Page 29 of Taboo Flames

She’s already in my bloodstream, and I can’t get her out. I don’t deserve her. I shouldn’t touch someone as pure as her with my sin-blackened hands.

She deserves someone who can love her and make her happy.

I look over at her and imagine her with someone else. No freaking way. I see red at the mere thought, and it takes a while for the violence to clear from my vision.

It doesn’t matter what the princess deserves. She unfortunately cast her net and ended up with me, so she had best believe I wasn’t letting her go for any reason. I’m going to do my damn best to protect her, but I know that, in the end, I’m going to break her fragile heart.

By the time I pull up in front of her house, there’s a clear winner of the mental war. Aurora is mine. End of discussion.

And I’m willing and ready to burn the world down if it tries to keep us apart.

Regardless of my new resolution, I still plan on taking baby steps with Aurora. She likes to act like a worldly vixen, but I can see her for the wide-eyed, naive brat she is.

That’s why it comes as an unwanted surprise to me when, a day later, my home office phone rings while I’m in the middle of an important meeting with one of the men who helps me transport my drugs out of the city.

“Our issues with law enforcement are settled, but we’ve had?—”

I cut the man off, holding up a finger to indicate that he should give me a second before I pick up the phone.

“I specifically said no interruptions. It seems someone is itching to have their brains blown out,” I say silkily into the phone.

“Uh, s—sorry, boss. But it’s Miss Vitale. She’s headed to your office now.”

I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean she’s headed to my office? Who let her in?”

“Well, boss?—”

I tune him out as the woman in question comes into view. She strolls into my office with an unsteady gait.

One look at her, and I can tell she’s drunk as hell. She even reeks of alcohol. I run my eyes down her body. She’s in a red mini dress and shoes so high that I briefly wonder how she made it all the way up the stairs without falling to her death.

“Leave us,” I tell the man in front of me in a dark voice. Aurora’s unwelcome presence is more of an emergency than a few bandits trying to steal our drugs during transit.

The man nods and walks out without a comment.

“Hey, there,” she hiccups. “Missed you.”

“Aurora,” I say by way of greeting. “What a surprise.”

“A good one, I—” She hiccups again, then covers her mouth with her hand. “Sorry.”

She bursts into giggles as I rise to my feet and walk toward her. I’m furious at her irresponsible and reckless behavior. How dare she barge into my home like this? How dare she move around in her current condition?

Anything could have happened to her. Anyone could have taken advantage of her. The only thing keeping me from raging at her right now is knowing Carlos was watching her.

If she had been in any real trouble, he’d have informed me immediately.

“Where were you?” I ask in a deceptively calm voice.

“Ancora. Nice place.” She lets out a giggle. “We should go together some—” Her words trail off as she tries to take a step forward, loses her footing, and begins to fall.

I immediately wrap an arm around her waist and yank her to my chest. This close, the stench of alcohol is overwhelming, and it only sets to make me even more pissed. Not only is Ancora a trashy club that caters to degenerates, but it’s also not under Vitale or Lombardi territory.

“You’re so warm,” she mutters, smiling up at me.

“And you’re as dumb as a pile of rocks. What were you thinking traveling all the way across town from Ancora while drunk off your ass?” I growl at her. “Do you have no ounce of self-preservation in that thick head of yours?”

Hearing my words, she pouts, her eyes getting shiny with tears. “Stop being so mean.”

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