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“Don’t you dare hang up. Bray, she’s with a man,” Reilly yells out.
Bray’s face fills the screen. “Hol, you doing okay? Your sister is driving me fucking nuts here. You know, if you want, I can have a jet fueled and ready for you to come home—just say the word.”
Theo’s head snaps towards me and the phone. I shake my head at him. “I’m fine, Bray. Reilly is just crazy, but you already knew that before you married her, so more fool you, really.” I laugh.
“Yeah, but she’s my kind of crazy. I love it. So, who’s the guy? Does he have a name?” Bray questions.
“You know, I never actually got his name. I’ll be sure to ask him next time I see him though. Gotta go! Chat later. Love you both.” I hang up the phone and return it to my bag. Turning, I see Theo is still scowling. I’m reminded of when Reilly and I were kids, and how our nana warned us that our faces would freeze like that if we held the expressions for too long. I laugh a little.
“Something amusing?” Theo grunts.
“Just something my nana used to say. What’s wrong with you anyway?”
“Nothing. We’re here. Just so you know, if you try to run, I will catch you.”
“And just so you know, your threats don’t scare me.”
“Well, then you’d be the first.”
ChapterEleven
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!My internal thoughts consist of that one fucking word. I really fucking hope like hell I can fix this. I need to get Holly to understand the engagement between me and Lana is not real. But how the fuck do I do that without telling her I’m the fucking underboss of one of the five families? She’s smart. Too fucking smart to stick around. To settle down with a made man.
She doesn’t deserve to be brought into this fucked-up world. She’s far too innocent.But fuck it.I’m selfish, and I’m keeping her for as long as I possibly can.
She’s not afraid of my threats—I almost laughed when she said that. Everyone’s afraid of me, everyone except this fiery redhead with an attitude far larger than her petite frame would suggest. I wonder if she’d feel the same way if she knew just what I was capable of doing. What Ihave doneall my life.
I sure fucking hope so. The last thing I want is a wallflower for a wife.
Wife?I don’t know where that thought came from, but I like it.Thatcould be my way out of this bullshit with Lana. If I’m already married, I can’t very well marry someone else. And divorce is not an option in our family. Once you’re in, you’re in for life. Shit… I’d be signing Holly’s death warrant. I have no doubts when it comes to what lengths either of our fathers would go to, in order to get what they wanted. She’d have a hit out on her in no time.
My hand tightens around Holly’s. I’m looking around the entire lobby as we make our way to the elevators.
“What’s wrong? And don’t bother saying nothing. I can tell something is off.”
“A lot of things areoffright now, Holly,” I reply, leading her into the elevator.
“Okay, how about you start with one thing? Maybe I can help?”
I look over her features. She’s genuinely worried about me. I’m surprised and not really sure how to proceed. Other than a handful of people, I can’t say I’ve ever had anyone actually concerned about my welfare—just the ramifications should they fail to do their jobs. “Well, you could promise that you won’t leave me. You walking away is my biggest fear right now.”
“I-I can’t promise that, Theo.”
“I know. Then promise me this.” I push her up against the mirrored wall. My hand brushes her hair behind her ear. “Promise that no matter what you hear about me, you’ll always come to me and ask me for the truth. Promise that you’ll always believe me when I say I would never hurt you, Holly. I would take a bullet for you, and slaughter the fuck out of anyone who tries to harm a single hair on your head. But… I will never hurt you.”
Her eyebrows draw down. “It’s hard to think when you’re so close. You make my mind go fuzzy.”
“You don’t need to think, dolcezza, just feel. Feel this thing between us; it’s the real deal.”
“I do feel it, and it’s scaring the shit out of me, Theo. I don’t even know you, yet the thought of losing it—losing you—is suffocating me.” I lean in, to kiss away her hesitation, but she turns her head and my mouth lands on her cheek instead. “I can’t kiss you while you’re engaged to someone else. You’re not mine to kiss, Theo.”
“I’m not marrying Lana. I’ve never belonged to anyone until you, Holly. Trust me when I say you have all of me.”
“Yet you’re engaged to someone else. I’m not about to be a homewrecker and break some poor girl’s heart by stealing her fiancé. No matter how much I want to keep you. I’m not that cruel.”
I laugh—out loud—a full-bellied laugh. “You’re not a homewrecker. You’ll see: the last thing Lana wants is to marry me.” The doors open into my penthouse. “Come on, let me get you a drink. What would you like?”
“Just water’s fine,” Holly says as she looks around the open floor plan. Most people are impressed by the opulence, by the views and sheer expense. Holly doesn’t look the least bit moved.
