Page 33 of Raphael (Belles & Mobsters 5)

Yet, they fit him. The devil that he was.

That custom, expensive three-piece-suit couldn’t hide the devil underneath it. Ruthless. Dangerous. So fucking hot.No, no, no. Scratch hot.

Goddamn him. He shattered my life with his appearance. Wasn’t it enough that his father destroyed my sister? Our fragile family. She waseverythingto me. Why was this world so unfair? I wished there was more time for the two of us, that we could have grown old together and watched Gabriel grow up to be a good man.

Lombardo Santos took that away from me. Though I was fully aware putting all the blame on Gabriel’s father wasn’t right. He only finished Anya off. Her pain started many years before him.

Father ensured that. He made her life a canvas of suffering and pain.

Shaking my head, as if that would get rid of all my thoughts, I grabbed a throw blanket and laid down on the couch in Gabriel’s room.

Focused on his soft breathing, I finally found my assurance. Hearing his breathing always chased my fears away. Like this nudging feeling that the devil would come in the night and steal my son away from me.

He was all I had left of my sister. So I’d keep watch.

If only I remembered I was a heavy sleeper.

* * *

A soft breeze brushed against my cheek, the cool mountain air making its way into the room. The soft morning noises soothed me in my sleep. I groaned tiredly and gripped the covers tighter over me. I needed just a bit more sleep.

It was then that I smelled it. Black licorice, sweet and deadly.

I shot out of bed, forgetting where I was and fell right off the couch. A pair of black boots was the first thing I saw of him.

Fucker found me.

Not even twenty-four hours had gone by and Raphael Santos had found me. My eyes shot to the bed. Empty. Then snapped up, craning my neck to see those stark blue eyes.

“Buenos días,” he drawled, his accent smooth and sexy. His deep voice did things to me. I didn’t like it.

Fuck his buenos días. And fuck his sexy voice.

“Where is Gabriel?” I hissed, trying to sound brave.

“He’s safe.”

“Where?” I gritted.

“He’s outside with Caine.”

I blinked. “Caine? Outside?” He probably thought I was dense.

“Yes, I thought it was best that he doesn't witness this.”

My breath caught in my lungs right before my heart jumped into overdrive.Fear.It rattled me from deep within. I failed to protect Gabriel. My hands shook and my eyes lowered. I still clutched the blanket around me, barely covering me. Jesus, I’d die in my boy shorts and t-shirt that says bite me.

It made no sense, but I wanted to ask him to let me change.

Christ, he was about to kill me and I worried about my wardrobe.

I swallowed hard, still laying on the floor, as my mind worked vigorously at different scenarios in which I came out of this alive. With Gabriel. Away from this man.

Except, how do you negotiate with a criminal?

“My friends won’t be happy to find my dead body in their cabin.”Seriously?That was the best I could come up with. “They’re powerful and-” And what? “And they’ll come after you.”

His smile held a smugness I didn’t like.

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