Page 45 of The Taker

My anger rises with every word he says, because he’s right—everything is my fault. My obsession with him put them all at risk, and I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to Julia because of me.

“Leo—” I growl, trying my hardest to stop his anger from pouring out, because even though he’s right, I’ll be damned if I let this tear us apart. I’ll dig my claws into him and never let him go.

“No. I let you in, even though I told myself how nothing good could come from being with you. Because made men are all the same. They come into your life, set everything ablaze, and watch the entire thing burn until there’s nothing left but ashes. I watched my father ruin my mother, until she was a shell of herself! I should have known…and look at what happened. My sister got burnt. This is all your fault. I should have let the bullet kill you.”

The first time he told me he regretted saving me, I laughed it off, even took pleasure in what he said because it was proof I made him feel something. This time, I can feel my heart breaking.

After Gio parks the car, he runs to the private elevator, purposefully closing the doors behind him before I can catch up. As soon as I find him, I’ll lock his ass up so he’ll never run away from me again.

He can’t leave me, or else I really will burn everything down.

I’ve never felt like this about someone. Never been obsessed to the point of seriously contemplating trapping them in my penthouse. Not once have I ever decided to keep someone around after fucking them.

Leo is the only one. He’llbethe only one.

I try to call the private elevator back, but when it comes down, it’s empty. My guard at the front door informs me Leo is in the guest room he originally picked with the door locked.

“Leo, open the door right now!” I order him, knocking on the door.

I’m met with silence at first, then try again. And again. I bang my knuckles against the door so loudly it shakes. The entire building can probably hear me.

“Leo, I will break this fucking door down if you don’t open it!” I shout, pounding on the door until I’m out of breath.

“Please, leave me alone,” he pleads, his voice broken and hoarse.

“No, lionheart. I can’t do that. I’d rather lose everything than lose you. Let. Me. In.” I mean it. I would rather lose my entire empire than be without him.

My phone pings.

Luca: Family meeting at Franco’s place in an hour.

My first instinct is to stay here, force my way into Leo’s room, and fix everything. Bind all our broken pieces back together so he won’t be able to tear us apart. But isn’t this how we got here in the first place? I steamrolled my way into his life, turned everything upside down, and put him and his girls in a position that can cost them their lives.

Don Vettore doesn’t think they’ll kill Julia, but I know Ronan. He’s desperate to make a name for the Brass Bruisers. He wants power and glory, to be the biggest player in the game. At best, he’ll make an example of her and use her as payback for everything we’ve done to them.

I can’t let that happen.

It may feel wrong on every level, but if Leo needs space, I’ll let him have it. I’ll give him time to pull himself together. In the meantime, I’ll go to the family meeting and do everything in my power to get Julia home in one piece.

15

LEO

It’s been five hours since Julia was taken. Five hours of lying in bed and crying myself dry with the lights out. I can’t get myself to climb out of bed. Breathing hurts. My eyes are almost swollen shut. My anxiety and guilt are a blackhole I can’t seem to find my way out of.

My sister is in this mess because of Rocco Vettore.

His fucking recklessness.

His greed.

His obsession with me.

Rocco reeled me in and held me right under his thumb. He made it so hard to see anything outside of him and how he made me feel. Got me to do things I’d never do if he didn’t trap me in his web.

That bastard bulldozed his way into my life and sent the whole thing crashing down. And I watched it happen. I let myself fall for him, despite knowing deep down he’d destroy me. I should have fought harder, taken my sisters and left town to start somewhere new. But I let him convince me I was giving them better. So fucking stupid of me.Naive.

And he knew that—took advantage of it.

---