by Penelope Sky
I’d never seen Griffin act this way, raise his voice to shake the windows with his baritone. I felt bad for Vanessa anytime they had a fight. “He’s not the same man that he was before. He’s different now. At least, he’s different with me.”
Griffin rolled his eyes. “You’re smarter than this.”
“I know him better than you do, Griffin. I’m not saying you’re wrong about everything you just said. But there’s a lot more to him than you realize. He’s kind, generous, protective, and—”
“Psychotic? You tried to dump him, and he wouldn’t let you. He thinks the rules don’t apply to him.”
“And you know what?” I challenged. “I’m glad he didn’t let me walk away. He said he wanted a real chance with me, and once I gave it to him, he showed me that he’s sensitive, loving, and gentle. He’s not just the monster you perceive him to be.”
“Fuck, this is worse than I thought.” He rubbed the back of his head, his chest puffing up with the deep breaths he took.
“Please tell me you didn’t tell my father about any of this?”
He looked me in the eye and shook his head. “No. But that’s because Bosco told me you asked for an expiration date.”
So they’d actually spoken to each other? “When did you talk to him?”
His eyes narrowed in ferocity. “The man showed up to my house at four in the morning—where my pregnant wife sleeps.”
My heart fell in my chest. “I know he would never hurt either of you…” I refused to believe Bosco would intimidate my family with his army of men.
“He came unarmed and alone,” Griffin said. “But I don’t give a shit. He crossed a line, Carmen.”
“And what did he say to you?”
“He threatened me to keep my mouth shut.”
The disappointment rushed through me.
“He said he doesn’t want to kill us, but if we move against him, he will. So he encouraged me not to tell your father and your uncle. The only reason I agreed is because of your agreement. When your time is over, you can walk away.”
That deadline was only a few weeks away now. I couldn’t believe how quickly the time had passed. Now we only had a month left together. I agreed to this contract because it gave me everything I wanted—time to enjoy him and an escape route. But the idea of leaving him behind and marrying someone else filled me with unexpected sadness.
“You will walk away, right?” Griffin moved closer to me, examining my face with an intense expression. “When your time is over, you will leave him and move on? Tell me that so I can let this go.”
That was the plan, but the idea of actually going through with it sounded horrible.
“Carmen?” he pressed. “I need to know this is gonna end. Once I do, I can relax. If he’s going to remain a dirty secret that only we know about, then I can keep your secret. But if he’s gonna be a part of our lives forever…I can’t betray your father and uncle.”
“Even if that were the case, who I’m sleeping with is none of their business.”
He looked pissed again. “When you’re fucking the most dangerous man in the country, it is their business.” He held my gaze without blinking, drilling his thoughts deep inside me. He pressed his finger to the counter. “By fucking him, you’re endangering all of us.”
“He would never hurt any of you.”
“If we became a problem, yes, he would. He said it to my face.”
“I know him,” I said with confidence. “He would never hurt you—because it would hurt me. He puts on an act for everyone else, and I’m sure he means it at the time, but when it comes to us, he’s different. As long as you don’t tell my father, there will never be a problem anyway—”
“Are you going to leave him or not?” He slammed his hand down on the counter. “Answer me.”
I had to remind myself that nothing had changed. Bosco and I might have developed a deeper connection, an intimate relationship that I would never find with anyone else, but that didn’t change what came next. There was no future with this man. There was no marriage, children, or dinners with my family. If Griffin was this upset about it, my father’s behavior would only be similar. I would probably never find another man who would make me forget about Bosco entirely, but at least I would have the other things I needed. I dreaded the moment I would pack up my things and leave, saying goodbye to a man I’d given myself to completely. But the ending had been written before we even began. I’d told Bosco what would happen, that I wouldn’t change my mind about my decision. He would let me go because he was a good man who kept his word. And that would be the end. “Yes. I am.”
When I came home from work, Bosco acted like nothing had happened. In just his sweatpants, he kissed me when I walked through the door. His fingers moved into my hair as he cupped my neck, and he lavished me with the same intimacy he showed me every night before we went to sleep. He sucked my bottom lip gently before he let me go. “Beautiful.” He rubbed his nose against mine before he stepped away.
I was so mesmerized by that kiss I nearly forgot about my uncomfortable conversation with Bones. I watched him walk away, the powerful muscles in his back shifting underneath his tight skin.
“I made dinner. Are you hungry?”
Bosco did most of the cooking, so that was a nice change from my single life. But most of the time, it was greens with some kind of non-fatty meat. It was too healthy to my liking, and I’d already dropped five pounds since I moved in—not that I was looking to shed weight.
Everything felt so normal that I almost ignored the elephant in the room. “Bosco, we need to talk.”
He stilled with his back to me. A quiet sigh filled the space before he turned around and faced me, his affectionate look gone. Now he looked irritated, annoyed that we were going to have this conversation. “Alright.”
“Griffin came to my shop today—”
“I’m aware.”
“He didn’t appreciate you showing up on his doorstep like that.”
