Page 24 of Possessive Mafia Vows

This isn’t how I anticipated this conversation going. I wanted to warn her about Nick. I have nothing concrete to prove that his intentions towards her are anything other than a guy wanting to date a beautiful woman, but I can’t sit back and say nothing. I’ll never forgive myself if my suspicions are correct and he hurts her.

The mere thought of him laying a finger on her makes my jaw clench.

But now is not the time.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She raises puffy eyes to me. “Not really. I should never have met him.”

I sip my brandy and soda. I never touch liquor during the day—I don’t have the liver for it like my brothers and my mom—but if I don’t dampen the sharp edges of this overwhelming need to protect Sienna, I’ll end up doing something I regret.

“Why did you?”

She puffs up her cheeks and releases a shaky breath. “I was trying to be the bigger person. Ha!” She shakes her head. “I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering what he wanted to say.”

I sit forward on the sofa and rest my elbows on my thighs. I don’t know much about Sienna’s life—I’ve only gleaned snippets of information from Victoria—but I can imagine how the conversation went. She wanted an apology, and he would have skirted around a sorry, blaming everyone else for his mistakes until she forgot the reason why she was even there.

“And all he did was leave you with the sour taste of disappointment in your mouth.”

“So fucking disappointed.” She tips her head back and finishes her drink. “Can I get another one of these? They’re not even touching the sides.”

“Are you sure?” I stand up and take the empty glass from her. Our fingers brush, and electricity shoots down my spine.

Not now, I tell myself.

As if reading my mind, she quirks an eyebrow and smiles. “Don’t worry, I won’t accuse you of trying to get me drunk.” She slumps back against the cushions, kicks off her boots, and curls her legs under her.

I refill her glass with my back to her. When I look around, she’s back on her feet and standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, peering out across the city.

I stand beside her, and she accepts her drink with a grateful smile.

“Do you still see the skyline when you look out the window?” she asks.

I follow her gaze. The sky is heavy, ominously gray with the threat of snow. “Every day. I like it best when it’s stormy outside. It gives me a sense of serenity. Like whatever is going on in my life is nothing compared to the howling wind and the torrential rain.”

She turns to face me. “But do you ever feel like a prince in a gilded tower? Like you’re untouchable, you know? Removed from the real world.”

I smile and sip my drink. “Is that how you see me?”

“I guess. I mean, you never have to worry about paying the rent, do you? Or catching the bargains at the grocery store before they sell out. Or getting stuck in traffic on your way to work.” Her eyes have softened; the brandy is taking effect.

“Sometimes, I think it would be easier to have those kinds of problems.” She opens her mouth to protest, and I stop her. “I’m not looking for sympathy. But the higher you grow, the longer the fall on the way down.”

“Unless you jump.”

“I hope you mean figuratively speaking.”

Sienna rests her forehead on the glass and studies the ground below. “I hope you’re not scared of heights.”

“I’m not, but it took some getting used to when I first moved in.”

“Kyle, what are we doing?” She turns to face me, her eyes searching mine.

“We’re taking some time out. That’s all.”

I know this isn’t what she means. She wants to know what’s going on between us, and my throbbing cock is asking the same question, but after the altercation with Nick, I’m determined to sit back and wait for her to come to me. If I push now, it’ll send her running straight into his arms, and it’ll make it even harder for me to protect her.

“Some time out?”

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