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He’s been gone all day and now it’s after ten and he’s still not home.

He’s avoiding me.

He’s probably regretting marrying me after this morning.

I pinch my eyes closed and pray for sleep to finally take me so I can forget about everything for a few hours.

Chapter 16

Santino

“You know I love you, San, but why have you been hiding at my place all day instead of being home with your new wife? Don’t you two have a lot of…”–Albie coughs–“talking to do?”

I level him with a stare.

“Alright,” he says. “In all seriousness, why aren’t you there with her? You married her yesterday and then abandoned her today.”

“I didn’t abandon her.”

“Did something happen?”

“No,” I grind out.

He grins like the asshole he is. “Sounds like it did.”

“Shut up,” I tell him, and he laughs.

“Shut up? What are you, a teenage girl?”

“Mia and I needed some space. That’s it. Besides, we needed to go over everything for the meeting with the Melccionas tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but we finished that this morning.”

“Your point?”

“I think I’ve already made my point and I know you’re not dumb.”

Yeah, his point is that I’m hiding the truth from him and Emilio about Mia. They’d think I was crazy. Hell, I think I’m crazy. I saw her, wanted her, and found a way to have her.

Mia is a young, innocent, and beautiful woman with her whole life ahead of her to live. Except right now, she’s down thehall, all alone with regrets fresh in her mind about tying herself to me and everything we did.

I’m hiding at my brother’s right now like a pussy when Mia could’ve run away at any point today. I don’t think she did, though. If she’s going to run, then I know she’d want the assurance that she won’t be chased. Because now that I’ve had a taste of her, no one else will do, and I’ll chase her down no matter what.

I really am a crazy motherfucker, I guess.

“I’m out of here,” I tell Albie.

“Finally,” he sighs. “I’ll see you in the morning. Go apologize for whatever you did or said that made you hide out here all day.”

I flip him off as I’m leaving and hear his stupid laugh as the door closes behind me.

Entering my apartment, I’m not sure what to expect, but it isn’t Mia curled up on the couch, asleep with the TV on. I’d like to believe she tried staying up waiting for me, but that’s just wishful thinking.

I turn the TV off and brush her soft hair away from her face and cup her cheek. She doesn’t stir, so I slide my arms under her and lift her off the couch.

I lay her down gently on our bed, pull the covers over her, then strip down to my boxers and slide into my side of the bed, making sure I keep my distance again.

* * * *

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