36
“I’mglad you got your bike back.”
I peered over my seat from where I was crouched and polishing a rim, catching the sight of Gio sitting on the steps, his elbows resting over his knees. I waited for him to return eye contact, but his gaze was downcast.
“That’s the most you’ve spoken to me for nearly two weeks.”
“Yeah, well, you’re in love with my sister, so I know you’d take her side no matter what.”
I chose to address the first part of his statement at a later time. “So I don’t get a say? I thought we were friends, kid.”
“Stop calling me kid,” he said, finally meeting my eyes. His bravado instantly wavered. “Please,” he added in a softer tone.
“Okay, Gio. I get that you fought with Amalia, and you’re upset, but that doesn’t mean your issue is with me.”
He shrugged. “I just want to go home.”
I set the rag on my seat and joined him on the steps. “Your sister is working on that. But either way, I know neither of you wants to say goodbye on bad terms.”
“Tell her that. She’s the one who needs to apologize.” This conversation wasn’t exactly going the way I’d hoped. “Kai, do you think she’s right? What she said. I know you heard us, and even if you didn’t, I know she told you.”
I sighed and leaned back on my hands. “I think she cares about you and wants a different life for you than all this. That’s really all there is to it.”
He remained quiet, lost in thought.
There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he and Amalia would work through whatever this was, so I decided not to press. Pushing to my feet, I walked back toward Gloria, happy to be able to ride again, and climbed on the seat, eager to hear her purr for me.
“Do you, Kai? Do you love my sister?” he asked as I turned the ignition.
His direct question caught me off guard. Amalia and I had moments of deep connection, of admissions and revelations about our feelings for each other, but those three words had yet to be spoken out loud. I felt her in my heart, buried so deeply that I knew it was her home. I didn’t need months or years to understand what she meant to me and represented in my life or that she was the only woman I saw when I closed my eyes and envisioned a future.
“Even if you don’t want to answer, I know. I saw what you did for her that day.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“I’m not.” Gio approached me. “Kai, would you do anything for her?”
I whistled a breath. “You’re just full of questions today, aren’t you?”
“Well?”
Gio wasn’t ready to hear the lengths I would go to for Amalia. Putting a hand on his shoulder, I nodded. “I would.”
He grabbed my arms and attempted to shake me. “Then save her, Kai. Save her from herself. Take her away from here.”
“Gio, you know who I am. What I do.”
He squared his shoulders. “So stop. Sever your ties like your brother.”
“How the hell do you know about Derek?”
“That’s not important.”
“Kid,” I huffed.
“Gio.”
“Gio, it’s not that simple.”
He clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. “You’re all hypocrites.”
Without another word, he stormed up the steps. On his way inside, he shoved past Amalia and Holly and quickly disappeared.
“He’s still upset with you?” Holly asked.
“Seems that way.” Amalia climbed on my bike, straddling the seat and looping her arms around my neck. “He’ll get over it eventually,” she said with a tinge of sadness. I brought her closer so that her thighs rested on mine.
“Would you mind if I took him out for a bit? Maybe a movie, dinner. It’ll help us both clear our heads.”
Amalia seemed to contemplate the idea for a beat, then smiled at her friend and nodded. “Maybe that’s exactly what he needs. He’s been cooped up here for two weeks. Surrounded by everything that’s upsetting him, including me.”
“I know that feeling…of feeling suffocated and trapped while holding a grudge. That shit will wear on someone.”
I could only assume she was talking about Rocco. I knew of her feelings for that bastard, and it never occurred to me that a part of her could resent his death. But she also loved Amalia, so I could see how her feelings were conflicted.
“I’ll call you as soon as we get there.”
“Thank you, Hols.”
“Of course, babes. See you two lovebirds later.”
“How is she holding up?” I asked when she was gone.
“Better. She made it through our meeting and was mostly herself.”
I scooped Amalia closer until her ass was in my lap. “You’re back early today,” I said, preferring to switch the subject.
“It went a lot smoother than I thought. Some things are still up in the air as far as filling in the void Rocco and his men left. No one knows what really happened. They just care that he’s dead.”
