Page 23 of Catching His Runaway

9

Tommy

No. This isn’t right.

Somehow, I know I’ve fallen for her game. I’ve given her what she’s ultimately wanted, and I’ve allowed her to distract me.

She first used a sob story about her past to gain sympathy, and then she kissed me to knock me off balance. The perfect duo.

Who the fuck am I trying to fool? The panic on her face and her terror-laced words spilled a confession not even Santino had gotten his hands on yet.

I won’t be the one to tell him. Despite my deepest instincts urging me on, I keep her words locked away. Running to Santino isn’t an option. It’s not my story to tell.

Doesn’t mean I’m not going to do anything about it.

Elijah Sutton has done damage. If he disappears, Valeria won’t have a reason to keep looking over her shoulder. If I kill him, would she want me to torture him as slowly as he tortured her friend? Would that make her happy?

One little kiss, and I’m completely fucked. That kiss overturned and scattered all my goals. I never wanted to hurt her. No, I wanted her miserable and afraid becauseIwanted to be the one she begged forgiveness from.

Now look at me, thinking about killing a man I’ve never met in my life. Not just thinking, butwantingto do it.

I’ve only ever wanted to spill blood to appease her brother. That’s how I know this is all wrong. For years, I’ve beenhisdog, sniffing down targets and making them all regret crossing his path. I’ve only ever dirtied my hands for this family, and that was after Valeria left. After Leon died.

Could he have imagined me to become the coldhearted being I am today?

The day he took me in, he already knew what my purpose would be. Taking care of my family, I gave him my life to protect one of his.

Looking across the table, Valeria sits next to Urzo and Eliza. She’s smiling, a harsh contrast to her usual expression. She sat away from me on purpose. Since we parted ways, her skin has flushed down to her shirt collar.

Like she can feel the weight of my stare, her eyes shift over toward me as her mouth keeps moving. I think they’re talking about motorcycles; I don’t know. She doesn’t look at me for long, not bothering to throw a scowl in my direction.

Her smile, for a fleeting moment, almost seems intended for me.

All these days of keeping her within my sight has been taking a toll on me. It’s why my head is feeling so muddled. Why I’m thinking about the past more than I am the future.

I can’t kill Elijah. If Santino wanted him dead, he would’ve given the order.

Sitting here, knowing that the man I’ve never met wants to get his hands on Valeria and take away the smile on her lips, leaves me agitated. He wants to take her life, one torturous second at a time.

My brows furrow at the thought, and my hands curl into fists. What I know is anger settles deep in my chest, threatening to boil over. There’s nothing I can do to make it stop, not without acknowledging why I feel rage toward a random man.

I need to get away from Valeria. Put some distance between us so she can stop getting in my head.

If I have to guess, she probably thinks someone has eyes on this place, waiting for the right moment to take her away. If I loosened my leash on her, she wouldn’t try to make a run for it. I can feel it deep in my bones that this is the best place for her to be.

With that in mind, can I do it? Can I let her go again?

Closing my eyes, I’m forced to think about all the time I spent trying to track her back down. When she ran away all those years ago, things were a little different. Stepping on another person’s territory was one of the most dangerous things someone could do.

Of course, she didn’t hide out in any of the neighboring cities. Somehow, she knew the boundaries and ran until she crossed them.

How many men did I kill while searching? How many of them couldn’t give me any answers to my demanding questions? How many trails did I chase before they went cold?

The fear was that someone would recognize her and scoop her up, using her as leverage or blackmail. Neither would have a happy ending.

Icouldlet her go. Let her roam freely until she feels safe again. How much time would pass before she’s ready to leave again?

If another opportunity came her way, would she ask me to go with her? No, of course not. What a silly thought.

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