“I didn’t appreciate him sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.” The kind and affectionate man I was used to had disappeared. Now the cold ruler was in the foreground, cruel and defensive.
“He’s just looking out for me.”
“And I’m looking out for you too. Nothing good would happen if he told your family about our affair. I made sure that didn’t happen—because I don’t want to kill the people you love.”
I’d warned him not to threaten my family again, but he’d crossed the line once more. My eyes narrowed, and I suddenly felt twice as big, twice as bold, and twice as pissed. “This is over.” All the affection I had for this man disappeared when he crossed the line. It didn’t matter how much I cared about him, how much I’d fallen for him. My loyalty would never change. I was devoted to my family, my bloodline, and I wouldn’t put up with someone threatening to touch even a single hair on their heads.
He couldn’t hide his surprise as well as he usually could. “What—”
“We. Are. Over.” I turned my back on him and marched off.
His footsteps sounded behind me. “Carmen.” When I didn’t turn around, he grabbed me by the arm.
I twisted out of his grasp the way my father taught me, spun around, and then slapped him hard across the face.
He turned with the hit, but his body remained perfectly still. He clenched his jaw noticeably, his blue eyes filling with irritation. He slowly turned back to me, his skin slightly red from my palm. “You’re the only woman who’s ever pulled that off.”
“And I’ll pull it off again if I have to.” I wasn’t afraid of this man anymore. I wouldn’t let him have the power a second longer. “I’m getting my stuff, and I’m going home.”
“This is home,” he said, his eyes brimming with rage. “You belong to me.”
“Not anymore. I told you not to threaten my family again, but you did it anyway. Our agreement is off. I won’t sleep with a man who speaks about my family like that. I love them more than anything in t
he world, and if you ever think my loyalty to them will change, then you don’t know me at all.” I turned away, determined to grab my stuff and get the hell out of there.
He followed me into the bedroom. “Carmen.”
I grabbed my suitcase and started to shove everything inside.
He raised his voice. “Carmen.”
I ignored him.
“Goddammit.” He grabbed me by the arm again and yanked me toward him. “I’m sorry.” He released me right away so he wouldn’t get slapped again, his nostrils flaring with his frustration. It was the first time I’d ever heard him apologize for anything—and it seemed like he meant it. “Stay.”
I knew the power had changed in the relationship because he gave me a choice. He didn’t phrase it as a question, but I definitely had the option to leave.
He kept staring at me, a slight look of fear in his gaze. “Beautiful…I said I was sorry.”
I believed he wouldn’t hurt my family because he was a fair man. But now I wanted to know with absolute certainty. “I want you to promise me you will never, ever hurt a member of my family under any circumstance. And I never want you to threaten that you will, not to me or to any of them. Those are my terms. Take them, or I walk.” I was negotiating with a man who didn’t need to negotiate. He had all the power and could do whatever he wanted. But I was going to try, to use my leverage over this man.
He was quiet for a long time, like he was actually considering what I asked. “Alright.”
I couldn’t believe I actually got my way. “I want you to promise me.”
Anger flashed across his eyes. “I’m a man of my word.”
“You said you always keep your promises. I want this to be a promise.”
“And what if they attack me?”
“That would never happen.”
“You really think so?” he asked coldly. “A father will do anything for his daughter if he thinks she’s in danger.”
“My family would never hurt you.”
“Why?”
“Because I would never let them, okay? Now, promise me.”
He sighed before he finally gave me what I wanted. “I promise.”
All the fight left my body once I’d secured something so important to me. Now I never had to worry about it again. Bosco would keep his promise to me—because he’d proven it a million times over.
“Can you forget the suitcase now?” His body relaxed slightly now that the worst was over.
“Yeah…” Now that my rage had evaporated, I knew I didn’t want to walk out the door. This was exactly where I wanted to be—with this man. “Why did you show up on his doorstep like that?” I resumed our previous conversation.
“It was the best time. I didn’t want anyone to see us together. I didn’t want there to be a history of me on his phone. I wanted to come unarmed so he would know I wasn’t a threat to him or you.”
“He doesn’t like anyone coming near his wife.”
“I wasn’t there for her. Couldn’t care less about her.”
“It was still rude. You never show up on someone’s doorstep like that.”
“It’s done,” he said. “The conversation is over. Let it be.”
“Why did you do that in the first place?”
“I already told you. I wanted to make sure this would remain a secret. It would make both of our lives difficult if it didn’t stay that way. I’ve never met your family, but I know they wouldn’t be happy if they knew we were together. It would cause a lot of problems, and since I’m happy with the way things are, I didn’t want to disrupt that.” His muscles were still tensed, his shoulders rigid and his abs tight. “He didn’t leave me much of a choice since he was snooping around everywhere. He knew exactly what the repercussions would be, but he did it anyway.”
“Because he wants me to be safe.”
“The safest place in the world is by my side. He knows that.”
Carmen knew Griffin couldn’t disagree with that statement.
“He yelled at me for a bit but finally let it go.”
“Good.”
“Since this is gonna end in four weeks, he said he would let it run its course.”