I leaned forward and kissed her as I reached for the handles. “How about we forget all of that and go for a ride.”
“Mmm, that sounds like a good idea. Where’s my helmet?”
“Your helmet?”
“Yes, mine.”
“Fuck, yes,” I said, my arm wrapped around her lower back as I revved the engine. “But you’re going to stay right here.”
“You want me to ride like this?”
“You can ride me any way you want to, vicious. But right now, I want you just like this.”
I retrieved her helmet and quickly jogged back, unable to hide the smile on my face, when I realized Amalia hadn’t moved. She’d waited for me exactly as I told her, and the fact that she trusted me to care for her caused heat to build in my chest.
“We’re just going to take a little spin around the property. I wouldn’t risk your safety out on the road like this,” I said, adjusting her helmet and pulling her close by the mouthpiece. I pressed a kiss to the top of the helmet and gently tapped it. “Ready?”
“Always.”
I took her slow at first, noting Amalia’s death grip on my arms.
“If I fall, I kill you.”
I laughed and gripped her hip. “Relax, baby. You trust me, right?”
“You know I do.”
“Then you know I’d never let you fall.”
Villa Dorada was an extensive property with acres of land and dirt roads. I knew she rarely visited these parts, but I wanted to teach her how to ride out here. I’d never been interested in having someone to share this hobby with until her. It was almost scary how much I wanted her to be a part of every facet of my life.
“Hold on. I’m going to open up a little here.”
She crossed her arms behind my neck. “Is this okay?”
“Do you want me to teach you how to ride?”
“I’m two steps ahead of you, Cain. I’m having two delivered on Monday.”
“Two?” I asked with a laugh.
“I couldn’t decide. But I already have names picked out—Christian and Carlo. Twins.”
I knew Amalia had a past. She wasn’t a virgin when I met her, but as irrational as it was, I wanted to slit the throats of fucking Christian and Carlo.
“I know you’re enjoying all the questions I haven’t even asked yet.”
She tipped her head back and laughed. “And I know what you’re thinking, and not that I haven’t been there because I’m not ashamed”—I knew she could feel how my body tensed with her admission—“but…I totally just made up those names to mess with you.”
“Vicious.”
She squealed and squeezed her legs around my torso when I gunned it.
It was just after sunset when we arrived back home. We’d spent the evening by a lake, talked, fucked, and talked some more until the rumbling in both our stomachs was too loud to keep ignoring. Opting to store the bike away later, I parked it near the front entrance.
The moment we stepped through the door, the smell of Milly’s latest masterpiece hit our noses, and neither of us said a word as we made a mad dash to the dining room.
Amalia’s cell phone buzzed in her pocket, and I saw the conflict on her face.
“Call them back later.”
The buzzing was relentless until she gave in and reached for it, immediately answering when she saw Holly’s name on the screen.
“Holly?”
She sounded fearful as if she knew that whatever news she received on the other end of that call would drastically change things.
“Amalia…they’re all dead.”
She gripped the phone with both hands, her mouth parted slightly, expression stoic. “Who? Who’s dead?”
“The shipment. All of it. Another ambush. They killed the men and stole the guns. They knew the route, Amalia. It doesn’t sound like some random hit.”
She shook her head slowly, the shock of the news settling in.
“Rocco’s men?” I asked.
“I…don’t know. I changed the route yesterday. No one had any idea. It doesn’t add up. Fuck!”
Amalia broke into a sprint and ran down the hallway.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“To end this.”
“Amalia, wait.”
She kept moving faster until I realized she was far from me and heading toward the garage. “Amalia!”
By the time I’d crossed through the doors, the Hellcat roared to life, and the garage door had just finished rolling all the way open.
“Amalia, open the door,” I demanded, pulling at the handle. She didn’t even look my way. “Amalia, open this goddamn door!” The tires screeched when she peeled off and down the driveway. “Shit!” Running as fast as I could through the open garage on foot, I reached my bike and took off after her.
I called her three times and was sent to voicemail. But I wouldn’t stop until she listened to reason.
“You have two seconds,” she hedged, finally picking up.
