Page 71 of The Devil Can Be Kind

I didn’t hang around long enough to listen.

The moment he moved far enough away, I flung open the driver’s side door and launched myself into the car. Locking the doors behind me. Marco pounded on the window shouting something unintelligible on the other side.

I ignored him and punched the ignition, throwing the car into drive, and hitting the gas pedal simultaneously.

The car sprung forward and I sped out of the garage at full speed, leaving them all dumbstruck in my rearview mirror. I pulled sharply out onto the street and drove as fast as I dared across town, following the roads home. I threw the car into park the moment I pulled up outside the mansion and fled to my room, refusing to stop until my door slammed and locked behind me.

I fell against the duvet and allowed the tears welling in my eyes during the drive to escape.

I was a fool.

A complete and utter fool to think that anything had changed between us. That he was anythingotherthan the typical Cosa Nostra Don that only cared about money, sex and power.

Cosa Nostra men were all the same—heartless and selfish. All they knew was violence, and all they cared about was sex and money. They didn’t care what they had to do, who they had to hurt or who they had to stand on so long as they got what they wanted. And I didn’t want any part in that. To beusedlike that—utilized for pleasure and then discarded like trash.

I had been so desperate to not feel alone that I had fooled myself into thinking that Marco and I had anything in common. That perhaps we weren’t so different. That something had shifted between us.

How easily I had been swept up in the realm of make-believe and fiction.

No. I couldn’t allow myself to shed tears for someone like him. He didn’t deserve them.

I still had an amazing job, my dream car and now lived in a beautiful mansion. That was enough, wasn’t it? Every day the chains of being a hostage were slipping away…which was exactly the problem. I had allowed myself to believe that I hadchosenmy life here. When that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

I rubbed the streaks of mascara from my face and climbed into the shower, hoping to soothe the seemingly permanent tension in my shoulders.

Knowing I wasn’t likely to get a minute of sleep with my thoughts swirling at full force, I decided I needed something warm and comforting. I listened at the door for a few minutes and heard nothing but silence.

I wasn’t sure whether the others had come back from the club yet, but the absence of movement in the halls told me there was a good chance they hadn’t.

I padded down the stairs and through the entry way to the kitchen.

I flicked on the kettle, pulled out the cocoa powder and a mug, and opened the fridge to retrieve the milk. As I shut the door, movement on the other side of it caught my eye and I jolted in surprise.

“Marco! For fucks sake, you scared the shit out of me.” I screeched, narrowly missing dropping some milk. I clasped a hand to my chest, trying to regain my breath.

He smirked.

Idiot.

Hurt lapped at my chest once I met his familiar raven eyes. I deliberately turned my back to him, unable to keep the grimace off my face.

“I need to say something.” His deep voice filled the heavy silence. All traces of his earlier humor gone.

“I don’t want to hea?—"

“Tough,” he interrupted forcefully.

I sighed and faced him again, leaning against the counter in an outward display of annoyance.

“There is something I need to say, so just listen.” His voice was serious as he walked toward me, stopping only a few feet away.

He let out a heavy breath before he spoke.

“Lexi means nothing to me. I hadn’t seen her since that night when you threw away the condoms and I kicked her out. She invited herself to the club tonight and kissed me before you walked in. I should have pushed her away immediately, and I didn’t… IknowI should have, but I was feeling the alcohol and I fucked up, alright? I don’t want her—I wantyou.”

Before my brain was able to even consider his meaning, Marco closed the distance between us and pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that felt like fire.

The soft and eager touch of his lips consumed my thoughts and knocked me into delirium.

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