Page 72 of Runaway in the Mafia
Jesus Christ!
I’d never had a headache in my life. Hadn’t even known what one felt like. Then she walked into my life andbam. Had one every damn day she pulled away. Made me really wonder what I was thinking about with my impulsive message.
Not.
That’s at least what my uncles thought. Didn’t need a crystal ball to know that. I’d let my dick do all the thinking, and honestly, when it came to her, it really wasn’t the best path.
Should have known I was an exact mould of Carlo. I couldn’t be happy with having her once and letting her go. I couldn’t settle for marrying Andrea’s daughter and keeping her on the side. No. Another man having her had to abrade me all wrong. Fucking greediness. It had to come and grind against me. Made me do fucking impulsive shit. Shit that gave me a headache and left no regrets.
Regrets that I couldn’t get myself to have even after five whiskeys and two cigars. I knew that already after the second glass. But I’d shifted gears and hoped to numb out the world with the next ones.
It hadn’t worked because my hearing caught the crunch of gravel under heavy rubber tires. I swore I was going to kill the fucking bastard brave enough to darken my doorway.
My vision was hazy from the living room to the front door. I might have been more wasted than I had given myself credit for. All the reasons why I should be left alone. But my dark mood geared from first to sixth when I threw open the door.
Someone had a death wish, and it wasn’t me.
AHANA
I’d never felt more like backtracking the hell out of a bad situation. Vitale darkened his doorway, naked torso and black suited pants. More worrying was the glass clenched in his hand and the murderous rage in his eyes directed at the man behind me.
“It’s going to be a fucking kneecap this time.”
Hey Bhagwan!He was already fumbling for his gun. My heart sprang back to life when he came up empty. I didn’t miss the relieved sigh behind me.
“Don’t blame me,cugino. She just wanted a ride.”
“Ride my ass. I’m cutting your balls and feeding them to the dogs.”
“You don’t have dogs.”
“I’ll get some. Just for the sake of it.”
Romeo laughed, but it jiggled with nervous energy. “What was I to do? Let her come in a taxi?”
He directed his glare at me. His jaw was clenched tight enough to snap. He’d grown taller and wider over a matter of a few hours, or his dark presence had enlarged. The aggravationhanging off him, the thunderstorm on his sharp lined face, it was all an ominous sign. He really was going to kill someone. Soon. It was a horrible idea to dispute him. But I couldn’t get myself to move.
“Fuck off.”
On second thoughts—
“Not you,” he barked. He waved his glass at his cousin, amber liquid spilling off the rim. Romeo shifted. Unsure. Vitale’s lips twisted into something that should resemble a smile when it came back to me. “You want to plead your case,mia ammaliatrice?”He held his hands away from him in a gesture of surrender he didn’t mean. “I’m all ears.”
“I...” I cleared my throat to rid the knobble riding it. “I can’t—”
“Tsk, tsk…” he shook his head. “Your audience is private. I’ll be your judge and jury.” He nodded to his cousin. “I’m throttling you with my bare hands in one minute. And you know well enough, a few whiskeys in me will only make it worse.”
Two minutes. That’s all it took for the roar of the motor to come to life. He left dust and clouds as he sped out.
“Idiota,”he muttered, his eyeline beyond me, following the car out of the driveway before coming back to me. It sparked with ill intention. “Come on in.” He stood aside and waved me in. “Nice of you to visit me at my humble residence.”
His humble residence was as much a joke as him standing innocently to the side.
“Nah. I’m fine here.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.” And walked inside, leaving the door wide open.
Damn it.
