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Zuri hesitated for a moment. Then, with a small nod, she continued her work, moving about the kitchen.
Another little victory. I’ll take it.
I scrubbed the pot and spoon, acutely aware of her presence. The kitchen wasn’t large, and our proximity felt both comfortable and charged with an unspoken energy. I drank in the scent of her perfume.
You’re supposed to be outside putting bullets into heads. Now look at you.
I rinsed the items and placed them in the drying rack with care. My hands were wet, and I reached for a dish towel, drying them off.
The sound of Zuri moving about, the clink of dishes, and the soft hum of the refrigerator filled the silence between us.
I glanced over at her.
The sunlight caught in those long dreadlocks, creating a halo effect that was mesmerizing.
Meanwhile, she might have been focused on her task, but I still caught her stealing glances at me.
And I swore that her expression softened each time our eyes met.
Zuri finally broke the silence. “Thank you, Dante. For helping. For today. . .with Carmen.”
I leaned against the counter, allowing myself to be closer to her. “It was my pleasure. She’s amazing, Zuri. Just like her mother.”
There was a brief flicker of something in her eyes—surprise, perhaps, or a hint of the old affection we once shared. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, but it left warmth in its wake.
I swallowed. “We’ve. . .missed a lot.”
“We have.”
In that small kitchen, with the sun setting outside and our daughter asleep in the next room, the distance of years and the pain of separation seemed to melt away, if only for a moment.
And that could have all been in my head, but I didn’t care.
Then, suddenly, my eyes caught a glint of metal around her neck.
I squinted.
It was a necklace, one I hadn’t noticed before. Dangling from it and hidden between her cleavage was a. . .
I rose from the counter.
She watched me. “What?”
I took a step forward. “What’s that?”
“Where?” She looked behind her.
“On your necklace.” I came closer.
Barely two feet ran between us.
“Oh.” She made no move to pull the necklace out and show me.
“What is it?” I knew I was now towering over her, but I couldn’t move away. It was something about the way it glinted.
Is that. . .
Zuri stirred and then let out a big sigh as she pulled the necklace out.
I thought that was it.
My engagement ring hung from the chain. The ring that I had chosen with such care and hope years ago, was an elegant band of white gold. Its surface was smooth and unadorned, except for the huge diamond that sat securely in a classic setting. I’d paid a nice price for it, and hadn’t regretted the choice at all.
It was strange how something so small could hold so much meaning.
So much so that the sight of it took my breath away.
Memories of our love flooded back into my heart.
Her face flushed as she turned away.
“You still have it.”
She didn’t put her view back on me.
“I know you must have struggled in these years. You could have sold the ring. The money would have taken care of you for several months. Maybe, made life easier.”
Zuri’s hand instinctively went to the ring, and her fingers lightly touched it. “It didn’t feel right to get rid of it.”
You still love me.
“I’m glad you kept it.” I inched forward but was still mindful of the space she needed.
Zuri didn’t respond.
I wanted to reach out, to close the small distance between us, but I held back.
She swallowed and looked at me. “Where are you staying now?”
“I hadn’t thought that out.”
“You don’t have anywhere to stay?”
“Viper Mob gave me a condo somewhere in Shadow Heights. I’m sure it’s a penthouse with all the luxury money can buy.”
“Will you be safe there?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Are you offering me a place to sleep?”
She blinked. “I. . .was just asking.”
“You’re worried about me?”
“Of course, I am, Dante.”
“You still love me?”
She parted her lips.
I tilted my head to the side. “Do you?”
She looked away and then back at me. I could almost touch the intensity emanating from her curvy body. “I don’t want you to go back to Shadow Heights and take them on. I would rather you get a hotel in Paradise and just. . .stay safe.”
“That wasn’t an answer to my question.”
“Dante, Carmen loved having you here.”
“She did.” I nodded. “Did you?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
The air buzzed around us.
“I’ve been thinking.” She sighed. “You don’t have to keep Viper Mob’s deal. Whatever it is.”
“I do have to keep my end of the deal, but even more important, I want to keep it.”
“Why?”
“I want to keep Carmen and you, safe.”
“We’ve been safe this whole time.”
That may change with what I’ve done to her capos.
Zuri dropped her hand from the ring. “I work for a very powerful man that could help—”
