Chapter 28
Gabriel
“How long are you going to stay out there? We have the groundbreaking next week,” Roman asks. The new distribution center deal finally went through, and we’re ready to get started on the build.
“Deal with it. Or get Lucian to handle it.”
“Lucian’s handling other business.” He’s referring to the off-the-books money. Where we make the majority of our cash.
“Roman. You don’t need me for the construction crew to start building a fucking building. Just let them start.”
“There’s going to be press.”
“Let there be fucking press. Have someone at the office deal with a press release.”
“Gabriel, having this public business was your idea. You wanted to have one foot in the real world and one in our world, now you’re hiding in Georgia trying to talk Savvy into coming home? Just grab her ass and get back here.”
It would be easy to do. The locks on her apartment were barely functional, and I kept a key for the new ones I installed. I could slip in during the night, snatch her up and take her home.
But then what? Lock her in our room until she promises never to leave again? Spank her until she swears to love me as much as I love her?
This has to be on her time in her own way.
But that doesn’t mean I’m going to sit back in Chicago and wait. I can stay in Atlanta for as long as she needs.
“I’ll be back when I’m back. Just handle shit.”
“Ricci?”
“Now that it’s out he’s using fake cash for his wash, he’s got more trouble than he knows what to do with.
I’m not discounting he might still want to come at us, but Lucian’s watching the situation.
He’ll handle it if he needs to.” It’s one thing to purposely move forged money, but to play it off like it’s real puts a lot of people at a higher risk they probably wouldn’t take if they had the chance to opt out.
“Fine.”
I end the call. He can handle things or he won’t; either way I’m exactly where I need to be right now.
“Can I help you find something?” A man with a weak chin and barely-there mustache approaches me while I scan the bookshelves in the nonfiction section.
“I’m just browsing,” I say, plucking a book from the shelf. When he walks away, I glance at the cover. A Man’s Guide to Success. With an eye roll, I shove it back on the shelf and move to the next aisle.
“Gabriel.” Savvy rounds the corner. “What are you doing here?”
I cock my head, and she huffs.
“You can’t just keep showing up at my jobs.”
“Of all the times you’ve told me I can’t do something, how many times have you been right?” I take in the soft blush on her cheeks.
There’s something different about her, but I can’t pin it down. Her hair’s grown a little, but that’s not it. Same sweet vanilla-scented body wash, same beautiful eyes. Nothing’s changed, but something is off.
“Stop staring at me like that,” she admonishes and folds her arms over her chest.
“Like what?”
She shakes her head and looks away. “I’m being serious, Gabriel. I need these jobs.”
“You think I’d let them fire you?” She really hasn’t been paying enough attention, if she thinks I’ve come all this way to stand idle as someone hurts her.
“What are you going to do, buy the store?” She laughs, but it’s short-lived when she catches my expression. “You didn’t.”
“No. But if I have to, I will.”
She closes her eyes and sighs. “Gabriel—”
“Sarah, everything okay?” Pseudo-mustache man peeks around the stacks.
“Yeah, Billy. Everything’s good. Just helping a customer,” she lies fluidly with a peppiness to her voice I’ve never heard. It’s fake and forced and not like her at all, but I suppose when she changed her name she needed to reinvent herself a little, too.
“Okay, just call if you need something.” He starts to leave but then adds. “Did you want me to grab that chicken sandwich for you again?”
“She’s busy for lunch,” I say before she can answer. She stiffens but doesn’t correct me. She’s still my good girl. She’s just a little further away than she used to be. I just need to reach her.
“Sarah?”
“No thanks on the chicken,” she says, then spins to face the books and pulls one out and hands it to me. “I think this is what you’re looking for.”
Billy pauses a moment, but then does the right thing and leaves us alone. He’s harmless enough, but if his eyes were hands, they’d be all over her ass. I might have decided to be patient for her, but that doesn’t mean I’m tolerating anyone touching what’s mine.
“Don’t you have business in Chicago? A job, a family to run?” She whispers the last bit, as though I’m afraid anyone in this store might overhear her.
“It’s all under control. I can stay here for as long as is needed.” I run my fingers along her cheekbone, dragging her hair behind her ear. “You look tired; have you been sleeping okay?”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m fine.”
I scrutinize her for another moment. “You need to eat. I’ll grab sandwiches. There’s a park on the next street. Meet me there.”
“You’re ordering me on a date?”
I lift a shoulder. “I’m offering lunch.”
“You’re ordering lunch.”
I laugh. “Thirty minutes; don’t make me come find you.”
I brush a soft kiss across her lips, pausing just long enough to feel her desire kick up a notch; then I turn on my heel and leave her in the nonfiction aisle.
There’s a chance she won’t show up, but I get our sandwiches, some chips, and bottled water and head to the park. It’s warm again today, but school’s still in session so there’re no kids on the playground. Just a few people on their walks or having their own lunch at one of the empty park benches.
I’m just about to check my watch when I catch her turning the corner at the intersection. She spots me, pauses a second like she’s unsure if she’s doing the right thing, but continues toward me.
“Meatball sub for us both.” I put out the sandwich for her and place her chips next to it.
“How’d you know I wanted meatball?”