Just a second ago, he was angry then apologetic. But now he wore a new expression. His eyes fell slightly, the beautiful blue color fading. His muscles stopped tensing and immediately went slack. His breathing changed as well—becoming nonexistent. It was the first time he’d dropped his gaze, breaking eye contact with me like my face was too much for him. “Yeah…let it run its course.”
It was tense for the next few days. It took time for us to recover from the difficult conversation we’d had. He wasn’t angry or bitter. He was just cold, not nearly as affectionate as he used to be.
Sex was to the point. Conversations were short. Life turned bleak.
We sat together at the dining table and had dinner, a boring meal of fish and vegetables. The only reason we had rice was because I demanded it. Shirtless across from me, he looked at his food instead of me.
I wasn’t sure what had pushed him away. Whether it was the promise I forced him to make or the reminder that our relationship was almost over. The second one wasn’t a surprise, so it must have been the first one. But I wouldn’t apologize for protecting my family. Not now. Not ever.
His phone was sitting on the table, and it started to ring. Ronan was usually the person who called him, but today, there was a different name on the screen.
Ruby.
AKA the biggest skank ever.
He glanced at it before he hit the button to ignore her call.
My blood immediately boiled at the sight of her name. I despised that woman, wanting to throw her in the ring myself so I could rip her hair out of her skull and punch her in the boobs. She was like a shark circling her prey, waiting for the moment I was gone so she could have Bosco to herself.
Bitch.
Bosco acted like nothing happened. He kept eating, as if he forgot about her name the second after he saw it.
Something snapped inside me. I had no idea what it was. I wasn’t angry at Bosco because he didn’t do anything wrong, but I was pissed that Ruby kept wanting him without even being subtle about it. I guess I was jealous…super jealous.
I grabbed his phone and called her back.
Bosco stopped eating. He stared at me while he held his fork, his eyebrow slightly raised because he had no idea what I was doing.
Her seductive voice was as slutty as it was when I heard it in person. “Bosco, I knew you’d come around. Perfect timing because I’m buck naked on my bed, only covered in diamonds.”
I seriously wanted to knock her out. “Listen up, skank. Bosco Roth is mine. I’m living with him, I’m fucking him, and it doesn’t matter how nice your tits are, he doesn’t want them. His hands are already full with mine.” I hung up and slammed the phone down, still livid that this woman had such audacity to call him in the first place.
Bosco didn’t take his phone back or got upset that I told off one of his regulars. He kept holding his fork as he stared at me, his eyebrows slowly returning to their normal place. He didn’t ask me why I did that or how I knew about her tits.
I avoided his gaze, embarrassed that I’d let her get under my skin. I shouldn’t be jealous. I shouldn’t be angry that she wanted to fuck him the second I was gone. Bosco was gonna fuck someone. It didn’t really matter if it was her or not. But the fact that she wanted him when he was still mine pissed me off.
Silence continued.
Bosco resumed eating, not wearing a smug smile like he normally would during moments like these.
I felt like I should give an explanation, but I didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry…” I would be pissed if he called someone with my phone, and I shouldn’t have done that to him. When I was angry, I couldn’t think clearly. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“You can do whatever you want, Beautiful. I don’t care about her.”
“Ever since I saw her throw her tits
out at you, I’ve hated her. I just can’t stand her.”
He stopped eating but didn’t seem surprised by what I’d said.
That meant Ronan must have told him. “I wasn’t spying on you. I forgot my keys, so I came back to get them. By the time I was done, her tits were out, and you were having a deep conversation.”
“I wouldn’t care even if you were spying on me. I have nothing to hide.” Bosco had always been transparent from the beginning, never ashamed of any of his qualities. It was refreshing to be with a man who truly didn’t care what anyone thought.
“I was surprised you didn’t do anything.” I’d expected him to palm her tits before he fucked her on the couch. We hadn’t been together very long, so he didn’t have a reason to be loyal to me. She was drop-dead gorgeous. No matter how much I hated her, it couldn’t change that fact. I was sure Bosco enjoyed fucking her in the past.
He set his fork down and held my gaze, his expression darkening. “Why would I want her when I have you?” He said it with sincerity, his words coming from his heart as well as his mouth.
“But she’s got perfect tits, enough confidence to just show up on a man’s doorstep and demand sex, and she’s—”
“Nothing compared to you.” He didn’t blink the entire time he held my gaze. “She could be the most beautiful woman in the world, and my dick isn’t going to respond. You could never find out about my infidelity, and it still wouldn’t change anything. I love you, Carmen Barsetti—so I’m never going to want anyone else but you.” Without a hint of shame, he continued to hold my gaze, unapologetic. It didn’t seem like he cared what I said in response. He spoke his mind, confident in his statement and unafraid of what I would say in return.
The second I heard what he said, my body tensed noticeably, all my muscles getting tighter and uncomfortable. His words didn’t surprise me, but they caught me off guard anyway. Bosco Roth just declared his love for me, and now he stared at me so hard, like there would be consequences if I didn’t say it back.