Page 56 of The Air You Breathe

“Look I understand this is a world that I’m not a part of, and I have no idea what the inner workings are but please, I don’t like being kept in the dark.” She cupped my face. “I’d rather hear something I don’t understand than be sheltered. I have so many questions.”

“Ok, I’ll tell you everything I know, even if I don’t want to,” I said, leaning down just far enough to see if she would meet me for a kiss.

Darcy glanced down at my lower lip before she pressed her lips to mine. I desperately wanted to continue what we had started back at the lake, but now that seemed like a lifetime ago. I bit her bottom lip before I pulled away, taking her in, then kissing her forehead.

“Come on, let's get him inside; I need a drink,” I said, going to the passenger’s side of the car. Evan was a lot heavier than he looked. It took us a few minutes to get him into bed. Darcy undressed him without him making any sound or even waking up. She tucked him into bed, running her hands through his hair with a look that said she really hadn’t moved on.

I left the room as I felt my heart ache, going to the kitchen for that drink that I really needed. Evan had a scotch that was delicious, and I poured myself two fingers before I knocked it back. I heard the door close to the room while I poured both of us a drink. When Darcy came out of the hall, I walked to the sofa just as she sat down. I handed her a glass, setting mine on the coffee table to start a fire. The cabin was a little chilly, it also gave me something to do while I thought about what I wanted to tell Darcy.

Once I finished, I sat down next to Darcy leaving enough space between us, patiently waiting for all her questions. Glancing at her, I took a sip, seeing her lost in the flames, wanting to know what she was thinking, but also afraid of what I would find.

“Who is Geraldo?” she asked, taking a sip.

“One of Lucio’s men who is ruthless,” I said, wondering how painful this was going to be.

“Was he the same person who was at the coffee shop?” She looked over her glass with a worried expression.

“Yes,” I said, holding back the need to wrap my arms around her. After the way she looked at Evan I didn’t know where she and I stood.

“Is that who hurt him?”

“Yes, but I don’t know why,” I said, answering a question that I knew was coming next.

“Does this happen often to Evan?”

“I don’t think so, but there have been a few instances where a rival or someone shady has gotten the upper hand.” I took a deep breath. “Giovanni or someone is usually with him to help him out, but I don’t know what’s going on.”

She swallowed the rest of her drink, wincing a little as she set her cup down on the coffee table before she turned towards me.

“Has that happened to you?” she asked, her voice trembling a little.

“Twice, once because I thought I was tougher than I really was, and another was because someone found out I was his son.” I looked at the fire remembering the day someone thought they could force Lucio to give up his control here.

“How bad?” she scooted closer to me.

Not many people knew what happened to me and telling Darcy felt like I was putting myself out there more than I really wanted to, but I did say I wasn’t going to lie to her. If she was going to stick around, she needed the entire truth, especially the ugly parts.

“I was in a coma for a week, with nine broken bones, my jaw was wired shut for a couple of months and I needed surgery on my leg to put it back together.” I couldn’t look at her.

“Did they pay?” she asked, with venom in her voice.

“Giovanni made sure they did,” I said, looking at her appreciating the fierce look in her eyes. “Lucio did nothing, saying it was a lesson I needed to learn about being in this life.”

“He didn’t protect his own son?” she sneered.

“Everything is a life lesson in Lucio’s world. Giovanni made sure that it would never happen to me again, and taught me to defend myself,” I said, thinking I wouldn’t be here if it weren't for Giovanni or even Evan for that matter.

“I hope he made them suffer,” she whispered.

“He did; I was there to watch it,” I said, waiting for her reaction.

“Good.” The satisfaction in her eyes made me hard. I had always assumed Darcy was some delicate flower that needed to be held with care, but under the small-town good girl was a woman who fought fiercely for those she loved and cared for. Evan sheltered her to keep her away from the ugly, but Darcy was a grown-ass woman and tonight proved she was willing to fight for what she believed in.

“Darcy,” I said, grabbing her, pulling her closer but she climbed on my lap to straddle me. I wasn’t expecting her to get so close and I knew she felt how hard I was.

“Dev, I think—”

“Wait, Darcy,” I said, putting a finger on her lips. “Before you make a decision, I just need to ask you one thing. Do you remember when I asked you to trust me with your needs?”

---