Page 93 of Ruthless Oath

“That could be true.” He let go of me. “Let’s get these brownies in the oven.”

He took the bowl and poured the batter into the pan.

“Wouldn’t you like to understand me better?” I asked.

“I think I would.” He placed the pan in the oven and set the timer. “I can figure out almost anyone, but you are a tough one. That frustrates me.”

“Mystery is good.” I winked. “It keeps you guessing.”

“Like the mystery I walked in on between you and Ricardo?”

“Oh, that?” I dropped my gaze to his mouth because it was irresistibly sexy, but also because I couldn’t look into his eyes when I lied to him.

“What were you and Ricardo talking about when I walked in?” he asked.

“Nothing at all.”

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Not sure.” I placed the bowl in the sink.

“If you’re lying, things will get a lot worse for you. Are you sure there isn’t something you want to tell me before it’s too late?”

Twenty-One

Marchello

I couldn’t hideout in the safe house forever. There was too much at stake.

Lissia was a bump in the road that I never saw coming. But now she was part of my journey.

It was time to get back to business.

As the early morning stream of light fluttered in through the blinds, I gazed at my sleeping beauty. I had to leave her if there was ever going to be a chance for us to move forward.

She shifted in my arms as her breathing picked up. She shook her head from side to side and kicked off the sheet, revealing her fantastic naked form. Falling asleep after sex had its benefits. I got to sleep naked next to her warm, soft body.

“Marchello,” she mumbled. “No.”

I held her close and stroked her hair, coaxing her from her dream. Her body tensed and her face crumpled in distress.

“You have to stop before… No!” She shot into a seated position and glanced around the room. “Oh.”

“Hey.” I rubbed her back. “You’re okay.”

“No.” She looked at me with confusion in her wild gaze. “Nothing is okay. We have to stop this.”

“Baby.” I sat up and draped my arm over her back. “It was a bad dream. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She rested her head on my shoulder. “It’s already happening.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.

“You and my father were there,” she said. “I could feel the tension. I knew what you both were thinking, and I wanted to stop you.”

“Stop me from what?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She placed her hand on my cheek. “It was a bad dream.”

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