“Amalia, stop this. It’s a goddamn suicide mission, and you know it.”
“Time’s up.”
“Don’t you dare hang up this call.” Silence. “Listen to me. We can do this. We can do whatever you want, but we do it together. As a team. You, me, your girls. They don’t stand a chance. But not like this. Not alone.”
“No.” The call dropped.
She was weaving in and out of traffic, driving erratically and nearly wrecking.
Fuck.
I called another three times. The fourth was the charm because she picked up but said nothing. “Listen to me, mi reina, please. You can’t be this impulsive. It will get you killed, and so will your driving.”
Her laugh was cynical and cold. “You’re criticizing the way I drive right now.”
“Amalia, I’m right behind you. You’re going to get us both killed, either here on the goddamn highway or by Rocco’s men.”
“Go home, Kai.”
“Do you hear yourself? You think I’m going to turn around and let you go out guns blazing? Is that what you want to do?”
She accelerated, passing a truck and nearly crashing head-on with a pickup but dodged death at the very last second.
“Amalia, when I fucking catch up to you, that ass is mine.” The line went dead, and she sped up, zooming past a red light. I tried to follow, but a caravan of five or six cars blocked my way. I had to slow down and go around them, dodging two more cars. Horns blared, and obscenities flew. I’d lost her, and I suddenly had to make a split-second decision as there was an exit less than five hundred feet in front of me.
Shit.
I veered right and gunned it as soon as I came off the curve, and my stomach felt like it collapsed to my feet when I saw her car halfway in a ditch. “No, no, no.”
Hopping off the bike, I darted toward the upturned vehicle, frantically calling her name as I ripped off my helmet and used it to shatter the driver’s side window. There was no movement, no sounds, and I didn’t see her anywhere. Blood thundered past my ears so loudly I could barely hear my thoughts.
“Amalia!” Fear seized my heart when I realized she wasn’t in her car. Had she been thrown? I whipped my head around, and that’s when I caught sight of her stumbling down the side of the road.
I called her as I ran, but she didn’t turn or acknowledge me until I gripped her arm and whirled her around. Her first instinct was to fight me off, and I feared she’d hit her head and was disoriented.
“Baby, stop. Look at me. It’s me. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Let me go!” she shouted, not looking at me.
“I’m not going to do that.” I patted her down, searching every area of exposed skin for blood or apparent injuries, and a heavy breath left my body when it was obvious she’d walked away unscathed. “Amalia, I feel like I’m having a heart attack right now. Please, stop.”
“I told you I’m fine.” She shoved out of my arms and stormed down an embankment.
“You’re not walking out here like this. Let’s go.”
“I’m fine,” she said again, grating on my last nerve.
“Amalia, get on the bike.”
“I need to walk. I need to think.”
“Amalia, get on the goddamn bike before I make you.” The authority in my voice made her hesitate for just a moment.
“Fuck off. I said I need to walk.”
Left with no other option, I scooped her up and threw her body over my shoulder.
“You son of a bitch. Let me down!” she yelled, pounding on my back.
No sooner had I sat her on my bike than I felt the sting of a slap connect with the side of my face. I gripped her throat and slammed my mouth into hers, snuffing out my anger. Amalia attempted to pull away for the first few seconds, but then seemed to melt into my chest. I held her face and pulled back just enough to gaze into her eyes.
“I’m not the enemy,” I whispered, kissing her again, softer this time. “Please, stop for a second and think. You know this is reckless—all of it. Just like you know, I’d never let you go on this crazy-ass mission alone. So you and I will die together tonight or plan this out properly. Either way, it’s me and you. Always.”
She fisted my shirt and rested her forehead on my chin, her soft cries cutting deep. Every word I’d said was heartfelt. I would die for this woman, just as I would kill for her.
“Tell me what you want, and we’ll do it. If we have to take out every last one of them, I’m there.”
She finally looked up at me, blinking away tears. “Sometimes, I don’t deserve you, Kai.”
Dipping my head, I smiled and dropped another kiss on her lips. “You’re right. You deserve so much better, baby. But it’s too late because you’re mine. Till death, and I’m a man of my word.”