmth of his body, the rhythmic sound of his footsteps—it was all so soothing.

Damn. I’m about to pass out.

He whispered. “You’re so tired.”

“Mmhmm.”

Gianni’s grip tightened as we reached the top of the stairs.

I expected him to turn toward our bedroom, the one we had been sharing since I’d been brought into his world.

But instead, he continued walking past it, heading down the long, dimly lit hallway.

My eyes fluttered open, and confusion clouded my mind. “Where are we going now?”

Gianni glanced down at me. “I figured you would no longer want us to sleep in the place where I killed someone, so I instructed Makayla to have our staff find a new, yet grand bedroom as well as get it cleaned and set up to my liking.”

Warmth and gratitude washed over me. “You’re right. . .I don’t want to sleep in a room where you killed someone.”

“I figured that.”

“How did you figure it?”

“I know you very well.”

I looked at him. “And how do you know me?”

“Don’t start that again, princess.” A wicked chuckle rumbled through him.

Frowning, I closed my eyes. “You’re a secretive asshole.”

“I am, but just for now.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead softly. “Sleep now, Queen. You’ve more than earned it.”

I sighed contentedly, and felt the world around me fading, the sounds of the night and the distant murmur of the staff disappearing into the background.

As I slipped into the comfortable haze of sleep, I felt myself being gently lowered onto a bed, even softer than the one before.

Gianni took my clothes off, and I woke up a little floating between slumber and awareness.

Once naked, I rolled over and groaned.

He chuckled.

Cool and luxurious sheets wrapped around me like a warm embrace.

I heard something click and figured it must have been the lights.

Then, the scent of fresh linen and a hint of Gianni’s cologne filled my senses as he cuddled against me too.

He was all naked, hard muscle smoothed against my back, ass, and legs.

Groaning, he loudly inhaled and then groaned again.

And I felt so possessed, so utterly loved.

God. . .this is the only way I ever want to sleep.

I murmured, “Goodnight, King.”

To my shock, his hard body trembled against me. “Careful.”

It took a lot of effort to open my eyes, but I did. “Why careful?”

“Calling me king while we’re naked like this. . .I may end up not letting you go to sleep.”

“I am already too sore for more of your cock.”

“Which is why it would be even more delicious to be inside of you.”

A lazy smirk hit me. “You really are the devil.”

Lying in his arms, I could feel the exhaustion seep into every part of me. My muscles ached pleasantly, spent from the night, while a dull haze wrapped around my mind, beckoning me to drift off.

But his arms were around me, and just as my eyes fluttered shut, I heard his low, rumbling voice. “Since I’ve been sleeping next to you, all my nightmares stopped.”

What?

I opened my eyes again and somehow I found the energy to twist in his embrace despite my weary body. Once I faced him, I looked up.

He watched me. “I knew that would happen. I knew they would stop with you next to me. I just can’t tell you how I knew it because I don’t know why either.”

There was a softness to his voice that I hadn’t heard before, as though he was giving me a piece of himself he rarely shared with anyone else.

“But, you knew your nightmares would stop?” I fought the heaviness pulling at my eyelids.

A gentle smile tugged at his lips. “I had a feeling, princess. Ever since you came into my life, my darkness began to feel less. . .consuming.”

Then, he began to stroke my arm absentmindly, and his gaze grew distant as if he were lost in whatever haunted him. “Those nightmares. . .they were hell for a long time. Brutal to my. . .heart, my soul. . .my mind. . .sometimes when I was younger. . .I even considered ending my life. . .”

“No.”

“Yeah. . .I’m not proud of that. I just wanted the nightmares to stop.”

“What were they about?” I pressed my hand to his chest and placed it over his heart.

He stopped stroking my arm and placed his hand around my waist. “You would think the nightmares were about monsters, since I’m the Devil of Shadows.”

“Nightmares are about fear. Maybe you aren’t scared of monsters.”

He lifted his mouth into a wicked smile. “I would kill them.”

“What scared you about your nightmares?”

He swallowed. “Earlier. . .they would always be about my sister, Genny. She would be drowning, and always. . .I’m tied down by something and unable to break free.”

His jaw clenched, and his fingers tightened around me. “Then, I’d wake up hearing her screams, feeling like I’d failed her all over again.”

I reached up and brushed a hand over his cheek, tracing the hard line of his jaw and hoping my touch alone could ease the pain he carried. “I’m so sorry, Gianni.”

For a moment, he didn’t respond, just stared into the dark as though piecing together the right words. “Then. . .”

“What?”

“Many years later, it wasn’t Genny in those dreams anymore.”

“No?”

He closed his eyes and yawned. “It ended up being you in the dreams.”

“Me?” A shiver ran down my spine.

“You’d be there, in the water, drowning. And I’d be just as helpless, trapped, unable to reach you. And it wouldn’t be water around you. . .it would be blood.” His voice softened into a haunted whisper. “And your screams—they were the worst part.”

My chest tightened.

The remnants of exhaustion faded as I took in his words, and all the sorrow beneath his strength.

To think he’d been carrying those nightmares, those fears, all on his own. I wanted to say something to ease his pain, to tell him he’d never lose me, but his breaths began to slow and then a low snore left him.

I widened my eyes. “Gianni?”

His chest slowly rose and fell.

His only response was more low snores.

For a long while, I lay there in the darkness, watching his face. The Devil of Shadows looked so peaceful, so calm, a side of him that no one else would ever see.

The lines of tension that usually marked his face had softened.

All that brutal violence and Don aura slipped away as he slept.

I reached my hand up and brushed a thumb along his brow, feeling his warmth and strength even in his rest.

He said many years later he had the nightmares about me. So. . .when did he first see me? And why does he look so familiar?

Due to his family’s crime connection, he would have most certainly come to Maximo’s house when I lived there. But that wouldn’t be enough for him to say that was the moment he decided to marry me.

Whatever the connection between us. . .it had to be much more than some passing occurrence.

I yawned again, yet I could not close my eyes, watching Gianni sleeping was about to be my new favorite pastime.

In that moment, something bloomed inside me, a realization of just how deeply he had become a part of me. Plus, I felt a sense of intimacy so profound it felt almost sacred, as if we’d stripped down to our very souls.

Whatever he is hiding, I will find out tomorrow. I will not back down about this.

Either he was going to tell me, or I was going to figure out a way to sneak into that office. With Makayla and him blocking it off from me, that told me that there were some real answers in there.

Tomorrow is the day.

Soon. . . my body surrendered to sleep, I closed my eyes and my hand resting against his chest slackened.

I let his warmth, his comfort, carry me into the depths of sleep, knowing I was exactly where I belonged, wrapped in the embrace of the man who was as much mine as I was his.

And then, Gianni whispered in his sleep, “She’s finally mine.”

And suddenly there was nothing but darkness, the kind that felt safe and warm, telling me that I was home.