Page 33 of The Bonventi Hitman
What the fuck, Anna. Get your head straight.
Gabriel walks past my window and glances down at me.
I feel warm again.
He's ruthless. A killer. Everything I should despise, yet I can't look away.
I watch him head back to his car, feeling myself in a trance, until Luca flings open his driver's side door and slides into his seat.
"You need to get out. Gabriel will take you home. I have something I need to do."
I swallow hard and suppress a slight smile trying to play on my lips. "Of course, Luca. Whatever you need."
"I'll come by tomorrow," he says as I open the door.
When I get out of the car, my legs tremble beneath me. I smooth out my dress and brush loose strands of hair away from my face. The Chicago night air is cold, and being outside, I can really take in just how quiet this area is.
I begin to walk and make my way in the dark toward Gabriel's car, and despite the darkness, I can feel his eyes on me, studying my every move.
ANNA - 13
As I near Gabriel's vehicle, Luca's headlights turn on, illuminating the scene before me.
I see Gabriel standing by his trunk, a bloodied shirt hanging off the side of his car. My gaze lingers on the red-soaked fabric before it’s drawn to him.
He's shirtless, and the harsh glow of the headlights does nothing to hide the fact that he's sculpted to perfection in all the right places. He looks like a Greek god descended from Olympus to walk among mortals.
His chest is chiseled, and his abs are perfectly defined. I can't help but bite my lower lip as my eyes trace the contours of his muscles, each one flexing and shifting with his every move.
But it's not just his muscles that have me captivated. He has a beautiful display of tattoos that wrap up the right side of his body. It all comes together with the main piece, a fiery phoenix, rising majestically from the ashes, its wings spread wide in a symbol of power and rebirth. It's a sight to behold, the way thevibrant oranges and reds of the phoenix's feathers seem to dance and flicker in the light, like a living entity etched onto his skin.
The phoenix is inked boldly across his muscular chest. The tip of the wings extends seductively across his collarbone, a delicate yet powerful line that accentuates the hard planes of his body.
I can't tear my eyes away from this bird. It's dangerous, alluring, and undeniably sexy all at the same time.
I almost stumble from excitement, but I force myself to keep moving toward him.
Be careful, Anna.
He's not dangerous because he's a mobster. He's dangerous because, for the first time since starting this mission, I'm not sure I'm pretending anymore. With him, the lines between Sofia and Anna are starting to blur, and that terrifies me more than any threat ever could.
As I approach, he pulls a clean white dress shirt from the trunk and turns to look at me, smiling as he puts it on, the shirt not yet buttoned.
My view is suddenly ruined as Luca's car turns around, removing my main source of light. I am left with just his silhouette as he finishes, the image of him shirtless burning in my mind. I feel myself getting a little wet from what I saw. The darkness outside seems to envelop me, making me feel vulnerable.
Gabriel shuts the trunk and walks toward me, his clean dress shirt hiding his powerful frame.
"Bella, get in the car. Unless you'd prefer I carry you?"
"As tempting as that might be, I think I can manage, thank you."
To my surprise, he wraps his jacket around me and walks me over to the car. I slide into the passenger seat, and the faint scent of leather and his cologne lingering in the air takes me back to when we first met. It makes me feel at peace for whatever reason. I close my eyes to hold onto that feeling for as long as I can.
As Gabriel takes his place behind the wheel, I can't help but steal glances at him, admiring the way his muscles flex under his shirt as he drives.
His smell invokes a burning desire within me and sends my head into complete chaos.
We drive in silence for several minutes, and as we drive through the winding roads, I realize that every time I see him or hear his name, I have to force myself to push thoughts out of my head. I know I can't do that forever, but more importantly, as I ride next to him back toward the city, I realize I can't do it much longer, either.
