Page 58 of Captivated

“A big, fat, juicy BBQ bacon cheeseburger with fries and a diet coke.”

That makes me chuckle. “I like a girl who knows what she wants. You rest, and I’ll order us food.”

“Can you also bring me some water?”

“Yes, my queen,” I say, and she slaps my ass as I’m getting out of bed.

“Keep up the compliments and I’ll make you my king.”

I cup her face and plant a kiss to her swollen lips. “That’s the plan,la mia rossa piccante.”

* * * *

“Can I ask you a few questions about the envelope you gave me?” Cassie asks me over lunch.

“Of course. I figured you would have some. I’ll answer anything honestly, but I can’t guarantee you’ll like the answers.”

“That’s fair.”

“Then ask whatever you’d like.”

“I saw you broke your arm when you were a teenager and you wrote it happened during training.” I nod my head. “What were you training for?”

I pop a fry in my mouth and take a moment to think on how I want to phrase this. “I told you I grew up in the city away from my dad because he wanted his kids to grow up and go to school with our cousins. But it was also so we could train together. My uncle was very meticulous and always assumed the worst. He trained his sons and nephews like we were going to go to battle with a rival family at any given moment. It’s been useful, but it was a fucked-up way to be raised.”

“Have you ever had to do that? Go to battle with a family?”

“That’s a story for another time,” I tell her, not wanting to get into the dynamics of the families right now – Italian or otherwise.

“So, how did you break your wrist?”

“We were practicing Krav Maga and I was facing off with my cousin, Leo, when he was able to get a good grip on me while we were grappling. The next thing I know, I hear the crunching of my wrist.”

“Oh,” she says, her eyes widening all cute in surprise.

“It wasn’t my dominant hand luckily, but it gave me the opportunity to learn how to accurately shoot one-handed and throw a knife pretty well.”

“Oh, okay. Well, there’s a positive, I guess,” she says sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“Every negative situation, even painful ones, can have a positive side result,” I tell her, and her eyes dart to mine and then away quickly.

She clears her throat. “That’s true,” she says, then changes the subject back to me. “I have more questions, though.”

“Alright.” I nod. “I’m ready.”

“Why didn’t you take your father’s position here in Atlantic City? You let your cousin and little brother instead.”

“I didn’t want the job,” I tell her honestly. “I preferred the city at that point, and Vinny and Alec were the ones who loved AC and running their own operation here. However,” I add, “if I knew you were here, then I would’ve made a different choice.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “Everything happens for a reason. We met when we were supposed to. If I met you sooner, I wouldn’t have known how to handle you.”

“Handle me?” I can’t help but smile. “You know how to handle me,piccante? Because I still don’t know how to handle you, and I don’t want to know. I like not knowing if I’ll get spicy or sweet Cassandra.”

She smiles and takes a bite of her burger. “I don’t really know how to handle you,” she admits after swallowing. “But I don’t really want to handle you either. Just understand you.”

“Not much to understand.”

“I don’t believe that.”

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