Page 33 of Blood Money

“You wish what?” she sneered, clutching the towel tightly.

“It doesn’t matter,” I tiredly replied and briefly closed my eyes against the temptation in front of me. When I opened them, I stared off to the side of her head.

“It sure as hell—”

A phone rang, cutting her off, and I breathed a sigh of relief that it had saved me from answering her. As the underboss for the Chicago Family, I didn’t fear much, but this woman and her effect on me? It terrified me.

She took the phone into the second spare bedroom and spoke quietly—I assumed so I couldn’t hear. Her actions caused a small piece of me to burn with a feeling I hadn’t experienced in ages.

Not since I was eighteen.

And goddamn it, I didn’t like the feeling one fucking bit.

Because though I truly hated to admit it, I wasjealousof who she might be talking to. During the ten years she’d been gone, I’d intentionally not looked her up or kept tabs on her because it was pointless—we couldn’t be together. Finding out she’d moved on and started dating would’ve ripped young me apart. To find out she was in a serious relationship or had gotten married would destroy today’s me.

Besides, I’d all but convinced myself that I was over her. Which was obviously bullshit, because I’d broken down and asked Facet to find out if she was seeing anyone.

That didn’t mean there couldn’t be someone very new.

That sent me down a dark rabbit hole of worry that I had to pump the brakes on really goddamn fast.

I’m so fucked.

I did my best to harden my heart before she came out of the room. She was no longer on the phone, and she was dressed. Despite my ire, I fought a nostalgic smile. Of course she’d be wearing Harry Potter pajama pants.

She was texting someone and hadn’t even looked up to see if I was still here. My nails bit into my palms as I forced myself not to demand to know who’d called.

I’d given up that right ten years ago when I broke her heart.

“You should put this on your head,” I told her as I grabbed the ice pack and brought it to her. The scent of her body wash or lotion floated through the air to bewitch me, and I started to lean in to breathe deeper but stopped myself.

She snatched the ice pack from my hand with a glare. I lifted my chin as I clenched my molars.

“If you wanna stay, then stay. You can sleep on the couch. But I want you gone in the morning.” Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and went back in her room. The sound of her slamming the door echoed in the open-concept apartment.

“Well, that went well,” I muttered.

It didn’t escape my notice that she didn’t offer me the use of her old room. Curiosity ate at me. Without a sound, I slipped my shoes off and padded to the door. With the best of my ninja skills, I gently turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open before I stuck my head inside.

My breath caught, and I frowned. The room looked exactly like it had ten years ago. Same queen-size bed, same quilt, same dresser. If that was the case, I couldn’t believe the other room had changed either. That one was much smaller and had a daybed alongside her grandmother’s crafting items.

Why would she prefer to sleep on an uncomfortable twin-size mattress instead of on the queen—which I knew was comfortable as hell?

Understanding dawned, and my eyes closed as my chest constricted.

She chose discomfort over the memories in the bigger room.

“Animal”—NeonTrees

Present Day….

Mom had texted me when I was showering to let me know they’d landed and were getting their luggage. Their first priority was my grandma, and I didn’t want any of them worrying about me, so I didn’t tell them what happened. Then I texted my cousin Luciano to see if he could come by to stay with me. I figured if he came over, Vittorio would go away.

And right now, I really needed him to go away—faraway.

Because he made me weak. Ten damn years and my body still responded to him. What the hell was that about? Clearly I’d fooled myself all that time—had myself believing I was over him. I mean, I should’ve been. After all, I was a twenty-six-year-old independent woman, not a child. It was ridiculous that I was letting that teenage girl within control my emotions regarding someone I should’ve beenover.

Granted, while he’d been good-looking when he was young, he was devastatingly breathtaking today.

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