Page 82 of Down the Aisle
"You shut up before I let her use you as target practice," Adam snapped back at him with a deep scowl.
James underestimating me ticked something off in me, making me straighten my arms out again to point the gun at him. "I might not have the best aim, but I can damn well shoot you. You, of all people, should know I can handle a gun, considering how you fucking taught me." Sneering, I scoffed to myself with a pathetic laugh. "Or do you not remember teaching me the day you got accepted into the police academy? You were so damn excited about it and handling a gun and shit that you took me out back to shoot at cans. And since you were so adamant on me sharing in the joy, you stood right behind me the whole time, teaching and guiding me until I landed my first can."
I don't know if James finally lost it or if I did somehow get through to him, but he looked at me with such a sad smile and longing eyes. "You were so afraid of the noise. I had to pad the earmuffs to dampen the noise more, yet you still squealed andjumped at that first shot. Nearly broke my nose, too, with the recoil." His distant chuckle made me smile forlornly in return.
What happened to us?
That's what I wanted to ask him, but we were far beyond that.
For once in a long time, James felt normal, like the man I fell for once upon a time. If I didn't know any better or had no dignity or self-respect, then I might actually fall back into the whole pit trap.
"Goodbye, James."
Closing my eyes, I flicked the safety of the gun…
Chapter 30
Adam
"I'm sorry… I'll cleanit out for you, promise," Eliza continued to apologize despite my wishes against it.
"Darling," I chuckled, grabbing my bloodied shirt from her hands. "It's just a shirt." I reiterated, balling it up and throwing it back into the trash.
"But it's an expensive shirt," she remarked with a slight pout.
Rolling my eyes, I reached out and loosely wrapped my arms around her, swaying her around slightly. "And replacing it and twenty others would be nothing but pocket change for me," I threw back with a smug smirk, earning a flat glare from Eliza.
Shaking her little glare off with a chuckle, I leaned down and kissed her deeply. "Do you want to go back to the party, or do you need to call it a night?" I asked her with a concerned frown.
It'd barely been an hour since her encounter and attack with James, something I still beat myself over. I was supposed to be there to protect her, and she was supposed to be safe in our home. Yet, here she stood, looking like she'd been tossed into some fight ring with her beat-up face, scuffed-up arms, lacerated cheek, and banged-up head.
Also, she'd been rather reserved ever since my men whisked James off, and that concerned me quite a bit more than her physical appearance. The doctor said she was fine, maybe a mild concussion at best, but other than that, the surface wounds would heal with time. Mentally and emotionally, that's where I worried about her because those injuries could take forever to heal. Knowing Eliza and how she could be, I worried that she might not ever heal, or if she did, then I was afraid of the impact it might have on her personally and on our relationship.
A small silence ghosted over us before Eliza's long sigh ripped it away. "I think I might call it a night." Her blunted words felt like a punch to the chest, especially with how she shrugged me off and turned herself away.
"Mia rosa, what's wrong?" I prodded with a concerned scrunch of my face. "You haven't told me what exactly happened with James out there…" Obviously, they got into a tiff. Otherwise, she wouldn't look like she went a few rounds with a kangaroo.
Also, did James just attack her, or did she attack him? Did he say something to trigger her? Or did she say something to make him snap? There were so many what if's that I had no answers to.
Silently, Eliza slipped into our bed, bundling herself up with the covers. "I mean, there's not much to say about it. Jamesshowed up, shoved a gun at me, ran his mouth about hateful things like he always did, tried to talk me back by telling me some lie about you being a part of mafia." She scoffed and let out a laugh of disbelief. "I didn't believe any of it though because, well, I mean, come on." Shaking her head, she leaned up on her elbows, looking at me with a lopsided smile. "You? Mafia? Organized crime? No way."
Forcing out a stale chuckle, I shook my head in denial. "You don't believe him, do you?" If this wasn't a sign from the universe for me to spill my guts, then I didn't know what was.
Unfortunately, I never listened to signs.
This would bite me in the ass later, and I'd deal with the consequences then. Besides, now would be the worst time to tell her the truth. She just went through a lot of shit in such a short amount of time, so me showing her my walk-in closet full of bodies and skeletons was a huge no-no. So, for her sake and mine, the truth would have to wait.
Rolling her eyes, Eliza shook her head. "No, that's just a ridiculous thing for him to accuse you of. I mean, the only thing mafia about you that I can put a finger on is the fact you own some guns, but even then, that's a stretch because half the people on this planet own a few guns." Her dismissal made me let out a sigh of relief as I walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. "Besides, you don't have a mean bone in your body. I can't see you beating some man up for not paying you, nor can I see you ripping families apart and shit. Honestly, you're just too wholesome of a man."
Oh, my darling Eliza, if only you knew…
Keeping a smile on my face, I reached out and stroked her hair. Neither of us said anything for a small while, just basking in the muffled silence. "But, how are you, though? And I understand if you want to put off talking about things untiltomorrow, but I need to know how you are doing." How much damage control did I have to do?
Taking a deep breath, she looked at me with hesitant eyes for a few seconds before scooting over to make room for me and patting the area lightly. Usually, I'd make her use her words, but after her stressful night, giving her a pass wouldn't hurt. Giving in to her demands, I laid down and pulled her into me, holding her securely.
Snuggling into me, Eliza took some controlled breaths for a long while, so long that I thought she fell asleep because her breathing became so rhythmic. I almost opened my mouth to ask, but she spoke up before I could. "I don't know… Kind of... I just… I don't know, a part of me is like exhausted because of the whole thing, but another is damn proud and satisfied that he's finally going to get his dues." Peeling her head away from my chest, she looked up at me with a thankful smile. "Oh, can you tell Rowan thanks, and to keep me updated as much as possible with what happens to James?"
Of course, there was that other issue. Rowan might've taken James away under the guise of arresting him for assault, but that was the lie we told everyone who was there. James wasn't rotting away in some holding cell right now. No, he was tied up in my yacht, just waiting for me to take him out to sea the moment I could.
