Like the men in front of us, I was also surprised by his statement. He knew where Marion was? How?
“And if you think your so-called plan will end me, you can try it. But I don’t give second chances. If your first attempt failed to destroy me, you’ll be the one to be destroyed.”
One of Gio’s men handed him a phone, which Gio had unlocked. He held it in front of the man, who was still tied up and likely one of Marion’s men.
“What’s Marion Huff’s name here? Oh, never mind. I found it.”
I watched Gio dial Marion’s name. He then handed the phone to one of his men, who was holding it up to Marion’s man.
Gio retrieved a gun and loaded it. I watched quietly. It was only the second time I had seen Gio actually kill someone; most of the time, he had others do it for him. Now I was seeing his cruelty up close. I almost regretted having deceived him so many times in the past. Fortunately, he’s my husband and loves me, because if you get on Gio’s bad side, it’s hard to escape his wrath.
He’s silent but deadly, the kind of person whose thoughts you can’t fathom, and you’d only realize he wants you dead when you’re lying on the floor, bathing in your own blood. I’m used to that now, okay. But just picturing it, it’s still chilling, especially when it’s Gio who’s doing it.
“Update,” the voice on the other end spoke. It was Marion! He probably didn’t know that Gio had his men under control.
Gio pointed his gun at one of them and signaled him to speak, but the man remained silent. His body was trembling, probably out of fear of Gio.
“Useless.”
After those words, two gunshots rang out. The two bodies hit the ground, lifeless, simply because they didn’t do what they were told.
Gio picked up his phone and held it to his ear.
“Hello, Mr. Huff,” Gio said. “I heard you’re after my life, that you even involved and threatened my wife’s life.”
I wasn’t sure what Marion said on the other end, but I just stared at Gio’s intimidating expression.
“You just signed your death wish.” His eyes were dangerous. If Marion were in front of him, he would have been dead already. “Make sure you’ve made the most of your remaining time. I am coming for you, Marion, and I assure you that you’ll regret going up against me. I already gave you a chance to live, but you chose to test my patience. I don’t give second chances.”
After Gio said that, he lowered his phone and handed the gun back to his man. He approached me while I was still observing his every move. I was at a loss for words. I didn’t know what to say to Gio.
When Gio noticed that I was staring at him, his expression quickly changed. He looked at me with the affection of a husband, as if he hadn’t just threatened someone’s life a few minutes ago.
“Let’s go outside. They’ll clean up this mess,” Gio said to me as he put his arm around me.
I just leaned on him as we walked outside.
“Marion, you talked to him. Why did you tell him your plan to visit him? He might escape!” I remembered his conversation with Marion earlier.
Gio calmly closed the door behind him before looking at me. I was expecting to see some anxiety on his face, but it was surprisingly blank. I stared at Gio in disbelief. How could he be so calm?
We’re talking about Marion here! He almost destroyed our relationship before; Gio was scared of him back then. That’s why he pushed me away. So why now? Why does it seem like he’s not even feeling fear?
“Don’t look at me as if I should be scared of that guy, Millie,” he said to me while he stroked my hair. Some strands of my hair fell onto my face, and Gio tucked them behind my ear before caressing my cheek. I felt like a cat, following his every touch. “I told you, the weaker version of me died when I decided that I want you more than I want to lose you just to protect you, Millie. If you’re thinking I’ll get scared again because we’re both in the pit, you’re wrong. I have my resolve. I’ll protect you, and if someone is going to be defeated, it won’t be us but them. I’ll crush them until nothing remains. I’ve only felt weak once, and never again, Millie.”
He moved his body closer to mine. His hand rested on my back, and he pulled me close so our chests pressed against each other. I needed to look up to meet his gaze. Right now, I couldn’t read Gio. It was too difficult to decipher what was going on in his mind.
“If you’re fine living with me in this cruel, harsh, and brutal world, then I’ll protect you until there’s nothing left of me. We’ll be together, whether in winter or in heaven. I’ll be by your side no matter where you go, and you can never get rid of me, no more.”
He held my hand and placed it over his heart. He pressed my palm against his chest, and I could almost feel his heartbeat.
“Can you hear that? Can you feel it? My heart is pounding because of you. It’s functioning because of you. You’re the reason why I let it function again,” Gio breathed deeply. “So, if you accept me for who I truly am, Millie, I’m all in. I’ll never give up on you again.”
I gazed at him for a moment. His expression and actions didn’t match. Despite the cold and dark expression he wore, his actions were incredibly gentle towards me. I released my grip on his hand and placed my hand on his cheek, giving it a gentle stroke before I smiled at him.
“I accept you, Gio. I accepted you and your demons a long time ago. When I found out that I love you, I loved everything about you. I can’t get rid of you because I don’t want to. You’ve become a part of me, flowing in my bloodstream. I can’t live without you.”
He held my hand that was on his cheek.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
A notification on his phone interrupted our moment. He didn’t move away from me. He still had his arm around my back, and he remained close to me. He checked who was calling before answering.
“What’s up?”
I furrowed my brow, wondering who Gio might be talking to. He grinned.
“Alright. We’ll commence the plan tomorrow. I’ll have my fun today, then. See you.”
I waited for him to focus his attention on me again. I greeted him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for his explanation.
“What plan? Who were you talking to?” I asked him.
He slightly pinched the tip of my nose. “It’s a secret, Millie.”
“You’re keeping something from me now?” I furrowed my brow slightly. “I want to help. Is this about Marion?”
“Shh, let me handle this, Millie, please.”
But, Gio, I can’t always just wait for the results. I want to protect you too.”
Once again, he cut me off, but I wasn’t angry because what he said next startled me to my core.
“You’ve been protecting me in your own way, Millie. You just don’t know it, but you’ve been protecting me for a long time.”
I couldn’t understand what he meant. I couldn’t recall ever protecting him. Did I miss something? Was there a part of my memory that hadn’t returned yet?
“Let’s go. I want to spend the rest of the day with you before I face my fate tomorrow,” he said in a nonchalant manner, sending shivers down my spine.
I allowed him to pull me along. I smiled while following him, but at the same time, I felt a sudden wave of sadness. He was going to confront Marion tomorrow, and although he was confident, I was afraid. Some things are beyond our control, and one of them is tragedy and death. I was worried that something bad might happen to Gio.