Page 53 of We're Not Strangers Anymore

“I know, believe me I’m already handling that.” I say, shaking my head.

Luciano’s mouth quirks into a half smile. “It’s handled. He’s dead and from what I hear, Conejo died of a heart attack in Sicily.”

I look at him with a sly smile. “No one can touch the Santoro brothers.”

“I knew that was you.” He laughs. “I’ve been monitoring all of their calls and texts with Austin’s equipment. Looks like the only problem we have left is Frank.”

I look at him for a moment and just process everything. My brother isalive.

“I can’t believe you’re really here, bro. Who else knows?” I ask.

“No one–” Before he can finish, Deirdra enters with a grocery bag.

“Oh– Grayson.”

I shoot a look at Luciano. “We’ll revisit this conversation later. I’m going to call Ma and Laila, then we’ll work on Frank.”

Rowan

It has been a month since we got back from France and all I’ve wanted to do is put this whole thing behind me. Grayson has texted me and tried to call several times but I need to forget about him. No matter what happened between us and how grateful I am that he saved me, I can’t move on unless I leave him in the past along with everything else. I managed to get my job back at the bar and I just finished my first closing shift since being back. My landlord let me rent another unit. It's not the same one, but it’s a little bigger than the last. Things are slowly falling back into place and I’m beginning to feel normal again. Well, as normal as Icanfeel after everything. The keys jingle as I open the door to my dark apartment. I kick my shoes off at the entrance, heading down the hall into my bedroom and start undressing to shower.

“Are you trying to escape me, Row?” I jump as I hear the dark familiar voice behind me.

“Grayson?” I say, my voice shaking.

“Turn around.” He demands.

I turn to look at him and he immediately grabs my wrists, pulling me to his chest. “Stop making me hunt you down, Rowan.” Grayson captures my lips in a kiss that overwhelms me with every feeling he has given me since the first moment he touched my body. I wrap my arms around his neck and he lowers me onto my bed. “Rowan Eleanor Santoro,” he says between kisses from my lips down to my neck. “You belong to me. Whether you want to admit it or not. No one else will ever touch you like this, not while I’m breathing.”

“Grayson stop,” I breathe out. “I can’t do this with you anymore.”

He slips my panties down my legs in one swift movement and undoes his jeans, pushing into me forcefully. “Will you marry me?” He grits out as he thrusts deeper. “Not because you have to, not because I make you, but becauseyouwant to?”

I let out a soft moan. He grips my chin still thrusting into me and forces me to look at him. “Answer me, Row.”

“Grayson–”

He slams into me, hard. “Don’t ‘Grayson’ me, answer the fucking question, Row, just say you’ll stop running from me.”His voice is steady, but there’s an edge to it. An edge that won’t take no for an answer.

“Stop, Grayson.” I breathe. His movements slow, and his hands trail up my body until he reaches my wrists, pinning them to the mattress. “You don’t want me to stop. Understand that I love you. You can keep running, but you’ll never be free. Just surrender yourself to me, for once, Row.”

I still for a moment, my breathing still heavy. “Here,” he pulls a gun from the back of his jeans and wraps my fingers around it.

“Grayson fucking stop!” I yell out.

“No,” he takes my hand and presses the end of the barrel to his temple. “If you don’t want this, pull the trigger. Otherwise, just say you’ll come home with me.” He begins slowly pressing my finger against the trigger

“Yes! Jesus, Grayson.” I scream.

“Good girl.” He pulls out of me abruptly, looking around at my bedroom. “Get your shit, we’re going home. No more bullshit, Row. We’re in this together, for good.”

I sit up, crossing my legs. “I just got my life back, Grayson. I’m not going anywhere.” He may have caught me in a moment of weakness just a minute ago, but that’s all it was.

He looks at me, a dark grin tipping his lips. “You think you have a choice in this? Test me, Rowan. I’ll show you how far I’ll go to keep what’s mine. Get your shit. We’re leaving.”

I feel tears prick my eyes and everything I’ve wanted to say is attempting to escape my lips. “You want to know something? I fell in love with you. But I’ve been throughhellthe past six months and I don’t want your lifestyle! You will continue to live this life and I just want things to be fucking normal!”

He walks toward me slowly, tipping my chin up and brushing a tear from my cheek with his thumb. “See, there’s where you’re wrong,” he says. “I have nine hundred mil in the bank and we’re leaving this shit behind. I’m going to give you the life you deserve, Row.”

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