** DANTE VINO POV **

My heart dropped as I watched Rebel drift into unconsciousness.

"Rebel, REBEL! Keep your eyes open! FUCK!" I yelled as I hit the steering wheel. We couldn't possibly make it to the hospital, it was at least a 45 minute drive, that and I don't trust anyone operating on Rebel, even if it is just a scrape. I picked up my phone and dialed Angelo.

"Brother, hows she doing?" He asked nervously.

"She's out cold. Get some men over to L'Americano. Have them investigate the bodies and clean it up. We're going to the house, I'll be operating on Rebel myself." I said coldly before I hung up.

I drove faster than I ever had in my life. Relief flooded through me as our gates started coming into view. I quickly parked, and ran to the passenger side. I picked up Rebel bridal style and carried her through the front door.

"Shoes mister!" My mother snapped at me as I walked in. I glared at her as I quickly stepped out of my shoes and gently placed my little vixen on the couch. I immediately started to take off her leather jacket, which was now drenched in blood.

I examined the wound as Giana, Harry and Florence, began to realize what was happening. They immediately rushed over to her side. My OCD mother started to take off Rebels shoes. 

"Not. Now. Mother." I growled as I looked down at my little vixen. 

"Nephew, What the fuck happened?" Giana barked as she examined the unconscious Rebel.

"Oh you know. She had one too many milkshakes and now she's in a food coma... WHAT THE FUCK DOES IT LOOK LIKE HAPPENED?" I yelled. Rebel needed help. Rebel needed me. I didn't have time to waste on these idiotic questions.

The twins and Angelo sprinted through the door. They made it a few feet in before recovering a death stare from my mother and turning around to remove their shoes at the door.

"She was shot." Natalia explained as they walked in. I threw Rebels jacket towards her before I quickly walked into the other room to gather some supplies.

How could I have been so reckless? Her life was in danger. If those idiot Russians knew how to shoot properly, she would have been gone. My little vixen would have left me.

I would have failed her.

My mind and body filled with guilt at how I treated her. Stephan ordered those woman to seduce me, saying I was being too anti-social, and paid his woman to entertain me for a while. It didn't help my wandering mind from the constant thoughts of the hazel eyes that consumed my entire being.

The way she raced was incredible, calculated, and extraordinary. Rebel was unlike any woman I've ever met in my life. She captivated me down to my very being. Her intelligence, humor, and kind heart melting my callous soul to shreds. I almost shot Stephan between the eyes after he made that bet, regardless if he just returned to Italy from an undercover mission. Yes he's my Capo, and my second cousin, but when it comes to her, all rational thoughts just fly out the fucking window. I even followed them to that damn American restaurant because I just couldn't stay away from her. It's my fault she's shot, it's my fault she's hurt.

Part of me hates myself for the way I acted towards her, for the way I have been treating her, for the way I am. But the rational part of me, the only remaining inkling of logic that remains in my mind, tells me that I need to push her away. I need to create some sort of emotional distance to prevent the inevitable hurt. To prevent the pain I'd feel if I ever failed protecting her, just like I have failed to protect so many of my own family members.

I quickly gathered the necessary supplies to extract the bullet, and walked into the living room. My overbearing family was hovering over her.

"For fucks sake, give her some space." I said angrily as I walked towards my little vixen, my family quickly backing away from her.

"It's fine, really. It's just a scratch." She said smiling at them. My heart started to beat a bit faster at the sight of her smile.

"Oh honey, we were so worried about you. Thank god you're alright. Do you need anything?" Giana asked frantically as she grabbed her hand. People really need to stop touching her, it makes my blood fucking boil.

"Yes, she needs some space." I growled at her as I placed the tray down on the coffee table. I started sterilizing and organizing the equipment.

"What happened?" Florence asked in a worried tone as she hugged Angelo.

"We were attacked at L'Americano. We were surrounded, but killed all of them." Isa explained calmly.

"Who was behind the attack?" Florence asked nervously.

"We aren't sure..." Natalia said as she looked down. "We have men there now gathering all the evidence we can."

"Russians. They were Russian." Rebel said as she attempted to sit up. My head snapped up at the sound of her voice, and I quickly rushed over and put my hand on her petite back, helping her to sit upright.

"Are you sure?" I asked as I looked at her breathtaking hazel eyes.

"They had tattoos of quotes on their necks that were written in Russian." She explained calmly. I nodded and pulled up a chair next to her.

"Do you remember what they said?" I asked curiously, still softly holding onto her back, more for my sanity than for hers. She closed her eyes as she recalled the shootout.

