Page 52 of Sinner's Vows

I drag in a haggard breath. I’m a monster for letting her relive all of this. I don’t need to ask why he wanted to kill her. People are killed for way less than ten thousand euros.

“Who was the friend?”

I doubt she would know or even tell me, but to give her time to open up, I inspect the bandage, and it’s still sealed andwatertight. Good for another night. I’ll get Dr. Wong to come check in on her in the morning.

She reaches for my hand where I’m still touching her, my fingertips grazing the sensual feminine hollow made by her hip and stomach, my hand burning with the need to slide over the hillock of her hip, down to the beautiful curve of her side, to her breast. Her nipples have hardened in tempting little peaks against the T-shirt, and there are so many things I want to do with them right now. Inappropriate things. Things she isn’t ready for.

As she takes my hand and lifts it away from her, it’s a clear non-verbal no. But she doesn’t let go of my hand as I expect her to. My stubborn pinkie pierces into her palm, stiff, and she adjusts her hold, then squeezes my hand as if for courage.

“It was Vincenzo Trapani, Gigi’s brother.”

She knows about Vincenzo. This woman is no coincidence.

“What did Vincenzo Trapani want?” It’s only our tight family circle who knows where Vincenzo is at the moment, and it’s going to stay this way.

“Franco…offered me to him, but—” She breaks off and lets go of my hand, then struggles to sit up and crosses her legs.

Fuck.I almost hiss in a breath. Those sleeping shorts’ legs are so wide, she almost flashed me. I look away as she adjusts her seat and drag my teeth over my bottom lip so hard, it diverts my mind from her pussy.

“Vincenzo didn’t want me. So Franco planned to eliminate me once he had Gigi locked in.”

“And then, that went pear-shaped.”

She shrugs with a small smile. “Never underestimate a Mafia princess.”

I smirk. And something tells me this one is royalty in disguise. I bet she’ll get on with Gigi like a house on fire givenhalf the chance. “By saving Gigi, we indirectly saved you once from a certain fate. We’ll do so again.”

I’ll do so forever, and it hits me that I’ve adopted her into this family already as if she’s belonged to us all these years.

Sister. Family. Relation. Whatever. Bottom line: off-limits.

“Come along, let’s get you to your room.”

I step away from the bed so she can make her way, but she doesn’t move.

“Ariana.”

She closes her eyes, and as a lone tear slips down her cheek, it shreds me like one fast hack of an axe.

“I really don’t want to be alone. Can I stay here? With you?”

Fuckfuckfuck. NO?

Didn’t she see my fucking erection earlier? Doesn’t she know what it takes to touch her and still keep the beast in check? It’s been the perfect torment, sweet and addictive. I need my fix. My antidote. After a day like today, and she’s right here and I can help her, show her my way?—

“The bed is really big.”

“Yeah…but you’re not a good girl. I can’t sleep next to you,” I say, grabbing for the obvious straw. “You’ll sit on my face—with a pillow in between—”Obviously“—and suffocate me. Sweetheart, you were ready to shoot me an hour ago.”

I should have her under twenty-four-hour watch like I had, mind you, but after she whacked Marco over the head with a fire extinguisher, I’d rather spare my staff. And now, with what she told me about Franco, I don’t want to leave her with another man…someone who could make her feel unsafe. She’s asking me if she could stay, because despite everything, she feels safe with me. It makes me glow, just a bit. If she knew the real me, she wouldn’t feel safe with me at all.

Ah. She does know me. She knows exactly what I did this afternoon. But does she trust me? I’m just a fucking man, like the rest of them.

“I don’t have the energy,” she says and slumps back against the headboard, drawing up her knees. “Please.”

She asked not to be tied up, but there is no way this woman sleeps in my bed without being tied to something.

“Can I trust you to stay put for a minute?”

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