Page 77 of Gangster's Empire: Leeza & Havel

Leeza got a glimpse of their future together as they sat eating and talking, laughing while Havel described his search for her.

“Knew you weren’t in trouble though,” he said gruffly, using a napkin to wipe some ketchup from the corner of Leeza’s lip.

“How did you know?”

“I’ve always known when there was something going on with you.”

She frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. I’ve been in trouble plenty of times.”

“And I’ve always known.” He pressed his fist over his chest. “In here. It feels like I’m suffocating.”

She was speechless. She didn’t believe in supernatural ‘feelings’ but she knew what Havel meant. Since she was young, she’d always had a sixth sense when it came to him. He was a planet and she was his moon, his gravity keeping her in his orbit. It was an awareness of when he was near and when he wasn’t.

Havel took her hand. “I shouldn’t have left you to suffer with Adam. You needed me and I ignored the feeling urging me to go to you. It won’t happen again, lásko. This I can promise.”

She nodded, blinking rapidly.

Havel leaned across the table, taking her face in his hands, his long, tattooed fingers cradling her face. “Never again.” He sealed his promise with a kiss that transported her out of the restaurant and into their own private heaven.

“Get a room.”

Leeza giggled against Havel’s mouth as a teenager walked by.

Havel turned his head, pinning the kid with a look that had him rushing to catch up with his friends.

“You shouldn’t scare children.”

He shrugged. “I tend to scare people just by breathing.”

“That’s very gangster of you,” she teased.

He took her hand and pulled her from the booth. “Let’s go. Kris wants his mother back home.”

“How is he?” Leeza felt guilty for not asking after her son sooner, then shook the feeling away. She wasn’t in fight or flight mode anymore. She could take some time to herself, even if that meant an impromptu trip to the junk yard.

“He’s fine,” Havel assured her, ushering Leeza back into the car before climbing into the driver’s seat. “Fatima took full advantage of her time with him, spoiling him with homemade Iranian food, desserts, movies, and colouring books. I think she was planning a trip to the zoo later today, though she said she’d ask you when you came home.”

“That works for me and my hangover.” Leeza pulled her knees up and slouched low in her seat, leaning against the door and closing her eyes.

Havel placed his hand on her thigh while they drove in comfortable silence.

When they arrived home, Leeza was surprised to find her entire bachelorette party still in the bar. Most were sitting around the VIP tables, laughing and eating sandwiches and fruit from trays.

“Looks like the party continued without me,” Leeza said dryly.

Saskia swung her head in Leeza’s direction, then flung herself to her feet, stumbling toward Leeza who caught her as she started to fall. Havel gripped Leeza, stopping her from tumbling to the ground.

“What the hell happened to you?” Saskia demanded, gripping Leeza’s arms.

The smell of vodka hit Leeza and she had to cover her mouth and nose before she could answer her sister. “I got towed. Are you still drunk?”

Saskia nodded. “We were so worried about you, we stayed to make sure you got home.”

“You were so worried you kept drinking?” Leeza eyed a jug of what looked like Sangria in a fishbowl. Her gaze drifted around the rest of the bachelorette party. Yolanda and Shaun were passed out together in a booth. Three of Leeza’s friends were still sipping cocktails while Anne was at a table alone, drinking a cup of coffee, her expressionless gaze glued to Havel.

Saskia looked guilty. “Alcohol passed the time while we speculated about where you could have gone.”

“Where’s Ayaan?”

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