Keep: Romanian Mob Chronicles (14 page)

F
awn

Three Months Later

I
took
a
deep breath and then knocked on the door. He’d told me I didn’t have to do that, but what he said and how I felt were seldom the same thing, not when his words welcomed me with open arms but his voice, his body, his ice-cold eyes told me to stay away.

He opened the door and stood in the entryway, looking down at me with a frown and question on his face. He seemed the same physically, imposing form, cold expression, but he was burdened now, changed, and even though I couldn’t imagine all the things he’d seen and done in his life, I could see that he was different, weighed upon.

I planned to do my part to lift at least some of that burden.

“I’m going to Esther’s,” I said.

“One of the men will take you. Stay as long as you want.”

He turned, but stopped when I spoke. “No, Vasile. I’m going and I’m staying.” He looked at me, seemed to notice for the first time the bag that I held in my hand. He focused on it and I saw a fleeting flash of regret across his face. But then his expression closed, and he shut down completely.

“It’s probably for the best. I’ll have someone watch the house.”

And then he again turned to walk away, but I stood rooted in my spot, frozen. I knew I was doing him a favor by removing myself, but to hear him so casual, almost relieved, broke what little was left of my heart.

My vision watered, and the room went blurry.

“You want this. Why are you crying?” he asked, sounding as if he was inquiring about the weather or some other mundane concern.

“Why wouldn’t I cry? There’s so much to cry about,” I said.

“Like what?” he said, voice flat.

Anger, burst through the pain, sharp and stinging.

“We almost lost her, Vasile! Our daughter, Maria. You remember her, don’t you? She’s in the hospital, but she’s coming here soon, back to what was supposed to be our home,” I said, voice hitching.

He visited her every day, but when we were inside these walls, he acted like I, like she didn’t exist. Had even emptied her nursery. “Just in case,” he’d said, like not having her stuff here meant I wouldn’t get attached, that he wouldn’t get attached. He’d shoved her into a box, tried to keep himself distant so it wouldn’t hurt as much if she didn’t make it. Seemed he was trying to do the same to me.

“Don’t be stupid,” he said, voice harsh, icy eyes filled with pain.

“Too late.”

He had come back to me, and through watery eyes I could see the serious expression on his face, the anger that was the first sign of life that I had seen in him for months. As then I was grateful for even that, welcomed any sign that the person who had captured my heart might still, somewhere, exist.

“You know I don’t like that, Fawn,” he said, voice edging dangerously.

“Why does it matter? I was stupid, stupid to think I had a chance,” I said.

“You have a chance. And he won’t ever hurt you again.”

“He doesn’t have to hurt me—he’s done his worst. He almost took my daughter from me. He did take you away from me. He won.”

I met his eyes and was shocked to see surprise there.

“Me?”

“He did, didn’t he? You don’t look at me. You don’t talk to me. You pretend like I’m not even here. So I may as well not be.”

His face dropped, something almost like confusion crossing his features, so unlike him.

“I…” He reached up to hold my face in his hands, his eyes on mine. “I can’t… When I look at you, I see how much I failed you, her, can’t imagine why you’d spend a moment with me. How you could ever forgive me if we lost her.” He swallowed, his fingers tightening on my face. “Lost Maria.”

His eyes dampened, and I saw the agony in them. I grabbed his wrists, squeezed, hoped that the touch told him that I loved him, that I didn’t blame him. That she was going to be all right. I believed it with all my heart.

“It’s not your fault,” I said, voice hard.

“It is. You, her, you were mine to protect. And I failed. And I’ll never forgive myself for that.” His face and eyes had gone rigid as he spoke, and I felt him slipping away.

“Not even if it’s the only way?” I asked.

“The only way for what?”

“The only way for us to move forward. If you don’t, he will have won. I don’t want him to win. And I don’t want to lose you,” I said.

“You’ll never lose me. You have my heart forever, Fawn,” he said.

He stroked his thumb along my jaw and then leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine. It had been so long since he’d touched me like that, and the feel of his lips against mine, gentle yet firm, reminded me of all those times before, of the times I hoped we’d have again.

He deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into my mouth as he held my face tighter. And then he dropped his arms and let his hands roam my body, gripping at my breasts, across my back, down to cup my ass. When he roughly pushed my pants and panties down my legs and delved his hand between my thighs, I broke the kiss and cried out.

I locked my eyes on his as he ran his fingers across my slit, coaxing moisture from me. His ice-green eyes went darker and all of the emotion that I’d missed, the feeling I thought had left filled them. I saw the pain, the turmoil, the desire, the hope.

Without speaking he half dragged me to the couch and in three deft motions, lowered his pants, settled me over him, and pushed me down on his cock. His thickness spread me, the stinging pleasure making my lungs freeze. With one hand on either of my hips, he kept his eyes on mine and moved me over him, pushing me down as he thrust up, the rhythm jerky, erratic, almost frantic.

I understood well, and with each thrust, I could feel the walls falling, the connection that had pulled me to him, made me stay when it had seemed insane to do so come back full force.

And I could see the love in his eyes. Under the pain, the sadness, it shone bright and true.

I kissed him them, swallowed his each harshly exhaled breath as he pounded into me, took me to heights that only he ever could.

My climax came fast and hard, a lightning strike that had me crying out.

“I love you, Vasile,” I said on a low moan.

He went even harder inside me and then stilled, grasping my face in his hands, his eyes on mine.

“
Te iubesc
, Fawn,” he said as he emptied his seed inside me.

Later, after he’d carried me up the stairs and to the bed, we lay, limbs entwined, his hard body behind me, cocooning me with warmth and love.

F
awn

One Month Later

“
T
hat’s everything
?” I asked.

“Yes. We got the nursery done yesterday and finished bringing everything else in. And Maria Petran is officially home and asleep in her own bed for the very first time.”

Vasile smiled bright, full as I’d ever seen him at that last word. We’d had setbacks, but our baby was home, healthy, and we were together.

I watched him as he peeled his clothes from his body, climbed into our bed, and held me close. We lay there entwined, quiet and somehow I knew that like me, he was thinking about how we’d started, how far we’d come. Where we might go in the future.

“So you’re going to keep me?” I finally asked, voice quiet in the dark of the room.

“Always,” he replied.

T
he Mob Boss
: Complete Saga

The Enforcer

The Assassin

The Soldier

The Con