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We’ve always known the truth, though we’ve never spoken it aloud. There can only be one.
“No,” Giancarlo answers finally. “I’m saying, assuming it’s Lovato might be presumptuous of you. From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like one of their jobs.”
“They’re without their leader over here. They could’ve gotten sloppy.”
“Maybe. Or maybe it has nothing to do with them.”
“Food for thought.” I hang up on our conversation no more certain than before. It’s going to take some time to get to the bottom of this.
It’s after midnight by the time I return to the penthouse. I expect Falynn to be asleep in front of the TV, but I enter to her pacing the living area. She’s still dressed in her form-fitting crop top and jeans from our date earlier. Only she’s let down her curls. They bounce as she rushes toward me and tosses her arms over my shoulders. I catch her in my arms, squeezing and lifting her off her feet.
“You’ve been gone for hours!” she breathes.
“Hey, it’s all right. I had business to handle.”
She’s shaking in my arms, pressing her lips to my neck. I cradle the back of her head in one hand, holding her up with the other, and carry her toward the bedroom.
“There’s not a scratch on me…or you. If there was, I wouldn’t be so calm. Why are you still dressed? It’s late. Relax.”
“How can I relax when you’re gone?”
I set her down in the bedroom and stand back. I hold both her cheeks in my palms, staring into those warm brown eyes of hers. “I’m back now. So let’s unwind, okay?”
“Gio…someone shot at us on the street. Who was it?”
“I’ve told you, I don’t want you involved—”
“Probably too late, don’t you think? I was right next to you. What if—”
“Don’t say it,” I interrupt. I give her a peck on the lips. “Don’t even speak that into existence. I would’ve taken the bullet before it ever hit you.”
Her brows knit together. “But who?”
“We’re not sure yet. Probably retaliation from the Lovato syndicate.”
“Are they going to continue trying to off you? Have you planned what you’re going to do to fight against them?” she asks.
The worry on her face would normally be adorable, lips pouty and her cheeks flushed, but it’s threaded in her voice too. It’s in how her body moves, still shaky. She’s truly worried about what’s going on, and that immediately weighs on me. If I was enraged about it earlier, I’m venomous and livid now.
The fury cords through me, tensing up my muscles, making my heart beat louder. I grip her chin and gaze directly into her eyes, aware of how intense I can get. But I need her to understand she’ll always be safe with me. No matter what.
“Whoever it is, their life is already over,” I say in a quiet, deadly tone. “They just don’t know it yet.”
My words finally seem to calm her. She gives a nod and then crushes her lips to mine in a hard kiss. My fingers find their way into her curls, pushing them back from her face. Our mouths slide against each other in a slow moment of passion.
Falynn is enough to chase away the anger living inside me. At least for the time being, as she ensconces me. Her soft lips and their sweet taste. Her strangled gasps and the curves of her body molding against mine. The scent of her piercing my senses, making me drunker than any alcohol.
I suck on her bottom lip and then move to kiss her jawline and throat. This woman of mine was put into danger tonight, and it’s something that can’t happen again. She can’t be involved in any more deadly situations regarding my business. I won’t allow it and will see that she’s protected at all costs. Even more than I am.
As if reading my thoughts, she draws back. Her pink lips are parted and already slightly swollen. “Gio…I think I should learn to protect myself.”
“That’s what security is for.”
“Security’s great, but it seems like the danger’s not going away. If I’m going to be involved, shouldn’t I know how to—”
“You’re not involved. I’m keeping you away from it.”
“Iaminvolved. As your girlfriend, it’s by default.”
