Chapter 12
twelve
MARCO
She didn’t need to growl to make her presence known. The Bugatti sat like a beast ready to be unleashed—sleek, lethal, and impossible to ignore under the glare of the overhead lights. Every curve of the Chiron Noire gleamed like liquid obsidian, and for a second, I just stood there, drinking it in.
This wasn’t just a replacement for what I’d lost in the explosion. It was an upgrade. A flex. A fuck-you to the world that tried to take me out. I ran my hand over the hood, the cool metal smooth beneath my palm, and felt my pulse kick up. Nothing hit quite like the high of a new car—especially one that could hit 260 miles per hour and looked like a goddamn Batmobile.
But as the elevator doors slid open, suddenly the three-and-a-half-million-dollar masterpiece of engineering beside me might as well have been invisible.
Kit stepped out, a vision in a floral sundress that swirled around her thighs. The colors complemented her fair skin, making her glow under the harsh fluorescent lights of our private garage. My gaze traced the curve of her waist, the swing of her hips as she moved. That leather jacket she’d thrown over the dress—the one I’d picked out for her—gave her this perfect edge, like a rose with thorns. Beautiful, but not to be fucked with.
Her scent hit me next, that intoxicating mix of sweet florals and fresh earth that had my Alpha instincts standing at attention. Delicate yet wild. Just like her.
“Marco!” Her face lit up when she spotted me, blue eyes bright with affection. My name on her lips sent a jolt straight through me, a feeling no engine rev could ever match.
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face as she quickened her steps. Not a single glance at the collection of luxury vehicles surrounding us—the Lamborghinis, Ferraris, motorcycles that cost more than most houses. Shit, that used to impress every woman I’d ever brought down here. But Kit’s eyes were fixed solely on me, like I was the most valuable thing in this concrete vault.
My arms opened automatically, and she walked right into them, fitting against me like she was made for the space. I buried my face in her hair, inhaling deeply. Nothing beat Kit’s scent— nothing .
“You look fucking incredible,” I murmured against her ear, feeling her shiver against me. My hands settled possessively at her waist, thumbs brushing over the soft cotton of her dress. “This new?”
Kit pulled back just enough to look up at me, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “Julia helped me pick it out over video chat. Said I needed something ‘cute but not trying too hard’ for our date. It’s the sundress Gio picked out for me, paired with the leather jacket you bought me. Do you like it?”
I chuckled, making a mental note to thank Julia later. “Yeah, Angel. I do. Remind me to send my sister a fruit basket or something.”
Kit laughed, the melody of it echoing through the garage. That laugh had become my favorite fucking sound in the world, especially knowing how rare that type of joy had been in her life.
Her eyes finally drifted past me, widening almost comically as they landed on the Bugatti. “Holy shit,” she whispered, pulling away from me slightly, gifting me with an even rarer curse word. “Is that...?”
“A Bugatti Chiron Noire,” I confirmed, watching her reaction with a surge of pride. “One of twenty ever made.”
Kit circled the car slowly, her fingertips hovering just above the paint, like she was afraid to touch it. When she finally did, her fingers traced the sleek lines reverently.
“It’s gorgeous,” she murmured, her voice filled with genuine appreciation.
I moved behind her, unable to resist wrapping my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my chest. The feel of her soft curves against me was fucking intoxicating. I pressed my lips to the spot just below her ear.
“You’re the gorgeous one, Angel,” I said, my voice dropping lower, feeling her pulse quicken under my lips.
The weight of the keys felt significant in my palm as I reached around, dangling them in front of her face. The silver Bugatti emblem caught the light, spinning slightly. Kit stilled in my arms, her breathing pausing for a moment before she turned in my embrace, confusion clear in her furrowed brow.
“You want me to drive? Your brand new super expensive car?” The disbelief in her voice was almost comical. Like I’d suggested she fly to the moon or something.
I pulled her closer, one hand settling on the small of her back. “You know why I love cars so much?”
Her eyes searched my face, curious. “Because they’re fast and expensive?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “That’s part of it. But it’s more than that.” I traced her jawline with my thumb, watching her eyes soften at my touch. “When I’m behind the wheel, everything else disappears. All the noise in my head, all the shit we deal with day to day—it’s just me and the road. Complete control, complete freedom.”
Kit’s expression shifted to understanding. She knew about my ADHD, how I struggled with the constant buzz under my skin, the need for movement, for speed, for something to focus my mind on.
“Driving has always been my escape,” I continued, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “My therapy, when everything gets too fucking loud in here.” I tapped my temple.
