Page 114 of The Gangster King

When I turn back, she’s staring at me, panic beginning to set in. She thinks I’m here to take her back to New York.

That’s unlikely.

I still don’t have a clue how the next ten minutes are going to go, but her tears are killing me.

“Why are you crying?” I demand again.

She blinks. “That’s what you want to know? Why I’m crying?”

I can see the confusion on her face.

“Yes.” I growl.

Adelina blinks again and then almost jumps when her coffee and cupcake arrive.

“Would you like one sir?” the server asks.

I glance down, then back at him. Is this guy joking?

“Do I want a pink cupcake?”

“Yes.” He nods.

Jesus, my gangster game must be really fucking bad today if he’s asking me that. Or my masculinity.

Then again...I am in California.

“Sure. Why the fuck not.” I say and toss a twenty on the table.

He disappears.

Finally.

Adelina glances around the coffee shop, then back at me.

“I’m alone,” I say. “Well, two of my men are outside.”

“Does my father know where I am?”

“No.”

“What are you planning to do with me?” Adelina asks, wiping her eyes some more and looking like her world has come to an end.

I lean back in the seat.

She has no idea how hard my heart is beating right now. If she did, she’d be feeling a lot more confident. But I learned the art of not showing fear decades ago.

Truth is, I’m fucking terrified.

“I’m going to marry you.” I answer.

Her eyes dip to the table and she pushes the cupcake away.

Twice. That’s twice I’ve kind of, almost, sort of asked Adelina to marry me and she’s looked like she wants to throw up.

Nice.

“Dante—”

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