Page 35 of Entangled
“Mr. Luchetti,” she answered as if it was an obvious answer. “I’ve known him for many years, and it might be hard to believe but he does have a heart underneath all that grumpiness.”
I laughed because if there was one thing about Kade, it was that he was known to be grumpy, especially in the mornings I had come to realize. We had that in common, because mornings were not for me, and I only got through them with the liquid currently making its way into my veins.
“Ladies,” Kade said as he entered the kitchen and made his way over to the coffeepot and poured his own mug full to the brim. Astrid smirked at me again before nodding to Kade and making her way out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with this enigma of a man.
15
KADE
I couldn’t sleepthat entire night after being inside Soren. I couldn’t stop thinking, trying to come up with a solution, and something that wouldn’t be so damn messy.
But in the crime world, nothing could be done in a clean fashion. And nobody was willing to move a muscle, or pull any strings for free.
Regardless of how much it would cost me, I’d give every penny to my name if it meant Soren didn’t have to go back to that scumbag of a husband.
As a plan would start to form in my head, my doubt would start to creep in, and I’d be slammed right back to square one.
I didn’t doubt my ability to rescue her. No, my concern was about the fact that I’dfuckedher. I’d allowed myself to get attached. I didn’t just want to break Soren out of her shitty marriage. I wanted her to be withme, undermycare, andmyprotection. But I wouldn’t settle with her feeling like she was going from one prison to another.
I wanted her to be with me becauseshewanted to, not because she felt like she had to.
So I’d have to sever these ties of attachment now because I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt them.
Feelings were a dangerous game, and I’d be lying if I said considering letting them in was the thing that terrified me the most.
I was no longer afraid of losing my life over some petty Mafia business.
I was afraid of what this woman was doing to me and my dead soul.
I wishI was the type of person who could lay in bed all day. But the fact that I’d already been laying here, tossing, and turning all night already put my body in a shitty mood.
I pushed myself out of bed and sounded like an eighty-year-old man with the way my bones cracked. The pain in my joints made no logical sense to me, considering the fact that I was healthy as a horse, worked out every morning, and ate decently healthy.
My bones and muscles should be singing praises at how well I take care of them. But instead they punish me for one night’s bad rest.
I heavily considered skipping my morning workout but knew I’d kick myself in the ass later for it. It could only help with the pain in my body and the thoughts running through my brain.
I shrugged on a plain black t-shirt and a pair of sweats, lacing on my sneakers before jogging briskly down the stairs, opening up the doors to the home gym to find that it wasn’t empty.
For fuck sakes.
Seeing her this morning when I had grabbed a cup of coffee before scurrying to my room for a shower had been bad enough, but seeing her now felt like torture.
If I had any hope of getting Soren far out of my mind, watching her ass on the treadmill wasn’t helping. Nor was how I observed sweat pour down her partially nude back, the parts not covered by her sports bra. I again sent a thank you to whoever invented those workout pants because they did wonders.
Her headphones were on, and I didn’t want to scare her. Even though there was an entire wall of mirrors in front of her and she should have been able to see me.
But I could tell already she was so in her head that she didn’t notice my presence. I did my best to act like I hadn’t been checking out her ass since I walked through the door and made my way over to the workout bench on the far side of the room, where I hoped she’d see me. The last thing I needed was for her to get scared and fall and break a bone.Thatwould not bode well for either of us.
“Shit!” I heard Soren yell, knowing now she had finally seen me, and I wasn’t as casual as I had hoped. She pressed the button on the treadmill, slowing down the pace, before she hopped off and took off her headphones.
“You scared me,” she half laughed, half panted. Her face was glowing, absolutely radiant with the red flush and the sweat from how hard she was working herself. It did nothing to stave off the desire I had to have her as mine again.
To watch her fall apart for me.
To watch her come undone.
“Sorry,” I said, as nonchalant as I could, shifting my weight between my feet, arms crossed over my chest.
