Chapter 35
Bella fell asleep in my arms pretty much immediately. I on the other hand couldn’t. I was feeling things I hadn’t before and it scared the shit out of me.
Shit… This was somethin’ I’ve never experienced. Somethin’ I never expected to feel.
Isabella had a hold on my heart, and she didn’t even know it.
Tonight had been phenomenal for me and Bella, with the hell of crashing my bike to one side.
I placed a kiss on her head making her lips turn up slightly at the corners.
I slipped out the bed, trying my best to get dressed and not wake her.
I wanted to be back before that happened, so she didn’t think it was a repeat of last time.
I breathed her in one last time before hurrying out the room.
The house was still empty. No doubt the family had gone to Artem’s after dinner to spend the night.
I wandered into the garage looking for my bike keys.
Shit. They were still in my bike. Glancing at the empty space where my bike usually stood hurt like a bitch.
But knowing that Bella was asleep soundly upstairs helped me keep my rage and shit together.
How had anyone gotten in here to tamper with it? It didn’t make sense. If it was the people who had been sending me threatening texts, why would they risk coming so close? They played far too clever a game to be so reckless.
Unless…
What if it had been someone else…? Someone a lot closer to home.
This was messin’ up my damn mind.
Cursing I grabbed the SUV keys and jumped in.
After driving aimlessly around the city, my mind all over the place while contemplating who had tried to kill us, I found myself back at Logan’s. The sound of the music blaring through my ears as I weaved through the sea of drunken people, spotting Josh behind the bar.
“Arturo, what the fuck are you doing here, man?” He called, already placing a beer down in front of me.
I eyed it for a moment, briefly debating having a sip. But I wouldn’t. The last thing I wanted was for Bella to think I’d been out drinking rather than sleeping by her side. I pushed the beer back at him as he rolled his eyes.
“Suit yourself, more for me,” he pretty much downed the bottle before tossing it into the bin. “What you doing here this late? Bella kick you out?” he joked, as I gave him a half hearted laugh.
“Nah, nothin’ like that. Just needed to talk to the boys, that’s all,” I cocked my head towards the back office. “He in?”
“He’s in. Probably got a mouth attached to his dick though. This important?”
“Yeah,” I rubbed my temples, thinking about everything that had happened today, and the gift Isabella had just given me.
“Fuck it.” He threw his towel on the bar. “Yo, Luke, keep an eye on the bar.” A confused and scared face bobbed up from behind the counter and nodded with a shaky smile.
“New guy?” I asked.
“Yup. Wonder how long this prick’ll last.” Josh rolled his eyes. Logan’s wasn’t exactly the safest place to learn on the job. “Come on, let’s go and cockblock our boy,”
We wandered back to the office where as predicted Jay had a woman on her knees, slurping happily away on his cock.
“Out,” Josh shouted with a smile, making the woman near enough jump out of her skin. “We got shit to talk about, so send her on her merry way and put your dick away. There’s a good boy.”
I stifled a laugh as Josh made a gesture with his hand.
“Come back in an hour, darlin’, you can finish me off then,” Jay winked, making her blush on the spot.
“Arturo needs you. Bros before hoes and all that jazz,” Josh jeered, plonking himself down into one of the squeaky desk chairs.
“I know we’re close and all that, but please for the love of all things holy, put your dick away, I’d rather not have it at eye level,” I grimaced as I dropped into the chair next to Josh.
“Well, forgive me for having a little fun,” Jay scoffed as he buttoned up his trousers. “Now, what’s up, pal?”
Before I could speak, Josh piped up. “He fucked her! I knew it!” He slapped his hands together.
Scowling, I looked between them then replied,“Took Bella out on a date tonight which fuckin’ ended with me havin’ to crash my bike.”
“Wait, was this before or after you banged her?” Josh replied, cocking his head to one side.
“Before…” I admitted on a growl.
“Back up, mate… you crashed your bike?” Jay asked, the shock apparent.
“Small details for another day,” Josh replied dismissively. “Mate, if you guys just did the horizontal dance, this isn’t a good time to be upping and leaving, you get me? Please tell me she at least knows you’re here?” He asked, his brows already half way up his forehead.
“She was sleepin’. Seemed wrong to wake her. I just needed some sound advice, but you two are about as much help as a chocolate fuckin’ teapot.” To my frustration, Jay chortled out a hoot before knocking back a shot of whisky. Josh on the other hand, just punched me casually in the arm.
“Mate, if she wakes up and you’re gone, she’s gonna think you’ve done a runner.” I turned and scowled at my friend next to me as he gave me the look.
“I know, I don’t need you to fuckin’ spell it out for me.” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “But I’m fuckin’ spirallin’ here lads. This isn’t just a good shag and someone to pass the time with. I feel things for this woman.”
“A, do you love her?” Jay asked.
“What?” My eyes popped from my skull.
“It’s a simple question. Do you love her?”
“I ain’t capable of that, mate.” I sighed, leaning back against the chair.
“Alright, gonna have to do this the hard way.” Rolling his eyes, he dropped into the chair behind his desk and dug around for his cigars. “Does she feel like yours?”
“She was mine the moment I met her.” I growled.
“Well then, I think you have your answer,” Jay replied, lighting up his cigar.
Fuck.
“Lads, what if I can’t give her what she needs? I mean… I can’t imagine bein’ without her, but what if my shitty past fucks things up? Am I stupid for getting involved with her?”
“I’ll tell you what's stupid. You sitting here with us two tossers while she is no doubt still asleep, naked I might add, and waiting for you!” Jay slapped his hand against his desk, the same desk I’d once bent her over.
“Erase the fact that she’s naked from that fucked up mind of yours before I find my own way to erase it.”
“Yup, the man’s in love… It's a big day for us. He’s finally growing up,” Josh teased, wiping a fake tear from his eye. “All jokes aside, mate, go and be with your woman. And for fucks sake tell her how you feel.”
“I’ll tell her when the time is right,” I replied, rising from the chair. If I told her now, she might only believe I was saying it because we’d finally had sex. “All I know is that when I tell that woman that I love her, it’ll be special.”
“Shit, he really is in love with the daughter of the most notorious fucker this city’s ever known.” Jay relaxed in his chair, a shit eating grin taking over his face. “You scared of what Lorenzo will do to you when he finds out you’re banging his only daughter?”
“First off, shut your dirty mouth. I won’t have you talking shit like that about my girl,” I snapped. “And second of all, I ain’t never been scared of anyone before, and I don’t plan on startin’ with Lorenzo fuckin’ Ricci.”
“Atta boy!” Josh cheered.
Rolling my eyes, I got to my feet. “Right, now, if you two clowns will excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be.”
As I took a step towards the door, Jay’s voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Before you go, forgot to mention… That lad, the one you royally pissed off, he was in here the other night, shouting his mouth off about what a dick you are.” I turned back to face him only to find his eyes carefully watching me.
“What lad?” I asked, wracking my brains.
“You know, young, annoying. Bit arrogant.” Jay said, swivelling his hand in the air. “Can’t remember his name. But he’s been in before.”
“Alright,” I shrugged, completely unfazed. “And I should give a fuck because…?” Jay and Josh shared a look before he turned back towards me.
“Kid was threatening to do something… Something pretty stupid.” He scrubbed at his stubbled jaw. “Just… watch your back, yeah?”
“Yeah, uh… thanks.”