Page 12 of Romeo

“Your last n-name,” I clarify.

“Ah,” he says with a nod. “And that scares you?”

I’m not sure how to answer because, yes, it should scare me. But truthfully? Some twisted part of me likes having a monster on my side. I’ve been pitted against them my whole life, and now I have the biggest, baddest one promising me his protection.

“Are you in the mafia?” I whisper, nibbling on my bottom lip as I wait for his answer.

Romeo chuckles darkly, the deep vibrations rolling through his body and into mine. Every nerve ending sizzles and pops as his body moves against me.

“Iamthe mafia, little girl,” he rasps, dragging his nose and lips down the column of my throat as his hands tighten around my hips.

He nips at my pulse point, causing me to shudder and let out a breathy cry. Romeo presses his warm, wet tongue against the sore spot, licking once before placing a kiss on top.

I shouldn’t be this turned on. I shouldn’t feel this all-consuming pressure in my lower belly or the incessant throbbing between my thighs. My hands ball into fists, and I clutch Romeo’s shirt as he scrapes his teeth down the other side of my neck.

“You taste too good,bella,” he whispers onto my skin.

“I… I-I…”

My body is buzzing, my breath caught in my lungs as my eyes flutter open and closed. This man is barely touching me, and yet I swear to God I’d melt into a puddle of lust if he weren’t pinning me to the wall.

“It’s okay, angel,” he murmurs. “You need never fear me. I am a powerful man, yes, and the commander of a mighty army. But I will only ever use my strength to keep you safe. Do you believe me?”

Romeo leans back slightly, and I sway toward him before catching myself. I’m surprised when he cradles my face in his large hand, making me feel so precious with his tender touch.

Brown eyes lock onto mine, but for the first time, I see something other than the carefully constructed persona Romeo projects. He lets me in for a brief moment. Whether or not he knows it, Romeo is showing me his heart. This man is filled with contradictions, but his word is his bond. I know that to be true in an instant. He’s loyal, fierce, and crushingly lonely, though he’d never admit it to anyone.

Still, he’s a criminal. He’s involved in my brother’s death somehow, or at the very least, he knows more than he’s letting on. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t let him touch me like this. I shouldn’t feel safe and seen, and I definitely shouldn’t be so freaking turned on.

“I want to,” I finally answer. “I want to believe you. I just…”

“I know, sweet Thalia. Life hasn’t been kind to you.”

I nod, once again caught up in his hypnotic gaze. Romeo peers into the depths of my being, soaking up everything about this shared moment.

Someone clears their throat, and I jump back, only to bang my head against the wall. Romeo growls and glares at the man who appeared a few feet away.

“Sorry to interrupt, boss,” the man I now recognize as Dante says. His sharp eyes flit from Romeo to me, then back to Romeo. “We’ve got places to be.”

Romeo straightens and takes a large step away from me, straightening his shirt and jacket. One look in his deep brown eyes, and I know the mask is firmly back in place. Whoever he was a moment ago is gone, and he’s back to being in control.

“I know,” he snaps at Dante. “I’m tying up loose ends.”

Dante grunts as my heart sinks. I’m the loose end. I don’t know what else I would be, and I feel like a fool for getting caught up in Romeo’s games. That’s all this is. It has to be.

I slip away from the wall and make a break for the stairs, taking them two at a time.

“Thalia,” Romeo calls after me, but I don’t stop.

“I’ll be in my room,” I tell him over my shoulder, unsure what else to say. I’m a naïve idiot, a stupid little girl with a misplaced and totally inappropriate crush.

Romeo mutters something, and Dante offers a half-hearted apology before the two walk out of sight.

Sprinting to my room, I shut the door and rest my back against it before sliding down and sprawling out on the carpet.

What the hell was that? And what am I supposed to do now?

CHAPTERSIX

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