Hard Bastard(24)
“I know.”
“I told you not to do it. I begged you.”
“And then you left.” I shrugged. “I did what I had to do to survive.”
“You’re a criminal.”
“Yeah, I am.”
“My whole job is to put people like you away.”
“I know.”
“Why the fuck wouldn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know you were the ADA. I didn’t know you were involved with Evgeni’s case.”
“Fucking hell, Gage. You and your mafia friends roll into that courtroom to what, scare me?”
“Yeah,” I said. “We wanted to show strength.”
“Bastard.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to see you ever again.”
“Sadie, listen to me. You’re in danger.”
“I know that. I’ve handled mafia cases before.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You have?”
“Back home. That’s why I moved out here, to get away from the mob out there.”
“And now you’re involved again.”
She sighed, exasperated, and sat down on the bed. “Yeah. Because I’m so, so stupid. This was a mistake, Gage, all of it was a stupid mistake. But it’s too late.”
“It’s not too late.”
She looked at me. “What do you know?”
“I’m on the other side.”
“Exactly. You’re the enemy.” She shook her head, staring at the floor. “I can’t believe this.”
“I’m not the enemy, Sadie. I’m not against you.”
“How could you say that?” She stood up, real anger on her face. “You’re everything I hate, everything I want to destroy in this world. You’re a gangster, a thug. You break the law just because you can and you hurt innocent people in the process.”
“I do what I have to do to survive. I get ahead in this world. The only thing that matters is strength, and I’m strong.”
“You’re strong, all right. Real fucking strong, Gage.”
I stepped closer to her. “I’m the man you used to know and I’m the man I’ve become. You know me, Sadie. You know I won’t hurt you.”
“How am I supposed to know that?”
“Everything we went through back then and everything that happened since you came back should tell you the truth. I won’t hurt you and I won’t let them hurt you.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew it was true. I knew I’d never let the mob touch a single hair on her head no matter what they decided to do. I realized how far I was willing to go for this girl in that single moment, even if she rejected me completely, even if she never wanted to see me again. I was going to protect her because she was good and she deserved to be protected.
I’d done a lot of bad shit in my life, and I’d probably do a lot more. But I had a chance to do something decent, to keep this girl safe and alive, and I was going to do it. I was going to try and find a way to do it without betraying my people, but if I had to betray them, well, so fucking be it.
“I don’t believe you,” she said softly.
I stepped closer to her. “Believe me, Sadie. The second I saw you I knew that you were mine. You were mine ten years ago, and now you’re mine again. I’d never let them hurt you, no matter what.”
“You’re a criminal,” she said. “You’re an asshole. You’re a liar.”
“I’m all of that. And you’re just mine. I can see it written all over you right now, you’re afraid of me but you’re not turning away.”
I stopped in front of her, inches away. She was practically trembling, her arms crossed over her chest, her lips parted.
“I have nowhere to run to.”
“You can run to me, and I’ll keep you safe. Fuck any man that wants to get near you. He’ll have to come through me first.”
“How can I trust you, Gage? You’re one of them.”
“I’m one of them, but I’m also Gage. I’m the person you’ve always known. I’m the man that makes your body tense, your mouth moan, your lips part. I’m the one that makes you grip the sheets and beg for more. Maybe I’m the villain, but you want me anyway.”
She shook her head but I reached up and took a handful of her hair. She gasped, her whole body tensed, her mouth hanging open.
“Admit I’m what you want.”
“No,” she said softly.
“Admit it.” I tipped her head back. She moaned softly.
“Gage.”
I pressed my lips against hers and kissed her hard.
Chapter 9
Sadie
That arrogant bastard, that son of a bitch. He was a mobster, a liar, a criminal. He was everything that I hated, everything that I worked to destroy.