Page 38 of Savage Poet

11

He’s perfect. Utterly perfect. and more than I could have ever hoped for. Not like I ever thought I’d find someone who’d match me anyway. But somehow, I did. In New Jersey, nonetheless.

She’s young though and as the night sky gave way to dawn, my hands curled around the wrought iron rail as I peered out into the darkness giving way to the light. Should I take what’s mine or wait? Thoughts pestered me one by one. I’ve never waited for anything just simply took. I’m not a man ruled by law or religion so why should I? But then the hole she pierced in me lets reason and a speck of good through. Every dark thought I’ve ever had; every deadly deed is why I should wait.

Maybe she’s my chance to get it right. A chance to finally grasp that elusive thing called love.

But I must be careful. My cousins want us to make our mark and go after the remaining families. They agreed to give me this time to just be “Ralph.” I convinced them having an Ivy league MBA would make me look more legit while I’d use the education to find loopholes in the system. The mob needed technology, needed real brains to survive the millennium world.

The warm water runs over me, and I let it rinse over my back for a few more minutes before I shut it off and slung a towel around my waist. “Blue? You want to clean up?”

But she’s gone. I knew she wouldn’t get far with the security cameras and invisible guards, but still it burned that she would just leave and here I was thinking she felt the electricity between us just as much as I did.

I slipped into some sweatpants, not even bothering with a shirt and padded out on bare feet to find her.

“Blue? Baby, you won’t get far…”

“…I have to go. I can’t stay the night.”

“Your parents?”

“My parents are dead.”

“Mine too.” I reached for her, but she held herself stiffly and played with the frayed edges of her sleeve while her other hand stilled on the doorknob.

“Feeling shy, Baby Blue?”

She evaded my question, “Look I need to go alright. My Uncle is going to flip his shit if he wakes up and finds out I’m not home.”

Something tightened in my gut. She doesn’t belong to me yet. Even the thought of a guardian, an Uncle—some other man having more say over her legally and otherwise makes me want to break shit. Or kill something. Hell, both.

I blew out a breath. “I’ll find your friend and take you both home.”

She nodded barely looking at me. My fists clenched. I had her. I knew she felt this… this… thing between us.

I lifted her chin, caged her with my body, “This thing between us isn’t going to go away just because you want to ignore it.”

“I know. But that doesn’t mean that I wish…maybe it would.”

“Scared, Baby Blue?”

“Terrified.”

“And here I thought you were some badass, super girl with mystical powers,” I teased while fingering a lock of her blue hair.”

“Oh, I am. I’m just not convinced you’re worthy of all of my awesomeness.”

“I’m definitely not. But I’ll still take it all anyway.”

“I know.”

Her hesitant eyes finally met mine and I did something I never do. This time when my mouth lands, parting hers—I woo the fuck out of her with my kiss. It’s tender. Slow. The seduction my high school girl deserves. I felt the second she gave in to me and her body became soft and pliable.

“Tell me your name. We can do this the easy or hard way, Blue. Up to you.”

“Diana. Diana Palermo.”

“Palermo?”

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