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“A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.”
There’s blood on my shoe. Damn it. I squint down at the worn black pleather of my heeled boot, my stomach tensing with irritation that I have to spend the rest of the night in this shitty club with parts of a dead man soaking into my foot.
He sets down his glass and glances past me before stepping forward and bending down, his lips impossibly close to my cheek. I suck in a breath, my heart ramping up in my chest. “I don’t want to stalk you, pretty girl.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “I want to fuck you.”
Good lawd
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“There’s no one like family, Evie, and there’s no place like home. We have to stick together.”
“I like making an entrance,” a silky voice replies. A sick feeling drops into my stomach because I know that voice. I’ve had it whispering in my memory ever since it moaned into my ear.
“You’re in my bubble.” He lifts a brow. “Your bubble?” Waving my hand between us, I attempt to push him back. “This is my bubble, dog. And you’re in it.” “Maybe I like your bubble.” He leans into me, my palms the only thing separating his body from brushing against mine. “It’s cozy. Tight.”
“You’re right,” I agree, taking my uninjured hand and reaching around to grip her hip and pull her into me. “Tell me to sit and eat like a good boy, and I swear to fucking god I’ll do it.” My mouth waters at even the thought of what she tastes like.
She cackles and I swear no other sound has ever sent a chill through me quite like it.
Her eyes drop to where a sliver of my stomach shows and continues her trek down until she sees the gun holstered at the waistband of my pants. I hate how good it feels to have her eyes on me.
How can someone so fucking beautiful be so goddamn bad?
“Your father’s been good to me, and he’s good as hell at what he does,” he tries again. “But a man can be successful and still fail where it matters.”
Farrell is sitting at the head of the exact table I fucked his daughter on two nights ago. And I haven’t seen her since.
The basement door swings open, the sound of heels clacking on the stairs, but even if I couldn’t hear her footsteps, I’d know Evelina was here. As stupid as it sounds, I swear to god I can feel her.
I can pretend I’m using her for information all I want; the truth is there’s something about her that drives me fucking wild.
My hand shoots out before I can think twice, and I cup her jaw, my thumb rubbing across her pouty lip, sparks flying through my fingers. “Jesus, pretty girl. You could ruin lives with a smile like that.”
Omfg
Lately, it’s been severely lacking, which makes me feel as though I’m disrespecting her. Disappointing her, the way I do everyone else. But then there’s him. This man. This complete stranger. And he’s on his knees for me.
“You don’t have to trust me, Evelina. But words are your safe space, the same way that they’re mine.” My fingers thread through his hair. “Let me be your calm in the chaos, pretty girl.”
There’s something so attractive about one person submitting completely to another, being at their mercy, accepting whatever they see fit to give you. I want to consume him and revel in his surrender.
“I’m a phila…phi…someone who does good deeds, and the mayor’s reelection is coming up.”
lol bro is dumb
Let me be your calm in the chaos.
I can’t keep from wishing it wasn’t her across the table. Her hair is silky and smooth, a beautiful brown any man would kill to sink their fingers into. But I’d rather see it tangled and black. Her eyes are soft and open, serene, like dipping in calm water on a sunny day. But I ache to feel them raging like a storm. And when she throws back her head and laughs, my mind wonders what it would sound like coming from someone else’s pouty lips.
I fucked up. And I keep fucking up. Over and over again, I think I’ll get my head on straight, and then she shows up and it all goes to shit.
My fingers trace up her sides and she laughs. It’s just for a moment, but the sound is jolting, a thousand volts of electricity lighting me up inside. “Do that again,” I demand. She lifts a brow. “Do what?” I don’t reply, digging my fingers into her torso instead, trying to force the noise from her mouth. She thrashes at my attack, yelping as her hands push against me, laughter pouring out of her as she fights against my hold. I dive down, peppering her neck with kisses, my entire fucking body floating from the way her giggles soar through the air and settle in the center of my chest. Finally,
...more
Moving my hands up her sides until my fingers hit her chin, I lift her face so she meets my gaze. “I don’t know how anyone could hate you.”
There’s no place like home, and there’s nothing like family. Stick together.
I know she can take care of herself, but it doesn’t mean she should have to.
Her breathing evens out and her head relaxes against my chest, and I probably should care about who could see, about where we are and what we’re doing, but I don’t. The only thing that matters is her.
She glances down at the water, her body tensing again. “Don’t be afraid,” I whisper, the wind sending a strong gust of air whipping around us, making her shiver. “I’ve got you.”
“I’m still going to kill her,” she states calmly. I grin, placing her in the passenger seat of my car and reaching over her front, buckling her in place. “I know.” It doesn’t bother me the way it probably should.
“Evelina.” She pauses, twisting around to look at me. Her hair is mussed, frizzy strands falling haphazardly around her face. Mascara streaks down her cheeks, black tears reflecting the stains marred on her soul. And through everything, she’s still the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen.
I thread my fingers through the roots of her hair and tilt her chin up with my thumb, my stomach flipping when I soak her in. “Damn, you’re beautiful.” She’s on me in a flash, her mouth meeting mine. I press into her, grabbing her waist and taking everything she has to give. She’s overwhelming. Devastating. She’s going to ruin my fucking life.
But if I’m her calm, then she is my chaos, and if I can’t live with her forever, then I don’t want to live at all.
I would pick her a thousand times over, even if it meant rotting in hell.
“Yeah. Feels good to be here.” Except it doesn’t feel good, because this doesn’t feel like home anymore. I don’t think I knew what home was until I found it in her.
“She’s…she’s everything.” I shake my head. “But she’s not a good person.” Rose hums. “I find it hard to believe my brother would fall for someone who isn’t worth loving.”
“You aren’t to blame for the decisions other people made. The decisions I made.” I meet her gaze. “And neither is she.”
“No matter where I go in life, Nessa, no matter who I love and lose… I think I’ll always miss you the most.”
“I didn’t know that I could love until you. And you’re not perfect, okay? You piss me off and you do things I never thought I’d be all right with, and you’re moody as hell. You’re actually the furthest fucking thing from perfect I’ve ever seen. But, Evelina…you’re perfect for me.” My heart twists, small bits of it mending back together at the seams. He kisses me one more time. “In about five minutes, this place is going to swarm with feds, and they’re here for you. You understand what I’m saying?”
The village itself is quaint, colorful buildings lining a beautiful landscape of rolling green hills and a sparkling sea. But I’m not staring at any of that. Not when Evelina’s right in front of me.
“You know, for not believing in romance—” “I’m so fucking in love with you, Evelina Westerly,” he cuts me off. I grin, rising up on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. “Every wretched piece?” He brushes the hair back from my face. “Every single one.”
