AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fifteen,” he says. “But none of them meant anything to me, and I didn’t mean anything to them. It was all just… just waiting, Ruby. Waiting to feel. Waiting for you.”
He leans down, pressing his lips against mine. My body now chooses to respond, letting me sink into the heat of the embrace without thinking, but then ugly images stab into my mind—fifteen shades of jealousy.
“I think I want to go home,” I whisper. “I’m sorry, Luca. You’re right. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“I can’t control what I did before I met you,” he says with his face close to mine, his breath painting me warmly. “I can tell you for a fact, if I’d met you years ago, you’re the only woman I ever would’ve been with. If I’d known I would feel this way one day—if I knew it was possible to feel like this—I would’ve waited for you.”
His words light me up, heat pulsing through me, but it’s still difficult to get those ugly images out of my head.
“Thanks for saying that,” I say. “I just need time to think.”
“About what?” he replies, his voice tight. For a second, I almost think he sounds scared. “We belong together, Ruby. I own you, and you own every part of me. I wish I could go back in time and crack the old Luca across the jaw.”
“I want you,” I tell him. “My head just feels like a mess. I’m not used to any of this—socializing, let alone dating. I guess it’s an introvert’s curse. Stuff only starts to make sense when I’ve got time to be alone and figure it out.”
For a moment, I think he’s going to argue. Then his expression softens as much as my man’s expression can soften, anyway. “Okay, but remember what I said. You and me, Ruby, it’s just you and me. Nobody else matters. Ever.”
He drives me to the end of the street, killing his engine. When he places his hand on my leg, those familiar tingles dance through me. He leans over and kisses me on the cheek, whispering intensely, “Tell me you belong to me.”
Despite everything, I can’t tell him anything different. It feels true, a burning certainty in my core and soul, if such a thing exists. “I belong to you.”
“And I belong to you,” he says, squeezing my leg as if holding me in place. “Remember that, Ruby. No matter what happens, I’ll never be with anybody else. I’d rather spend the rest of my life waiting for you.”
“Really?” I look up into his eyes.
“Really,” he says, and I know he’s telling the truth. I know we can make this work?—
Then my door flies open. I spin, shock coursing through me. Luca bursts from the car and starts yelling, “Put your hands up, or I’ll drop you, motherfucker. Hands up, now!”
Dad stands on the sidewalk, his hands above his head, his face red as he stares down at me, his eyes glittering like he might cry.
CHAPTER 20
Luca
It takes me a moment to process what’s happening. Paulie stands on the other side of the car, his hands above his head, looking more pissed than I’ve ever seen him. Not that that’s saying much. It’s not like I saw him often as a kid, just enough to recognize him.
Slipping my gun back into my jacket, I shake my head. “That wasn’t very smart.”
“What is this?” Paulie whispers, slowly lowering his hands, looking at his daughter, not me. “Ruby, why are you with him?”
“I… we…It’s complicated…” Ruby hesitates.
“I saw you kissing him, Ruby,” Paulie snaps. “Do you have any idea who that is? What am I saying? Of course, you do. He’s the one who told you about my past, isn’t he?”
“Dad—”
Paulie suddenly breaks into a jog, moving around the car toward me. I raise my hands when he spins into a telegraphed right hook. It’s not like I’m going to hit him first or even back, but I won’t let him take my head off, either.
His punch connects with my arm, and I step back, slipping the next one.
“Dad,” Ruby yells, breaking into a heart-wrenching sob as she throws her arms around him and pulls him away.
Paulie glares at me, his chest heaving. “I left the life… and you followed me?”
“I didn’t know she was your daughter, Paulie,” I tell him, trying to keep myself calm. In our life, when a man swings at you, swinging back is a necessity.
“But you told her, didn’t you?” he demands.
I sigh, nodding. “Yes, I did, but when I first met her, I had no idea?—”
He holds his hand up. “Enough, Luca. This is just… You were a kid the last time I saw you. Remember how I used to give you those baseball cards?”
I think back. A smile almost touches my lips, but the fury in his face stops me. “I didn’t until just now, but yeah, I do.”
