Page 9 of Bound to the Mafia King

My chest rose and fell between us, his front pressed up against my own. The heat from his body rolled off him in large waves.

“Hello, Anastasia.” My name rolled off his tongue effortlessly. I had never heard my name said in such a provocative way. I loved it. “It’s nice that we finally meet without me being on Death’s grip.”

I flicked my gaze down to his hand and then back up again.

He withdrew his hand and stepped away from me, but only enough for me to not have him pressed up against me. The man was still very much in my bubble.

I brushed my hands on the skirt of my dress as if there were dirt there. The truth of it all was that I was actually trying to give myself some time to calm my racing heart. I was not at ease at all. Seeing this man was like seeing a ghost from my past, and with it all the memories I had thought were left behind.

When I finally looked up, I caught his gaze, and my heart stopped right in its tracks. His eyes dazzled me the way a predator froze its prey. Not only was he mesmerizing, but his gaze was like a double-edged sword. It sliced right through me, opening me completely.

“It’s been a while since I saw you last.” He tilted his head to the side and regarded me for a moment. “How have you been?”

I gulped. “I’ve been well. You look well.”

“Yes, facing death has a tendency to bring out the life in you.” I had no idea if he was being sarcastic, or if he was being serious. I couldn’t get a good read on the man.

We stood there facing each other. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, not sure what to do with myself. I looked everywhere but him, unsure of if I could take his intense gaze again. The man had this way about him that sort of threw me off my equilibrium completely. I had no idea how to handle being in his presence.

“Angel.” I didn’t need to know Spanish to know what he meant with that word. My breath caught in my chest, and my neck snapped in his direction, completely thrown off guard. “You truly are.”

My heart thundered. His words were subtle attacks that were thrust right into my chest.

“Don’t call me that.” I cleared my throat, trying to play off my raging emotions. “Look, Valerio, what happened two years ago doesn’t need to be discussed. What happened, happened. We don’t need to rehash it, we don’t need to talk about it. You’re alive, I’m alive and there is no need to speak about anything.”

His eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. It was the only reaction that I got from that man. He was incredibly hard to read, and that was what threw me. I was able to survive this world because I was able to read people well.

“Now that we have established this, I will be going. It’s great to see you on your feet.”

I pushed off the wall and turned to leave, but his hand shot out and clutched my wrist firmly. At first, I jumped at the contact, but then I had to remind myself that this was nothimand I didn’t need to fear. I hated that. I hated how that man had made me so fearful. I was never like this a few years ago. But then again, that was what abuse did to you.

I snapped my neck back and looked at Valerio with a heated gaze. “Let me go, Valerio.”

“Did you even look for me?” His question caught me off guard. “After you saved me, did you ever think of me?”

His tone was serious, but there was a brief flash of vulnerability that moved through his eyes. It was only for a few seconds, but it had been there.

I gulped, trying to swallow down the nervousness that threatened to leave my chest.

I shook my head. “No. We only met for a brief moment, Valerio. I knew you were in good hands, there was no need for me to look for you. I knew you would live.”

I was lying through my teeth, but that was nothing out of the ordinary for me. I lied in this world to keep myself alive.

His eyes searched my face, trying to catch something. I hated that look. It was one of those looks that made you feel naked. Like he was directly looking at my soul. It was unnerving.

“You’re lying.” His words were as sharp as a dagger.

“Lying?” I scoffed. “It’s very bold of you to assume that I would even remember you.”

“But you did.”

My heart faltered. “I did not. Besides, it makes no difference to me. You are just a man who needed my help, and unlike most in our world, I offered you kindness.”

There was a delayed pause. He pressed himself even more into me, so much so that I could feel a slight poke in my abdomen. I tried to keep my features schooled, because I didn’t want to show him that I was uncomfortable in any way. He drew his face closer to mine, so much so that I could feel his hot breath on the side of my neck. The hairs on the back of my head raised from his proximity.

“If you want to lie to me,cielo, you’re going to have to do better than that.” My body vibrated having him this close to me. “I can see it in your eyes. If you want to lie you have to learn to conceal the veil. You have to hide what lies beneath.”

I shuddered, my body had its own reaction to him. I turned my head to the side to break the contact, but he gripped my chin harshly and forced me to keep my eyes on his. I sighed, heavily, my heart not feeling at all at ease.

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