25. JOEY
JOEY
A ntonio went to his room to prepare for bed, leaving Adriana and me alone in the kitchen. I leaned against the countertop, arms crossed over my chest, watching as she busied herself at the sink. Her movements were quick and purposeful, almost too much—like she was trying to outrun something in her head. She had a long day. No doubt about it. I was sure she must be thinking of all sorts of things. I wanted to ease her pain. I wanted to take it all away.
I wasn’t blind to the walls Adriana had built. They were solid and kept her upright in a way a lot of people couldn’t manage after going through the hell she’d been through. But every once in a while—like now—I’d catch a crack in the foundation. A hesitation in her hands as she scrubbed the plate. A glance that darted in my direction. That pleading look in her eyes, begging me to tear down the walls. And it made me wonder if I could be the person she didn’t have to keep the walls up around.
I’d be a lying fool if I said I couldn’t get used to this. In the small kitchen, she hummed Elvis Presley under her breath as she worked, the warm smell of garlic still hanging in the air. For a guy like me, this felt like everything I’d ever needed in this lifetime.
But that was the problem, wasn’t it? I didn’t do “ good .” My life wasn’t built on clean edges or happy endings. It was deals in The Wise Guy and breaking bones in dark alleyways. It was lying and scheming. Even if the papers didn’t always get the story right, the gist of it wasn’t wrong. The Shark. They weren’t exactly off the mark. The things I’d done weren’t the kind of things a guy can just leave behind, no matter how much he wants to.
What the hell was I doing here? Pretending I could have something like this—a quiet dinner, a woman like Adriana looking at me like I was something other than the guy they printed stories about in the newspaper. A family.
Adriana wasn’t the kind of woman you kept things casual with. She had this presence, this way of standing her ground even when it looked like the world was trying to knock her down. She didn’t seem like the type to fall for sweet words. But I wasn’t the only one feeling these feelings. Thinking up these thoughts. I caught how she melted into my touch. How her eyes lingered on mine.
I knew she was fighting something inside herself, the same way I was. And maybe that was what pulled me toward her—the shared feeling that we were both too used to running. Surviving in a cold, harsh world. But now—now, we were standing still in this cramped little kitchen, and I didn’t want to run anymore. I didn’t want to leave these walls. I didn’t want to face the world outside of this kitchen.
“Adriana.”
“I’m sorry about what Antonio said earlier. He didn’t mean to cause trouble. He’s just a kid,” she said, her hands still busy scrubbing the dish with a little more force than necessary.
I shook my head, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “It’s okay. He’s just curious. He’s just looking out for you. ”
Adriana let out a quiet sigh. “Yeah, well, he doesn’t really understand what he’s asking.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” I reassured her, “Kids don’t know any better. They only see what’s right in front of them. A few recurring papers with my face slapped on it, calling me a monster, would worry any kid.”
She paused, her movements slowing, before continuing in a more serious tone, “I just don’t want him getting caught up in anything dangerous. He’s been through enough.” Her words were laced with something heavier now, something that hinted at more than just concern—like she was warning me.
With Adriana, I was just Joey. But out there, in the world beyond this cramped kitchen, I was the Shark. I couldn’t live with myself if Antonio got caught up in any of my mess. I would never put him through what I went through as a kid—growing up too fast and seeing the darker side of life far too soon. He deserved a real childhood without the skeletons hanging over his head, like they always had over mine. Adriana didn’t need to worry. I’d be damned before I let any of it reach Antonio. He was better than that. They both were.
“You don’t need to worry about Antonio when he’s with me, Adriana,” I told her.
Her eyes flickered up to meet mine, searching. “Joey, I know it’s real. I know who you are.”
“You don’t need to know the other side of me, Adriana. What matters is who I really am. The man standing right here with you. That’s the real me. You’ve got to trust me on that.”
“What will happen if they find out you’re hanging around here?” she asked.
