Page 40 of Humility

“I really feel like I’m imposing on you,” I said, looking up at his handsome face.

He stared at me for so long that I blushed and looked away. I’d forgotten what it was like to flirt with someone and felt rusty.

“Trust me. I want to.” Enzo held out his hand. “Here is the key to the room. There is a fantastic coffee and sweets shop no more than a two-minute walk down the road.” I took the key, and he stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. “I’ll be by before lunch to take you out, say eleven-thirty?”

“Sounds good. Thank you.”

“Goodnight, Isabella. I enjoyed spending time with you today.”

The corner of my mouth lifted in a smile. “Same.”

Backing out the door, he closed it, and I flicked the lock. I watched him pull away from the window and bit my lip as I held back the smile. Day two had started terribly, but it ended up being amazing.

I needed to grow tougher skin to remain in this world without a safety net, but first, I needed a hot shower.

Chapter Twenty

ANGELO

It was really her. No two people could look that much alike. Could they? I watched her from the darkened window of my car as she stepped out of the truck, and Enzo escorted her into the hotel.

It was definitely her, and if she were a mirage made of my mind’s longing, then I never wished to wake up. There was nothing in this life I desired more than her. From the first touch we shared as children, I knew deep down that she was mine. I hated her because she made me feel. Jasmine made me hope for something different than what my parents had. It took me a long time to understand that, but the moment I let the reality of my love for her sink in, I was done for.

I’d tried three times to broker a marriage when I got back from America, and each time her father turned me away before my ass could touch the chair. Hell I never made it inside the gates. The rage I felt at the insult was so great that my first thought had been to kill Don Falcone with my bare hands and take what I wanted. Jacopo was the reason I didn’t act. If he took control of the family, there was no telling what he would do with Jasmine. So, I came up with another plan.

The question was, why was she here if she was betrothed to Ciro? The better question was, did I care about the betrothal? No, I fucking did not. I would march across the parking lot, kick down the door, and fuck her against the wall right now. Fuck that wasn’t a terrible idea. The fact that my pants were suddenly uncomfortable confirmed it.

“I told you,” Dario said, his voice as hopeful as I felt.

“I just don’t understand why she’s here.”

“Neither do I.” Dario looked over. “Do you think they know we are here and are using her as bait?”

It was something to contemplate, but I didn’t think so. “She paid cash and is using a different name. Jasmine is running from something, maybe even her fiancé. She may even be looking for us. I mean what are the chances that we’d end up in the same town?”

“Or all of this is Don Falcone’s doing to rook us in, and he is waiting to pounce.”

“Possible, but why not storm our house already?” I shook my head as Enzo stepped out of the room and slipped into the truck. “No, I think our Tiger has secrets she is trying to hide, which works well for us. She doesn’t want to be found either. No matter what, I’m willing to take the risk to find out.”

I pulled out of the shady hiding spot and followed the truck.

“What are you planning?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I have hoped for a moment like this since shit went down. I’m not passing up this opportunity to reclaim what is mine.”

“Ours,” Dario said, and I glanced over at the man who looked ready to kill.

“Yes, ours.”

“What about Enzo? I don’t think he’ll just walk away.”

“You mean without killing him?” Dario glared at me, and I shrugged. “I’ll think about it. I’ve never had a problem sharing Jasmine with you, but Enzo is still new. Faceless, annoying women are one thing. My Tiger is another.”

“I suggest we talk to Jasmine, tell her what happened and let her choose what she wants,” Dario said.

“If I did that, we would have bullets in our skulls. No, we need to be more devious than that. I’ll come up with a plan.”

* * *