Chapter 7
You’re Mine
Rico
“Can you please slow down? You’re scaring me,” Oni says from the passenger seat.
“Fuck,” I roar and punch the steering wheel.
I know my father did what was right, but that wasn’t how I wanted things to work out. Oni is supposed to be with me. Fuck, I sound like a spoiled brat in my own thoughts.
What’s this girl doing to me? I press my foot on the brake pedal and take a calming breath. I need to think clearly and regroup. This isn’t what I wanted, but it can still work.
“Why are you so mad at me? I’m staying in Miami, and my uncle isn’t ready for war. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. I wanted to punch my uncle in his throat. Never in my life have I ever been so angry with him.
He took things too far. The bullshit he whispered in my ear still has my blood boiling. Oni isn’t just a piece of ass because she’s not the right skin color. I’m not subscribing to that bullshit.
Fuck him and that bullshit way of thinking. If he had called Oni a thief one more time, I was going to shoot him myself. I barely held in my rage during that meeting.
“I wanted you at the house with me. I didn’t know my father was going to pull that shit,” I snarl.
“Okay, but what difference does it make? Your place isn’t that far away. Am I in danger with your dad?”
I roll my eyes. “My pop has enough whores to keep him entertained. He’s no threat to you. He’ll keep his word and treat you like a daughter.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know,” I bellow at the top of my lungs.
But that’s just it. I do know. I don’t want her away from me.
I can’t deny how much I want her anymore. I’m starting to feel insane with my desire for her. It’s not about sex.
Although I think she’s hot as fuck, I want to know she’s mine. I want to know she wants me as much as I want her. When we walk into a room, I want everyone to know she’s with me and off-limits.
“Pull over,” she yells back, breaking into my rambling thoughts.
“What?”
“Pull the fuck over.”
“For what?”
I glance at her to see her lips are trembling. Is she about to cry? Fuck, what the hell am I doing?
“I’m already an emotional wreck trying to figure this all out. I don’t need you yelling at me when all I’m doing is asking you a simple question. I want out of this car. I’ll walk the rest of the way,” she hurls at me.
I scoff. “You’re not walking, Oni.”
“Yeah, we’ll see. Pull over now.”
I grind my teeth and pull the car over to the side of the road. She hops out before I can put the car in park. I slam the car into park and hop out.
“Oni,” I roar after her as she stomps away from the car. “Oni.”
She doesn’t stop or acknowledge that I’m calling her name.
“Damnit, Oni. Come back here,” I bark.
She lifts her hand and gives me the finger as she continues to walk away. I tighten my jaw and slam the door shut as I take off after her. I don’t have time for this shit. I’ve wasted enough time bullshitting in the last two days.
I eat up the distance between us in a few short strides with my long legs. She looks over her shoulder and tries to take off running when she sees I’m hot on her heels. I shake my head and quickly grab her.
“Put me down,” she growls as I wrap my arms around her and throw her over my shoulder.
Oh my God, she smells so fucking good. As she wiggles in my hold, her scent surrounds me. I want to turn my head and bite her cute ass.
This is the shit she has running through my head. I’m turning into a pussy for her, and still, I don’t want to be free of the hold she has on me.
She punches my back as I walk back toward the car. I tighten my hold when she almost slips. If she were anyone else, I would toss her ass down on the ground and tell her to figure her shit out. However, this is Oni.
I hurt her feelings and I’m not okay with that. Once I get her back to the car, I place her on her feet and press her into the vehicle with my body. I’m hard as fuck and I know she can feel it.
“I’m sorry,” I yell into her face. “You have me acting like a pubescent teen and my head is all fucked up over you.”
“What?” she asks, her brows knit.
I cup the sides of her face and tilt her head back until our gazes lock. She looks back at me with a mix of emotions. I’m sure I have a similar expression.
“I want you. That’s why I want you with me. I tried to fight it.
“I know I shouldn’t, but I want you and it’s fucking with my head. That’s why it matters where you are. I want you with me. You belong with me,” I breathe into her face.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.” I give a short laugh. “You’re driving me crazy, Oni. I’m going to kiss you.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I crush her lips with mine. She moans into my mouth, and I lose it. I begin to devour her as she opens up for me.
I know right away I’ve fucked up. She’s mine. I’m not letting her go. Oni Raven will be mine forever.
I will kill a motherfucker for touching her. There isn’t anything I’m willing to let come between us. She can go stay with my pop. I’ll be right there with her.
This girl is everything to me.
Oni
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. He’s kissing me. Rico Gallo is kissing me.
I don’t know whether to stop this or to pull him closer for more. He’s a great kisser … I think. I have no point of reference. My first kiss is from a guy I know is a killer.
I think I was dropped on my head as a baby. That would explain some of my life choices. I should not be this excited and happy to be kissing him.
“Oni,” he growls into my mouth and reaches to squeeze my butt in one hand.
I can feel him growing harder against me. His bulge has been pressed against me since he first pressed me against the car. I whimper into his mouth, desperately wanting more.
