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“Good. Now get the fuck out of my car.” Donny unlocks John’s side door. “Terry will show up at 10pm. I expect a warm welcome for him.”
John limps out of the car, holding his sides, and when the door shuts, Donny holds my eyes.
They soften somewhat.
“Are you alright?” he asks.
I’m at a loss for words. No one has ever defended me like that. No one but my father.
I avert my gaze bashfully.
“Ellie.” He grabs my arm so I’ll look at him. “No one is going to touch you again. You have my word.”
My heart aches at the proclamation. And my mind is angry because of it. I shouldn’t have feelings for my kidnapper. I shouldn’t want to be held in his arms… but now?
I do.
Chapter 10
Donny
It’s official. This woman broke me.
I never act out on emotion. Ever. What the fuck is going on?
Staring into her quivering green eyes, an instinctive duty to protect her overcomes my every neuron. Fuck my father and his revenge. Fuck these snakes who keep trying to play with their food. She’s mine now. I grab her hand to let her know.
I’m embarrassed John got a hand on her in my vicinity, but it won’t happen again. Besides, I made up for it.
“Donny…” Ellie sighs.
I lean into the back seat of the car and kiss her sensually. She tastes good even when she’s in a panic – like mint and maple. I pull away and hold her eyes, ignoring the electrical chemistry contained in this tiny space.
“No one is going to hurt you, Ellie. I promise.”
There’s no banter or snarky comments between us. There’s only understanding.
She nods weakly, and I narrow my eyes before turning to face forward.
The drive from the Bronx to lower Manhattan is long. It takes a good hour for Ellie to relax enough to meet my eyes in the rearview mirror again. I take calls along the way. Terry is informed of his mission and must start planting seeds to new distributors if the Valentinos are going to continue dominating the drug market.
That’s this family’s future.
As Fentanyl-laced product continues to swarm the streets, the Valentinos will stand pure. It’s like my competitors forgot the value of a repeat customer. That, or they’re starving for a buck. Either way, they will soon burn.
I stare back at Ellie while I’m on the phone, and she manages another weak smile. I hang up.
“What did you think?” I ask vaguely.
She scoffs. “That’s a loaded question.”
“John. Was he telling the truth about staying out of family politics?” I ask.
“Yeah. There are a bunch of tightlipped mercenaries like him. My father played nice with them often. My brother, on the other hand…”
“That’s one thing Loophole and I agree on, then. A snake with too many heads… how can you possibly trust them?”
“Do you trust anyone?” She tilts her head.
