When She Unravels (The Fallen, #1)

by Gabrielle Sands

“But I don’t want you to leave. Stay with me, Vale. Stay with me, and you’ll never have to fight another battle again. I’ll fight

them for you. I’ll protect you. I’ll avenge you.”

It’s like she turns the dial up on all my feelings until they burst. It’s terrifying how alive she makes me feel.

I want to burn everyone who’s hurt her

to the ground, starting with her husband. If he’s alive, he won’t stay that way for long.

“I want you in my bed.” Her skin pebbles with goosebumps. “Do you?”

“I’ll tell you what I know about my father’s business, but I don’t know if I’ll stay.” She will, she just doesn’t know it yet. She’s mine, and I’ll do whatever I need for her to realize it.

But I’m not in love with Valentina. I can’t be. Attraction isn’t love. Need isn’t love. This wordless thing I feel for her… It can’t be love.

“I had a woman in my home when he stopped by. He got handsy.” “Hardly a big offense.” “She wasn’t his to touch.”

“Whose is she?” “Mine.”

“You mustn’t have been happy about that.”

“I shot his hand. He’ll be fine.”

“Mio Dio. I’d like to see this woman who has made you so possessive. Well, I’ll tell Nelo that wasn’t done well. He was a guest in your home...

“You must be tired.” “Yeah,” he says quietly, “but I’m never too tired for you.” He slides his hand from my hip to cup my right breast. A satisfied rumble leaves his throat. “God, you feel good, Vale. I fucking love these tits.”

“I’ve been wanting to fuck you all day.”

He groans. “Fuck me. Baby, you just squirted.”

“Fuck, I can’t believe I didn’t see it.” Damiano reaches over me to flick on the light on the nightstand and then moves back to where he was.

“We’re going to do that again with the lights on.”

“You told me you’d fill every one of my holes with your cum. So far, you’ve been under delivering.”

“You’re fucking filthy, Vale.”

“I’m afraid of what you’ll do to me after you get more practice.” “Maybe I’ll tie you up and have my way with you,” I say. “They say payback is a bitch.”

“I think I’ll enjoy that kind of payback.”

I need him to be here. How quickly he went from the man I was trying to get away from to the man who’s support I crave.

“She’s here, all right. Valentina, what the fuck is wrong with your sister?”

“She’s got a few screws loose. She bit me.” “You groped me.”

“I didn’t fucking grope you, you tiny psycho. Here, talk to your sister so I can get the hell away from you.”

“The business with your sister was ill conceived,” Garzolo says. “I understand if you want to get your revenge.” As if I need his permission to kill Lazaro.

“Lazaro’s coming here,” she says. I meet her worried gaze. “He won’t leave alive, Vale.”

“I’ve never had a woman I haven’t slept with rough me up like that.”

He loves her so much—more than my parents ever loved me. I won’t let him lose her.

“We’re a team. We’re good together.” “No, we fucking aren’t.” I take the rock with both hands and slam it right into the center of his face.

When I see Vale press a knife to her wrist, my stomach turns to ice. I know what she’s doing. She’s saving my sister. She’s doing my fucking job.

“Dem!” She’s crying as I take her into my arms. “He has Vale.” “I know. Are you hurt?” “I’m fine. You need to help her. They’re getting into his boat.”

Vale did it. She saved Martina’s life for the second time, but I can’t let it be at the expense of her own.

Once I save her, I’ll make her my queen. I see it as clearly as if it’s already happened. My brave Vale. She’s perfect for me. We’ll

build our kingdom together, and she will rule by my side. That’s when it happens.

A ball of flames appears on the surface of the water, followed by a...

I love this woman. I’ll swim to the bottom of this sea if that’s

what it takes to bring her back to me. Please God, let me find her. If you do, I promise you, I’ll never leave her side.

Vale fists my soaking wet shirt and meets my gaze. “Is he dead?” “You killed him, baby. I don’t know how, but you killed him.” Her features contort. “I hit him with a rock,” she whimpers. “I smashed it into his face.”

“You did what you had to do.”

“He didn’t think I could do it. Put my own life on the line to be free of him.” “You didn’t do it just to be free. You saved Mari.”

“I’ll never forget th...

She killed him with a fucking rock.

“I fucked up,” I rasp. “I promised you I’d keep you safe, and I didn’t.”

“I should have been totally focused on protecting you, but instead, half of my mind was on Sal and how I was going to bring him down. I failed you.” I take the soap out of her hand and bring her fingertips to my lips. “But I’ll never fail you again. Be with me. Give me another chance to show you how good we can be together.”

“I don’t want to be your kept woman. My entire life I’ve been a little dinghy tossed around by waves created by far larger ships. It’s time I set my own course.”

“I don’t want a kept woman. I want a partner. An equal by my side. That’s you. If I’m about to become ...

“A stranger, no. But I can give it to my wife.”

“Are you proposing to me?” “Yes.” “We’ve known each other for barely a month.”