“You love me,” he whispered as if he couldn’t process the words or quite believe them.
“Yes,” I said, this time with a slight smile. When he opened his mouth to speak, I posed my finger on his lips. “Don’t say anything back. That’s my moment. You savor it.”
He nodded. “Can you repeat it?”
“No.” I chuckled. “Not yet.”
“You really love me.”
“Yes.” My chin quivered. I’d just given him my heart. He was so beautiful and so haunted, I had no chance not to fall in love with him. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes.” He cleared his throat, flashing one of his scowls. “You should go home to your family, little thief. I’ll haunt this cemetery a little longer. It’s free entertainment for the dead today.”
I pressed a kiss on his cheek and pulled back. “Okay.”
He turned to fix his mother’s grave, and I scanned the path leading out of the cemetery, then back to Levi.
It was like two choices. Two destinations.
I returned to him, draping my arm over his as I nestled my head against his bicep.
“What are you—”
“You’re my family too,” I said.
His muscles tensed.
“I finally found a nickname for you.” I paused. “Butterfly.”
Ijabbed the doorbell, crushing Santa’s jolly face plastered on the absurd welcome mat. The door creaked open, revealing Dalia, decked out like a human Christmas tree in a green dress adorned with enough red ribbons to make any kid jealous.
“Merry Christmas,” she greeted with sparkling eyes.
I leaned in to kiss her, but she dodged me, her father looming behind her. Her grandmother swooped in, taking off her apron. Behind her was a dinner table fit for ten people.
“This is for you, Mrs. Mercier.” I handed her grandma the gift I had for her.
“I hope it’s not orthopedic shoes or something like that,” she quipped, unwrapping the gift with a gleam in her eye. “Ah, you’ve got some taste.” She clutched the present to her chest like Gollum protecting his precious. “Dinner will be ready soon. I’ll be right back!”
She disappeared into the kitchen, humming a song while Dalia whispered into my ear, “What did you get her?”
“You don’t want to know.” I had ventured into the dark web to secure a rare species of plants for her collection. “I have a gift for you too, but I’m keeping it for later.”
“I can’t wait,” she said, sliding a USB key into my hand and planting a soft peck on my cheek. “And that’s for you to listen to later.”
Listen? Was it about her music? She wet her glossy lips, wearing that sweet ChapStick that got me hard every time.Bruno Mercier cleared his throat, and Dalia took a step back. I slid the key into my pocket, almost forgetting he was there, his gaze a blend of disapproval and feigned politeness. I handed him a whiskey bottle, the oldest and most expensive on the market. I still had manners after all, but he shouldn’t confuse me with fucking Santa.
“Levi Delombre, it’s been a long time.” Mercier’s smile was devoid of sincerity as he reluctantly accepted the bottle. “Do you drink often?”
“Levi doesn’t drink or smoke, and he’s a talented chess player!” my little doll jumped in, like she had revised her speech for hours in front of a mirror.
“Dalia, why don’t you go see if your grandma needs help? Levi and I could have a manly chat.”
Mercier’s tap on my back sent a ripple of tension through my entire core. If it weren’t for her, I’d have already put that pretty knife on the table to good use—starting with cutting each of his fingers with rings on it. News flash, it was five. A full hand. Dalia’s expression twisted into a frown, caught between uncertainty about who to trust—her father or me.Can’t blame her.Not that Mercier gave a damn. He was already striding toward his office, and I followed him.
As anticipated, the office exuded an air of pretentiousness, dominated by the scent of cigars and aged wood. This was the moment I’d been waiting for. I took my place across from Mercier, watching him perch like a peacock behind his desk.
“I promised my daughter I’d give you a chance.” He crossed his hands, his eyes slicing to mine. “But let’s be honest, you’ll never be good enough for her.”
