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Falynn
PLAYLIST: ? NOTHING WITHOUT YOU - TANERÉLLE ?
“Sorry, Miss Falynn. Business calls.”Louis offers an apologetic frown as he escorts me up the Vittoria’s private elevator. “I’m sure he’ll make it up to you. He’s a busy guy. A lot’s been happening.”
No matter how hard I try to pretend I’m okay, I can only nod. My heart feels like it’s shrinking inside my chest. Each time Gio skips out on our dinner plans or doesn’t come to bed at night, paranoia grips me tighter.
Maybe we’ll never return to before. Maybe the man who fell in love with me did die that day on that boat. Too much has happened since Portofino.
The Gio back from the dead has way more important things to handle than wasting his time on our relationship.
I’m a liability. His enemies know I’m a bargaining chip. They know that in order to get to him, they can use me. Even his own brother saw the weak spot and played it to his advantage. Can I blame Gio if he decides love is too foolish for the lifestyle he leads?
As the elevator doors roll open, my heart shrivels up as I know the answer. I can’t really blame him for distancing himself.
He’s a powerful Mafia King now in charge of an entire empire. He can’t afford to lose it all over me.
“Miss Falynn,” Louis says as we reach the penthouse door. He watches me closely, picking up on my silent heartbreak. “You going to be okay tonight? I told the waitstaff to deliver your dinner to the penthouse instead.”
“I appreciate it. Thanks, Lou.”
He reaches out, his titan-sized hand giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Don’t mention it. But don’t get in that head of yours. I can always tell when you do. You get really quiet.”
“Just tired. I’ll be fine.”
Louis doesn’t seem convinced as he wishes me goodnight.
It doesn’t matter either way. Gio’s still anywhere but here. I’m still left in the dark to puzzle over why.
We’ve barely spent time alone together. Our conversations have been short. There’s been little kissing, let alone touching. As I wipe off my makeup from the night, I can’t help the old and familiar feeling creeping up my spine. I’ve been tainted.
He doesn’t want me anymore.
Gio’s sex drive is usually insanely high. For him to go almost a week without is an anomaly.
My self-esteem in the toilet, I spend the rest of the evening curled up in the dark watching movies. I don’t touch the dinner that’s delivered to the penthouse. Any sense of appetite from earlier has disappeared.
A couple of hours pass without me moving, my eyes glued to the big screen. At first, I don’t hear it above the noises from the TV, but the lock in the front door clicks. The door pushes open, and footsteps pad into the living area.
Gio appears in the bedroom doorway, hovering among the deep shadows. The blue light from the TV reaches only half his face, his hardened expression impossible to read.
I can’t figure out whether to feel relieved he’s come home or worried he’s here to deliver crushing news.
My intuition says the latter.
He steps deeper into the room, his hands shoved into his pants pockets. His dress shirt’s not as perfectly pressed as usual, noticeable even in the dimly lit room. A couple wrinkles ruin its crispness, his sleeves rolled up to the elbow. He hasn’t bothered to trim his beard in a few days, so its lost its usual neatness.
He’sexhausted.
It’s been a hard week, given everything that’s happened. He’s lost his father, almost killed his brother, and returned to his throne.
Suddenly, a glimmer of hope emerges inside me. I’ve been assuming I’m the problem, but could it be he reallyhashad his hands full?
That he hasn’t been avoiding me, he’s been pulled in too many different directions?
“Gio,” I murmur, sitting up. There’s a desperation to my tone, but I don’t care if he picks up on it.
“Louis said you were upset,” he says, stopping in front of the bed. “He might as well be your soldier and not mine the way he always goes to bat for you.”
