Her hands drew circles around my bare stomach. Damn, when had she lifted my shirt? Like I cared. Like it mattered. I closed my eyes and groaned as her hands continued torturing me. “I need you to remember something, Trace.”
“What?”
I kissed her softly then braced her face gently within my hands. “When I make a promise, I keep it. Regardless of whom it hurts, even if it means it hurts me or someone I care about the most. Sometimes… sometimes in life we’re asked to sacrifice something for the greater good.”
“Okay, you’re making me nervous. Can’t we just make out?” Her smile was wide, perfect, loving. I adored her. I didn’t just love her. I adored her. Everything about her. She was too precious. Too precious to screw in her childhood bed. Too precious to mar with my darkness. Too precious for a man like me to even touch.
I wish I could have said something in that moment. I almost did. I almost asked her to run away with me. I had enough money for us to live more than comfortably. I had houses everywhere. But eventually. We’d be found. And we’d be dead. Maybe by then we’d have kids. Having that held over my head? Over hers? I imagined a life without the Mafia. A life where Trace and I had a house in the suburbs. A life where her belly was swollen with my children. Children I would love until my dying day. Damn, why couldn’t my father have been an accountant?
I tried to smile. “I love you, Trace. I always have. Just remember that, okay? Hold on to it. No matter what I say or what I do… and trust me, I’ll do some terrible things. Just know. I love you. With every fiber of my being.” I would beg. I would get on my knees. She had to believe — the love I felt for her was otherworldly. And I’d love her until my dying day. Even if it meant I’d spend my life suffering for her happiness.
Tears clouded her vision as she kissed me hard across the mouth then whispered, “I love you too.”
That was it.
All I needed.
Goodbye, sweetheart. Goodbye… my treasure.
“I have to go.” I rose from the bed.
“Don’t!” Trace yelled.
Laughing, I lay back down on top of her and kissed her mouth. “Trace… your grandfather’s not a patient man. Let’s not give him a heart attack.”
“Seeing us make out would not give him a heart attack,” she argued. “You taking me up on my whole virginity offer? Yeah, that would do it.”
Holy shit. How the hell was I going to stay calm, knowing someone else was going to be doing the honors? Anytime I even thought about a guy touching her I wanted to pull my gun out and end his life. Damn, I’d do it with such a cheerful smile… Shit, shit, shit.
“Please. Just please don’t ever. Trace, you have to promise — shit — you have to promise that no matter what happens, you wait, okay? You wait until it’s with someone you love.”
Someone like me.
Which meant hopefully… she would wait.
Not for me, since it was too dangerous now. But for someone… someone who would take care of her. A vision of Chase flashed through my mind. I almost puked. That’s what the truth did to you. It made you want to throw up breakfast. If anyone in this scenario was free to disappear? It was him. Not me. Him. And he could… he did… he— It wasn’t friendship he felt for her.
Her smile widened.
And my heart broke for, oh, I don’t know, the fiftieth time in the last ten minutes? She thought I was talking about us.
“I promise.”
I felt my eyes well with tears. When was the last time I’d cried? And now within two days I’d been so damn emotional I was getting ready to cry over a girl. But it wasn’t just any girl. I nodded once and sighed when she pulled my face to hers, kissing me across the mouth. Our lips collided, sliding against each other. The friction of my lip ring against her mouth sent jolts of electricity down my body, making it harder to walk away. I slid my tongue into her mouth. One last taste. One last drink.
A knock sounded. I jerked away from her so fast I nearly collided with the floor. Instead, I stood and nodded for her to open the door.
Frank stood, arms crossed, and glared at me. “It’s time to say goodbye.”
In more ways than one. Huh, old man?
Trace rolled her eyes at him. It was too damn comical to see someone like Frank brought to his knees by a girl.
And then she latched on to my arm, and I was done for. So yeah, with her every breath she brought the scary Mafia to their knees. That was a secret I was taking to my grave, along with her kisses. We walked in silence to the front door. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, Nixon.”
I locked eyes with Frank. He shook his head. Damn Mafia.