Page 20 of Unforgivable Ties

“We need to be quick about this,” I said. “Get your suitcases and bags. I’ll do your clothes and toiletries, you can grab the stuff that’s sentimental or can’t be replaced.”

Stephanie nodded, wordlessly moving towards her bedroom. As she pulled out luggage bags and backpacks, I moved towards the closet. I grabbed one of the unzipped bags and shoved her clothes in haphazardly. Knowing our time was limited, I moved quickly. I could hear the constant pounding below as they continued to place signs on each door, a reminder that we were against the clock.

I tore through her wardrobe, trying not to let my thoughts wander as I picked up her bras and panties and shoved them in the bag. My mind’s eye couldn’t help itself, and it flickered to her wearing a purple lace set I had stumbled upon, that she must have saved for special occasions.

“Fuck,” I mumbled, shaking my head to clear the thoughts out.

After clearing out her clothes, I made my way into her bathroom, shoving all her makeup and girly shit into another bag. Then, a hot pink flash caught my eye and I couldn’t help but smirk. It was the toy that Stephanie had left out to dry the day I had forced myself into her apartment. I threw that and her vibrator in the bag, too.

“Time’s up,” a gruff voice barked from the stairwell, the echo of it carrying throughout the apartment.

As I stepped back into the living room, the worker’s tone shifted. This wasn’t the same man who had spoken to us earlier.

“I mean ah, sorry, we have to close this up,” he said, shifting uncomfortably.

“Okay,” Stephanie said sadly.

We took her bags and walked back towards the car.

“Vincenzo,” she said, her eyes welling up with tears. “What am I going to do? I mean, Jessica will let me stay in her living room, but the apartment is super small and Ted lives there, too. And I—”

“Stay with me,” I said abruptly, cutting her off. She blinked at me, her brown eyes wide with surprise. “I have an extra room.”

“Stay with you?” she echoed weakly.

I could see the gears turning in her mind, calculating the pros and cons. There were a lot of cons—I was a dangerous mafia member after all, a criminal with a rap sheet longer than the Mississippi river. But the pros included having a place to sleep that wasn’t a sofa in a cramped apartment shared with two other people. And I was offering it freely.

“You barely know me, Vincenzo,” she said. “Why would you...”

“I know enough,” I responded, tossing one of her bags in the trunk. “Are you coming?”

Nodding, she tossed the backpack she was carrying in the backseat.

Stephanie

Iwas insane. I had just agreed to live with a high ranking—Lapo? Kapo? I couldn’t remember what he called it—mafia member, and quite possibly, one of the most dangerous men in the city.

Worse than that, I was drawn to him like a magnet to iron. Vincenzo’s long hair was always tied back carelessly, as if he had no time to be bothered by such things. His chiseled jawline and piercing eyes added to the sheer perfection of his handsome face, making my heart skip a beat just looking at him.

This man, the walking embodiment of danger and seduction, was now my housemate.

We hadn’t even reached his apartment yet and it was already awkward. He told me he had been meaning to turn the spare room into a guest bedroom, but he never got around to it, so we needed to stop at a mattress store. I told him I’d just sleep on the floor, but he wouldn’t listen.

So there we were, standing in the middle of a mattress store, arguing about beds.

“Just get this one!” My finger pointed to the most economical option in the store, a plain mattress with a tag that read “basic comfort”. It wasn’t really fine. It was too soft and lumpy, and I would definitely have a sore back from sleeping on it.

“Pick the damn one you want!” he said, frowning at me.

“That one is fine!”

“I know you’re picking it because of the price. If you aren’t going to pick, I’ll pick for you,” he said exasperatedly.

Vincenzo started laying on all the mattresses, one after another, disregarding the wary glances from the store staff. His face remained stoic as he pressed down on the plush fabrics, judging the softness, firmness, and overall quality of each.

“Do you like this one, or this one better?” he asked, pointing at two mattresses.

I nearly choked. One was $3,000, and the other was $3,400.

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