Chapter 36
MASSIMO
I don’t hesitate. I just pull Lucy back and around the group, shooting a look to Alessio and Sienna to look after Soren while I calm Lucy down. He gives me a subtle nod, letting me know he’s got him.
It says a lot that Lucy doesn’t fight me as I pull her out of the room and down the hall.
I find what looks like another small storage room, and pull her inside, shutting the door.
I spin her around, pinning her against it.
I think for a second she’s going to fight me, but she surprises me by pressing her face tight to my chest and her arms going around me.
“What is the matter, cerbiatta?” I ask, easing her away from the door and wrapping my own arms around her. I run a hand up into her hair, which is loose today, and gently massage the back of her head, trying to offer some comfort. “Talk to me, dolcezza. Tell me so I can fix it.”
“You can’t fix it.” Her voice is muffled, but I can make it out well enough.
“How the hell can you fix this entire situation, Massimo?” She pulls her face back and looks up at me, eyes wet, lips trembling.
“It’s the fucking mafia and now there’s a threat of Dante killing us all to save his mother?
All because his father is a dick and possibly trying to take over the city?
What kind of mother does that make me? I have my son here.
Instead of taking him away from this, I’m getting drawn into this and putting him in danger. What about—”
“Lucy,” I say sternly, stopping her rambling.
Her breathing is coming out in gasps, her eyes wide, and her fingers are digging into my back.
She is one wrong move away from running.
I can feel it, and everything in me is screaming not to let that happen.
I need to keep her close. I need to make her understand that she’s safe with me.
Somehow. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m going to do my damndest.
She stares into my eyes as I say firmly, “I know that this is a lot. All of it is. You’ve come into this when things are at their peak, and while I want to make it better, tell you that it’s all going to be over soon, I can't do that. I won’t lie to you.
But the one thing I will tell you is that you never have to worry about you or Soren.
You. Are. Safe. You are safe, Lucy. You will always be safe here.
I will never let anyone hurt you or Soren.
Including Dante. I know what Sofia said scared you, but Dante hates his father.
Enough that he nearly killed him once already for daring to touch his mother.
If Esposito tries to use his mother against him, Dante will burn Esposito’s entire house to the ground with him inside to save her.
He will never hurt any of us because to do that would hurt Sofia.
And as much as I fucking hate to admit it, Dante is in love with her, and that means he won’t hurt any of us because that would be hurting and betraying her. ”
“But if it comes down to it, would he choose Sofia or his mother?”
Well, fuck. How the fuck do I answer that?
“I don’t know.” It’s a terrible admission, but there’s not much I can do to change it. “But one thing I do know is that none of us would allow him to get anywhere close to any of you. I know it’s a lot to process, but you don’t need to worry about it.”
“I can’t help it,” she snaps, glaring. She yanks her arms from around me, stepping back. The space between us might be small, but it still feels large enough that I’m not certain how to get across it to her. “This entire situation is fucked, Massimo.”
“I’m aware of that.”
Her glare deepens. “Why can’t you send us somewhere else so we’re not in the middle of this? Even if Soren and I can’t go to my family or back to our life, why do we have to stay here in this mansion?”
“Because we can’t risk you being away from us, cerbiatta. We have no idea how far all their reaches go. We have possible assassins being hired by some of them.”
“Assassins?” she practically screeches.
Fuck. I really shouldn’t have said that.
“We don’t know that they are, it’s just something we’ve heard might happen,” I rush out.
Damn it, I need to salvage this. “And Rori is helping us with it because she knows about them and has connections. She’s already told them not to come, and so far they haven’t.
So it’s hopefully not going to be a concern. ”
She doesn’t look like she believes a word I’m saying. I don’t blame her. Hell, I don’t sound all that convincing.
“Lucy,” I try again, “I know you’re terrified, but I also know that you’re smart and you realize that leaving the safety we can offer isn’t a good choice.”
“You’re saying that because you want to fuck me.” Her tone is biting.
My jaw clenches at her jab. I know she’s lashing out, but I so badly want to put her over my knee and spank her ass for cheapening what we have between us. Instead of doing that, I stiffly warn, “You’re walking on thin ice, cerbiatta.”
