COLIBRI:

Hummingbird.

V A L E R I U S ' S P O V:

Hearing the sounds of the rain smacking onto the window, I felt a small body push my body away from Shira's embrace. Peeling my lids open, I notice my brother cuddling Shira which made me frown. I couldn't believe I was fighting with a person not even half my size. "Angelo, what are you doing?" I poked his cheek gently.

"I'm cuddling with amore mio, is that a problema?" His blue eyes narrowed into slits and this was one thing I hated about him because he replicated me with that look. "Sì, it is." I replied, pulling his arms gently away from Shira. "Well, deal with it!" Angelo said stubbornly, snuggling even closer.

(Translation: my love, problem)

"Boys, stop with the arguing. Angelo, pasticcino, get ready and il tuo amore will be with you soon." Shira said softly, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead. "Sì, amore." Angelo whispered, kissing Shira's cheek before looking at me with a smirk.

(Translation: pastry/ cupcake, your love, love)

Angelo scurried away, "He's so cute." Shira said, laughing slightly. "He's so cute." I mocked with my eyebrows raised, the way my younger brother seems to woo her is beyond comprehension. I bet you any money he's going to be a womanizer when he grows up.

"He's your brother, you should be nice," Shira interlocked our hands together. "Well, not if he keeps taking things that are mine." For some reason, Shira frowned and the look on her face indicated she wasn't happy. "So I am a "thing" now." She said making quote marks, I mentally cursed myself for saying that.

"No, amore, you're not a thing, you are someone-" I began to say but was interrupted, "So I am a someone now." Her eyes sadden and I try to think of a way to not dig a bigger hole for myself. "Amore, you know I love you and you mean a lot to me." Pulling her up against my body, I caress her hair and begin to whisper sweet nothing to her.

"I was just pulling your leg, Val, but I know how much you love me, there hasn't been a day that has gone by which you haven't told me you love me" Shira closed her eyes and we stayed in this intimate position for five minutes but I wished it lasted forever.

-

"Val, I have an issue." Shira said from the walk in closet. "What's wrong, amore?" Exiting the bathroom while putting my shirt on, I walked inside the closet to see that Shira was pouting even though she wanted me to tell her if she looked good in the halter neck dress or not.

"Val?" She asked, but my eyes scanned her body and face, I came to a conclusion that not only am I the luckiest man in the world but the whole universe.

"Ah, amore, you look gorgeous." Shira sulked and walking over to her, I turned her around to face the mirror. "What wrong?" I whispered, pecking her neck and rubbing my hands up and down her arms.

"I don't think I look well, the colour doesn't suit me." Maybe, red wasn't her colour since she mainly wore light coloured or the only dark colour being black, but, dio she looked sexy. A feisty tigress.

"Mm, you look sexy to me. Anyways, if I had it my way that dress would be off and discarded somewhere whilst I toured the rest of this house to you." My lips scraped across her ear lobe and Shira shuddered.

"You look beautiful, amore, and I can't wait for our little bean to make its presence known." My hand travelled around her waist to her stomach. "I am going to look fat though." Shira pouted.

"Never say that again. You are carrying our love in there, just remember that, ok?" I didn't want Shira to think that she was going to be 'fat', I heard so much already before how much she shamed herself for being motherless and I wouldn't be able to take it if she said anymore about herself in such way.

"Come, amore, I need to wear a tie that matches your dress." I beckoned, giving a final peck to her cheek before we both went in the room.

-

For once it seemed like Mr Grey had actually made it look like a ball rather than a strip club. The area was brightly decorated and polished clean.

Moments pass and I pulled Shira in for a dance, the music was sensual and our dance had held passion and love for one another.

Mine. All mine. Her body, her soul. Everything on her was for my eyes only and I would kill if anyone dared to imagine their hands on her.

Spinning her around carefully, I quickly hold the next woman. Gabriella Sangriento. A powerful woman, orphaned at a young age and here to awake death upon her demons.

Her instincts are very accurate as she already knew I was a claimed man. Hearing about her and Giovanni's relationship is quite amusing yet I didn't utter a word about him.

There is a very thin line between love and hatred and to say that they are on the path of some fucked up love story sounds about right.

We both made our way off the dance floor and to the bar, where my eyes searched for my love. "Shira," And that's where I saw her and made my way over to her without a warning.

"Hey, amore, all good?" I asked quickly, placing a hand over her belly. Shira nodded and pecked my cheek with her cushioned lips. "I was looking for you," Smiling, I assured that I was here now.

"I would like you to meet someone," My body twisted and my attention turned to Gabriella, whose eyes raked over Shira. "Gabriella this is-" Before, I was able to continue, Gabriella's hand came out and she immediately introduced herself.

