Page 55 of Save Me
I glance up at Adam. “Sorry. You seem to be on babysitting duty right now. I’ll get better, and you can go back to your life.”
“This is my life.”
He stalks off, leaving me feeling a bit sad that he feels that way. But then the stark reminder of ‘the only way out is death’ rings in my mind, and I figure maybe sometimes it’s better to be alone. I’m lucky enough to have found four guys who are already in this life. I wonder if there is a vicious mafia princess out there just waiting for a giant, violent mafia man to come and sweep her off her feet. I smile as the thought fills me with the warm fuzzies, but then when the mafia man in question growls at me to move my ass, I launch myself forward, catching up as we head out into the growing dark.
21
VOGUE
Adam dropsme off at my dad’s mansion, home, now, I guess, and leaves me in the care of Harry as he drives back, presumably to go back to my dad.
The grandeur of the house still amazes me, and it takes a moment to remember how far I’ve come. Harry, leaning against his SUV, gives me a soft smile that makes me curious.
“Hey,” I say, going over to him.
“Vogue.” His voice wraps around my name, making it sound like something precious. He pushes away from the car and reaches out to pull me to him, wrapping his arms tightly around me.
“What’s up?” I ask with growing suspicion.
“I’m taking you out on a date,” Harry says, an edge of something like excitement in his voice.
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh? That sounds fun. Where are we going?”
He guides me with a hand at the small of my back, a touch that sends a jolt through me despite its lightness, to the passenger side of his car and opens the door for me.
“It’s a surprise.” He shuts the door with a soft thud. It’s as if he’s closing us off from the rest of the world, leaving just the two of us in this bubble of anticipation. As he gets into the driver’s seat, I smile and feel a soft thrill go through me at this quality time we’re spending together one-on-one.
Harry starts the engine, and it purrs to life. We leave the security of home and head towards the city, where the lights blur by as he navigates through the traffic with ease. I glance over at him, taking in his profile—sharp jawline, a smirk that’s all too knowing. He catches my gaze and holds it for a moment longer than necessary, a silent challenge.
“We need this,” he says, placing his hand lightly on my thigh.
“I know. I feel like we’ve gone about this back to front.”
He chuckles, not offended in the slightest, and that’s one of the things that draws me to him. He is so easy going, even in this tough, hardcore mafia life; he is a ray of sunshine. “Yeah, I feel the same, so I’m rectifying that. They guys are going to leave us alone… until we get back. Then you’re fair game again, sweetheart.”
“Sounds perfect.” We share a smile before he looks back at the road.
“So, did you actually grow up in those fancy hotels?” I ask, needing to know things about him that don’t revolve around sex, lust and mafia shit. Although, I’m guessing the mafia shit will come hand-in-hand with his story like all the others.
“Yep. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds,” he says with a chuckle. “Imagine a childhood where every smile is a transaction, every friendship has an agenda. You learn to read the room before you can read a book.”
I feel a chill despite the warmth of the car. Harry’s world is one I’ve only glimpsed from the outside, but here he is, offering a peek behind the velvet curtain. I reach out and squeeze his hand.
“Sounds lonely,” I say, voice softer than I intend.
“Sometimes,” he admits, “but then you learn to find your own tribe—people who get it, people who stand by you because they want to, not because there’s something in it for them.”
“The guys?”
“Yeah. Quentin is new on the scene, as you know, but me, Cal and Thayer go way back. We used to go swimming in the hotel pools, annoying the guests as we splashed about, trying to find some glimmer of childhood in the middle of mafia shit.”
“Sounds fun! I can’t swim.” I blurt out my confession with wide eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want to, just never got the chance, you know?”
“Yeah, I know. I can teach you if you like. Your choice, but the offer is there.”
My embarrassment at my confession melts away. “Yeah, maybe I would. Aaron, Dad, has a pool, so it’s right there.”
Harry nods. “Dad?” His query is legit, not judgemental in anyway.
