Page 19 of Mafia Wars

Luna blushes, and I chuckle softly as I slip my suit jacket back on. Reaching for her hand, I feel her fingers slide effortlessly into mine as if they belong there. We make our way out to the car, the quiet of the nursing home grounds settling over us.

Once we’re inside, Luna tilts her head, a playful glint in her eyes. “So, I’m your girlfriend now?” Her tone is light, teasing, but there’s something underneath it I can’t quite place.

I don’t answer right away. Instead, I lean back against the seat, my mind shifting to something darker. I don’t start the car. Instead, I glance at her, my expression serious. “My father called,” I begin, my voice low, almost reluctant. “It’s about Mark.”

Her body tenses immediately, the name struck a chord like I knew it would. I hate bringing him up, but it’s necessary. “Did you know he was part of a gang?” I ask, watching her closely, looking for any flicker of recognition.

She shakes her head, her lips pressing into a thin line. “No,” she admits, her voice quiet but steady. “He never told me what he was doing. I was always on a need-to-know basis. But deep down...I knew he wasn’t making his money legitimately.”

I nod, my jaw tightening. “Well, he was part of a gang,” I confirm. “And now they want retribution for what happened. His father—he wants you.”

Luna’s face drains of color, her hand trembling as she clutches her seatbelt. “His father?” she whispers, her voice barely audible. “I’ve only met him a few times, but he was...” She trails off, her brows furrowing as if she’s dredging up memories she’d rather forget. “I didn’t get a good feeling about him.”

I start the car, gripping the wheel tightly. “Well, he blames you for Mark’s death,” I say flatly. “So, now he wants you.”

Her hand shakes as she fastens her seatbelt, her knuckles white. The silence between us grows heavy, and then she asks, her voice so soft I almost miss it, “Are you going to hand me over?”

The question stuns me. My head snaps toward her, my eyes narrowing. “No,” I reply, my tone sharp but sincere. “The only way I could protect you was by saying you were my girlfriend.”

She nods slowly, her expression unreadable. But then I catch it—a flicker of something in her eyes. Disappointment? Hurt? I can’t tell, and before I can address it, she turns her gaze out the window.

The rest of the drive is quiet, the tension between us thick. I don’t push her to talk, and she doesn’t offer anything. Her silence gnaws at me, but for now, I let it be.

Once I pull up to the house, I’m not ready to get out. “I know I didn’t ask your permission to say you are my girlfriend, but it was the only thing I could think of at the time to keep you safe.”

Luna removes her belt and pivots towards me. “I’m still unsure why you are doing all of this, but thank you, and I don’t mind being your girlfriend.” The way she says the last part has me chuckling.

“It’s not too much of a burden on you?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Not at all.” There is longing in her voice and my gaze dips to her wet lips. She hasn’t moved and I inch closer to her, I wait and when she doesn’t recoil, I move a bit closer. “If we are going to pretend to be dating, we should at least kiss,” I say.

Luna swallows and wets her lips again. “That makes sense,” her voice is small.

I reach out and take her face in my hand. Her skin is soft and warm against my palm. Her wide hazel eyes are open and vulnerable at this moment, and I have the most corrupt thoughts. My cock twitches at the thought of burying myself in her, but I know I need to take things slow with her, and slow is never a pace I move at.

My lips brush hers gently and she takes a large breath of air; I give her a moment to stop this because if I continue, I know I won’t be able to stop wanting her. She doesn’t pull away; she does the opposite. Her lips press firmly and hungrily against mine, her hands reaching up and gripping my shoulders.

She tastes of coffee and something sweet, her mouth is warm as I slip my tongue between her lips and she groans into my mouth. My cock twitches again, my hands tighten on her face, tilting her head to give me more access to her perfect mouth. A light from inside the house seems to grow brighter behind my eyelids, alerting me to someone’s presence. I break the kiss and look away from a dazed Luna, only to see my father standing at the front door.

Fuck.

“Everything okay?” Luna asks.

“That’s my dad. We’d better go in.”

We get out of the car, and my dad disappears back inside the house. This isn’t good if he’s making house calls.

We step inside, and the tension snaps taut when I see my father waiting in the living room. His face is set in grim lines, his arms crossed over his chest.

“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice sharper than I intended.

“You took her to see your grandmother?” My father says and Luna seems to shrink back behind me.

I reach out and take her hand in mine. “Yes.” I don’t bother asking him how he knows; one is that I go every Thursday and secondly, I’m always being watched.

“How was she?” he asks while rubbing his jaw.

“Maybe you should visit her,” I say back. He was never a fan of my grandmother, some old beef that they didn’t quite squash about him dating my mum when they were younger.

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