Page 425 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

And the biting question continues to feed on my brain…how much can I really trust him?

If push comes to shove, deep down, I know he’ll pick money and power over me.

I’ve tried to deny that to myself over the years, but after Maks, it was a hard realization to not bury. Everything unraveled faster than a cheap rug after that and Uncle Boris just spiraled.

He never really stopped.

Just changed his manic direction.

The only thing that keeps me on course here is the fact that these people need to pay for taking away something so precious from me. I don’t care if they weren’t the ones who pulled that trigger. Anyone who wanted to hurt my family like that, anyone who made the decision to carry out the murder — they’re all guilty as far as I’m concerned.

I take a few deep breaths.

I just have to stay on course for a little while longer.

But being immersed in this life makes it so damn hard.

Part of me just wants to scream and cry and beg them to just tell me why!

The other part knows it’s too dangerous.

Just like my feelings for Dante.

Exposing either would be disastrous.

Tiny hairs on the back of my neck prickle as Heaven’s voice carries into the depths of the closet. “Are you ever coming out of there?”

I walk out to the bedroom, balancing carefully on the carpet. The skinny heels make me teeter slightly with each step I take into the thick carpet. I stick my hands on my hips and do a little half-twirl. “What do you think?”

Heaven’s green eyes sparkle. “It’s perfect. Just like I knew it would be. You look beautiful, Anya.”

“Hey, Heaven, what time are?—?”

I look toward the door to find Dante’s blue eyes glued to me as his question dissipates in the air around us.

My breath hitches, and when our gazes tussle, my mind trips back to the last time I saw him. I still can’t look at that window without feeling those delicious tingles assault my body.

He’s definitely been avoiding me. That much is clear.

And it has to be because he doesn’t trust me.

Smart guy.

But my God, as the days pass, I find myself fantasizing more and more about reliving those stolen moments. If I had to guess, it’s because I crave human contact. It has to be why I’m so attached to Heaven and Aisling, and why radio silence from my uncle really didn’t bother me much.

Deep down, I want to live this fantasy life for just a little while longer.

I feel wanted, needed, and cared for.

I haven’t felt that in a damn long time…not for the right reasons, anyway.

Whenever I’ve had time to myself over the past couple of days, I either sit out by the hotel pool or hole up in my room to read one of my romance novels or I go for a run.

And all I think about ishim.

Part of me is glad he’s been MIA.

Dante saw too much of what I’ve been trying to bury, and that made me retreat into myself.

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