Page 117 of Possess Me
My rapid heartbeat was another sound. It remained loud even though several hours had passed. Where the passion we’d shared had been exciting, even mind blowing, this moment was exactly what I needed.
Peace.
Tranquility that I hadn’t experienced in almost three weeks. Three weeks of fear and sorrow, worry and hatred.
Much the same as he’d felt fifteen years before.
There were answers to be discovered, an enemy to persecute, but it was my hope this moment would ground us.
Maybe I was falling into my hopes and dreams, but what was wrong with that?
I heard Vissarian’s deep sigh and when he kissed the top of my head, I lifted my chin.
“What’s wrong?”
He chuckled. “Why do you think anything is wrong?”
“Because I know you.”
“Oh, yeah. What do you think you know?”
I lifted my head, now resting my chin on his chest as I allowed myself to swirl circles and zigzags on his chest. “You’re going after him.”
“Who?”
“Don’t give me that; Antonio. Aren’t you?”
He shifted again, rolling one arm under his head. “Yes. He needs to understand that men aren’t allowed to be rough with women. I won’t lie to you about that.”
“Don’t lie to me about anything, Vissarian. I can handle almost anything, but not that.”
“What I want to do, what my family and Iwilldo is return to how we handled business in the past. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes, I do. My father was born into the life of crime.”
“Which he wanted no part of and need I remind you that you didn’t grow up in a world full of violence.”
“Are you trying to tell me that you’re eager to return to your old ways, killing people who cross you?” I lifted my head, turning his so he was forced to look me in the eyes.
His groan was an affirmation that he did. I wasn’t certain how I should feel about it, but I knew exactly how I did feel about it.
“I do what’s necessary.”
“Are you good at being the other man?”
“Meaning what?” His laugh was full of ire.
“The man who is highly skilled, capable of making good choices so in the end he’ll remain alive.”
He pulled me closer, even crowding Bella. She barely lifted her head, so comfortable with being a part of our lives.
Our very shaky lives.
“I know what I’m doing, Fallon. What my family can’t allow is for it to seem as if we’ve gone soft. But I assure you that the choices we make in this ongoing war we do so cautiously.”
“You make it sound like a video game.”
“This is a game, but not something that can be won with computers or contracts as we’d hoped.”
