Page 35 of The Taker

She looks at him, dumbfounded and lost for words. Julia Costa isneverat a loss for words. He didn’t even yell at her, or threaten her.

“Um, yeah,” she says.

“When we arrive, I’ll go over some house rules, then you can pick a room and it’s lights out.”

Rocco turns on his heels and walks down the hallway. I follow him to the kitchen, where he pours himself a glass of water from the pitcher in the refrigerator.

He sighs, leaning on the counter so his body is angled toward me. “I am not apologizing to her. She was out of line, and she won’t talk to you like that in our penthouse.”

Dating? Our apartment?It’s all so overwhelming, but I won’t let him steamroll me. I won’t give up without a fight.

“Dating!” I whisper-shout at him. “I can’t believe you told them that. You’ve never even asked me on a date, Rocco. Please don’t give them the wrong idea. They’ll be almost as brokenhearted as I am when you eventually move on from me.”

He takes my hand and pulls me into him, until our lips are inches apart. His warm, passionate green eyes melt me to my core.

Don’t you dare let him dickmatize his way out of this, I remind myself.

“You’re right.Datingisn’t the right word, but it’s a word they can understand. The truth is, you’remine, Leo. Today, tomorrow, next year, a decade from now. You’ll still be mine when someone finally does sink a bullet into me, and I get lowered into the ground. Or if I beat the odds, we’ll grow old together and retire in some mansion off the Hudson.”

He tips my chin up, kissing me until my lungs buzz with the need for air. But fuck air, I just want to breathe him, live off this moment until I pass out from a lack of oxygen. He runs his hand through my hair and tugs my face, plunging his tongue in deeper and owning me with every press of his lips to mine.

My knees go weak as the roots of my hair sting from his hold. When he pulls away, he smirks. “No argument, then?”

“Huh?” I ask before I come back down to Earth and realize that he did steamroll me. He turned on that hazardous charisma of his and completely flattened me to his whim.

“Thought so. Pack your bags, toy, and bring something scandalous for me.”

I huff, stamping all the way to my walk in closet with a sigh. How does he keep doing that?

Because you have no backbone. All the better for him to bend you over, you hussy.

Ugh. Intrusive thoughts are sometimes true, I guess.

I scan the rack, picking a few work appropriate outfits, a pair of pajamas, and something casual. Rocco thankfully stocked the closet with enough clothes for a lifetime, making up for the paltry amount of clothes I brought with me.

What did he mean byscandalous?I open my underwear drawer, and in the very back I find a plain, black jockstrap. The material is soft, inviting. I never wore one before, but I shove it down to the bottom of my bag where no one will find it.

Once everyone is ready to go, we make our way up to Rocco’s apartment. Lucy already adores him, and has asked him a million questions about his age, favorite color, what he does for a living, and how we met. To his credit, he gave her a version of the truth that wouldn’t seem out of the ordinary to a kid—he’s 34 years old, loves royal blue, works for his family’s business, and we met because I bravely saved his life, and then he swept me off my feet.

He just left out the part about how he got me fired, kicked us out of our apartment, and murdered a man right in front of me. You know, all the important details.

Julia knows who he is so she’s much more skeptical of him. She downright hates him once he tells the girls the house rules.

“Until we have thissituationhandled, you’re both coming straight home from after-school activities. Playdates and friends come here and must be planned in advance so we can run the necessary security checks. You’re both to behave and we all treat each other with respect.” He says the last part while eyeing Julia. “Any questions?”

“What if I want to leave the house?” she quips back, hand on her hip and full of attitude.

“Then you’ll ask your brother or I for permission and will be accompanied by a guard,” he replies, his tone even but firm.

“Leo! Are you really going to let him ruin my life like this?!” she screams. “I don’t want to be the weirdo that always brings her freakishly large security guard everywhere she goes!!!”

“Yeah. I am. I don’t think you understand what happened tonight, Jules. Armed men broke into ourguardedbuilding—then into ourguardedapartment—and tried to kill Lucy and me.This is life or death level serious. If you don’t follow the rules, you’ll be putting yourself, and your family, in danger.”

“Fine.” she grouses before storming off to her room and slamming the door.

Rocco rolls his eyes, obviously not used to the antics of a teenage girl. He’s in for a world of surprise and will probably be happy to send us back to our own apartment when everything dies down.

Although if he gets his way, we’ll never leave. That’s what indefinitely means, doesn’t it? The thought of Rocco, me, and the girls being one big happy family feels way better than it should. Going to Lulu’s dance recitals. Having someone to take with me to the principal’s office the next time Jules inevitably gets in trouble. Spending evenings together watching movies and eating homemade tiramisu by the fireplace…

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