Page 183 of Rosetti Family New York
"You said you wouldn't help me," I say.
It comes out small, embarrassed.
"Changed my mind."
He glares down at me, voice low and furious. His hold on my arm is tighter than a constrictor.
"What the hell were you thinking?" he asks.
I’m trying to stand my ground, but it feels like sand under my feet.
"You were following me," I say.
Even I can hear how pathetic it sounds. My own voice betrays me, thin and shaky in the night air.
"Yeah, and it's just as well for you," he snaps back. "What were you doing in that Callahan cesspit?"
"Looking for answers," I say, trying to sound stronger than I feel. "I figured that was obvious."
Rafe huffs, and it’s like a gust of wind hitting me square in the chest.
"From the outside, it’s hard to tell if you want to find out who killed your friend or if you want to join her," he says. "If I hadn’t shown up, you’d be lying in an alley somewhere."
His words are sharp, each one a dagger. His eyes flash like ice in the sun, cold and cutting. He shakes his head, disbelieving.
I press my lips together, trying not to show that he’s getting to me.
"I don’t need a bodyguard," I say. "I’ve been doing fine on my own."
"Is that what you call almost getting yourself killed?" His voice is like a growl. "You got a death wish or something?"
"Wouldn’t be the first time," I shoot back, my frustration boiling over. "I’ve been on my own forever, Rafe. I can handle it."
"Not anymore," he barks, cutting me off. "From now on, you don’t go anywhere without me. If you want justice, you get it through me. We do this my way."
The words hang heavy between us. He's so sure of himself, of everything, and I hate that he might be right. Desperation claws at my insides, but so does anger. He’s not going to control me like this. I'm not going to let him.
"Your way?" I say, practically shouting.
I stop short. I’m fuming and shivering. He takes a step, maybe two, and I’m caged between him and the wall of a filthy building. It’s a heartbeat before he adds, "You don't walk alone anymore. You don’t talk to men like that anymore. You don’t even breathe without me knowing about it."
He leans in, the heat of his body wrapping around me, and suddenly I’m drowning in him. He’s so close I can feel his blood pulsing in his neck, and my own pulse echoes it, frantic andhopeful. He’s closing the space between us, narrowing in like he’s actually going to kiss me, but I don’t know if I want it or if I want to shove him away. I think I might be shaking, but I can’t tell if it’s the cold, the adrenaline, or just him.
He stops short, and his breath comes hot and steady against my lips. I suck in air that tastes like whiskey and anger, but I don’t dare move. I don’t even blink. I can barely breathe, and he just hovers there, so damn sure of himself, so damn sure of me.
He lifts his hand, and it’s the slowest, most deliberate motion in the world. Like he’s got all the time to savor how off-balance I am. Like this is another kind of fight that he’s winning, and I’m too stunned to even put up a defense.
His thumb brushes my cheek, gentle, and it sends shockwaves all the way to my fingertips. He wipes off a smear of blood that I didn’t even know was there, and for a moment I forget how to think, how to breathe, how to be.
Rafe’s thumb lingers, and I’m torn between wishing it would stay forever and wishing he would just back the hell off.
The touch is still warm on my skin when he finally pulls away.
"Next time you go somewhere like this without me, I won’t stop at threats."
And just like that, he’s got my hand in his and he’s dragging me through the snow.
11