"Shira, pleasure meeting you." Suppressing a smirk, Shira's eyes glared intensely at Gabriella with a sour hint of jealousy. Her pupils had constricted, showing her unspoken words that threatened Gabriella. If I wasn't turned on then, I definitely am now.

Gabriella and Shira greeted one another and the man who was dancing with Shira had come up from behind Gabriella and whispered something in her ear.

He looked back at us and introduces himself to Shira, "Giovanni Carson," The only man that could get Gabriella so worked up. "Valerius De Santis," Our eyes bowed to one another as it was a sign of respect as he was the leader of his Italian Mafia.

"Ah, you must be Theo Lamoureaux's daughter?" Giovanni asked, lifting Shira's hand and giving it a lingering kiss on the back of her hand. The gentle kiss had lingered a bit too long; I instantly wrapped my arm around Shira's body, which Giovanni instantly knew Shira was mine.

"Yes I am, it's a pleasure meeting you Giovanni." Shira smiled, her polite attitude towards others was something that made me believe there was humanity in our dark world.

"Likewise Shira." Giovanni had stepped back slightly and announced that he and Gabriella were leaving, however, Shira insisted on having a drink with us and they agreed.

The girls weren't far from us, which meant I could check up on Shira. On the other hand, Giovanni and I began to talk about business. I was very pleased that we would be working together for a new shipment and that we both may enter his or my side of Italy.

"Shira Lamoureaux huh?" Giovanni said, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. My eyes gazed intensely on the glow of the whiskey as it pooled into the glass, it reminded my of how it felt like to wrap my arms around Shira and drink her elixir.

"Yeah." There wasn't enough words to describe this woman at all and if there was one that matched up closely to her personality it would have to be found in the most unknown or dead language.

"She is beautiful." Giovanni's eyes wandered round and hooked on to Shira, whose attention was on Gabriella. "Careful," I warned, my eyes piercing daggers into his orbs.

Giovanni put down his drink and threw his hands in the air in defence. "Don't get me wrong but I have my own toy to play around with." I knew he was referring to Gabriella but I was quick to tell him that he may be the one to get played about.

"So couples then?" Giovanni asked, I nodded. "But we are expecting." Giovanni's eyes widen and he pulled me into an embrace and congratulated me.

"How many weeks?" Giovanni asked. "About seven weeks in." We both began to make our way back after finishing our drinks. The girls seemed to have got on very well and it was nice seeing her with someone other than her family members.

"How's our little bean doing?" My lips brushed against Shira's neck, kissing her. Shira placed her hand over my face. The simple touch awaken my temptation to bend her over the bar and take her right there and then.

"We best be getting back soon to our house tour else I will be giving you a tour over here instead." I whispered in her ear, making sure Gabriella or Giovanni to hear. Her face went bright red, blushing hard. Shira told me to behave and smacked my arm playfully before I interlocked her hand with mine.

-

Moments passed and the displeasurable sound of William Grey began to piss me off as his voice became louder, informing that her was in the same room as us.

His eyes had locked onto mine before moving towards Shira. The hatred of this man was visible on both Giovanni and my face as his presence seemed to wilt the mood.

"And you are?" He began to stride towards us and his eyes held such greed and lust, my fists begged to pick them out. "My god, you are beautiful, what's your name?" William licked his lips and straighten his tie.

"Shira." I was happy she didn't say her last name else she would be seen as a free woman that could be up for grabs. If he wanted more information on her name, then I would have interrupted and instantly put my last name on hers.

Before his hand could have grabbed Shira's into a hand kiss, I stood in front of him, gripping his hand tight. "Fucking touch her and I will slit your throat open and deliver your body to your family with a love letter using your blood as ink." Mr Grey lowered his eyes.

He turned to Giovanni and Gabriella before apologising to Shira. I cussed and so did Gabriella. We both decided to leave so we both said our goodbyes.

"She's a keeper." Gabriella whispered loudly before laughing at me scratching my neck. She wasn't wrong, she is a keeper and I can't wait to make her mine.

"Let's go amore, we had enough for tonight." I whispered kissing her cheeks before we said goodbye to Gabriella and Giovanni. My hand interlocked with Shira's once again and I rubbed my thumb against her fingers, the bare feeling on her ring finger made me want to claim her more.

That's when I decided to send a text to Dante: 'Get ready tomorrow, I'm need to find an engagement ring for Shira.' I was going to make our world complete.

Hello, lovelies, hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, let me know your thoughts. Anyways, have a lovely day or a good night's sleep.

If you enjoyed the cross over between me and book 'dark paradise' and would like to find out more about Gabriella and Giovanni then please do give it a read. It is amazing!

Do you have any questions for me?