Page 28 of Romeo

I throw the door open and sprint down the hall until I see the staircase with another door at the top. Taking the crooked stairs two at a time, I throw myself into the door, praying it’s not locked.

The heavy slab of wood gives way, but before I can take another step, large arms wrap around me, picking me up off the ground.

“No!” I screech, fighting my way out of my captor’s embrace. “Let me go!”

“Thalia,” comes Romeo’s deep, soothing voice. “Stop fighting me, angel. I’m here. I’m here now.”

Everything comes rushing to the surface; the fear, the confusion, the trauma of being kidnapped, the violence I inflicted on a giant, scary monster.

“I’ve got you, sweet Thalia. I said I’d always come back to you. I’ll always find you. Always protect you.”

I wrap myself around Romeo as he holds me close and begins walking through the empty and eerily quiet warehouse. It takes me a moment to realize it’s so quiet because the floor is littered with dead bodies. I gasp, letting out a pathetic whimper.

“Close your eyes,bella,” Romeo whispers. He cups a hand around the back of my neck and tucks my head into his shoulder. “You don’t need to see any more violence.”

I nod, clinging to him as the adrenaline drains from my body, leaving me cold and wrung out.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, though I’m not sure what I’m apologizing for. Being an inconvenience? For thinking I could help, only to screw things up? What if I killed Antonio? Will that trigger some kind of war?

Romeo doesn’t say anything, and my stomach twists itself into a million knots. Of course, he’s upset. All he ever tried to do was keep me safe, and I left his home and jumped right into a bad situation. Even if I thought I was doing the right thing, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m a sobbing, disheveled mess who made Romeo and his men come after me.

Oh, god, what if I got some of his men killed, too? I’m such an idiot.

Romeo shifts my weight slightly to open a car door, then gently sets me down in the back seat before crawling in next to me. “Home,” he clips out to the driver before rolling up the partition.

As soon as we’re alone, Romeo turns to me, his dark eyes roaming over my body as if checking for damage.

“I’m sorry,” I say again softly before coughing several times. My head feels like it’s splitting in two, and I bring my hands up to either side, trying to hold my skull together. I didn’t realize I had such a debilitating headache until I sat down.

Romeo gently places a water bottle on my lap, then massages the back of my neck and shoulders in light, soothing touches.

“Thalia,” comes his quiet voice. “Look at me.” Even at such a low volume, I can hear the command in his tone.

I blink my eyes open, turning to face the man I love more than anything or anyone in the world. I don’t know if I will survive seeing disappointment in his eyes, but I owe him this much. “Romeo, I–”

“God, Thalia, I was so fucking terrified I’d lost you,” he blurts, cutting me off. He’s no longer the intense, dark mafia king with vengeance in his heart and violence on his mind. No, this Romeo is unbearably vulnerable, his eyes shining with tears as he shows me his heart.

I don’t have any words, so I simply nod as he pulls me into his lap. Curling up against my man, I let him rock me back and forth, soaking up the warmth and love I feel at this moment.

CHAPTERTWELVE

ROMEO

Ihold my Thalia, kissing the top of her head as she buries herself further into my embrace. She’s shaking, her tears wetting my shirt and breaking my goddamn heart.

What the hell was she thinking? Going by herself to meet up with the fucking Colombos? Of course, it was a set-up.

I have no one but myself to blame. I didn’t tell her about this life, didn’t prepare her for the traps and pitfalls that come with it. I should have warned her, should have made it clear that she needs to tell me everything, even the scary things. Even the threats. Especially the threats.

Dante was skeptical of me letting Thalia have her laptop in the first place, but I explained to him that she needed it for her job. I wasn’t going to take away the one activity that brings her joy. But now I know I should have listened. There’s a reason Dante is my second in command.

I didn't hesitate to agree when he suggested breaking into Thalia’s computer. I don’t give a fuck if that’s a violation of privacy. There will be no secrets between us, especially dangerous ones.

It took all of two minutes to find the email and another ten to get to the address. By that point, however, the fucking goons who laid hands on her had moved to a second location. We were able to track them down, and while I’m not sure what my girl went through, it’s clear she fought for her freedom as much as I did. I’m so damn proud of her, but I’m still in shock, afraid this is a dream and she’s not really here.

“I’m sorry,” Thalia says again, her voice cracking.

“Nothing is your fault,” I assure her, rubbing calming circles on her back. “Yes, I wish you would have told me about the email, and yes, I need you to promise never to sneak out on me again, but I’m not angry with you. I don’t think I’m capable of it.”

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