Page 116 of Mafia and Gold Digger

My teeth grind together the longer I stare at it.

Red. Fucking. Roses.

Of all the goddamn colors to send someone, he chose the one that makes my stomach churn and vision blur.

My fist balls tighter.

Red. The color that’s supposed to be reserved for romantic partners. Is that what he wants? He didn’t want her before, but now that I have her, he’s having second thoughts? The thought of Ronnie even touching Emerald again, of him hearing the way her laughter fills a space, of him listening to the sounds she makes when she comes, makes my stomach turn to lead.

Over my fucking dead body.

Or his.

Either way, he won’t get to touch her. Ever.

I suck down a deep breath, feeling my lip curl at the corner as I stare at the damn vase of flowers. “Fuck this.”

My fist knocks the vase over, smashing it into the counter. The sound of shattering glass doesn’t bother me. The house is empty, with the kids at school and Emerald out with Jacquetta and Nicki for a girls’ birthday brunch.

My boots crunch on the pieces of glass that have clattered to the ground as I sweep my hand through the remnant of the vase, not caring if the glass slices me or not.

The petals look like blood against the white counter stone, and I bite back my snarl as I let them fall beneath my feet.

I grab the bear, and it goes in the trash, along with what remains of the flowers and the goddamn birthday card with its long message about their good times together and how he hopes she’s happy.

Asshole.

That dark possessive thing inside me roars with satisfaction, and alongside it, the green monster smiles with satisfaction. I suck in an inhale and tuck my gun back into the waist of my pants.

If this is what it’s going to be like, then the world needs to know I’m not a man to fuck around with. If Ronnie wants her, he’ll have to take her from my corpse. Because Emerald is mine—and only mine.

I might not be sentimental like Ronnie. I might not be able to give her that same connection, but I’ll be damned if anyone else tries to fill in the gap I can’t.

The wild look in my eyes makes me pause as I pass the mirror in the hall. It’s not a look I’ve seen on my face before.

I narrow my gaze.

This is a problem.

This feeling that’s eating me alive.

This feeling that’s galloping through my body like a pack of wild horses.

Jealousy.

That’s what it is. Ronnie offers something I can’t. Some mental connection that’s so emotional and entwined with their past, I can’t compete with it. I’ll always lose.

I scrub my hand over my jaw before letting out a deep breath, trying to ground myself. But it doesn’t help. I’m worked up, and agitation tightens my body. I need a smoke, a drink, or a good fuck.

Or all of the above. With Emerald.

But that’ll have to wait until I get this shitty day over with. My phone vibrates with yet another message from Christian about urgent matters that need my attention, and I know I can’t avoid the casino anymore.

Ronnie better hope he doesn’t cross my path today because I won’t be held responsible for the fist he’ll eat if he does.

* * *

Arriving home from work later, I let the door bang open. And I stop mid-step as I come face-to-face with Emerald.

---