My phone rings, startling me and causing me to jump away from Rico. I reach up to touch my lips as I dig my phone from my pocket. That was … I don’t know what to call it. Magic, delicious, breathtaking—those are just some of the words that come to mind as I stand staring into his eyes.
He’s breathing hard as he stares into mine. Pulling a hand down his face, he then blows out a breath and purses his lips. I think we’re both in shock at first.
Breaking eye contact, I look down at my phone to see it’s Mason. I begin to chew on my lip, wondering if I should take the call. I didn’t exactly tell him where I was taking off to or that I was taking off.
I could have asked Mason for his help, but I didn’t want to involve him and his family. I know who the Sullivan family is, but I do my best not to get into Mason’s or his family’s business. This would have dragged me right into the middle of their world.
According to Emory—our other best friend and Mason’s father’s right-hand man’s daughter—the Gallo and Sullivan families don’t necessarily get along. I will not be the reason for them going to war. Mason has never told me where he ranks in his family, but Emory has told me it’s up there.
My gut is telling me to keep him out of this as best I can. Mason and Emory are the only other people outside my uncle and my mom who know I took that truck back in New York. Trackhawks aren’t even my thing.
Mason had dared me to take it. He and Emory took off after I got out to accept the dare. I had been on my way to our usual meet-up spot when I accidentally knocked open the hidden compartment, causing me to pull over.
“You going to answer that?” Rico asks and lifts a brow.
“I … uh … maybe later. It’s just one of my friends.”
He nods and searches my eyes. I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until he reaches to tuck one of my braids behind my ear.
“Say something,” he breathes while searching my gaze.
I don’t know what to say. I mean, I have a million thoughts, but I can’t say any of them out loud to him. As I think of how I have no one here to talk to about this, I start to wonder if this is the smartest thing to do in the first place.
There’s the fact that I now work for him. Then I watched him kill two guys just last night. I know who he is and who he wants to become.
Heck, if I had friends here, I still wouldn’t be able to talk to them about him. That’s a huge red flag if I’m honest with myself. I know for a fact I can’t call Emory or Mason to tell them about all this.
The smart thing to do would be to get in this car, go and get my things, and head back to his father’s house.
However, I think it’s clear that I haven’t done the smart thing in quite some time.
Instead of saying something to line up with the smart thing to do, I blurt out the first dumb thing to come to mind.
“I always thought my first kiss would be from my boyfriend. I don’t know why I let you do that.”
He snorts and places his hands on my hips. “Because you feel this too,” he says as I drop my hand to my side away from my lips. He reaches to run his thumb over my kiss-swollen lips. He then nods his head toward me. “It’s a good thing I’m your boyfriend then, isn’t it?”
“What?”
He moves in closer to me until I’m pinned against the car by his strong body. “You’re mine, Oni. I think I knew that the first time I saw your face. This pull is undeniable.”
I shake my head as if to clear it. I need to get my thoughts together and think straight. I can’t start something with him. Not too long ago, I was terrified he was going to kill me.
I scramble for something logical to say, not allowing my hormones to lead me into any more trouble. This summer has just started, and I’ve been finding enough of it to fall into.
“But isn’t that why your uncle wants me away from you?”
He shrugs. “I won’t stay away from you because I don’t want to,” he replies before kissing me again.
I lift on my toes as I lock my fingers in the top of his hair and kiss him back. He groans and deepens the kiss as he wraps his arms around my waist. I know I should pull away and stop this, but I can’t find it in me to do so.
I’m drawn to him too. As much as that small voice in the back of my head is telling me this is going to end badly for me, I can’t help myself. Just as I thought, he’s become another weakness.
He breaks the kiss and places his forehead to mine. “Let me get you to the house to pack your things. We’ll set some ground rules before I take you back to Pop,” he says.
“Ground rules?” I repeat and frown.
“Yeah, baby. I just put a target on your back. We’re going to have to be careful about this. My uncle can’t find out, and neither can my enemies. Especially after last night.”
“Why do I feel like I’ve jumped into a rabbit hole even after reading the warning sign?” I groan and press my fingertips to my temples.
Rico laughs, then pulls me to him to open the passenger’s side door for me to climb back into the car. I watch as he rounds the car with a grin on his lips. Why do I always choose to make my life harder?
I can hear my mother’s voice in my head, warning me to stay away from boys like my father. I should be running from Rico like my butt has been set on fire. Oh God, I hope I never have daughters because I’m going to be in so much trouble for all the grief I just can’t help causing my mom.
Rico climbs in behind the wheel and reaches to pinch my chin to turn my face toward him. He leans in and takes my lips for another kiss. This time it’s like he’s drinking from my mouth.
My heart is pounding so hard as it sinks in that he’s kissing me and wants to be my boyfriend. Reality hits. I’m in way over my head.
“Relax,” he says as he breaks the kiss and pecks my nose. “You’re overthinking. I’m not going to rush you into doing anything you don’t want. Your virginity is safe for at least two more summers.”