But no. Of course she didn’t know. She couldn’t. An angel like her would never be with a monster like me if she knew what lay under my polished exterior.
But she’s here now, and I’m keeping her.
Oblivious to my dark thoughts, she fiddles with her seatbelt. Her presence fills my car. My world. For once, the dark corners of my mind are quiet, soothed by the simple truth of her.
I can still feel the ghost of her kiss, the press of her body against mine, the little gasps she made that nearly undid me. She tasted delicious on my fingers.
I’ve never been that interested in sex, treating it as a chore rather than a pleasure, but Erin made me reconsider. More than that, she made mehungry.
I want her. All of her. Want to make her come on my fingers again, flushed and helpless against the wave of her desire. I want to taste her, lick her clean, suck her orgasm out of her.
Then I want to fuck her.
She’d take it so well. I just know she would. Her body seems made for it. I could feel how greedily her pussy tightened around my knuckles—she’s hungry for me, too. Forthis.
But not yet. It’s too early. Now that I’ve finally got her, the last thing I want to do is scare her.
We’ll take it slow. I let my control slip in that bathroom, but no more. From now on, I’ll be a perfect gentleman.
Unless she asks me not to be.
Eager to distract myself, I reach for my phone and hit speed dial.
Alberto picks up on the second ring. “You’re alive. We were starting to think you’d been shot, or maybe seduced to death.”
I roll my eyes. “Tell the others something came up.”
A beat. Then a low, knowing laugh. “Oh,somethingdefinitely came up. Don’t worry, boss. Riccardo bailed halfway through the veal, and Moretti looked like he was mentally composing a love poem to the bartender. You’re not the only one distracted tonight.”
Good. That means no one will be asking questions.
“Keep an eye on the Bratva situation,” I add. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Copy that.”
I hang up.
We drive in silence for a while. Erin occasionally glances at me, but doesn’t say anything. I know she’s still processing everything. Who wouldn’t be?
I should take her home. Should do the responsible thing and drop her off, let her go back to her shoebox apartment. But when we finally turn onto her street in the Bronx, that plan evaporates.
There are men at her door.
Three of them. Big. Loud. One of them pounding hard enough to rattle the frame.
I brake hard. Erin’s hand grips the side of her seat.
“Oh no,” she breathes. “That’s Viktor. Those are his guys.”
I turn to her sharply. “Viktor?”
She nods, pale now. “He runs one of the gambling dens Jack goes to. He’s dangerous, Luca. Real dangerous.”
Viktor.Not one of my guys. Could be one of Nico’s, though. He’s the one who rules over the Bronx. I’ll have to check in with him, get him to call off the dogs if they’re his.
That’ll have to wait, though.
I grit my teeth.Her brother did this to her.“This shouldn’t be your problem,” I tell her.