Her cheeks flush, but she continues to glare at me, that spine of steel only wilting slightly.
Pride curbs some of my irritation. She really is magnificent no matter her mood.
“And I’m losing my shit, Massimo,” she snaps.
“So cut me a little slack. The entire situation isn’t what I wanted or asked for.
I didn’t ask to be kidnapped by my so called bio-family.
I didn’t ask to be rescued by another group of mafia people.
I didn’t ask for my sister and son to be brought into this too.
And now you’re telling me I need to calm the hell down and just let you handle it?
You’re all the reason I’m in this in the first fucking place.
” Her breath catches on a sob, and the anger inside me drains away.
“I just want to feel safe again. I just want to know what’s going to happen and I want to feel like I’m not losing my mind. Or feel terrified all the time.”
“How can I do that? What do you need from me?”
At first I think she’s going to snap at me again, but instead, her shoulders slump and she puts her face in her hands, taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.
I move to her, pulling her into me. At first she resists, but when I clasp her to me tighter, she finally drops her hands and holds on to me again.
“I’m so scared, Massimo. Of this, of you, of everything I feel for you.
I’m being over dramatic, but I can’t seem to pull it back.
I’m thinking of all the worst case scenarios every time we get in the groups and I’m just spiraling and I don’t know how to ground myself. ” She looks up at me, eyes wet.
My heart clenches. “Cerbiatta,” I murmur, cupping her face in my hands. “How can I help you? Tell me what you need.”
Her eyes search mine, and I can see her struggling. I stay quiet, waiting. Letting her figure it out. I’m quickly learning that pushing her before she’s ready is only going to push her farther away from me.
Whatever she’s struggling with, her body starts to tremble again, and I reflexively rub my hands up and down her spine, trying to soothe her. Finally, she whispers, “Just kiss me, please. You ground me. You make me feel like I’m not losing my mind when you do.”
My mouth descends on hers as she finishes her sentence. I’ll never refuse her. Especially when I’m dying for another taste.
This time, even though I try to be gentle, she’s having none of it.
Her response is almost instant, turning the kiss from gentle and comforting, to desperation and need.
I should stop her, but I can’t stop the groan that rumbles in my chest as I lift her into my arms wrapping her legs around my waist so I can grip her ass.
My fingers dig into her flesh, and she gives an answering moan into my mouth.
A small part of my brain is screaming at me to stop this before it goes too far and she hates me for it, but the larger part of my brain, desperate to do whatever we have to to make her trust me, to ground her like she’s asking, ignores it.
Has me focusing on the feel of her in my arms, the way her body trembles against me, and the way her mouth devours mine.
Desperate, needy, and utterly torturous.
Her thighs squeeze my waist, her finger thrust into my hair, gripping the strands so tight that I’m surprised she hasn’t torn any of it out yet. Not that I give a fuck. She can make me bald if it means I get to have her here like this.
Suddenly, she pulls her mouth away and whispers, “Please, Massimo.”
“What do you need, cerbiatta?” I rasp. “Tell me what you need and I’ll give it to you. Whatever you want.” Hell, I’ll give her all the money I have if she’s finally going to give me a chance. Irrational? Completely. But I don’t give a fuck. I’ll make more and she can have it too.
Hell, I’ll give her all my organs if she wants them.
There’s fear trying to filter into her eyes, but stronger than that is the anxiety winning out.
“I…I need you to ground me, Massimo,” she finally gets out.
I freeze. She swallows hard. “I…I can’t think.
I need to think clearly, and I can’t. I need to…
I need you to…” She can’t seem to say anymore, and her throat works hard.
“Tell me what you need, Lucy,” I coax gently, softly. “Give me the words, cerbiatta. Tell me. There is no judgment from me. No matter what, I’ll work to give it to you. Tell me how to help you.”
She looks away from me, lips trembling, before she finally closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and turns back toward me. When her eyes open and they stare back at me, I nearly groan. Desire, trust, and submission. My already hard cock turns to steel, and my spine straightens.
I’ve never seen something so fucking beautiful in my life.