Page 316 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

She furrows her brow. “Why should I listen now when he had plenty of opportunities to tell me his reasons before? I mean, he spent my whole life doing things ‘his way’, and he never gave a damn about what I thought before. If he cared about me, he’d have tried to talk to me when he wasn’t behind bulletproof Plexiglas,” she huffs, folding her arms over her chest. Bright pink spots appear in her cheeks and I know she’s angry.

I also know she’d never forgive herself if she knew the truth and didn’t do anything to fix the splintered relationship. This girl, the one I’ve gotten to know pretty well over the past couple of days, is so good at seeing things in others, but she really can’t see past her own nose.

“Look, all I’m saying is that there might be more to it than the story you know. Trust me, I spent a long damn time being pissed off about the way my brother Matteo handled things that involved me before I realized that he was doing them for the good of the family and the organization.” I push back my hair. “Hell, I still get pissed off,” I grumble. “But sometimes that’s what you need to spark the conversation, you know? I’d do anything for my brothers, even though I’d like to kick the shit outta them more often than not. Family fights. It’s the way things go. You get knocked down and then you jump back up only to get kicked in the teeth again.”

Chella lifts an eyebrow. “I think you have somewhat of a different dynamic with your family than I do with mine.”

“The point is, you don’t ever want to be in a place where you can’t make things right.”

“You don’t know the whole?—”

I shake my head. “I don’t give a shit about the whole story. I only give a shit aboutyou.”

Oh, Christ. I said that?

Her eyes pop open wide, more blue than I’ve ever seen them, glittering like diamonds. “You…um,me?”

I give her a long, hard look, my gaze tracing over the perfect arch of her eyebrows, the dark lashes framing her eyes, the perfect pink lips that taste like fucking heaven.

Yeah, I mean her.

I reach toward her, my thumb and forefinger stroking the side of her smooth cheek. Her skin is bright pink, the color deepening as the intensity of my stare increases. “Something happened that I didn’t expect,” I croak. “A lot of things, actually, but this whole thing…with you…and me…” I reach my hand around the back of her head, pulling her toward me. “I don’t know what this is, Chella,” I whisper. “Or what to call it. But I know how I feel when you’re near me. I know how I feel when you look at me, when you see into my soul. I’d cut anyone who came too close to seeing right through me because it’s a dangerous fucking thing to be exposed like that. But when you do it…” I shake my head. “I feel hopeful. Relieved that you don’t see the same monster that everyone else does. Because you’re right. I’m not that guy.”

She smiles at me, lacing her fingers with mine. “I know that.”

I nod. “I’ve never been able to show anyone who I really am. That shit can get you killed.”

“So you’re not threatened by me?” she asks in a coy voice.

“Not threatened,” I murmur. “Just in awe of you and what you’ve done to me.”

“I feel the same way. And I know that’s insane because of the situation.” She looks away for a split second. “I have to tell you something, too.”

“Yeah…”

“Before we slept together…” Chella clears her throat. “I, ah, I’d thought about seducing you, so that maybe you’d be more agreeable and let me check on Frankie.”

“I didn’t let you call him, though.”

“I still slept with you, though.”

I snake my arm tighter around her. “And did you have an ulterior motive last night when we were sitting in a puddle of egg yolks?”

“No. I just…I wanted to be close to you. I wanted to be with you.” So open. So honest. So fucking perfect.

Our foreheads touch, our lips practically grazing each other.

“I wanted that, too.”

“I think I might be losing my mind. Is it absolutely crazy to be falling for your kidnapper?” Chella whispers.

My lips curl into a grin. “When your kidnapper is hung like an ox? Nah. I think it’s perfectly normal.”

She giggles and gives my arm a swat. “You’re a real dick.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that plenty.” I capture her hand and bring it to my lips. “I’m falling for you, too, Chella. And it scares the shit out of me.”

“I know exactly what you mean.”

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