Page 27 of Dark Desire

She stood beside me, waiting for me to say something more. But what more was there? I was the reason her father was dead. I was the reason she’d become the person she was.

“You didn’t kill my father.”

I looked into her eyes—eyes that held deep sorrow and pain. An emotion I was responsible for putting there. “I didn’t save him either.” She reached out to touch me, but I jerked away. “Did you hear me, Riley? I’m the reason your father is dead. I watched him bleed out on the pavement that night. I stayed with him as long as I could, but finally left to save myself.”

“Michael Bodachi is the man who shot my father. Not you. And there was nothing you could have done for my dad. The bullet nicked his heart. He was dead by the time they’d gotten him to the hospital.”

“You know, he called out for you.”

Her eyes let the tears splash down her cheeks. “He did?”

“Yes. He called out for you. I thought maybe you were inside, but you weren’t. He told me I could still find the light. I didn’t know what that meant, but I spent the last few years trying to find out what he meant. He's the reason I let La Lama die that night. I no longer wanted that man I was.”

She stepped forward, pinning me with a hopeful glare. “And did you find the light?”

I held her gaze, the green of her eyes drawing me in. They were lined with the most beautiful blue ring, making it easy to get lost in like a starry night. “I thought maybe I had…” he sighed. “But now I’m afraid I’ve lost it again.”

“Vincenzo… don’t you see? This changes everything for me." She fisted her hands at her sides. "I joined the task force so I could bring my father’s killer to justice. But I was wrong. He was already dead.”

“This does change everything—just not in the way you want it to.”

“No. It doesn’t.” She grabbed my hand. “Love doesn’t just stop, and I fell in love with you. Your past be damned.”

“You shouldn’t love me, Riley. Everything I touch becomes dark. I won’t be the reason your light is extinguished.”

“Don’t I get a say in this? It’s my life, goddamn it." I jerked my hand from hers. ,"Why are you so afraid to let someone in?”

“I don’t deserve love, Riley.”

“Everyone deserves love. When I look at you, I don’t see a monster. I see a man who hides so much pain he can’t see the light buried deep inside." She straightened her spine, her head held high. "Well, I see it. Let me in, Vincenzo. Let me show you how worthy you are of love.”

What could I say to her? I didn’t want to be in love with a woman who held the key to my demise, but I did. Even after hearing I was the last man to see her father alive, she demanded I let her love me. “I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you.”

“Maybe not. But you have me anyway. Can you just let go… and let me in? I shouldn’t love you. I should slap cuffs on your wrists and take you in. I can’t. I won’t.”

“Where do we go from here?”

Riley's shoulders fell. “I don’t know.”

“Fratello,” Massimo’s voice cut through the silence in the room. “Sorry to interrupt, but we need to figure out how to handle the other issue.”

Riley glanced toward the table where the tiny threat sat. “He’s right.” She walked toward the menacing bug and picked it up. “If I don’t plant this, they’re going to pull me off the case and find another way to bring your family down.”

“We need to figure out a way to prevent that.” Massimo shoved his hands into his pockets, his stance more relaxed than before. “Do you really love him?” He quirked a brow.

“Yes. I do.” Riley ducked her face, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

“What if you put it in the kitchen? We never talk business in there.”

“They’re expecting me to plant it in his office.”

“Fuck,” Antonio grunted. “Fine. Vin, just don’t have any business discussions in there.”

“Riley.” Massimo ran his fingers through his dark hair. “Can you try to steer them off our case?”

“I tried. I hinted that the Prizrak was causing trouble for you guys. My boss doesn’t think you’re working against him—he thinks you’re working with him.”

“What the fuck?” Antonio gritted his teeth. “That mother fucker kidnapped me. We want him dead.”

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