Page 71 of Boardwalk Kings

“Possession,” he said as if it were nothing.

“I’m not yours, Nico. You can’t go around manhandling people when someone touches me.”

“Yes. I. Can.” He spoke every syllable to get the point across. “You’re mine. No one will touch you now.”

“What if I don’t want to be yours?”

He laughed at the idea but didn’t comment.

As we walked across the pier, I watched as kids played games with their parents. Of course, they had all the usual boardwalk games, where you could win a prize for shooting basketballs, water gun races, and other games I played with my dad when I was a kid.

When we spent the weekend in Wildwood, he would tell me to pick a number. That was how many games he had to play and win prizes for me.

Back then, he was so different.

And as we stopped in front of the giant Ferris wheel, I thought about those days when life was simple. Long before Dad had to send my mom away.

I looked up at the wheel, which turned slowly in a circle. “Nico, I’m afraid of heights.”

“It’s okay,passerotta. I got you.” He deposited our empty plates into the trashcan and held me in his arms. “You never have to be scared when you’re with me.”

Whenever I was with Nico, I felt like I was on top of the world.

Nico steered me over to the man who operated the Ferris wheel. “Jimmy, how’s it going?”

The man turned to look at Nico, and his face lit up. “Nico, hey. I haven’t seen you in a while. Where have you been hiding?”

Not Mr. Luciano.

Nico.

Another friend?

He shrugged. “Here and there. I was working in Manhattan for a while.”

Because he was stalking me.

With Nico’s hand on my waist, he pushed me closer to his friend. “Do you see this beautiful woman? She’s afraid of heights. But I want to show her there’s nothing to fear. Think we can ride alone?”

Jimmy nodded without hesitation. “The wheel is on its last rotation, then it’s all yours.”

Ten minutes later, we were in one of the air-conditioned gondolas and on our way to the top. Maybe the funnel cake wasn’t such a good idea. I wasn’t joking about hating heights. And as we made our ascent, the sugar turned in my stomach.

When we reached the very top, our gondola at the dead center, Nico said, “See this city? It belongs to us.”

I sat on the bench across from Nico, staring at this delicious man. Whenever he was around, my mouth watered like I was dying of thirst.

“You say us like you’re talking about me, too.”

Nico tapped his fingers on his knee. “Because I am. You’re one of us now, Ava.”

“Does that make me the Boardwalk Queen?”

I laughed, but Nico didn’t find it funny. He held my eyes with a serious expression crossing his handsome face.

“Yeah, I guess it does, my queen.”

He inspected every inch of me, moving from my legs to my breasts. Then, he leaned forward, propping his elbows on his thighs, and held out his palm. “Take off your panties.”

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