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)
The realization stuns me, and my voice is filled with apprehension as I ask, “Is it weird for you now?”
“What?”
“Do you see me as a little sister?”
His head jerks back, and I begin to worry that I’ve just grossed him out when he mutters, “Hell no. You don’t have to worry about that happening. Ever.”
I let out a relieved chuckle. “Oh, good.”
The heartache and guilt return to his face, and it has me leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to his mouth. “What can I do to help? Will talking about it make you feel better?”
He lifts a hand and rubs over his forehead. “I’m just trying to process the shock. My emotions are all over the place.”
“That’s understandable.”
Leo lets out a heavy sigh before he leans his head back against the couch, his eyes locking on my face. He stares at me for a long moment, then he whispers, “I’m struggling to put the two versions of you together in my mind.” His features soften until he looks at me with love. “I swear I searched for you. There wasn’t a day I didn’t think about you.”
“How could you? You have a little shrine in your bedroom.”
He becomes sad again, and I wish I could magically make him feel better.
His voice is brimming with emotion as he says, “I loved you so much when we were young.” Lifting his hand to my face, he cups my left cheek. “And I’ve fallen in love with you now.” His eyes darken with possessiveness. “I don’t think I’ll be able to let you out of my sight ever again.”
It takes close to two hours before Leo seems to get over the worst of the initial shock, but then rage begins to burn in his eyes, which are still glued to me.
“Tell me again what you remember from after the attack.”
I think hard before I answer, “There was a group of men, maybe five or so. They were all shouting.”
When I don’t add anything else, he asks, “Is that all?”
I nod. “After that, all my memories are of my mom and dad and growing up in Whitefish. I used to see a therapist for the nightmares, and eventually they stopped. She said I probably blocked all my memories and that it was my mind’s way of protecting me.”
“They probably brainwashed you,” he snaps angrily.
He shifts and pulls his phone out of his pocket. I watch as he brings up Massimo’s number, and when the call is answered, he growls, “Bring Dakota Romano to the mansion.”
My eyebrows fly up, and realizing Mom might be in danger, I quickly move off Leo’s lap and climb to my feet. Wildly shaking my head, I say, “Promise you won’t hurt my mom.”
Still on the call, Leo lets out a dangerous-sounding chuckle. “No. If she had anything to do with your kidnapping, I’m fucking killing her.”
Horrified, I keep shaking my head. “She’s my mother, Leo! Even if she was involved, she raised me. I love her. If you kill her, you have to kill me.”
Dropping the phone on the couch without ending the call, he shoots to his feet and comes to stand right in front of me. His rage makes him look unbelievably threatening.
“You were stolen from me by those fuckers you call family. They fucking killed Diego. Your brother, Carina! They shot your unarmed mother and father as if they were dogs. They put two bullets in me.” His voice drops to a low hiss, “I was left lying in a pool of my own blood and couldn’t do shit as you screamed for me to save you.” His breathing speeds up dangerously fast. “Because of the Romanos, I’ve lived in hell for seventeen years.”
Everything in me stills as I listen to Leo’s side of what happened. I lift my hands to the sides of his neck and give him a pleading look. “Hurting my mother will hurt me. Killing her will kill me.” I give him a pleading look. “I’ll never ask you for anything again, just don’t hurt her.”
Leo pulls away from me and picks up his phone before barking, “You still there?” He listens, then his eyes lock on me again as he says, “No, don’t tell her anything. Just say she’s coming to visit. I want to see her reaction when I confront her. Send Dante and a team to Nicolo’s place and have them detain everyone. I want Nicolo alive.”
Leo ends the call, and I give him a hopeful look.
He pushes the phone back into his pocket before he comes to wrap me up in a hug. I listen as he takes deep breaths, then he says, “I won’t hurt her.”
A sigh of relief bursts from me, and I wrap my arms around his waist. “Thank you.”
“I’m only doing it for you.”