"Six of the shooters had 'Death before Dishonor' while the two had ...'The Shadows' on their necks." My jaw clenched at the mention of the last two, and a few gasps from Florence and Giana were heard.

They sent The fucking Shadows after me?

"Assassins? In Italy?" Angelo whispered to himself.

"We will discuss this later. Increase security. No one is leaving the mansion this week." I said sternly as I let go of Rebels back to face my worried family. Angelo nodded before he quickly walked away, obeying his orders. Harry held Giana as a scared expression morphed onto her face. My heart sank at the sight of my loved ones this worried. This is exactly what Pavlovski wanted: soul clenching fear. I looked over at a bleeding out Rebel, and my mind became consumed with thoughts of her well being.

"Now please, give us some space. And grab me some liquor." I ordered to whoever was listening.

I moved my hand and gently started stroking her beautiful hair. She was exhilarating, an absolutely gift to everyone around her. Just touching her, any part of her, brought ease to my restless mind.

Natalia and Isa ran quickly to the kitchen, and returned with four different kinds of alcohol. They held the options out to me, and I grabbed a bottle of my favorite whiskey, a tastier option than the other shit they brought out.

"Rebel," I said softly as I pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. "We don't have the proper anesthetic or painkillers here, so this'll hurt. We have to get the bullet out now, so drink this, it'll help." I said holding out a bottle of open whiskey.

She smelt the strong liquor and cringed, her nose crinkling in the most adorable sight I've ever seen.

"Shit at least get her a chaser." Harry said as my worried family still watched Rebels every move.

"She's a big girl, she can handle it." I said as I looked over at Harry, and I meant it. Why couldn't my aunt fall in love with a real man, a Mafia man? No, she had to fall for a fucking librarian. The least manly occupation in the world.

"I can't even drink whiskey straight." Harry said as he raised his eyebrow skeptically at Rebel. Fucking librarian.

"That's because you're a bitch." I said as Gigi shot me a deadly glare before I turned my attention to Rebel.

She grabbed the bottle with her good arm, and took two large gulps. She coughed for a bit, before drinking two more large gulps.

That's my girl.

She stuck her tongue out and shook her head. Her innocence made a slightly smile curl on my lips.

"You've never drank before, have you?" I said as I looked at her amused as I leaned back into my chair.

"Nope." She said as she chugged the bottle again. She quickly finished over a fourth of the bottle, and I do have to admit, I was quite impressed.

"Jesus, you drink like a sailor." Isa laughed. Rebel looked at her, with her eyes half closed, and saluted Isa before she took another drink, causing everyone to burst out in laughter, including myself.

"So, you're gonna stitch me up Dr. Dante?" Rebel asked as she watched me put on a doctors mask. Her hazel eyes were slightly bloodshot as she looked up at me through her long lashes.

"Okay, That should be enough, lightweight." I smirked as I took the bottle from her good hand. Our skin touched briefly, sending my heartbeat into a frenzy.

"Lightweight? Is that suposto be another insult?" She said to me, her words now slurring.

"It means you get drunk quicker." I said seriously as I put on gloves and attempted to focus on the task at hand.

"I'm rather disappointed with your insult, Dr. Dante. Stating the obvious isn't very creative. 0/10 stars for you." She drunkenly said.

Everyone erupt in laughter again. I was grateful for the mask covering the smile I had from her intoxicated comeback.

"Okay, everyone out of the room. I have to focus." I said in a cold tone. My family then started to disperse from the room.

"Dr. Dante, are you sure you have the proper credentials to be operating on me?" She said as her lip slightly pouted. "I think I need to see some paperwork Doctor."

"If you keep calling me Doctor and pouting out that lip of yours, your arm isn't the only thing I'll be operating on tonight." I whispered in her ear. She was driving me wild, and I couldn't operate on her while having a hard on at the same time.

"Wow a surgeon and a gynecologist." She said biting her lip.

This woman is going to be the death of me.

"You're quite entertaining when your drunk, my little vixen. I should take you out drinking more often." I said as I reached over onto the table and grabbed a scalpel. I've never taken any woman on a date before, in fact, I absolutely dreaded it. The awkward time together before you inevitably fucked at the end of the night. But time with Rebel seemed... different. I almost humored the idea of spending time with her before I quickly dismissed the thought.

"Can I tell you a secret Dr. Dante," She whispered as I started to work on her arm. I made a larger incision to get the bullet out more effectively. 

