His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Dominic’s POV

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Alessia left with a murmured goodnight and a worried glance, but my mind was nowhere near her.

It was upstairs with Isabella.

Before I went to her, I checked Mateo’s room like I did every night.

The small lamp glowed softly, illuminating toy rockets scattered across the floor. Mateo slept peacefully. curled up cutely, cheek pressed to the pillow, hand clutching his stuffed lion.

The sight shouldn’t break me. But it did.

In a good way. In a way that felt like something tight around my heart loosening a little more each night I look at him.

My son.

My miracle.

My second chance.

“Buonanotte, piccolo,” I whispered, brushing a hand through his curls before quietly leaving the room the way I had come.

I closed the door quietly, and saw a soft glow spilling from the door next to his.

Isabella’s room.

My pulse tripped over itself.

She should be asleep. She needed sleep. Tonight took more from her than she’ll ever admit.

I knocked gently on her door, worried about her. “Isa?”

The door opened a crack. She’s in a white tank top and small sleep shorts, bare legs, bare face, and hair messy like she’s run her hands through it a thousand times.

My throat went dry.

She didn’t try to hide the exhaustion in her eyes. Or the way her voice softened when she said, “I can’t sleep.”

I nodded once. “I figured. After tonight, it makes sense.”

She leaned against the doorway, arms around herself. Vulnerable in a way that made me want to wrap her in my arms and swear nothing will ever touch her again.

“Do

you want something that’ll help?” I asked. “Hot chocolate?”

13:01 Sat, Jan 17

Chapter 66

Surprise flickered across her face. “You know how to make hot chocolate?”

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“My mother taught me. It’s a family recipe. Good for nights when your head won’t stop running.” A pause. “I’d like to teach Mateo someday.”

Something shifted in her eyes then, like she wasn’t expecting me to think that far ahead.

I see the moment she decided to trust me, even if it’s just this small thing.

“Show me,” she whispered.

So I led her downstairs.

The kitchen is dim, safe. I moved around like I knew the place with my eyes closed. I hadn’t stayed in this villa much but the design of the kitchen was similar to the one back home. I grabbed the milk, the cocoa powder, the cinnamon, the vanilla, finding everything with ease.

Isabella stood beside me, watching silently. Her shoulder lightly brushed mine.

My body reacted like someone lit a fuse, but I forced myself to stay calm. This was the first time in the last few days she was letting me talk to her, wasn’t shutting me off. The last thing I wanted was to come off as too strong and have her back off again.

If a quiet conversation over a mug of hot chocolate was all I could get, I would take it.

“Here,” I said, handing her the whisk. “Stir while I heat the milk. Slowly. You rush it, it gets grainy.”

“Oh? The mafia boss has standards for hot chocolate?” she teased, trying, and failing, to hide a smile.

I smirked. “I have standards for a lot of things.”

Her cheeks flushed, making her look adorable. I gripped the pan a little tighter, forcing myself to keep working and not reach over to pinch her cheeks like I suddenly wanted to.

We worked side by side, her whisking, me leaning in close to sprinkle in cinnamon. My hand overlaped hers on the handle, just for a second. She didn’t pull away.

God help me.

This felt like home. Like something I’ve never had and didn’t know how much I wanted until it was right there in front of me.

She bit her lip and whispered, “You’re staring.”

“You’re worth staring at,” I said before I could stop myself.

She froze. I did, too.

But then, almost shyly, she looks up through her lashes. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Why not?”

13:01 Sat, Jan 17

Chapter 66

“Because it feels like you mean it.”

I inhaled sharply.

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Before I answered, I turned the stove off and stepped closer, crowding her gently against the counter. Not touching, but close enough that the heat between us felt like another body in the room.

Her breath hitched.

I lowered my voice. “I do mean it.”

Her eyes flicked to my mouth then.

Fuck.

If I leaned down an inch, I’ll taste her.

I’ll ruin everything.

My hand lifted on instinct, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

She had closed her eyes. I swear I felt her lean into my touch.

I should step back. Tell her to get some sleep. Put distance between us before I did something I wouldn’t be able to undo.

Instead, I whispered her name like a prayer I didn’t deserve, unable to stop myself.

“Isabella.”

Her eyes opened, wide, glassy, a little scared and a lot wanting. I could see the desire swirling in the depth of her eyes, feel her longing just as strongly as I felt my own. The urge to close the distance between us was almost too much at that point. “Dominic-”

But then-

“Oh!”

We sprang apart like fucking teenagers caught in the pantry.

Maria stood in the doorway holding an empty glass, eyebrow arched, trying not to smile.

“Scusate,” she said, far too innocently. “I didn’t know the kitchen was occupied.”

Isabella turned scarlet.

I wanted to kill Maria. And hug her. And also sink into the floor,

“Just getting water,” she continued, getting a glassful before turning. But as she passed, she patted my shoulder and murmured, “Careful, Don Russo, Hearts are fragile things.”

13:01 Sat, Jan 17

Chapter 66

I choked on air. Isabella glared at the floor like she wished it would open and swallow her.

When Maria left, silence settled between us, not awkward, but heavy.

Warm.

Full of things neither of us was brave enough to say.

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We drank our hot chocolate at the counter. Her fingers kept brushing mine. Maybe by accident. Maybe not.

When she stood to go, she hesitated. “Thank you,” she murmured after a pause.

“For what?” I asked quietly.

“For being there for me tonight. I really appreciate it,” she whispered.

She left before I could respond.

But I stood in the kitchen a long time after she was gone, staring at the doorway she disappeared through, and thought about the thing I couldn’t say out loud- That I want to be there for you, always. I want you.

God help me, I might even love you.

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