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He got up from his chair because I didn't say anything.
When his hand met my back, I said, "I'm nervous. I think I'd be nervous, but I don't know. I don't want to get killed."
"I would never let anything happen to you. Please understand that."
My leg would not stop shaking. It was like I had a disease. "I'm getting myself involved in mafia stuff. No matter what. I want to believe at the end of the day, I'm not going to be off limits anymore. I'm not going to be innocent. I'm going to be a part of this whole thing. And I can never shed myself of that."
" You don't have to do any of this. If it scares you this much, you don't have to do it, but please believe I would do anything to ensure nothing hurts you. I know that you haven't known me long enough. But my word is my bond."
It wasn't his words that calmed me down. It was his tone. That deep and sexy calming tone of his. He could talk me off a ledge if I was on one. I didn't have to turn my head far to give him a kiss. His lips were stiff at first. Reluctant. And then they softened. I could tell he was trying his best to push me away in a small way. Because he didn't want to hurt me.
This also told me that he would protect me. If he was willing to pull himself back and feared that he would hurt me, then I had no doubt he would try to protect me moving forward.
My leg still shook, and I was still scared. But with him by my side, things were a little less frightening.
Call me crazy.
Chapter 8
Tomaso
Shedidn'thavetomeet my father right away. Not yet, at least. It was definitely going to be soon. It was sooner than I had wanted. But what could I do? This was the life that I was in.
Well, there was something that I could do. I could put all my energy into relaxing Angelina. I could do my best to try and make her forget that she was involved in any mafia business because, obviously, this was weighing on her. And rightfully so. Anyone who agreed to a contract like mine should have been on edge. I had considered that part of the whole scenario between us both. It was a lot to put on someone, especially her. All she wanted in life was to be happy. It was the polar opposite for me, who had embraced doom his entire lifetime. No matter what day it had been, I was always looking over my shoulder and waiting for death to give me a tap. Angelina had her whole life ahead of her. She had promise and hope. I didn't want to be the one to strip her of that.
" So, where are you taking me?" She asked as she sat in my passenger seat.
" I want to take you to a few of my favorite spots in town. You know, kind of like a vacation away without being a vacation."
Her shoulders perked up in the sea, told me that the news made her happy. I did my best to open up to her. It certainly what's an easy thing for me to let my guard down and be a little more human than usual. What could I say? She had that effect on me. She had this marvelous ability to make me forget who I was. If anyone needed to forget who he was, it was me.
" What are your favorite spots like? Are they all places where people were killed?" I could hear the humor in her voice.
" Yes. Every place I'm about to take you to has police tape around it, smart ass."
She laughed, and that laugh sat on the border of a giggle. I loved when she morphed into her little cutesy form. 75% of the time, she was this strong, unbending woman. Now, of course, in the kitchen. When she started to feel a bit of panic, that woman disappeared. But that was rare from what I could see. She was a giggly and fun girl the other 25% of the time. The crazy thing about that was I couldn't remember the last time I considered anyone or anything fun.
We pulled up to a boardwalk. There wasn't much fanfare around it. But something told me she would appreciate it nonetheless.
I parked my car, and she looked around while getting out. " So this is one of your favorite spots? It's a little more docile than I would assume."
" Do I look like someone who would take you to Dave& Buster's?"
She laughed. " Absolutely not. This is just so serene. It's downright beautiful. I don't know how I've never been here."
We started to walk. Side by side, we went. Our feet were pretty much lined up at the same time. It felt like we were on the same page with everything. She was nervous about jumping into my world. And I was nervous about bringing her into it. We both had the same outlook but from different perspectives. Again, that was saying a lot. I never felt that with anyone.
" I come here when I want to clear my head. You've seen me in my day today, and it takes a toll on you after a while."
" You're also living two lives. It's busy enough being one CEO. When you leave that building, you become a different person altogether."
" And then I'm another person when I'm with you."
She paused for a moment. I didn't blame her. It was a loaded statement. I'd be curious if I was her too. I hoped her next question or whatever she said wouldn't make me think too hard. After all, this was a place where I like to come to be free and not stressed. " So, of all three people you are, which is the real?"
There it was. The moment where I had to do a deep dive into the brain I was trying to avoid. " Why must you always take things to a deep place? I'm really not that interested. You have more of a personality than I do. You have more ambition than I do. You know how they say aliens wouldn't visit the earth because we're too stupid? Well, you're the alien, and I'm the earth."
She was shaking her head. I could see it in my peripheral. " I don't like that."
