31. Tuomo
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Tuomo
W e walk along the dark streets in the cool night air. She stays close to my side. This area is notorious for being dangerous, and I could have gotten her a cab, or driven her in my car, but I want to slow down the last few moments I have with her for now. Her apartment is only a street or two away and while the area is dangerous, I am more dangerous. The people of this city, so matter whether they are high or low in social standing - they all know who I am and would not dare to mess with me. I am not afraid to walk here, even at night.
Nerissa is very alert and pressed against my side which is the reaction I was hoping for.
I can’t believe she tried to break up with me. I felt carnal rage rip through me when we were standing in the alley way. I wanted to tear her to pieces at the thought of her rejecting me after everything I’ve done to make her see how much I love her.
If I cannot have her, no one can, and I was going to prove that to her right then and there.
But reason creeps into my mind even in the darkest moments and I know - she can push me away now - but soon she will be back and calling my name.
The fever of my anger faded when I reminded myself that she is going to find out she is carrying my baby in the next week or two. I have to be patient. I am so close to having her for good.
We walk in silence between each pool of light that forms a faded circle on the dirty road from the streetlamp ahead. It doesn’t take us long to reach her apartment building.
I want to ask her if I can go in with her. Just for tonight. But I know she will say no, and it is far better for me to appear to be a gentleman at this point.
I’ve already slipped up tonight, letting her see the darkness in me.
It aches to think though - when I was at my lowest point tonight - she said my name and stroked my face and tames the beast in me with one touch.
How does she have that power over me?
Why doesn’t she understand the potency of our love?
Is she denying it? Is she trying to pretend it’s not there?
She turns towards me on the steps outside her building and smiles.
“Thank you for walking me home.”
“Any time, little bird.” My heart strains and stretches. How am I going to walk away from her tonight?
“I better go inside.”
I nod.
I have to walk away. I will be back.
I wrap my hand around the back of her neck. “Take care of yourself. Call me if you need anything.” I step close and kiss her on the lips. She hesitates for the briefest moment and then her hand runs up my chest. Fire burns across my skin as bolts of electricity shoot through me. The kiss lasts longer than I had intended.
I pull away, pretending to be the one in control.
“Good night, beautiful girl.” I say, a heavy sadness creeping across my heart.
“Night.” She whispers, stepping backwards, then turning away from me and hurrying up the stairs and into the building. Before she walks through the door, she glances over her shoulder. Her eyes lock with mine and I see the tears running down her cheeks.
Why won’t she let me comfort her?
The door swings closed behind her and locks into place.
I turn my back on her building, shove my hands into my pockets and walk back towards where I parked my car.
Another week, or two - I can wait. Already my baby is growing inside her.
Instead of going home I head to a bar near my penthouse. I am too agitated to sleep. I need to bring my agitation down a few levels before I go home.
I order a whiskey, neat, on ice. Then I sit by the window overlooking the city and I sip it. Letting time drift forward, towards a future where her and I will be together without any of this annoyance. Without interruption.
It grows later and darker and finally, just past one in the morning, I am ready to go home.
Sleep doesn’t come easily and when I wake up, my body is heavy and I’m angry the moment I open my eyes.
I thought, with how things were going between us, that I wouldn’t have to use her pregnancy as a trap anymore. But thank fuck I had that back-up plan in place before any of this started. I thought things were going so well between us that if I asked her to marry me again, she would have said yes.
My brothers fucked it up by rushing into her apartment. Those assholes interfered where they shouldn’t have.
But when I speak to my father in a few weeks with evidence that she is pregnant - he might hate her - but blood is blood, and he will never turn a Vece child away. He will have no choice but to accept her into our family.
What I need to do over the next week or two is focus on my work and try to ease the tension between my family and myself so that when the time comes to tell my father about the baby, he isn’t full of hatred over what happened.
And I still want to watch her.
I have to.
It’s in my blood and bones to be near her.
I will focus on my work. I will do my duties and every free moment I have I will be with her, near her and out of sight.
When I show up at the warehouse later that day to run through the shipment schedule and check up on stock levels my brothers eye me but say nothing other than hello.
It is awkward at first but when they see I am there to work and not cause any shit, they start to relax and get into the swing of things like old times.
My father doesn’t show up that day, but I know Masaccio will report back to him. He always reports back to him. Like his little servant. His future heir. It makes me sick - the level of loyalty they have for that man.
After work I drive to her apartment and watch her from a distance. I have to make sure she can’t stop me, I can’t risk upsetting the appearance that I am giving her space as I promised.
She needs to think she is free of me for the time being.
Nerissa spends a lot of time on her laptop, job hunting, and she doesn’t go out at all. I can already see the signs. I can already see the changes in her.
I wonder how long it will take her to notice what is happening to her body?
I watch and I wait and when I think about our future I smile.