Page 37 of Forbidden

Ralph squints, hesitant. “You sure? We can handle—”

“Go!” I snap, grabbing my keys and storming out. The warehouse door bangs shut behind me, the sound echoing like a gunshot.

I peel out in my SUV, tires screaming against asphalt, tearing through the city. The first place I hit is that shitty apartment she refused to leave with the dripping sink. I offered so many times to get her a better place. But trust Penelope to stick to her beliefs and not want anything from me she didn’t work for. I kick the door open, wood splintering—maybe when she doesn’t have a door, she will accept my help. But the place is empty. Her bed’s unmade, sheets twisted like she bolted fast. No note, no trace. My gut twists tighter. Where the hell is she?

Then it hits me, cold and heavy—Sophia’s grave. The one fucking place I cannot face without choking on guilt but where she’d probably go to breathe after the conversation we had at the hospital.

I gun the engine, weaving through traffic, horns blaring as I blow red lights. The cemetery looms ahead, iron gates rustingunder the gray sky. I screech to a stop, gravel spitting, and climb out, my boots crunching the path.

She’s there, kneeling by Sophia’s headstone, her floral dress is stark against the dead grass. Her hair’s up, messy in that green band, and she’s clutching her jacket like it’s armor. I stop a few feet back, watching her trace my daughter’s name with trembling fingers. She looks small, broken, and fuck, I want to fix it—fix us.

“Penelope,” I say, voice rough.

She stiffens, not turning. “I do not want to see you right now.”

I step closer, gravel grinding under me. “Too bad. I’m here.”

I crouch beside her, staring at the stone—Sophia Vieri, forever 17. The ache hits me hard, same as always.

“I miss her every damn day. You know that?”

She nods, slowly, her eyes locked on the carved letters. “Yeah. Me too.”

We sit there, silence thick between us, the wind whistling through bare branches. I can still hear Sophia’s laugh, see her running off with Penelope, both of them giggling like the world wasn’t a shitshow waiting to blow. That night she stormed out, keys in hand—I let her go. Penelope didn’t pick up. Now we’re here, drowning in the wreckage.

“Why’d you leave the hospital?” I ask.

She twists her head, locking those coffee-brown eyes on mine—bloodshot, shadowed, like she hasn’t slept since they attacked.

“Because your world’s choking me, Adriano,” she cries. “I thought I could handle the blood, the bodies. I thought it was what I wanted, that I could be part of it. But I’m drowning. Everyday I realize that I made a mistake wanting you all these years.”

I wrap my arms around her, then haul her against me. She stiffens, before pushing back for a split second, then collapsesinto me, her heat bleeding through my shirt, her breath shaky on my neck.

“Are you scared of me?” I rasp, my lips grazing her hair, the honey scent hitting me like a drug. “Tell me straight if I’m the monster keeping you up at night, I’ll walk. I swear it on her grave.”

She freezes, her fingers caving into my jacket, but no words come. Her silence shows the fear, want, guilt. It’s all swirling in those eyes, screaming what her mouth won’t.

I tighten my hold, burying my face in her neck, inhaling that honey scent that’s haunted me since she came back. “You’ve fucked me sideways, Pen,” I say, my voice splitting open, raw as hell. “I cannot function without you dominating my thoughts. Every curve, every scream, it’s got me by the throat. I hate how bad I need you, but I’d choke on my own blood before letting you go.”

“Don’t say that.”

“I mean every damn word.” I pull back, my lips curling up despite the ache. “Broke your door down looking for you, by the way. Splinters everywhere. You have to stay with me now. You have no choice.”

She jerks upright, eyes flashing. “The hell I am! I’m not your prisoner, Adriano. Fix my damn door or I’m staying put.”

I laugh. “What, you’ll sleep here in a cemetery? You gonna bunk with the ghosts, Pen?”

“Yes,” she deadpans. “They’re quieter than you and don’t hog the blankets.”

“Come on, stop being so stubborn. Your place is a shithole, babe. One kick and it’s a free-for-all. I’m sure rats probably throw parties in there. You’re safer with me.”

“Safer?” She snorts, crossing her arms so tight her boobs practically salute me. “There’s absolutely nothing safe aboutyou. Please. I’d rather spoon a skeleton than dodge your bullshit. Get me a new door, it’s nonnegotiable.”

I throw my head back, cackling. “Oh, you’re savage. Fine, I’ll get you a door—solid oak, fit for a queen. But I’m training the rats to chew through it when I miss you.”

She grins, eyes glinting. “Good luck. I’ll bribe ‘em with cheese to bite your toes off first.”

I tilt my head. “Alright, princess. So it’s settled then. New door, steel bolts, my cameras are already there, I’ll upgrade your security system and the works. But I get a key.”

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