AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Take a seat.” I held out the chairs and waited until Jemma, Cara, and Fiona settled down. “You need sustenance, and if there’s one thing Italians do best, it’s food.”
I served them generous portions of my homemade pasta, this time with marinara sauce, and the scent of garlic and basil filled the air as the steam wafted from their plates.
“Thank you,” murmured the sisters, their eyes wide with appreciation.
I caught Sophie’s gaze, then held up an empty plate with a silent question.
She shook her head and declined, her voice soft. “I’m still full from when you fed me earlier.”
Our gazes locked, a tangle of unspoken emotions passing between us. I knew it was only a matter of minutes until her escort home would arrive.
Our time together was coming to an end—fast.
My chest tightened, the desperate urge to keep her close gnawing at me. To make her mine—forever.
But that meant going to war with the Irish mob, and I didn’t have that kind of power—not yet.
Sophie approached and positioned herself next to me, her ass leaning against the kitchen counter.
Our hands were so close they almost touched. Her body heat radiated towards me, her intoxicating scent filling my nostrils.
How had I become so obsessed with her in such a short time?
And what was it about her that drew me in so completely?
We watched as Sophie’s sisters ate, savoring each bite. Cara wiped her mouth and smiled. “This is delicious, Gabe.”
I raised one eyebrow, exchanged a glance with Sophie who gave me a one-sided shrug.
She must’ve told them our names because we sure as hell didn’t volunteer them.
“Thanks,” I replied, the words barely escaping my clenched jaw.
Cristo, who had helped himself to a portion, settled down and silently dug in and cracked a grin, his eyes dancing with mischief. “You know, if this wholecapo dei capigig doesn’t work out, you can always open up a restaurant.”
An ironic chuckle escaped me, but it was short-lived as the weight of three pairs of eyes settled on me.
Sophie obviously hadn’t told her family everything.
The tension in the room thickened, and I caught a nervous glance exchanged between Cara and Fiona. It seemed the realization of who they were breaking bread with had rendered them all squirrely and in a panic.
Sophie sensed their unease and offered a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, they’re pretty decent, formafiosi,” she murmured.
“Besides,” Jemma chimed in, trying to lighten the mood, “a man who can cook is super sexy, even if he’s a made man.”
The other women nodded in agreement, and I chuckled despite myself. Their attempt at normalcy was endearing, and apparently, the role of jokester of the family was in Jemma’s young hands.
She was the youngest—like Cristo. Apparently, the Donnelly family had a similar dynamic to what we had. But my laughter soon faded as the reality of our situation settled over me once more. Sophie and I were like two stars on a collision course, destined to burn brightly before either barely missing each other or colliding and going in opposite directions at the speed of light.
And all I could do was savor the remaining moments we had together, knowing that letting her go would be one of the hardest things I’d ever done.
My phone vibrated once in my pocket—the signal I’d been dreading. Hawk was on his way here to escort Sophie and her sisters back to their family.
Back out of my life.
My chest tightened. The knowledge that our time together was drawing to a close left a bad aftertaste in my mouth.
But there was no other option—keeping her would only lead to more bloodshed.
