Page 134 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

“I don’t know what you want. I threw myself in front of a bullet. I think you can trust me.”

“You might have died.”

“I know.” I breathe in, fighting the drugs that invade and rock against me. “What is it you want from me? You know who and what I am.”

“It’s easy to make a gesture and say I can trust you if you’re not there.”

Thing is, if I’m not there, then she won’t be in danger. I know what she’s asking me. She wants me to be selfish, to be all in on our life together but I want her to live. And… “You’ll never trust me.”

She stares at me a long moment. Then she straightens. “You don’t know that.”

The drugs are taking me now, and I want them to. “I saved you. That’s what matters.”

“Thank you for saving my life,” she says.

“That’s all I want…” My voice fades, my eyelids heavy. “I’m gonna…”

“I love you, Matteo.” Her soft words slide into me, and I curl around them.

“Don’t. Not worth it.”

“I love you,” she says again, her lips brushing mine. “But you don’t want to fight for us. And I want a man who will do whatever he can to win my trust, keep my heart, earn his place.”

I want to say it’s me, I’m that man. But I’m not. So, I don’t say a word.

“Goodbye, Matteo,” she whispers.

And as darkness comes for me, I let her go. Her world is a better place without me. We’re done, I know that.

She’s safe. And now she’s gone.

I let go and sink into the empty blackness.

CHAPTER34

HEAVEN

TWO WEEKS LATER

Ipull open the door to Molly’s, walking through the entrance without allowing the memories of what happened such a short time earlier to consume me.

It feels like a lifetime ago.

I’m a different person today and for always.

It smells dank and fresh. A weird combination. I’ve kept away, working from home, keeping up with everything for the family business, smoothing over things with the police. I’m working with the lawyers, forging new paths ahead, and moving in on spots suddenly opened as what’s left of the cartel scrambles.

And I’m on a quest to close the trafficking avenues.

Through it all, I’m both numb and bleeding inside because I haven’t heard a word from Matteo.

His father’s gone back home. Dante, too. Only Roman and Sergio have tried to keep up with me, tried to talk. I shut them down.

Fuck Matteo. Fuck him to hell and back again. He didn’t fight. He didn’t want me. He wanted out.

So…fuck him.

I don’t cry each night. There aren’t tears on my pillow. And the ache that threatens to swallow me?

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