Page 58 of Shot For Mercy

“Leave, please,” I sigh, getting up from the couch and heading to our bedroom. “I don’t want to find you all here when I come back out.”

“Fineeeee,” Gio mutters, and I hear the elevator open. “We’ll leave. But this discussion isn’t over.”

I roll my eyes and take a step toward the bedroom, taking a deep breath. And then I go in. I need to fix this. Right fucking now. I don’t want to fight with Cole. We should be happy right now. Together. All over each other.

No.

This won’t do.

I’m pacing the bedroom when Emiliano comes in, but I ignore him as he stands by the door, watching me. He looks regretful, but I don’t care right now. He’s not budging, and I want to know why.Needto know. Is there something going on between Natasha and him? Was there ever? The thoughts are plaguing me, and I can’t let it go. I fucking can’t. It feels like my suspicions are right and he just doesn’t want to come clean. But why?

Emiliano walks toward me, stopping right in front of me, and I stand still and look at him. He’s looking into my eyes, searching frantically, then runs a hand down his face. Frustration bleeds from his every pore. I can practically taste it, but I’m putting my foot down. I’m not going to give him any part of me until he tells me what the hell is going on. He’s hiding something—I know him well enough to be able to tell. And it doesn’t bode well with me. He doesn’t trust me. Or he simply wants to keep me in the dark. I don’t know which is worse.

“Come here,” Em whispers, stepping toward me and closing the distance between us, even though he’s the one who asked me to come to him. His hand wraps around the back of my neck, bringing our faces together until our foreheads are touching. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

“Too late,” I mutter.

“Baby,” he murmurs, and my stomach flips. “I can’t stand this distance between us.”

“Then tell me the truth.”

“I can’t,” he says, and he sounds pained by it. “You have to trust me. You need to let this go.”

I laugh, trying to pull away, but he just holds on to me tighter. “You want me to fucking trust you?!” Our eyes connect, his brown ones dilating as he stares at me, licking his lips. I definitely don’t look down at them, and I most definitely don’t have the urge to kiss him. “Give me one fucking reason why I should trust you.”

“Because I—” He gulps. “When have I ever lied to you?”

“Right now.” I huff. “You’re lying by omission.”

“Fuck,” Emiliano says under his breath, leaning into me even more. Our noses bump and our lips brush. I have the urge to close my eyes, to eliminate the distance between us. Obliterate it. But I won’t. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do.”

“How about you just tell me?” I ask him slowly. “How about you just fucking trust me?” My voice breaks, and I hate it. How weak I feel around him. How easily he can just take me apart. “How about youtrustme?”

“I do trust you,” he says with conviction. But I don’t believe him, so I shake my head. “But this is bigger than me. This involves more than just me.”

“Who, then?” I ask through gritted teeth. I’ll take any answers.

Emiliano sighs. “I really can’t tell you.”

I nod, reaching back and peeling his fingers from my neck one by one. He makes a pained sound when I put distance between us, but I’m not going to cave. No matter how much I already miss his touch. How badly I crave it. “Then that’s settled. Find me when you’re ready to talk.”

I take a step away from him, then another, and his eyes water. This is just as hard for me, but I breathe through the sting in my own eyes. I can’t think too hard about this or I’ll break down. Am I doing the right thing by shutting him out? By pushing him away? What if I fucked up? What if he’s never ready to talk? To come clean? Fuck.

“Where are you going?” he asks as I go into our closet and begin to look for black clothes. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to take out Andrey tonight,” I reply, letting my clothes drop to the floor and replacing them quickly. He stares at me and takes a step forward, but I shake my head. “Maybe anyone else I can find.”

Emiliano narrows his eyes. “I forbid you from taking Natasha.”

I laugh loudly. “Is this the Don talking now?”

“Absolutely,” he says through gritted teeth. “You will do as I say.”

“Hmm.” I nod. “Yes, sir,” I say sarcastically.

“I fucking mean it, Cole,” Emiliano snaps, and I shiver a little. I love when he bosses me around, when he uses his stern voice on me. But I can’t be weak. So I ignore my body’s reaction and attempt to move past him. He stops me, getting in front of me. Our chests brush against each other’s, and he cups my cheeks roughly and pulls me into him. “Please, don’t go yet. Let me make things right.”

“No.” I shake my head quickly, not wanting to have a change of heart.

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