Page 13 of His Mafia Sunshine

I peel out of the parking lot with a screech of tires, my heart a jackhammer against my ribs. I sent him away to keep him safe. Ripped my own fucking heart out to protect him from the monsters in my world.

But it wasn't enough. It was never going to be enough. And now the best thing that ever happened to me could be slipping away, the light in my life guttering out like a candle flame.

And it's all my fault. All my fucking fault.

I press down on the accelerator until the city blurs into a smear of neon and shadow, a wordless prayer spilling from my lips into the uncaring night.

Hold on, Asher. Hold on, sunshine. I'm coming. Just hold on.

CHAPTER 6

ASHER

The first thing I'm aware of is the smell. That sharp, antiseptic tang that can only mean one thing - hospital. It fills my nose, my lungs, cloying and inescapable, and I fight the urge to gag.

The second thing is the pain. A dull, throbbing ache that seems to radiate from every inch of my body, pulsing in time with the beep of the heart monitor beside my bed. I try to shift, to ease the pressure on my battered muscles, but the slightest movement sends a lightning bolt of agony racing up my spine.

I must make some kind of sound, a whimper or a groan, because suddenly there's a warm, calloused hand wrapped around mine, the touch achingly familiar.

"Asher?" Liam's voice is a hoarse rasp, thick with some unnameable emotion. "Sunshine, can you hear me?"

I force my eyes open, blinking against the harsh fluorescent glare. Liam's face swims into view above me, his features drawn and haggard, his green eyes bloodshot and glassy. He looks like he's aged ten years since I saw him last, grief and guilt etched into every line of his beautiful face.

"Liam," I croak, my throat dry and aching. "What... what happened? Where am I?"

His hand tightens around mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in a feather-light caress. "You're in the hospital, sunshine. You were attacked, beaten up pretty bad. But you're going to be okay. I promise, I won't let anything else happen to you."

Memories come flooding back in a sickening rush - the shattering of glass, the cruel laughter of my attackers, the meaty thud of fists and boots against my flesh. I squeeze my eyes shut, bile rising hot and sharp in my throat.

"They knew my name," I whisper, my voice shaking. "Kept saying I needed to learn my place, that I never should have gotten involved with you. That I was... I was just Liam O'Connor's whore."

Liam makes a sound like I've gut-punched him, his face twisting with anguish. "Asher, fuck. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I thought I was protecting you by pushing you away, but I was just leaving you vulnerable. I'm a fucking idiot and a coward."

Tears sting my eyes, hot and prickling. "Why did you do it, Liam?" I ask, my voice small and lost. "Why did you say those awful things, make me think I meant nothing to you?"

He bows his head, a shudder rippling through his powerful frame. "Because I was scared," he rasps. "Scared of how much you mean to me, of how deep I've let you get under my skin. Declan, he... he threatened you. Said if I didn't end things, he'd put you in the ground himself."

My heart clenches, fury and fear a dizzying tangle in my chest. "So you thought breaking my heart was the answer? God, Liam, how could you let him manipulate you like that?"

Liam's eyes snap to mine, blazing with a desperate, feverish intensity. "Because I love you," he says, the words raw and scorching. "I fucking love you, Asher, and the thought of losing you, of you getting hurt because of me... it makes me want to tear the world apart with my bare hands."

The breath leaves my lungs in a rush, my eyes widening. "You... you love me?"

He nods, a single tear slipping down his cheek. "I love you so goddamn much it terrifies me. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, sunshine. The only light in my dark, fucked-up life. And I'll be damned if I let my psychotic brother or anyone else take you away from me."

Warmth blooms in my chest, so fierce and sweet it steals my breath. I reach up with my free hand, cupping Liam's jaw, my thumb brushing away the wetness on his skin.

"I love you too," I whisper, the words like a prayer, a promise. "I've loved you from the moment you first walked into my diner, all scowls and swagger. And I'm not going to let you push me away again, Liam. Not for Declan, not for anything."

He makes a choked sound, somewhere between a laugh and a sob. Then he's leaning down, his lips finding mine in a kiss that starts achingly tender but quickly turns fierce and desperate. I sink into it, into him, letting his strength and his love wash over me like a balm.

Liam kisses me like a man starving, like I'm the air he needs to breathe. His tongue delves deep, claiming every inch of my mouth, stroking along my own until I'm dizzy with the taste of him. I clutch at his shoulders, my nails digging into the solid muscle, needing him closer, always closer.

He gentles the kiss gradually, easing back to nip playfully at my bottom lip before soothing the sting with a soft brush of his tongue. I whimper, heat curling slow and syrupy in my veins, my body responding to him even battered and bruised as I am.

Liam feels it too, if the low groan he breathes into my mouth is any indication. His hand slides up my arm, over my shoulder, cupping the nape of my neck in a possessive grip that sends shivers racing down my spine.

"Careful, sunshine," he murmurs, his lips quirking in a wicked grin. "Don't start something you can't finish. Not until you're healed up and I can take my sweet time with you."

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