AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER FOUR
‘MEANT TO BE’ KNOWN FT POWFU
After telling my mother about the robbery, leaving out that it was Leo who did it, I spent the day cleaning the already tidy apartment. A terrible habit when my mind is going a million miles an hour.
Leo Alonso apparently knows my mother.
From the way my mom makes it sound, the two are real chums.
Mom says she talks with him every morning at the little cafe down the street before she goes to work. She says he's always leaving outrageous tips in the tip jar when all he ever gets is a coffee for himself, my mother, and a few other regulars.
Why she has never mentioned the gangster before is beyond my comprehension.
"He never came up, that's all."
“Never came up. Seriously mom?” I placed my hands on my hips as I questioned her like a mother scolding her wayward teen, “How does having morning chit-chats with Chicago’s Finest mob boss, never come up?”
“Because you don’t talk about them. Not if you want to keep your tongue.” She shrugged before waving a dismissive hand, ending the conversation.
My mother's response to my question was rather vague and very irritating, but when I questioned her for more details, she shot me down with,"Eres una chismosa!"
Ha! I'm a gossip? That's rich coming from a woman who sits with our downstairs neighbor, Julie, every evening gabbing like a couple of hens over shots of Tequila.
Although Leo scared the crap out of me, I can’t deny that I felt a definite pull to him. An attraction that should have me committed to the asylum. Afterall, only a crazy person would have any type of heart skipping or core fluttering feelings for someone who held them at gunpoint and threatened the life of their mother.
Still, my body warms at thoughts of his touch, rough as they were. My mouth dries when I think of how his scorching eyes devoured me from head to toe. But worst of all, the throbbing ache between my thighs any time I think of how his lip felt against my tongue. It was only a skim, a millisecond of contact, and yet the memory of it sets me ablaze.
I’m certifiable.
Shaking my head, I hand dry the dishes and put them away in the cupboard before pulling out the trash bag and tying a knot. Thinking of going outside in the cold has me turning to the stove to turn on the burners, but I stop myself when I remember Leo fixed the heater.
Leo, Leo, fuckingLeo.
Why does he make my stomach flip when I think of him or his text? Why can’t I just be normal and, I don’t know, like the guy next door?
Well, maybe not the guy that actually lives next door, since he’s like eighty years old, but you know what I mean.
“See you later, beautiful.” I mumble Leo’s text with distaste but in reality, it heats me from the inside out.
It pisses me off how excited I get, and because of that, I've been in a cleaning frenzy while sarcastically saying his fitting name.
He's exactly like a lion. More like a wolf.
A dangerous predator who needs to be taken back to the fucking wild before he kills someone... if he hasn't already.
Though his threats hurt and angered me, I can easily see how empty they are concerning me and ma, but why? Not that I'm complaining—I actually enjoy living—but he inspires an emotional whiplash.
I will kill you, followed by a stupidly sexy text.
Talk about an emotional rollercoaster.
Growling at my restless mind, I deliberately sing a song in my head while taking the trash out to the dumpsters.
When I get to the darkened corner of the parking lot, I toss the bag over and dust my hands off before scurrying away, so I don't breathe in the rotting trash smell.
As I get back to the stairwell though, there's a man standing in the shadows. He's broad shouldered, but his face is hidden in the darkness. I scan the area, making sure no one else is hiding and thankfully, there’s no one else.
Fuck. I’m not willing to be snatched and raped. You want me, fucker? You gotta catch me first.
