Page 84 of Psycho

“No, I am not.”

He steps forward, and I step back repeatedly, until my back hits the wall.

“Defiant fucking brat,” he says as he raises a hand, and wraps it around my throat.

“What are we fighting about, little lamb? You want to have that asshole’s baby?”

I don’t know why I’m refusing to take it. Obviously, I don’t want to have Jimmy’s child, although he used a condom anyway, so pregnancy is unlikely.

Pressing his lips to mine, he kisses me, slowly, passionately, as his tongue sweeps into my mouth, eliciting a moan from me. He licks into my mouth, as if he wants every bit of me, and groans, before pulling away.

Both of us are breathing heavily as we stare each other down.

“Let me take care of you, Hadley. I’m trying, so stop fighting me.”

He releases his hand from my throat, but doesn’t break his stare.

“Do we understand each other?”

I roll my eyes at him, as his flare with irritation.

“Your mood swings are giving me whiplash.”

He chuckles softly as his lips lift into a smile, my heart beating faster at the sight of it, and he shakes his head at me.

“Impossible, beautiful woman, take your medicine, so we can go see my mother.”

CHAPTER FIFTY

HADLEY

“Where are we going? This isn’t even the right area.”

I know this isn’t where his brother lives, because we are about a mile from where my mother lives, and there’s no way a wealthy as fuck Bonetti lives here.

The corners of his mouth lift up into a knowing smirk.

“I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” I question, as he chuckles softly.

“I thought you might like to have a coffee.”

Opening my mouth to speak again, I quickly snap it shut, as we pull up in front of my mother’s trailer. I must be seeing things. This can’t be real. My mother sits at a patio table in the front of her home. She is not in bed. Her eyes meet mine, as I jump out of the car.

“Mom?”

“Hadley,” she says with an emotion filled gaze, as she opens her arms, encouraging a hug from me. I run to her, as a sob erupts from my chest. I don’t understand what’s happening but my mother spoke, said my name, and now I’m in her arms. It feels like she died, and years later, has been brought back to life. The loss of my mother felt as real as the loss of my father.

“Sit,” she says, as I spot three cups of coffee on the patio table, and sit between my mother and Massimo. He winks at me when I glance at him.

“See. Coffee.”

“Why? When?”

He takes my hand and lifts it to his lips, kissing the back gently.

“I told you I’d get specialists to see your mother, and that’s what I did. Why? For you, Hadley. I can’t give your father back to you, but this I could do.”

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