Page 316 of Rosetti Family New York
"Mara," he murmurs softly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
Headlights sweep across the room, illuminating his face in brilliance. His gray eyes are softer now, the anger replaced by warmth but just as intense. There's a vulnerability that tightens my throat.
"No more running," he says quietly, his thumbs brushing my cheekbones.
Looking into his eyes, seeing the vulnerability under the strength, I know there's only one answer I can give.
"No more running," I whisper, accepting whatever future awaits us.
His smile is sharp, satisfied, and completely possessive. "Good. Because I meant what I said. I'm never letting you go again."
17
Emilio
Her taste lingers as I watch Mara step out from the motel bathroom, steam wrapping around her like a soft veil. The buzzing fluorescent light above throws harsh shadows, making her look more dangerous, more like she's mine. Water droplets slide down her back, paths I want to trace with my mouth, but she covers herself with the thin towel before I can move.
The sex should have been enough. It should have silenced the need that's been growing inside me for three years. But instead, I feel even hungrier—not just for her body, but for the parts of herself she's still keeping from me, even while she cried my name as I took her against that flimsy door.
"We can't stay here much longer," she says, avoiding my gaze as she searches her go-bag for clean clothes. The distance she creates makes my jaw tighten. "Callahan's men will widen their search."
"Let them come." The words come out harsher than I intended, anger lacing my voice. "I'll kill anyone who tries to take you from me."
She freezes, black lace underwear hanging from her fingers. "Emilio..."
"Don't." I rise from the sagging bed, moving toward her. The rough carpet scrapes my bare feet, each step catching slightly. "Don't pull away again. Not after what just happened between us."
"What happened was..." She starts to turn, but I corner her against the bathroom doorframe, my arms creating a barrier without touching her. The metal frame feels cold against my hands, contrasting with the warmth from her body.
"Was what?" I lean in closer, my breath stirring the damp hair at her neck. "A mistake? A moment of weakness? Another excuse to run?"
Her shoulders tense, but she doesn't try to leave. "It was complicated."
I laugh, the sound dark and bitter. "Everything's complicated with you, Mara. Your loyalty to the Callahans. Your complete inability to tell me the fucking truth about anything."
She turns quickly to face me, her eyes filled with anger that makes me excited despite the anger building inside me. "You want the truth? Fine. The truth is that
we're still enemies, Emilio. We're still on opposite sides of a war that's going to destroy everything."
I scoff. “Word to the wise, sweetheart. You don’t work for the Callahans anymore. You’re well and truly fired. The memo must be still in the mail. Don’t tell me we’re enemies.” I hold her face in my hands, making her look at me. "Because thirty minutes ago, you were begging me to fuck you harder while you came around me. That didn't feel like enemies."
Her cheeks turn red, but she stands her ground. "Sex isn't trust. It's just chemistry."
"Is that right?" I slide my thumb across her lower lip, sensing her breath catch despite her defiant words. "Then why are you shaking?"
She pulls away from my touch, wrapping the towel tighter around her like armor. "Because I'm cold. And tired. And wondering what the hell I'm doing in this nightmare."
Her words sting more than they should. I drop my hands, stepping back to give her the space she wants.
“You promised no more running,” I say, hating how pathetic I sound.
She sighs, her whole body sagging. “I’m not running, I’m… thinking.”
She walks past me into the main room, putting on clothes with quick movements that seem more intimate than when she was naked. I need to break through her defenses. Again.
"We need options," I say, grabbing my phone from the nightstand. "Somewhere safer than here."
"Like your last safe house?" Her sarcasm cuts deep. "The one the Callahans walked through like it was made of paper?"
