Page 65 of Dirty Deeds

“That’s not an option.I won’t abandon her.”

Leaning against the wall, I cross my arms against my chest and raise an eyebrow at those words. That’s definitely not something you want to hear when you first wake up, especially after you wake up to an empty bed and find your man pacing in the living room with his phone pressed to his ear.

I don’t know how much more bad news I can take before I break.

“Understood,” Enzo says to whoever he’s talking to on the phone. He disconnects the call and sends the phone flying against the wall.

Aside from the night of the fundraiser, I’ve never seen him lose his temper like that.

He must sense I’m watching him because he suddenly turns around. His jaw clenches and his eyes lock with mine. Neither of us say a word as I uncross my arms and push off the wall.

What’s to say?

We both know none of this is good. That it’s only a matter of time before this blows up in our faces.

That’s why after I got out of the shower last night, we didn’t do much talking at all. I knew he had called Wolf, but I wasn’t ready to hear how that went.

I’m still not.

“That was Finley,” he shares, roughly combing his fingers through his hair. “I told her what happened.”

I come to a stop in front of him.

“And let me guess, she told you to stay away from me.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, he lifts his hands to my face and cradles my cheeks.

“Yeah, and so did my father.”

I don’t know why that breaks my heart, it’s not like I haven’t known that all along. Perhaps it’s because for the first time I believe he’ll heed the warning.

“It’s not happening,” he says, forcing my eyes back to him. “My father has a prospect outside the apartment. He’ll stay here while I’m at work. You won’t even know he’s here and when I’m done, I’ll go home for a little while just in case Brent is following me and not you. But I’ll figure out a way to come back here. I’m not fucking abandoning you. I rather go to jail.”

Tears fill my eyes.

In my thirty-two years, no one has ever put me before themselves. No one has handled me with such care.

I inch up and press my mouth against his. I kiss him with everything I am and everything I’ll be. I give him my soul.

You see, I’ve always had this preconceived notion that love takes time. I didn’t believe in love at first sight, and I laughed at people who got engaged after only knowing one another a couple of months. How could you possibly know if you’ve found your perfect match in such a short period of time? But the truth is, I didn’t know much about love at all.

Time doesn’t play a factor in matters of the heart. All it takes is one person willing to lay down their life, for you to know that you’ve found the one you’re meant to love with every fiber of your being.

And I’ve found him.

* * *

I was really tryingto have patience, but two days later and I officially began to go stir-crazy. I hated that Brent had this much control over my life. I gave him years; he didn’t deserve another fucking day.

That’s why when an email came through, requesting a private showing of one of my listings, I jumped on it, scheduling the appointment immediately. I called Enzo, and told him, thinking it wouldn’t be a big deal.

It was one showing.

I’d be gone an hour.

I was even going to suggest Ro come with me, but he lost his shit before I could.

“No fucking way,” he growled into the line. “We had a deal, Danica.”

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