Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
I nod quickly before I push my body up on my tiptoes to press a thankful kiss to his jaw. When I pull back, Leo brings a hand to my face and grips my chin between his fingers. His mouth slams into mine, and he kisses the everloving crap out of me. His tongue thrusts past my lips, and the wildness as he devours me makes me whimper and push my body against his.
There’s so much desperation and need, and for a few minutes, there’s only Leo and the way his mouth claims mine.
I taste his anger, his pain, and his crazed obsession with me. It should terrify me, but instead, it draws me in like a moth to a flame.
By the time he breaks the kiss, and we stare at each other, our faces only an inch apart, I realize I’ll allow this man to burn me to ashes.
There’s so much emotion alive in his eyes as he says, “I love you so fucking much it drives me to the brink of insanity.” He sucks in a deep breath, then tilts his head. “Stellina mia.” He brushes his hand over the side of my face, his gaze taking me in as if I’m all that matters to him. “Princepessa mia.”
I nod before pushing up on my tiptoes so I can kiss him again. It’s tender but quick, then I pull away and say, “You need to put on your shirt.”
I pick it up off the couch and hold it open so he can push his arms through the rolled-up sleeves. Moving around him, I quickly fasten all the buttons.
Leo tucks the fabric into his pants while he walks to where his gun is lying, and I feel a spike of anxiety as he tucks the weapon in behind his back.
He said he won’t hurt Mom. I have to trust him.
Chapter 23
LEO
Seeing the anxious look on Haven’s face, I say, “I’m just going to talk to her.”
She nods. “Okay.”
I walk to the side table and pour myself a drink, which I down in one gulp. I feel the welcome burn of the whiskey in my throat, but it does nothing to ease my thirst for blood.
It’s the only thing that will calm me down.
Gallons and gallons of fucking Romano blood.
My top lip curls up, and I roll my shoulders as I fight the urge to kill. I need to get all my questions answered before I end Nicolo.
When I hear a car pull up to the house, I glance at the front door.
“Can I talk to her first?” Haven asks.
Gesù Cristo, she’s asking a lot of me.
“I’ll try to give you a few minutes,” I mutter, not able to make any promises.
When the front door opens and my gaze lands on Dakota Romano, my fingers grip the tumbler so hard the glass cracks.
The sound has Haven’s head snapping in my direction. She rushes to my side and takes the tumbler out of my hand, setting it on the side table. I watch as she inspects my palm, and seemingly pleased I haven’t injured myself, she links her fingers with mine.
She came to me instead of running to her mom.
Her voice is strained when she says, “Hi, Mom.”
Dakota glances around the foyer before looking at us. “Hi. What’s going on?”
“Come sit.” Haven gestures at the couches. “We have to talk about something serious.”
Massimo comes in and makes a beeline for me. “You okay?”
I shake my head, then have no choice but to move when Haven tugs on my hand, pulling me to the couch across from the one Dakota is taking a seat on.
“We found out something today,” Haven begins to explain after we sit down. “Leo knows me from before you adopted me. He was best friends with my older brother.”
Confusion and shock shudder over Dakota’s face. “You didn’t have an older brother. You were an only child.”
“Like fucking hell she was,” I growl.
Haven squeezes my hand, then continues, “Leo is the boy in the nightmares, Mom. I was taken during an attack where they tried to kill him.”
“No. Your parents were killed in a robbery gone wrong,” Dakota argues.
“She was kidnapped right in front of me.” I snap angrily, drawing Dakota’s stunned gaze to me.
She shakes her head. “I saw the police report. It was a robbery gone wrong.”
“Carina Messina,” I bite her name out. “Was that the name on the police report?”
Dakota nods. “Yes. She was given a new identity because she saw the robbers.”
I let out a chuckle, my control slipping fast.
Massimo comes to sit on the armrest and places his hand on my shoulder. I know he’s doing it so he can restrain me fast if I lose my shit.
“Mom, I remember Leo. He has my stuffed unicorn. He has a photo of me with him and my brother.”