Page 128 of Vicious Behaviors
“Yes,” she hums, her eyes soft, thinking life is done testing us.
I stare into her liquid-gold eyes and see the truth embedded in them, which in turn spurs my own. “I did it. I killed him. I killed Father McDonagh.”
She closes her eyes and lets out a long exhale. “I know,” she confesses, her eyelids fluttering open again. “I tried to convince myself that someone else had done it, but deep down, I knew it was you.”
“And you’re an FBI agent,” I add, watching her swallow dryly as the truth we’ve been trying so hard not to say out loud, spills from my lips.
“And you’re a mafia prince—the next in line to be theCapo Dei Capiof the Chicago syndicate.” She shrugs. “Every couple has its challenges.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Tell your face that.” She smirks, her gaze falling to my mouth, a soft smile now cresting my lips.
“No more lies,bella.“
“No more lies.”
“It’s you and me in this now. You and me.”
“Always.”
“Wake up, sleepy head. Rise and fucking shine,” Jude bellows the next morning when he comes down.
“Shh! Don’t wake Izzie up,” I warn, turning to the love of my life to ensure she’s still asleep. I hurry to cover her naked frame with the bedsheet, positioning myself in a way so my brother won’t get an eyeful of my woman. He would do the same if the roles were reversed.
“Sorry,” Jude says once he reaches us. “What’s with the long face?”
“Nothing. Long-ass night, that’s all.”
“Tell me about it,” he mumbles. “I hardly slept a wink.”
Same. After what happened to Izzie—what I let happen to her—sleep was the last thing on my mind. With all the revelations we confided in each other and the make-up sex afterwards, my mind worked nonstop all through the night.
“Hey, you still hitNonno’sgym in the morning?” Jude asks, suddenly looking out of his element.
“Every day.”
“Good. How about we leave our cars here and jog to DeLuca’s? The girls could pick us up afterward.”
“I could go for a run. Just let me grab a quick shower and get dressed. I’ll meet you in twenty.”
“Sounds like a plan,” he says almost sheepishly before hurrying back upstairs.
What got into him this morning?
“Talk to your brother,” I hear Izzie mumble, still sounding half asleep.
“Did we wake you,bella?” I coo, pressing soft kisses on her shoulder.
“Talk to Jude, Marcello,” she repeats instead of answering me.
“Talk to him about what?” I ask absentmindedly, too busy pressing another kiss on her shoulder. I make my way up to her neck, my heart stopping at the ugly red marks on her skin. I kiss her bruises ever so lightly, promising myself to blow my fucking brains out if I ever letitlay a finger on her again.
“You know damn well what,” she scoffs. “If you love me, you’ll tell him everything you told me last night on your run.”
“Are you seriously stooping to blackmail right now,bella?”
“Whatever gets the job done, Mar.”
