Page 293 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

I gasp. “You’re sick!”

“It’s the only way to thrive in this world, sweetheart,” he says, letting me go with a smirk playing on his lips.

Aarf!

I peek around him where Bella is standing next to his sneakers, not bothering to bite back the grin that spreads across my lips when I see the puddle next to his kicks. “Yeah, well, I’m sure that there’s more to it than that. Like dry shoes.”

He furrows his brow and follows my amused glance to where Bella created her own indoor facilities.

“Fuck!” he groans. “That’s my favorite pair, for Christ’s sake!”

“I guess she didn’t like the way you were talking to me,” I say, folding my arms over my chest. “Girl power or whatever.”

He narrows his eyes at me and I flash a bright smile in return.

“I guess your gesture of goodwill kind of backfired.”

We stand there, staring each other down, like a battle of the wills. There’s a man inside of this brutish, menacing jackass, one who is fighting against his rough exterior. The years may have been kind to his appearance, but they’ve created a monster façade. That’s why I didn’t recognize him at the restaurant and at the park. I don’t know this menace that he’s become. I believe that the real Roman is still trapped inside. I can see it more clearly now…not only in his eyes, but in the little things, like going out to find Bella. But the guy on the outside can’t let him out for too long, not in the mafia world, or else things might spiral out of control.

And I know that guy on the outside well.

He’s my father.

It’s true, Papa and I never had the kind of tight-knit relationship he has with Frankie, and that’s in large part because I resisted his ‘job’. I had no desire to be anywhere near his work, and our relationship grew more and more strained over time because of it. But I saw how he’d let his true self shine through for my mother. There was a softness, a deep love, an open heart reserved just for her. It didn’t happen often because heaven forbid, the big, bad mob enforcer showed the world that he could be a sensitive guy.

Roman has definite shades of my father, which makes me equally drawn to him and fed up with him. On one hand, I want to scream at him and unleash the rage he’s caused to knot deep inside of me. And on the other hand, I want to fling myself into his arms and feel them wrapped around me again.

It’s the quintessential push and pull.

Roman breaks away from my gaze and stomps into the kitchen for a roll of paper towels and a bottle of spray cleaner. He’s back a second later, muttering a string of colorful expletives in Italian.

I bend down to help him, reaching out for the spray bottle as he’s about to grab it again. It’s just a brush of our fingers, but my God, the shock that zaps my insides makes me visibly shudder.

He turns his ice-blue eyes toward me, and I can see a flicker of surprise in the depths, as if he felt the same thing and has no idea how to process it. Well, yeah! Iamhis captive, so there are parameters.

I guess…?

I’ve never been kidnapped before, so I’m not super familiar with the protocols. But I am pretty certain that lusting for your captive is bad.

So is lusting for yourcaptor.

Yikes.

I bite down on my lower lip, tearing my gaze away from his. My pulse thumps against my throat as I spray, spray, spray…anything to keep my focus off of Roman.

Because regardless of what lies beneath the surface, he’s still a fucking animal.

And I’m his prey.

I mop up the cleaner with paper towels and scramble to my feet before I get too close to him again. He’s still lamenting his sneakers, so I use that as an opportunity to dash into the kitchen and get my head screwed on straight.

This man had Frankie beaten to a pulp! How can I have any feelings other than nausea for him?

I clutch the sides of the counter, my stomach clenching as Bella rubs up against my leg.

An exasperated sigh makes my throat tighten, and I can’t figure out if it’s due to Bella’s accident, or my rapid disappearance.

How sick is it that I’m hoping for the latter?

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