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“No man will ever touch you again. If they do, they die.”
* * *
Gabriel
Morning had come far too early.
As I entered the kitchen, the sight of Sarah took my breath away. I remained in the doorway enjoying the view as she studied the ocean, her hand wrapped around a mug of coffee. I sensed another round of discord, which I couldn’t blame her for. She needed more from me that I couldn’t provide.
I moved toward the Keurig, surprised to find a second cup waiting for me. As I popped in a pod, I noticed she’d finally turned to look at me, her eyes locked on my injured hand.
“Did you take additional aspirin?” she asked.
“My hand is fine.”
“If I had to guess, I’d say you have at least one stress fracture if not more. You’re not fine, Gabriel. You’re hardheaded.”
Chuckling, I flexed my fingers, trying to keep from wincing from the discomfort. “I’ve been through worse.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel any better?” She walked closer, shaking her head, her brow furrowed.
“I’ll have you know that the biggest fight I got into was in my office after the stock market plummeted. I ended up with three broken ribs and a black eye, but you should have seen the other guy.” It had been Rick who’d been forced to pull me off the asshole, receiving a black eye in the process.
She wasn’t impressed.
“Are you prepared to die?” she demanded.
Thankfully, I’d yet to take a sip of coffee. After coughing, I realized she was serious. “I don’t fear death if that’s what you mean. I’m a firm believer that when it’s your time to go, then nothing will prevent it.”
“A religious man?”
“Not particularly. However, I do believe in fate and karma.”
Half laughing, she rolled her eyes. “But you enjoy tempting fate.”
I had to think about her mild accusation. “Not on purpose. I’m not a danger junkie, Sarah. But I will do what’s necessary, including beating the shit out of someone if required. You know why and you agreed.”
“That doesn’t mean I like it or that I won’t worry about you.” She looked away, chewing on her lower lip.
She’d whispered several words of endearment the night before, but so had I. Another wave of coldness had come between us. Maybe that was necessary for the time being.
“We need to discuss some things.”
“I’m certain I won’t like what you have to say.”
“There are rules that you must follow,” I stated. There was no sugarcoating what had to remain in effect, especially over the next few weeks. Dillon had already called, his tone alone indicating word on the street was that the Morettis were intending retaliation. That brought a smile to my face. It was time to finish what my father had started.
“Meaning?”
“I think that’s pretty self-explanatory.” I took another sip of my coffee, noticing she hadn’t touched hers. We’d spent a night full of passion, but as soon as she realized I hadn’t planned on staying the night, she’d started shutting down.
She laughed softly and slid her mug onto the counter, walking toward the window. “Fine. Or I’ll be spanked like a bad girl. Why don’t you tell me what they are? Wait. Let me guess. No leaving the house unless I’m given permission and have a bodyguard. No phone calls to anyone. As of now, I’m taking an extended leave of absence from my job, one that I love more than almost anything. Oh, and of course, I’ll obey your every command.” Her face flushed, her hard nipples poking through the light cream sweater.
I wanted to rip it off and suck on her hardened buds, biting and pinching until she cried out in pain.
Fuck. The woman could drive me crazy.
There was so much arrogance in her tone, but there was no mistaking the spark in her eyes. Our connection the night before had strengthened our relationship. “You make it sound horrible.”
