Page 75 of The Mob Boss' Pet

“Your computer.” He shoves my laptop at me. “I forgot to give it to you when you left.”

You mean when you threw me out.I let go of the door and reach for it. “Thanks.” I hug it to me. Of course, I look like this when he stops by. “I was just getting dressed.” I say, wiping a wet strand from my cheek.

“I smell smoke.”

“Toast. I burnt it,” I answer. “Thanks for the computer,” I say and start to close the door, but he sticks his foot in the way, stopping me.

“Wait.”

My shoulders drop at the same time as my heart starts to make its way back up. I can’t have hope. There’s no hope. He’s a mob boss, there’s no future here.

“I tried to stop by yesterday to drop this off, but you weren’t home,” he tells me.

“You could have just left it with the manager’s office downstairs.”

“No. I wanted to see you,” he says.

“Okay, well, you saw me.”

“Stephania,” he sighs and looks down for a moment. He’s tired.

So am I.

“Come in, Vincenzo.” I leave the door open and bring the computer to the coffee table. He steps inside, quietly closing the door.

“I saw the news about Anton,” I say, folding my arms over my stomach. “You made the right decision.”

His jaw relaxes. He doesn’t need my approval, but I think he’s happy for it.

“I’m not sure he thinks so.”

“He’s lucky.” I shrug. “Not that you should have gone with the other option. I’d rather you never go with that option, but... well... you know what I mean.” He can still tie my tongue into knots.

“You’re back at work?” he asks.

“Yeah. Today’s my day off.”

He nods.

Small talk isn’t his thing.

“Vincenzo. You could have sent Charlie or one of your other guys over with the computer.”

He raises a brow. “Yeah. I could have.”

“What are you really doing here?”

“You,” he says simply. “I’m here for you.”

And just like that the air in the room leaves.

“I’m not a thing, Vincenzo. You can’t just pick me up when you want to play and put me away when you’re done,” I say, throwing his words at him.

“I lied,” he says bluntly. “I wasn’t done. I’m not done. I’ll never be done.” He steps toward me. My brain says move, says run across the room. Don’t let him touch me because I won’t be able to stop if he sends that electric current through me. But my feet stay planted. My heart swells with hope.

Damn him. I don’t want hope.

He reaches for me.

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