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One of Remo’s wet dreams included a cage fight against Luca.
“Don’t waste your time. She’s already taken.” “By whom?” “Me,” I growled.
“Fabiano,” she said pleadingly. “Why are you doing this? If you’re expecting anything in return, I’m not that kind of girl. I’m poor, but that doesn’t mean I can be bought.” “I have no intention of buying you,” I told her. It was the truth. Something about Leona made me want to protect her. It was a new experience for me.
“You should get away from him.” “He’s my father.” “Sometimes we have to let go of our family if we want to amount to anything in life.”
She put her palm in mine, and I closed my fingers around her hand. That Leona trusted me despite what she knew made me want to be good to her, which was surprising. I rarely wanted to be good to anyone.
“Who called you that?” “I’m the daughter of a junkie and a gambling addict. I am white trash. I’m not this.” She gestured at her reflection. “Nobody will ever call you white trash again, you hear? And if they do, tell me and I’ll rip their throats out. How about that?”
“I can’t believe how much you paid! I could have bought ten dresses at Walmart for that much money,”
I leaned down to her, my lips brushing her ear. “It’s worth every penny, trust me.” She released a small, shaky breath and quickly got into my Mercedes, as if she needed to put some space between us. There was no way I’d let her get away from me.
“Temere me, perché sono l’occhio e la spada,” Fabiano said in what sounded to me like flawless Italian. He caressed the words with his tongue, almost as if he was their lover. A shiver raced down my back. How would it feel if he whispered words of passion into my ear in that same voice? “What…” I cleared my throat, hoping he couldn’t tell how his closeness and voice affected me. “What does it mean?” “Fear me because I’m the eye and the blade.”
I could tell she didn’t have much experience kissing. Fuck. That knowledge was the last straw. I had to have her. Every little inch of her. Every goosebump. Every freckle. Every fucking shy smile. All for myself. And I had to protect her from all the wolves she believed were sheep. My fingers tangled in her curls, angling her head to the side to give me better access to that sweet mouth of hers.
“And I wanted you for myself.” Was he embarrassed of being seen with me? The poor little waitress and the big deal mobster. I rubbed my arms, the cold night air catching up with me. Fabiano pressed up behind me and stroked my arms through the thin fabric of my dress. Always close, always touching. His spicy aftershave engulfed me like his arms did. “What do you want from me?” I whispered. “Everything.”
Being with him made me feel good. Very few things in my life did. Why not allow myself this small sin? Because that’s what he was. Sin.
He bent down and licked my collarbone. “I want nothing more than to fuck you right here, in the middle of this cage.”
Fabiano leaped into the cage, catlike and breathtaking. His eyes sought mine and for a split second he looked at peace. I had stopped washing the glasses, stopped listening to the customers. There was only him. The crowd erupted with a new wave of cheers. That man. He was mine. I had never been worth anything, but one look from him made me feel like the center of the world.
“You know,” he said quietly. “I never meant for any of this to happen. You were just a poor, lonely girl. I didn’t choose this, didn’t choose you.” “Then stop this. Whatever it is between us, stop it. Now,” I whispered, peering up at his cold, beautiful face. He cupped my face. “Don’t you think I would if I could?” His lips brushed mine. “But I can’t. I won’t. You are mine, and I will protect, you no matter the price.”
I almost called out to her, but what would I have said? I’m sorry. The idea of you leaving me is the worst torture I can imagine. Be the woman Aria gave me that bracelet for. Stay, even if I’m not worth it.
“I betrayed for you, I killed for you,” I said roughly, pulling out of her slowly until only my tip remained inside her. “I’ll bleed and I’ll die for you.”
“Love only gets you killed. That’s what my father used to say. I suppose he got one thing right.” Leona held her breath and raised her head. One look at her cornflower blue eyes and I knew she was worth it. “Did you just—” “Sleep,” I said softly.
“Leona must be safe. She must be mine. I want her at my side. I want to spend my life with her.” “If that’s what you want.” I nodded. “She’s seen me at my worst, and she’s still here.”
“You almost died today. For me,” she whispered. “Nobody has ever done something like that for me. People can keep telling me to stay away from you if they want, but it won’t make me love you any less.”
“Your expression is a bit on the unsettling side. What’s going on?” I shook my head in exasperation. I hadn’t been afraid of anyone or anything in a while, and here I was being a fucking pussy about this. “Fuck,” I breathed. “I love you.”
“After you agreed to a death match, I was fairly certain you did,” she said with a small smile. “But I didn’t think you’d admit it.”
The idea of a death match with Remo hadn’t scared me, death and pain certainly didn’t, but Leona’s love and my love for her scared me shitless. It was something I’d just have to deal with because Leona wasn’t going anywhere, and I wouldn’t stop loving her.
