Page 24 of Under His Embrace

The muscles in his arm tightened around me as he pulled me more against him. This much closer, I felt the racing tempo of his heart beating so wildly in his chest. He was enraged at this news, but I wasn’t victorious in that realization. If Franco was mad or riled up, violence would follow. That was who he was, but I didn’t want to recognize that gritty, darker side of him.

“You’ve been on the run for years from this asshole?” he asked.

I nodded.And you. Running from the truth of our past that I’m still scared to share with you.“More or less.”

“When’s the last time you saw him?”

“I…” I exhaled a long breath. “I’ve gotten better at hiding so he can’t follow me, but he still does. He’s got resources I can’t beat.”

“When, Chloe?”

“Six months ago,” I replied. “He found me in Philly, and I moved here to get another new start. But it’s the same dance and song. Every time I relocate, I swear he’s right there behind me, stalking me because I dared to leave him.”

He rested his hand on my thigh, rubbing slightly. “You mentioned him slapping you around.” The words left his mouth with difficulty, as though he gritted his teeth to say such a thing. His anger was a palpable force that hung in the air, but I noticed how carefully he tried to rein it in.

“Yes. He prefers mental abuse. Narcissism on steroids.”

“Has he ever escalated to hurting you in any other way?”

I shook my head but I zoned out, staring at his hand on my thigh. As I stiffened from his question, he stopped rubbing my leg. I missed the soothing caress and tensed when he lifted his hand to put two fingers under my chin. He tipped my head up so I’d look him in the eye.

“Has he ever threatened to hurt you in any other way?”

I swallowed hard, forcing my throat to work past the emotions clogged there. I nodded. “He’s… he’s…”

My lower lip trembled as I struggled to get the words out. Franco dropped his gaze there. His brow furrowed deeper, etching lines of concern on his rugged face. In his green eyes, I saw the pain he suffered throughforme. The idea of this man being so empathetic, this trained killer, to soften and feel so much for me… It was enough to start attacking the walls I’d built up around myself.

“He’s threatened to kill me.”And Caleb.That was my biggest fear, that he’d make good on that threat.

“Fuck.” He pushed out a harsh exhale as he slid his hand over to cup my face. “Chloe… Fuck.”

“When you say you can’t determine who shot up the deli, I worry that it could be him.” I cleared my throat, determined to get through this and speak up now that he got me to open upat all. “I worried that it wasn’t an attack on your men or your business, but an attack onme. Just like he’s always promised.”

He firmed his lips into a thin line, but I was on a roll.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you yesterday. I’ve been keeping under the radar and trying to handle him as much as I can without anyone else suffering, but…”

“No. That ends now, Chloe.” He stared into my eyes as though he wanted to will me to believe him. To believe in him and what he said, but I already had a crappy track record with that. I didn’t believe inusall those years ago, and now look where I was.

“I’ll look into him. I will keep you safe. No one can hurt you here.”

My heart swelled with relief. I wasn’t stupid. I knew that his saying that meant something serious. The Mafia didn’t mess around with threats. As much as it bothered me to think of someone being murdered, I appreciated that he could want to step up and see to my security regardless of how I’d broken his heart and left him so long ago.

“Thank you.”

He tilted my head closer to press a chaste kiss on my forehead. “For seven fucking years… He’s been after you all this time?”

I nodded. “I wish I could go back in time and redo what happened in the past.”

“All of it?” He raised his brows, seeming defensive now. “Even me?”

Lifting my hand to rest it on his chest, I got lost in his troubled gaze. He sucked me in. He pulled me closer and drew me to care more and more.

“Meeting you?” I shook my head. “I can’t imagine not having you in my life, the way we were back then.”

His jaw slid. “Do you wish you could go back and redo the time that you left me?”

No.He couldn’t understand why I did.

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