Page 23 of The Mobster's Flower

“My mother brought me to Valor Springs when I was two. She just dropped me off at the mansion and left. I don’t remember any of it, so I wanted answers. Vlad sent me to study in Belgium when I was a teen, and during one of my holidays, I begged him to take me to meet my mother. I wanted to feel close to her and have a relationship with her, so he agreed.”

I’m almost scared to ask, considering the context in which we’re discussing this, but I do anyway. “What happened?”

“She had a whole other family and refused to see me. Said I reminded her too much of my father and she wanted nothing to do with that life.”

I reach out and take her hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I didn’t tell you this to get your pity, Rue. My mother resented the memory of my father and she wanted toforget the man and everything that had to do with him. You have the same look in your eyes.”

Her words take me aback. Do I resent Vlad? Perhaps not, but I resent the fact the man has so much power over me when I have so little control over him. We’re unbalanced. Our first time, I had to plead with him to get my way, and for his part, all he has to do is touch me and I melt into a puddle.

“I…” I mull over my words, thinking of the best way to put them. “I think what you are seeing is something entirely different. I don’t resent Vlad...”

“Then what do you feel?”

I love him, but I can’t tell her that. How crazy would that sound, confessing to loving a man I haven’t even known for forty-eight hours. Even crazier is making such a confession when I know that he doesn’t return my affection. He probably never will.

“I’m just tired,” I say truthfully. “It’s been a rough couple of days, Arya. I’ve been thinking of leaving Valor Springs and taking some time to rethink my future.”

Her eyes widen, and she tries to sit up. “I told you I would pay for your flower—”

“It’s not that,” I hurry to assure her, nudging her to lie back on the bed. “Your brother already promised to take care of the damages, so you don’t have to worry about it. So much has happened, and I just need a moment. I’ll call, and you can visit me as well.”

“What about Vlad?”

He’ll be fine. I have no doubt he’ll find someone, no matter how much the thought feels like a dagger to the heart. I don’t respond and instead simply shrug, and she offers me a sad smile.Our talk shifts to a much lighter topic until I notice her start to doze off, so I grab her hand with mine. I have no idea what it’s like to be rejected by a parent, but I feel her pain and loneliness, and I vow to keep in touch with her even when I leave Valor Springs.

And I will leave. I have to. I won’t be able to move on from Vlad if I stay here, and let’s be honest, there’s no way we could work. I’m too young and naive for a man like him. He’s a notorious and powerful crime boss, for Christ’s sake. Jax calling him away from his sister’s hospital room on an urgent matter that he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—explain is proof enough of that.

“Do you know what flower you remind me of?” I ask Arya as she starts to drift off. She shakes her head, her eyes drooping as she struggles to stay awake. “An orchid. They are beautiful and delicate and come in beautiful patterns and colors. They are my favorite, but not everyone knowns how to take care of them. They’re notoriously difficult to make bloom.”

She smiles. “What about Vlad? What do you think he is?”

I mull over her question. “Not a flower. He’s a thistle,” I say, but she’s already fallen asleep. “Tough on the outside and soft on the inside, but all most people see is his prickly exterior.”

I stay with the sleeping girl a while longer before I finally make my way out of the hospital, slipping past Jax while he’s distracted by a commotion between a patient and nurse at the far end of the hallway.

I decide to walk back home rather than call for a ride. It’s more time spent alone with my thoughts, and by the time I make it to my aunt’s place, the decision has already been made. I head straight to my room to pack my things and figure I’ll talk to Annie about my decision to leave when she gets back, and thenas soon as I can book a flight, I am leaving Valor Springs. For good.

My childish dreams about being a fairy and working as a florist brightening people’s smiles with my flower arrangements end today. I have to snap back to reality and push away these stupid fantasies.

I refuse to cry or think of Vlad as I pack my things into my duffle. I don’t have a lot, but I’m still tempted to leave it all behind and just flee Valor Springs. I could always ask Annie to ship my things to me later so I don’t have to deal with this town any longer.

Would Annie understand?

What about Vlad?

Would he…care?

“Don’t think about him, Rue Carter,” I whisper, running my fingers through my hair, a habit I seem to have picked from Annie. I can’t afford to think about Vlad right now, but he’s not exactly an easy man to forget. I can still feel the stickiness of his spend between my thighs, and I bet if I looked in the mirror, I would see the imprint of his hands on my ass.

Christ, I can’t take it anymore.

I release my hair and begin stripping out of my clothes. I need a shower. As long as I can still feel Vlad on my skin, he’ll stay on my mind, memories of his mouth pressed against my ear and his hot breath against my neck before taking my mouth in a hot kiss as he rammed his manhood into me.

Stupid. It was stupid of me to fall for a man I barely know, but Vlad is my first…everything. And he made every singlefirstfeel magical. He gave me everything I asked for and more. Hemade me forget about all my troubles, and he does every time he touches me, but…I foolishly went ahead and fell for the man.

The same man I was told time and again is dangerous.

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