“And to think I was worried you wouldn’t fit in.”
I turned off the safety.
He rolled his eyes and left the room.
I put the safety back on and laid the gun on the table in front of me, then started spinning it with my finger.
A year ago I was bar tending and involved in underground fighting.
A year ago I knew about my heritage but was never involved.
A year ago I was innocent, blind, stupid.
And now, now I had a gun from one of the most powerful mob bosses in history… laying in front of me like I’d earned the right to use it.
It was a lot to take in.
Normally I would talk to Val.
But that relationship shattered the minute she married Sergio.
I lost my best friend.
Only to lose another.
El.
And now, my stomach clenched with the thought that I could lose someone else, someone who deserved so much more than secrets and lies.
Chase.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
El
THE MOVIE THEATER was completely empty as promised. I tried to paste smile on my face, which proved difficult when Chris kept sending me texts about not being able to wait until next week.
Chris: So excited! Can’t wait to kiss you.
Another heart emoji.
Chris: Thanks for giving us a chance, it’s going to be great, you’ll see!
I finally just shoved the phone in my pocket, it’s not like it would be Dante on the other end calling or even wanting to talk to me. Apparently he was done talking.
And moving on.
Like I should be.
I refocused myself on the movie as Trace gripped Bee’s arm, Ryan Reynolds popped onto the screen. Mo threw popcorn and Val handed me a piece of red licorice.
It felt so normal.
How could they act that normal when we had three armed men outside just to keep us safe?
I frowned again.
Safe.
I was safe. In that theater, but safe was only a word, the men could easily get over taken if they weren’t evenly matched.
Safe.
I gripped the arm rests as a gunshot sounded on the screen, nobody seemed fazed. I was sweating from one single sound.
Another gunshot sounded; apparently, it was an action flick.
And suddenly it was all too much to take. I stood and walked out.
One of the men was by the door, I didn’t know his name but he seemed nice enough maybe five years older than me with buzzed hair close to his head and blue eyes. “You all right in there?”
“Action movie. I’ve seen enough,” I said lamely.
He laughed and crossed his arms. “Haven’t we all?”
“You look like—”
“I’m going to have to stop you right there,” He held out his hand. “I’m Ax, Sergio’s favorite and only brother.”
I took his hand. “Ah makes sense, they only send the best huh?”
“Not every day a trained assassin gets to watch Ryan Reynolds,” he joked.
I frowned. “Isn’t it demeaning?”
“Protecting those you love is never demeaning,” he said with a simple shrug.
I chewed my lower lip and leaned against the wall. “They want to marry me off to a really nice guy.”
“I know.”
“Ah so you know who I am?”
“Doesn’t matter if I know who you are — do you know who you are?” He fired back softly.
Stunned, I think my mouth dropped open a bit before I closed it and shook my head. “Uh, yeah, last I checked.”
“Hmm, just making sure, you seem a bit confused.”
“I’m at the movies with mob boss wives and talking to an associate who probably knows at least twelve different ways to kill me with a toothpick.”
“Eh, more like seventeen,” He waved me off with a smile.
The door to the theater was shoved open, Bee stepped out, her eyes were sad. Ax nodded and stepped away.
“You all right?” She reached for my arm.
“Yeah.” I gulped. “Just, I’ve had enough action you know?”
She grinned. “I’m sorry I didn’t think it would be this violent, it probably reminds you of… Xavier.”
I froze. Because actually, I hadn’t thought of Xavier since Dante’s mouth roamed across my body. My mind was consumed by Dante, only Dante.
The gunshots reminded me of his job.
Of him pushing me into someone else’s arms.
Of not being able to make my own choice.
My head jerked up. “You would do it again? All of it?”
Bee blinked.
“This,” I spread my arms wide. “This life, the scary ass man you married, you’d do it all again?”
Her lips tilted into a small smile. “Hell yes I would.”
We sat and talked for the next hour and when we left the movie I felt lighter than I had in years.
She told me scary Phoenix stories.
And then added in cute stories about their little boy.
Making it impossible to be terrified of her husband when he got peed on so much.
Making him seem less monstrous.
And more man.
Maybe that’s how all these men functioned with one hundred percent of everything they were born and bred to do.
Living a life of extreme violence.
And extreme blood.
It somehow balanced everything.
And oddly enough — it made me feel safe.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Dante
IT WAS WEDNESDAY.
It had been six days since I’d kissed her.
Six days of lonely torture, sleeping with a pillow over my ears while trying not to listen to my sister and her new husband.
Sleeping with this aching need that wouldn’t leave.
Everything reminded me of her.
Every. Damn. Thing.
I suddenly hated breakfast because she wasn’t sharing it with me, and when I drove to school without her by my side, I ended up spending more time punching the steering wheel than actually driving.
I’d stopped off at Nixon’s in a moment of weakness to see if I could take El to school only to have her already gone. And see Mil waltz in with a huge smile on her face as she grabbed Chase’s hand and jerked him down the hall.
As if nothing had even fucking happened.
I’d had to look away, the joy on his face was too much, like maybe, finally, whatever shit she’d been doing was done, she was his again.
It forced me to drive to class early so I wouldn’t glare at her across the table or say something I’d regret.
And driving to school early just left me alone with my thoughts way too much. And was obviously bad for the steering wheel of my new SUV.
The one Mil could have easily seen.
I’d been careless.
Because I was that desperate to see El.
Once I found an empty space, I killed the ignition and rubbed my temples with my fingers, digging into the constant headache with such force I saw spots.
I waited for the inevitable.
For the minute El would get out of the car.
Five minutes.
Four.
Three.
Two.
I sucked in a breath as the black Mercedes pulled up. She slowly got out, adjusting her skirt. My eyes lowered, God those legs were incredible, shoving my face between them had surpassed every vivid fantasy I’d ever had about her. My mouth fucking watered for more, my body strained toward her as she pulled off her sunglasses and shoved them in her messenger bag.
And before I could stop myself, I was getting out of my car.
I was maybe two feet away from her when a body blocked my view.
A very Chris like body.