Page 81 of His Juliet

I tried to grab the bag, but he just snagged my hand and kissed my palm.

“We have to go. There’s—” His jaw clenched and he didn’t quite meet my gaze. “You’re no longer safe here, and it’s my fucking fault. My apartment is safe, and I’ll be there to take care of you.”

My throat was so tight I could barely form words. I didn’t understand why my apartment wasn’t safe, but it didn’t change reality. “I can’t leave, Romeo.”

“Of course you can. We have to?—”

“No,” I said louder. “Ican’tleave.”

His brow furrowed and he dropped the trash bag so he could put his hands on me. “What do you mean?”

“My agoraphobia,” I whispered.

His eyes widened. “Fuck. Fuck!” He ran his hand through his hair. “We just have to get you into the car and we’ll drive there.”

I shook my head. “I can’t.” My breaths were already growing shorter, making me feel like I was breathing through a straw. “I’ll be fine staying here. I promise I won’t hurt myself again,” I whispered. I wasn’t confident I could keep that promise, certainly not indefinitely, but I didn’t want Romeo to feel guilty.

“I need to tell you something.” He ushered me to my bed and sat me down. He stayed standing and started pacing back and forth. “I have a dangerous job.” He ran his hand through his hair, his movements aggressive.

It had been hard to imagine him at some desk job, but the confirmation that he’d lied to me sat like a rock in my stomach. “Okay? Are you a bodyguard or something?”

“No. Well, yes, sometimes. But I do more than that.” He took a deep breath. “My boss is the head of the Italian Mafia in New York.”

I eyed him carefully, waiting for him to shoutjust kidding!He met my gaze, and there was something vulnerable in his eyes.

“You’re not joking.”

He shook his head.

“The Mafia is a real thing?”

“Yeah, angel. It’s a real thing.”

Romeo was either delusional or a liar.Or he’s telling the truth, a tiny voice in the back of my head whispered.

I rested my head in my hands. Today had already been too much. I was past my ability to cope.

“Let’s say I believe you. Why would I come with you if you’re in the Mafia?”

He stopped pacing and faced me head-on. “Because some of our rivals are watching this apartment.”

Everything in my world slowed. “What?”

“I tried to keep my distance from you. I really, really tried. It’s why I lied to you about being out of town—because you deserve better, and I wanted to keep you safe. But it’s too late because they’ve driven by this apartment several times in the past hour.” He knelt before me and cupped my face with both hands. “I can’t let you go, Juliet. I’m sorry if that makes me a bastard.”

I tried to blink away the tears in my eyes, but they still spilled over.

“Don’t cry. Fuck, I can’t stand it.”

Romeo sat beside me and pulled me into his lap. The moment his warmth surrounded me, some of the anxiety in my chest eased.

My heart still ached from how he’d treated me in the bakery, how he’d looked at me like I was nothing. “The guys you were with?”

“Serbian Mafia. They want to form an alliance with us, but I don’t trust them for shit. I’m so sorry, baby. You were so brave for going to the bakery. You have no idea how much I wanted to celebrate with you.”

I sniffed, wiping my tears on his already damp shirt. He deserved it.

“I’m still not sure I believe you.”

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