Page 31 of Claimed By Him

“Got it!”

“Ace, let’s go.” I hooked my fingers and walked to my car. Today we were driving around in my ’67 Impala. I had a love for cars and a surplus of money I wasn’t spending, so every year or so, I bought a new car. This one was a classic.

Ace took one last look at the body, then followed me. I drove with the window down, pulling on my cigarette that hung from my lips as I turned the corners and searched the streets.

“You okay, boss?” Ace’s voice was casual, unbothered.

I looked at him for a second, frowning. “Yeah, why?”

“You’re quiet.”

“I’m always quiet.”

“Well, you’re extra quiet then.” He waited for a moment, but I didn’t reply.

It wasn’t that I was feeling upset; I just felt slightly dejected. That low feeling before you reach absolute numbness. After telling Fiona we could never sleep together again, my life became a little gray.

It felt as though fucking Fiona was the peak of my youth; the best sex I was ever going to have. All the years I spent following her and fantasizing about her had culminated into one amazing night, and now it was over way too soon.

The image of her naked body and her face in the midst of ecstasy was burned into my brain. It was everything I dreamed of and more. Her unique balance of vulnerability and confidence was almost intoxicating to me. It drew me in way too deep. I’d gotten too lost in her, admitting things I never would have—or should have.

“Anything for you.”

I felt like kicking myself for losing control of my fucking mouth. My words were never more true, though; I would do anything for her, even push her away to find a better life than the shitty one she’d have with me, the kind of life I knew she didn’t want. The life I was born into.

I was the next Romano don. I had a responsibility to keep my people happy before I kept my woman happy. And I had the responsibility to punish those who put my people’s lives in danger—as I had today. But after the years I spent watching Fiona and listening to her complaints whenever I “protected” her, I knew that she hated the mafia and everything about it.

I also knew she still blamed me for Frederico’s death; she based her image of me as a killer on that. I’d told her it wasn’t me, and she didn’t believe me, so there was nothing else to be said. I couldn’t tell her what really happened, and I was idiotic enough to hope she would believe me anyway. But she didn’t. How could I ever be good enough for the princess if she always assumed the worst from me?

It was better this way. We couldn’t be together; it would never work. She would inevitably expect things of me that I couldn’t give her. I only wished I hadn’t laid out my cards on the table like that.

I stopped wearing my heart on my sleeve a long time ago; in fact, when Fiona’s brother proved something to me that I didn’t want to hear. This wasn’t necessarily the origin of my and Huxley’s rivalry, but it definitely spurred it on. I was with a girl, a foxy piece of ass—Liza. I thought she was everything I looked for in a woman: feisty, sexy, lovable. But all too quickly, she decided to become lovable with someone else, namely Huxley Moretti. The asshole sent me a picture of her naked in his bed. He hadn’t known she was my girl until she admitted it after they’d fucked.

I was enraged, fucking pissed with him, but eventually I realized he wasn’t taunting me. He was warning me to stay away from her toxic shit. I dropped her and never went exclusive with another woman again. When Huxley and my sister fell in love, he and I managed to come to an understanding. We still didn’t like each other, but we were business associates after all.

This was yet another reason why I wasn’t good for Fiona. Her brother would no doubt chop my dick off if he knew that I’d fucked her while they were downstairs during his own anniversary party.

“I just thought maybe it had something to do with the Moretti princess finally getting engaged.”

Ace’s words sliced through my thoughts. I tried my best to not give a shit, but I was sure he saw right through me anyway.

“Is that so?” I asked as carefree as I could.

“You didn’t know?”

“Nope.” I drew the last drag of my cigarette and flicked it out the window.

“It happened earlier today.” Ace spoke casually. “The boys heard through Antonio’s driver.”

“And?”

“And what?”

This idiot was always fast with the info, yet today he took his sweet time sharing it.

“Who the fuck is she engaged to?” I asked.

“That's the best part,goombah. You’ll never believe it.”

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