Her hand came up to cover mine, her touch gentle. The understanding in her eyes meant more than she could know. Most people saw my love for speed as recklessness, as showing off. Kit saw beneath that, to what it really was—a need for peace.
“So yeah, Angel,” I whispered against her ear, feeling her pulse quicken beneath my fingers. “Today, you drive.”
“But—” she started, her eyes darting back to the car. “Marco, this thing costs more than most people make in their lifetime. What if I—”
“You won’t,” I assured her, pressing the keys into her palm and closing her fingers around them. “I trust you.”
Those three simple words hung between us.
I trust you.
For Kit, whose trust had been violated in every way, repeatedly, those words carried weight. For me, whose trust didn’t come easy after years in this life, they meant just as much.
A subtle tremor ran through her hands as she took the keys. I could tell it was from a mix of excitement and nervousness, and it made me want to both protect her and push her further all at once. That was the thing about Kit—she awakened these contradictory instincts in me. The need to shelter her warring with the desire to watch her spread her wings.
“I haven’t driven in years,” she admitted softly. “Not since before...”
Before she was sold to the Valentinos. The unspoken words hung heavy between us. My jaw clenched at the reminder of what she’d been through, but I forced my expression to remain encouraging. This wasn’t about the past. This was about now. About us.
“It’s like riding a bike,” I assured her, guiding her toward the driver’s side door. “And I’ll be right beside you.”
I opened the door for her, watching as she slid into the buttery leather seat, her hands automatically reaching for the steering wheel. The interior still had that indefinable scent that only came with luxury vehicles. I circled around to the passenger side, sliding in beside her.
Kit adjusted the seat, moving it forward to accommodate her shorter frame. Her fingers fluttered over the sophisticated dashboard, taking in the array of buttons and screens.
“This is a little more complicated than the Honda Civic I learned on,” she muttered, but there was determination beneath her nervous laughter.
“Start with the basics,” I coached, leaning over to help her adjust the mirrors. “Ignition, gas, brake. The rest is just window dressing.”
She took a deep breath before turning it. The engine roared to life, a powerful sound that vibrated through the entire car. Kit’s eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise at the raw power now at her fingertips.
“Fuck,” she whispered, her hands gripping the wheel tighter.
I couldn’t wait to tell my brothers I’d gotten not one but two naughty words out of her this afternoon. It was becoming my favorite pastime, finding new ways to tempt my sexy Angel to sin.
I watched her chest rise and fall with quickened breaths, could practically feel the adrenaline beginning to course through her veins.
“It responds to the lightest touch,” I explained, my hand covering hers on the gearshift. “Treat it like an extension of yourself.”
Kit nodded, a new focus settling over her features as she shifted into drive. The nervousness was still there, visible in the slight tension in her shoulders, but there was something else too—a growing confidence that was fucking beautiful to witness.
She eased the car forward, navigating slowly through the rows of parked vehicles toward the garage exit. With each second, I could see her relaxing more into the seat, her grip on the wheel becoming less white-knuckled.
“That’s it,” I encouraged as we approached the ramp leading up to street level. “Now give it a little more gas.”
Kit pressed down slightly on the accelerator, and the car surged forward, responsive to her command. A small gasp escaped her lips, but it wasn’t fear—it was pleasure. The same rush I felt every time I drove.
“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice steadier now as sunlight washed over us at the top of the ramp.
I grinned, settling back into my seat. “Wherever you want, Angel. Today, the road is yours.”
As she pulled onto the street, I watched her face—the concentration in her eyes, the slight curl of her lips as the car responded to her touch, the wind from the cracked windows tousling her hair. This was a part of me I’d never shared with anyone before. Cars, driving—they’d always been my private escape, my personal therapy.
But watching Kit behind the wheel of my most prized possession, seeing the joy spread across her face as she gained confidence with each passing minute, I knew I’d made the right choice. This wasn’t just about sharing my love of cars with her. It was about giving her a piece of me no one else got to see—my vulnerability.
And I hoped, desperately, that it gave her back a piece of the control that had been stolen from her.
She glanced over at me; her smile was radiant, eyes sparkling with bright, sexy confidence. In that moment, with the sun streaming through the windows and the powerful engine purring beneath us, I realized something that should have scared the shit out of me, but somehow didn’t.
I was so fuckin’ gone for this girl. She was the blood in my veins, the very air in my lungs. There was no me without her .
I’d give her anything. Everything. The keys to my car, my home, my fucking heart. All of it was already hers.
“Ready to see what this baby can really do?” I nodded toward an empty stretch of road ahead as we left the city behind.
Kit’s smile turned mischievous, a flash of the woman she was becoming—brave, free, alive.
“Show me,” she replied, and pressed her foot down on the gas.