I exhaled. “I won’t answer that. It’s not a weight you need to carry. But I can promise you, I’ve got it under control. And soon, it won’t even be something we have to worry about,” I said, trying to make her believe me, trying to ease the voice in her head .
“I don’t want anything to happen to you on my account.” She sighed.
I pushed myself off the counter, taking her hand gently in mine, turning off the water as I drew her toward me. Her body was tense, but I pulled her into my chest, my hands gently cupping her face, forcing her to look me in the eyes. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself. What you need to focus on is taking care of you and Antonio. Everything else, I’ll handle. Do you trust me to take care of it?”
She hesitated. But then her soft voice broke through the stillness. “I do trust you, Joey. More than I should. And that’s what terrifies me.”
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I stroked the side of her face with my thumb. “I’m just asking you to take a chance on me. I’m not going to let you down, sweetheart.”
As bad as I wanted to claim Adriana’s lips, the moment she stepped back, the distance between us grew. Unwanted.
“I’ll walk you out,” she said, her voice soft but final. I nodded, following her out of the house and into the carport. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay and keep her close, but I knew that wasn't an option for us.
“Promise me something?” I asked. Her eyes met mine, waiting for me to continue. “Promise me you aren’t scared of me.”
“I’m not scared of you, and that’s what terrifies me.” The truth hit me like a punch in the gut. I wanted to reach for her, pull her to me again. “What if someone hurts you? What will I do if I fall in love with you and they take you from me? I don’t think I can allow that pain to seep into my life.” Her eyes began to glisten under the flickering carport light.
I moved toward her, closing the distance between us until I could feel her breath on my skin. My hands found her hips, my eyes scanning her face. “If anything were to happen to me—even though it won’t—you wouldn’t be alone if it did. I’d make sure of that. You and Antonio, you’d be taken care of. Marco and Paul will make sure you’re safe. I’ve given the orders.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean, ‘ taken care of ’?”
“They’re my brothers,” I said, my gaze never leaving hers. “They’re my family, Adriana. And they’re yours, too. I’ve been in this life long enough to know that loyalty is the only thing that keeps you alive. They'll do it for me if I’m not here to protect you.”
The shock in her face deepened. She pulled back, crossing her arms over her chest. “That’s not exactly what I wanted to hear you say!”
“I know it’s not what you wanted to hear,” I admitted. “But I want you to know this—we look after family. We take care of family. And you and Antonio are family now. You don’t ever have to worry about anything ever again. Not while I’m here, and not if something were to happen.”
She turned away, running her hands over her dress, smoothing out creases that didn’t exist. “Joey, I don’t want anything to happen to you,” she said, her voice threatening to break. “ Especially because of me.”
I reached down, my hand slipping into hers, holding it. “Nothing’s going to happen. I promise you, sweetheart.” I couldn’t help but watch her, my gaze never straying. Adriana, standing just inches away, was a complication I hadn’t ever planned on.
Nobody was going to come between us. Not Vincent. Not Renee. And damn sure not her husband.
I clenched my jaw at the thought of him, thinking he had any claim over her. The way he’d hurt her, scared her even in his absence, was something I could never forgive. He was a threat I intended to chase down and destroy.
I would be her protector. I would be the one to make sure no one dared step out of line with her again. I wasn’t leaving her to fend for herself this time. Adriana didn’t realize it yet, but I’d already made up my mind. She was under my protection, now and for the rest of our lives.
I would make sure her life was different from now on. A normal life. A safe life. A life she deserved. No more running. No more fearing what came next. No more looking over her shoulder. If anyone tried to take her from me, they’d have to go through me first. And they would never make it out alive. I’d do whatever it took to make this work for us. Whatever it took to erase the scars of her past and carve out a future where we were all that mattered.
My face hovered just inches from hers. “I’ve never wanted anything as badly as I want you,” I whispered. “And I’m going to make it all work out for us.”