Sinful Flames

Chapter 43

It had been a week since Gabriel and I had confessed our love to each other—a week filled with intense passion, where every day felt like a beautiful dream that I couldn’t quite believe was real. We’d spent most nights wrapped up in each other, unable to keep our hands to ourselves, our connection growing deeper with every passing moment. Gabriel constantly reminded me of his love, whether it was through a tender kiss, the brush of his hand along my skin, or the way he whispered *"I love you"* into my ear before we fell asleep.

But even with all this, there was a small, nagging voice in the back of my mind that wouldn’t quiet down. It whispered that maybe this was too good to be true—that I was going to wake up one day and find that it had all been a dream.

That evening, after yet another intense session where we’d lost ourselves in each other, we lay tangled together in the dim light of our bedroom. I rested my head on Gabriel’s chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, but the doubt gnawed at me. I had to say something.

"Gabriel," I murmured softly, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on his chest. "Do you ever... get the feeling that this—everything we have—might just be a dream?"

He tensed slightly under me, his hand coming up to tilt my chin so I could look into his eyes. They were soft, filled with sincerity as he studied me.

"No, Tuono," he said quietly, his voice deep and reassuring. "This is real. You and me. Every moment we’ve shared, every time I’ve told you I love you—it’s as real as it gets."

I swallowed, his words sinking in, but the doubt still lingered.

"I just… I guess I can’t shake the feeling. Everything with Gio, the constant danger. It makes everything else feel so fragile, like it could be taken away in an instant."

Gabriel’s thumb brushed over my lower lip, his expression darkening just slightly at the mention of Gio.

"Nothing is going to take this away from us, Tuono," he said, his voice firm, almost commanding. "I would burn down the whole damn world before I let anyone or anything come between us."

And then, with a familiar smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, he added in a low, playful tone, "Besides, you wouldn’t want to wake up from a dream where I do all those things to you, would you?"

I laughed softly, shaking my head as a blush crept up my cheeks. "You’ve got a point there."

He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, "Good. Because there’s a lot more I plan to do."

I playfully smacked his chest, rolling my eyes at his dirty remark. "Always so full of yourself, aren’t you?"

"You love it," he shot back, his voice dripping with confidence.

And he was right—I did love it. I loved him. Even with all the chaos that surrounded us, being with Gabriel made me feel like I could handle anything.

Every night, no matter how hard his day had been, he came back to me. He always made time for us, for our little bubble of happiness amidst the storm. But that storm was brewing, and I could see the toll it was taking on him. There had been no progress in finding Gio, and his men were being picked off one by one. Each day, Gabriel grew more frustrated, the tension building in his shoulders, in his eyes. I could see the weight of it all pressing down on him, even if he tried to hide it.

I did everything I could to help. I used my network of journalists, gathering information, trying to find any leads that might help Gabriel and his men. But it wasn’t enough. Every lead turned into a dead end, and with each failure, Gabriel’s frustration grew.

The next morning, Gabriel drove me to my apartment. I wanted to pick up a few things, something to ground me after the chaos of the past week. But as we approached the door to my apartment, something felt… off. The hallway was too quiet, the air heavy with a tension I couldn’t quite place. My heart rate picked up as I reached for the door handle.

It was already unlocked.

"Gabriel," I whispered, my voice trembling.

His body went rigid, and in an instant, he had me behind him, shielding me with his broad frame. He pulled his gun from the holster beneath his jacket, his face set in a hard, determined line.

"Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice low and serious.

I nodded, but the fear clawing at my chest made it hard to breathe. Gabriel cautiously pushed the door open, stepping inside with his gun raised. The apartment was silent, eerily so. I followed closely behind him, despite his earlier command to stay outside. I couldn’t just wait. I needed to see.

As soon as I stepped inside, I gasped. The place was trashed—furniture overturned, broken glass littering the floor, my things scattered everywhere. It looked like a storm had torn through the room.

But that wasn’t what made my heart stop.

It was the wall.

Scrawled across it in thick, red paint were the words: *"I’m coming for you, Tuono."* And beneath it, a chilling signature—a capital *G*.

Gio.

I felt my knees buckle as the realization hit me. He had been here. He had used the nickname Gabriel had given me to taunt him, to mock him, to let us know that we weren’t safe. My stomach twisted with fear and anger, and I felt Gabriel’s hand on my arm, pulling me back into his chest as he held me close.

"I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice tight with barely controlled rage. "I should’ve been here sooner."

I shook my head, still staring at the message on the wall, my heart pounding in my chest. "This isn’t your fault, Gabriel."

He pulled me close, his hand cupping the back of my head, pressing my face into his chest. I could feel the anger radiating off him, the fury barely contained beneath the surface. "He's trying to get to me through you," Gabriel growled. "But I swear to you, tuono, I will end this. I will find him, and I will make him regret ever touching you, ever threatening you."

His words sent a shiver down my spine. But even as fear gripped my heart, I knew one thing for certain: with Gabriel, I was safe. He would burn the world to the ground before he let anything happen to me.

But how much longer could we fight this war before it destroyed us both?