Page 93 of Mafia Shade's Reluctant Bride
“I’m late for an appointment,”
“I’ll make it quick.”
She gave me a look that screamed disbelief.
“Fine,” I relented. “I won’t. But, Maria, please just listen. Let me explain.”
Her fingers tapped against the steering wheel. She was thinking about it. The seconds ticked, and it felt like an eternity, like I was in court waiting for a verdict if I would be sentenced to death or exonerated.
Then she sighed. “I’ll stop by tonight.”
Relief washed over me so quickly, my knees nearly buckled. I nodded, stepping back as she rolled the window up and drove away.
Now, all I had to do was wait. And waiting felt like hell.
That night, I paced back and forth, back and forth. Every minute felt like an hour. Every sound outside made my heart jump into my throat.
What if she didn’t come? What if she had said it just to get rid of me? What if Luca talked her out of it?
No, Maria wasn’t like that. She did what she said. If she said she would come, she would. Right?
God, I was losing my damn mind.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply.
I wasn’t a nervous man. I had faced worse things than this. But this wasn’t business. This wasn’t war. This was Maria. And Maria was the only person that could make me feel like I was floating and sinking at the same time.
Another minute passed. Another. And another. Then, finally, the bell rang. I froze. For a moment, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.
Then, I did. I rushed to the door, yanked it open, and there she was. Standing at my doorstep. Maria.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
MARIA
I had spent days avoiding Lorenzo, ignoring his calls, blocking his number, and dodging his attempts to reach me like he was a plague I couldn’t afford to catch. But deep inside, I knew he wouldn’t stop. Not Lorenzo. Not the man who had somehow found a way into my heart when I wasn’t looking.
It wasn’t just about him being Shade. It wasn’t just about the fact that the man I’d fallen for and the man I had a son with was the same person who had unknowingly caused my father’s death. There was still the doubt that came with it all and the question of how it could be the same person.
It was the weight of everything, the mess of it all, the way my life had been turned inside out.
Yet, despite my best efforts, despite telling myself over and over that I owed him nothing, I found myself here, in front of his house.
He opened the door before I could knock, like he had been waiting.
“Maria,” his voice carried a thousand emotions, yet I tried to ignore every single one of them.
“I’m just here to tell you not to show up at Matteo’s school again,” I got straight to the point. “I don’t want you near him or near me.”
Lorenzo ran a hand through his hair, looking exhausted. “I know. I’m sorry I had to go that far, but you weren’t listening. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“That doesn’t make it okay,” my voice was sharp. But the truth was, I did still have a soft spot for him despite everything. That was the problem.
He sighed, stepping aside. “At least come in. Let us talk, even if it is for a minute.”
I hesitated. If I walked in, I knew I would hear things I wasn’t sure I was ready for. But I also knew that if I walked away now, I’d spend the rest of my life wondering. So, I stepped inside, arms crossed, heart braced for impact.
“Do you want water?” he asked, and I stared at him.
