Page 97 of Unruly Obsession
“Yet, here we are,” she sasses back, begging to be punished.
“Yet, here we are.”
Another awkward tendril of tension mixes in the air.
“Were you going to speak to me before going to Italy?” she asks in a rushed breath.
How the fuck does she know about that?
Not even the little dipshit hound would know about that yet. And then it dawns on me. Ara would be the only other person to know.
“It would’ve been the easiest way,” I admit, and her face twists furiously, but I finish before she can spew bloody murder. “However, I haven’t yet accepted.”
“Oh.”
More silence, then, “But you will, won’t you?”
Most in my position would jump at an opportunity like that. Hell, it’s not like Luca exactly asked, though; it was an order. But there’s one thing that keeps me here. It has no logic. No profit. Not even comfort, knowing that part of me wants to stay in the same city as this hellfire of a woman who can’t stand me. I simply need to know she’s close by and safe.
“Why do you care?” I ask.
She scoffs. “Well, sorry, I thought I deserved a better explanation than that, but if I don’t even get that, then I guess that’s all I have to say.” She turns and opens the car door, but I slam it behind her, locking her between the car and my chest.
I breathe down her neck as I say, “We’re not done here. Stop running away, Sunshine.”
Her breath is shaky as she looks away, the tinted reflection of the window showing me her every expression.
“What would you have me say?” I ask her honestly. What does she want to hear? For some reason, I always seem to say and do the wrong thing. “I’ll always work like this, doing or saying things that displease you when I think it’ll protect you. This won’t change about me, Lily. I kill for a living. I bring down empires for my own gain. And I certainly don’tshare.” The thought of her being with any other man… That'll happen over my dead fucking body. Just the thought makes me livid, and it’s the part I struggle to let go of most. It's one of the many reasons I can’t imagine myself not being in her life, let alone the same city as her. “I haven’t accepted the job because…” It’s on the tip of my tongue. I mentally prepare myself for when she’ll push me away again. I take one more inhale of her floral scent. “I can’t seem to stay away from you.”
She lets out a shaky breath, but I continue. “I will never be the man you imagined for yourself, but I’m obsessed, Sunshine, and I don’t know how to fix myself. I haven’t accepted Luca’s offer because ofyou. You’ve become my undoing, and you can’t even stand me. I can have anything in the world, and thought I had everything I needed. But it’s nothing without you.”
She goes to turn, but I hold her in place, too scared to face her directly. Too fearful of how she’ll look at me with disgust. How confusing it is for someone like me to fall to my knees like this when I’ve dealt with monstrosities.
“I don’t know how to forgive you,” she confesses quietly.
“I don’t regret killing your father. I’d do it again with the same outcome. Your safety is my first priority.”
“And what’s your second priority, Lorenzo?”
My eyebrows furrow, and I give her enough space to turn and face me. Her brilliant blue eyes stare up into mine. I can’t be so conceited as to think that she’ll forgive me, but I’m willing to beg for it.
My second priority? I’ve never had one past Luca. But the way she’s looking at me, she’s searching for something, and that heavy weight of not offering the right answer burns at me. But I’ll still only give her my truth.
“Your happiness. How can I do that from Italy? How can I have any right when I’ve made you loathe me so much?” I say earnestly, and I’m surprised when my own voice gives out.
Her eyes soften as her hand gently presses against my chest. My body burns, yearning for her touch. “Do you respect me, Lorenzo?”
My eyebrows dip. “Of course.” What kind of question is that?
“Then you will let me join you tomorrow to close this chapter of my family's mess.” She raises her finger to my lips before I can adamantly refuse. “If you respect me, you let me in on the decisions. Only I can tell you how to protect me and make me happy. Do you understand? You don’t have to make all the decisions, Lorenzo. I’m a part of them, too. I’m not a little doll to be looked after. You need to trust that I can look after myself as well.”
“Maybe in your world, but in mine—” Her finger presses harder against my lips, keeping my mouth shut.
“You really like the sound of your own voice, don’t you? Listen to what I’m saying. I don’t want us to be in separate worlds anymore. I want us to make decisions together, but I need you to meet me halfway. I might not have been raised in a brutal world like you, and if I’m honest, I’m still scared of it, but I want to be with you, Lorenzo. The only way I can do that is if you work with me, instead of bubble wrapping me. If you truly think I’m strong, then let me express it, instead of overshadowing it.”
A mixture of hope and vulnerability swirls in my chest. A distinct proposition. One that I want to grasp onto so quickly, if only to hold her once more. But I’ll never agree to this woman half-heartedly. “You’re asking me to go against everything Iknow. I’m here to protect you, to provide everything you ever need. You can’t ask me to put you in harm's way.”
“And you were willing to do all of those things, even if I still hated you. If you’re willing to accept that, won’t you consider my offer of a partnership, of love instead of walking down this lonely, dark path? You’re not putting me in harm's way. I’m choosing this for myself. I can’t forgive you if you don’t see or hear my demands, Lorenzo. This is my fight, so let me be a part of it. Let me close this chapter for myself so I can start anew.”