“Mrs. Neville told me. She’s happy, by the way, that you’re safe. She’s been worried sick about you since you left.” I take a bite of the sub, wiping away the tomato sauce from the corner of my mouth.
“Is that your move, make me feel guilty?” She takes a small bite, licking away the sauce from her lips.
“No guilt. You did what you thought you needed to do.” I take another bite. “And I’m doing what I need to.”
“What is that, exactly? What is all this?” She gestures to the makeshift picnic. “This isn’t you. A picnic in the park? You went and got sandwiches from a deli?”
“I’d rather be taking you to dinner at the Italian restaurant near my penthouse, but you left all the clothes I bought you in Chicago. We could go shopping if you want. Atlanta has just as much to offer as Chicago.”
She takes a larger bite and chews slowly while staring at me. Her eyes pierce through me, like she’s trying to figure out my angle. So I help her out.
“I could order you back to Chicago. I could threaten Tony’s health, or Cassie’s, or I could simply drag you back there. But I’m not going to.”
“You bought my building, Gabriel. Are you trying to tell me you’re not trying to influence my life?”
“I’m keeping you safe while you decide what you want to do.”
“And you’ll just hang out here in Atlanta until I do what you want.”
“No, I’ll hang here until you do what you want; you just don’t understand what you want yet.”
“Is that right?” She scoffs. “Maybe I don’t want to be with a mafia boss. Maybe I don’t want to make forged IDs anymore. Maybe I want a calm, drama-free life.”
There it is again; something slightly off with her tone. There’s something she’s not telling me. But I’ve decided not to push too hard.
My patience only goes so far, though. At some point, I’m probably going to have to throw her over my knee and spank the truth out of her.
And then fuck her until she understands I can’t breathe if she’s not with me.
“You never have to do any of that again if you don’t want. No fake IDs, no passports, no forged shipping inventories. None of that.”
She chews quietly.
“As far as my work goes.” I put my sandwich down and wipe the sauce from my fingers. “Roman can handle the family. The men respect him as much as me, so there’d be no problems there. I can step aside.”
Her eyes widen. “You’d just hand over all that power to your brother like that? You’d give it up?”
My father spent thirty years building walls so nothing could get through them. Not my mother, not Roman, sure as hell not me. The oldest, being primed for the big seat. He called it strength, but I see it for what it actually was—fear.
I swore I’d never let myself be like him and then became him anyway. It was the only blueprint I had to follow in order to survive this life, to help my brother, my mother, my family survive it with me.
Control became the only way I knew how to keep everyone safe. So long as I held the reins everything would be perfect. I could make things perfect. But trusting Roman and Lucian to run things will take more strength than holding onto the power ever took. And Savvy gives me that strength.
To keep her, love her, make her mine forever, I can let it all go.
I reach across the table, picking up her hand and squeezing. “For you. Only for you.”
Tears build in her eyes, but she looks away before they fall, and she drags in a breath.
“Savvy, there’s something you’re not telling me. What is it?”
She wraps up the rest of her sandwich while saying, “There is, but let me tell you in my own way, in my time. Okay?”
I’ve never wanted to force a response from her so much as I do right this minute but doing that would only push her further away.
This patience thing is bullshit.
But for her, I’ll do it.
“All right. When you’re ready.”
A small smile touches her lips. “I have to get back.”
“Leave the mess, I’ll get it.” I stop her from picking up the trash and pull her into my arms. It’s probably overstepping, but I don’t care. If I don’t get my hands on her soon, I’m going to start killing random people.
It’s for the good of society that I hold this woman right now.
When she tips her head back, her gaze flits to my mouth.
“I really do need to go,” she says.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
“I’m working—”
“At the diner. I know.” I brush the flat of my thumb over her bottom lip. “I’m not going to drag you home, but I’m not letting you out of my sight, either.”
She licks her bottom lip, where I’d just touched.
“Do you want me to kiss you, Savvy?” I lean into her, my mouth nearly touching hers.
“I…you’re confusing me.”
I wrap a hand around her throat gently. Her pulse quickens beneath my fingertips.
“How am I confusing you? Isn’t this what you wanted? Space? Time? To not be dragged kicking and screaming into my life?” Her throat works as she swallows hard.
“I thought so,” she whispers.
“You’d rather I throw you over my shoulder and carry you home. Then you wouldn’t be responsible for being there. It wouldn’t be your fault if it all falls apart.”
Her brow wrinkles.
“How do you do that? Read into my thoughts like that?”
“I’ve been paying attention, even when you think I haven’t. When I said you belong to me, I meant it, Savvy. And I still do, but I won’t force you.”
Her phone dings.
“Shit. That’s Billy. I have to go.”
“I want it noted that I’m not killing the bastard for interrupting us. And I’m being extremely gentlemanly about you running off when another man calls.” I release her throat and take a small step back.
She smiles, and for the first time since I’ve arrived in Atlanta, it reaches her eyes. There’s a lightness to her tone when she says, “Noted.”
I stand at the picnic table like a fucking fool, watching her hurry out of the park and across the street.
My fingers itch to wrap around her hair.
My cock aches to dive into her warmth, and my mouth tingles with need to kiss her.
But I will deprive myself of all of those things if it means making her happy.
I’m halfway back to my car when a text message comes through my phone.
I’ll make you dinner. My place tomorrow night, seven. ~S