"Depends on what it is amore." I said, deep in concentration.

"I prefer you much more than regular Dante." She slightly giggled. I'm more sure what surprised me more: the fact that she's giggling as I cut open her arm, or the fact that she has created an alter ego of me as a doctor.

"Oh really? Why is that my little vixen." I said amused as I placed the surgical grade tweezers into the incision.

"You are much nicer than he is." She said, still laughing. I looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.

"You might want to watch what you say considering how close I am to your Brachial Artery." I said playfully, still looking at her mesmerizing hazel eyes. She burst out into hysterical fit of laughter, making a smile slightly appear on my lips at the angelic sound.

"But regular Dante is much more attractive. Temperamental and angry, but still pretty awesome." She said drunkenly.

"Well what makes him, so 'awesome' if he's temperamental and angry all of the time." I said confused as I started to grab the bullet out of her arm. How could someone be awesome yet temperamental and angry. I couldn't help but be slightly disapointed in myself as Rebel admitted how she really saw me.

"He's arrogant, somewhat selfish, temperamental, and furious most of the time, but that's what makes regular Dante, well, regular Dante. He's unapologetically himself, and he could care less about what anyone thought of him. If someone told him to change, he'd either tell them to fuck off or shoot them between the eyes." She said laughing. I couldn't help but chuckle at the accurate statement. That's exactly what I would have done to anyone ...except for her.

"But that's what makes regular Dante so awesome. Is that he's himself, something I'd always want him to be. Granted, I can tell that there is more to him than what meets the eye, but one day I'll see another side of regular Dante, instead of the glimpses he allows to slip through occasionally." She said, slightly slurring her words. A smile graced my lips, a smile so wide, my cheeks started yelling in surrender from the pain, but I didn't care.

Her words ignited my soul. No one has ever said anything like that about me before, I can't even remember the last time anyone accepted me for... me. Granted, she's completely hammered, but drunk words are sober thoughts right?

"You are mad woman. Absolutely, horrifically, insane." I said as I sat up and looked at her. Her angelic face was something I could never get out of my mind. She was extraordinary, in every way. I held up the bullet from her arm and watched as she examined it before I dropped it onto the tray.

"Normality is a paved road: it's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow." She smiled. Even belligerently drunk she can perfectly recite a Van Gogh quote. 

"Life is always better a little deranged, isn't it?" I chucked as I started to work on her stitches.

"My goal in life is not to be normal, but to be deranged with knowledge. It is much more entertaining." She laughed drunkenly. I smiled at the truth in her words as I started to wrap up her arm with gauze.

"You are quite the unusual woman, did you know that?" I said softly, her hazel eyes stared at me.

"I've been told." She giggled as I finished her arm and took of the Doctor mask.

"Thanks Dr. Dante. Remember, don't tell regular Dante about our talk, yeah?" She said as she stood up abruptly. She instantly started to stumble, and I caught her before she can rip her new stitches.

"Up you go." I said as i effortlessly lifted her up bridal style. Her good arm was wrapped around my neck as I held her bad arm with my hand. She nuzzled her head into my chest as my thumb drew small circles on her arm. Her enticing scent flooded my senses, and I found myself walking slower than normal just to savor in the feeling of her in my arms.

I opened the door to her bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. I quickly washed up in the bathroom, before I returned to check on her. I began stroking her hair, admiring the breathtaking, witty, little vixen in front of me. I wanted to stay, and hold her all night, but she's intoxicated, and I wouldn't take advantage of her like that. I removed my hand, and started to walk towards the door.

"Stay. Please." She said as she opened her hazel eyes to meet mine. I instantly nodded and thanked whatever god was out there. I took off my shirt and my pants, leaving me in my boxers. I crawled into bed, and pulled my little vixen close to my chest.

"Will ...you be here when I wake up?" She whispered.

"Depends on when you wake up." I said, my body slightly stiffening at her words. It's not that I fear leaving her, it's the fear that I wouldn't want to leave... and that thought alone scares me to the point where I can't function.

"Then I guess I will enjoy you for as long as I have you." She said before she interlocked our legs together and nuzzled into my chest. I kissed her forehead softly, savoring every second I have with this woman.

Something about her makes me irrational, temperamental, jealous, obsessive, angry, irritated, protective, and idiotic. Yet there was something about her, she was my muse in a way. Just being around her silences all the demons in my mind. A silence that I have longed for my entire life. 

I kissed her forehead, before falling into the abyss of unconsciousness with an angel in my arms.