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“You have no idea just how devious you are, little devil,” he groaned, wiping off the dirt from his blue jeans and tan T-shirt. I let loose a mischievous giggle, just to punctuate his point, and turned back to the furniture.
“Hold on,” he grumbled, his hand clamping down on my shoulder to hold me in place. Instead of letting go, he wrapped his arm around me, tucking me into his side as he brought out his phone from his pocket and used the flashlight to illuminate the expansive space.
“Woah,” I exclaimed at just how much was down here. “Why wouldn’t they donate all of this?” I asked, wrapping my hand around Merrick’s back to pull him along with me. The basement was too dark to chance wandering around on my own … or at least that’s what I told myself.
“Who knows, maybe just in case the Barones went back on their deal,” he sneered, and I attempted to change the topic knowing how the subject of the crime family that ruled the town soured his mood.
“This should be our place,” I declared, slipping out of his hold to spin around the space, my hands wide to encompass it all.
“What?” He seemed to choke on the word, and he cleared his throat, his cheeks reddening slightly from what I could see in the dim light.
“You, me, and Kellan, this should be our place to get away to forget our families and all the other bullshit,” I explained, wandering over to one of the couch-shaped mounds. I pulled off the sheet covering it, sending a cloud of dust billowing up from it to smack me in the face and invade my airway. I sputtered and coughed as I attempted to suck in a breath of clean air and expel the debris.
“Oh,” Merrick murmured with a hint of disappointment. I turned back to him, my eyes still watering from the dust explosion, but his face was neutral, not a hint of any emotion there. “I thought you didn’t want me to go to jail,” he quipped, washing away any thought that he’d been upset.
“No one comes out here,” I assured him. The police barely even patrolled the town and were paid to look the other way most of the time. They wouldn’t take the time to search around the back of this building just based on their fear of catching one of the gangs in town. Even though they were firmly under the Barones’ control, the other gangs paid off the cops to look the other way as well. East Haven PD was a joke, but unfortunately Merrick had hit the wrong person a year ago, which was the only reason he got charged.
“Okay, fine, you convinced me,” he grumbled, acting as though it really took that much to sway him. “You really are the little devil on my shoulder.”
“If anyone’s the devil, it would be you. At least I tell you not to fight people.” I shrugged, turning back to face the furniture. My mind was already working to figure out how we would rearrange this. Excitement sparked within me at the prospect of this place being ours, and I let loose a wistful smile.
“No, you’re the devil. You’re my little devil,” he declared, stepping up to my side. His rough finger tipped my chin up to meet his dark-hazel eyes, so warm, so full of devotion. “I’m your demon Gi, and I’d destroy anyone for you.”
And I knew he meant it. Despite how comforting that thought was—that he’d always be by my side—it also scared the life out of me. I used to love watching him fight, watching his skill and finely honed muscles dominate his opponent, but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to him. I swallowed thickly as memories of that night floated to the surface, but I shoved them back down, not wanting to relive that horror again. Because if he picked a fight with the same person he had before … I’m not sure they’d let him live long enough to even be sent to jail.
I begged and bargained for him to be spared the last time, and I’d never let him know that. But I’m not sure if it would work again.
Chapter seven
Giana
Now
Hislookofshockquickly transformed to one of blinding rage, his jaw grinding as his dark-hazel gaze scanned me up and down. Those eyes I once saw so much care and devotion in now held nothing but contempt and hatred. I sucked in a startled breath as he stomped around the bar, his sights on me, like a bull charging his target. I glanced at the door debating whether I should’ve just bolted then and there, if I should have attempted to outrun him like that first time at the firehouse.
But I knew I’d never reach the door in these heels before he closed the distance. I stepped back from the bar, wondering whether I could endure his tirade while slowly escaping out the front. But it was too late. I only managed a few steps before he was on me, his large palms wrapping around my biceps, pushing me to the empty corner a few feet away.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Giana?” he seethed, no note of concern in his question. No, just pure vitriol leaking from every word.
I suppressed the flinch, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of the pain he could cause me with just a few scathing words. It would take more than that to crack the mask I’d mastered. I wanted to sob, I wanted to let the tears welling in my eyes stream down my cheeks and mourn the loss of this person who used to be so important to my life. But I couldn’t do that. I refused to give anyone that power, not anymore.
I was about to answer him, but he cut me off, his face blazing red as he dug his fingers in deeper. “Is this some sort of sick joke? Did Tommaso put you up to this?” he hissed. I glanced around nervously but besides a few curious stares it didn’t seem like anyone was really paying attention to us.
“Boss,” the black-haired girl interrupted. I peered around his massive bicep, and she stood just behind him casting a wary look at us.
“Leave, Evelyn,” Merrick ground out, his jaw working as he attempted to suppress his growing frustration. Her eyes flicked to me, asking me a silent question and I nodded. He wouldn’t hurt me, not if he still held a shred of the man I once knew before. Besides, there wouldn’t be much she could do, that anyone in this bar could do, if he tried. “She’s fine,” he snapped incredulously, his glare never leaving my face.
With one final look at me she made her way back to the bar, leaving me alone with one of the men I used to love who now looked at me like I was the devil he always claimed me to be.
He cocked a brow in a silent question, his breaths coming in ragged pants as he barely leashed his anger.
“Merrick,” I breathed, my instinct to calm him down, to comfort him taking over.
“Don’t you fucking say my name like that,” he barked, a pained look twisting his face before he could shove it back down. “Like you still care.”
“I was looking for a job, not that it matters anymore,” I huffed out on a frustrated sigh, attempting to twist out of his grip, but he only tightened his hold.
“Why would you need a job? Let alone in a place like this. I thought you had some high-paying job in Manhattan the last I checked,” he ground out between gritted teeth, his eyes going distant for a moment. My heart skipped a beat at that admission, and he let loose a string of curses, obviously not meaning to let that slip.
