Page 49 of Claimed By the Possessive Mafia Prince
“Forget last night.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“It was never supposed to happen anyway.”
“I don’t care what wassupposedto happen. It happened, and I don’t regret it. Do you?” When I don’t answer, he growls,“Well, do you?”
“I need to get ready for work. I’m sorry for answering your phone. I shouldn’t have done that.”
He massages his forehead, his shoulders sagging. “I’m sorry, Siena. This stuff is stressing me out.”
“You don’t have to apologize. Let’s just get on with our lives, okay? Ourseparatelives.”
He winces at the word ‘separate’ as though it causes him physical harm. I know I’m playing with his feelings, and honestly, I’m playing with mine too. But just because I slipped up, and we got steamy last night, it doesn’t mean we owe each other anything.
“If you think you can just go on like normal,” I tell him, “I can too.”
“Define ‘normal’.”
“Back to what it should’ve been before last night. Just… friends. I won’t pry into your personal life or your work life. You’ll let me focus on my work.”
“I’m not forgetting last night,” he says. “I can’t. And even if I could, I wouldn’t.”
“I need to shower and change. Is that going to be okay?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a morning run with my godfather, anyway. I’ll get out of your hair.”
I grab my stuff and head toward the shower, conscious of a rift opening between us.
As the water slides over my body, I return to the phone call. The threat. The viciousness of it.
My instincts were humming before. Now they’re screaming.
CHAPTER 18
DARIO
Iwalk to the end of the pier and call the number back, heart pounding, head full of violent notions.
Jeremaih answers on the second ring.
“You’ve got some nerve threatening a civilian, you stupid fuck,” I snarl.
“I didn’t know it wasn’t you on the other end of the line.”
“Then it’s even worse. It means you were threatening me. How do you imagine that’s going to end for you? How do you think this is going to go?”
Jeremaih and his goons have been trying to push hard drugs on our Family’s turf. I’ve tried to be civilized with them because my father wants to take the high road, but it’s reaching a boiling point. Eventually, it’ll be time for blood.
“I want what was promised.”
“Nothing waspromised,” I grit out. “My father said he might arrange payment if you went peacefully. But you didn’t. Youbusted into one of our clubs and disrespected us on our own turf.”
“Andyoubroke my second’s jaw intwoplaces, Dario! That’s a fair trade.”
“You need to drop this,” I growl. “I’m serious. Let it go or face the consequences.”
“Big words for a man who fled the country.”
