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My brows furrowed. “What? It’s like two o’clock in the morning.”
Romero kissed my forehead again, lingering for a moment before pulling on his clothes. How he was able to see any of it was beyond me. “I won’t be too long. Leave the doors locked and don’t go outside.”
Concern turned to apprehension. “What’s going on?” I asked slowly.
“I’ll explain it when I can. There’s no time. Just get some sleep. I should be home by the time you wake.”
He put on his shoes and strode back to me, taking my head in his hands to crush his lips to mine. “Fuck,” he muttered. “I’ll be home as soon as I can, and then I promise we are not leaving this room until you’re too sore to move.”
I laughed weakly, but felt my stomach clench as he closed his door softly behind him.
The engine of his Mustang roared to life, followed by the squealing of tires. Then the night fell silent.
Lying down, I stared up at the inky black, my mind racing and my stomach in knots. But eventually exhaustion from the day and everything my body had been through won out, pulling me in dreamless sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Two
JULIETTA
Movement sounded from downstairs, muffled voices that I couldn’t make out. My brows pinched and I peered out of bleary eyes. Did Romero have people over?
The events of yesterday came back in a rush, emphasized by the ache between my thighs. My cheeks heated.
I’d slept with Romero.
Romero.
My protector.
My mom’s ex-husband.
I expected to feel guilty, but I didn’t. A small smile curved my lips. Romero was utterly perfect. And he was mine.
As I blinked away the sleep, his room came into focus. Bright sunlight assaulted the dark curtains covering the windows, providing a dull glow. I stretched, yawning, and continued to listen.
I hadn’t felt Romero get in bed but if I had to guess, I’d say I slept pretty hard. Swinging my feet over the side, I got to my feet. As I slowly peeled the door open, trying not to make a sound in case the voices were ones I needed to be concerned with, I listened.
The scent of bacon and buttery biscuits wafted toward me and my stomach growled loudly.
“Do you think we should wake her?” a voice I recognized as Eli asked. “The food’s getting cold.”
My shoulders sagged in relief. The voices were friendly. But if they were here, where was Romero? I padded down the hall toward my room to find clothing more suited to the men downstairs.
“Nah, let the poor kid sleep. Romero probably exhausted her,” Darren said with a chuckle.
I bristled slightly at the “kid” comment but headed into my room and shut the door before I could hear anymore.
Once I was fully dressed, I hastily opened the door, colliding face-first with Aaron’s chest.
He grunted, gripping me by the shoulders before I could fall on my ass. A startled scream caught in my throat.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Aaron said soothingly, as though I were a jumpy animal. I guessed in this situation, I was.
“Where’s Romero?” I asked in a rush. I placed a hand over my still-rioting heart like that might prevent it from leaping from my chest.
Aaron ran a hand through his dark hair. “Don’t worry, he should be back soon. He’s just had to deal with…something.”
“Like what?” I folded my arms over my chest.
