Nero(80)

Chloe slowly walked up and turned her body to the side, keeping her eyes on him, afraid he would move when she passed through. She held her breath as she carefully started to move by him. Her face came to the middle of his chest, even in heels, and his shoulders came right above her head.

When she had successfully passed him, somehow with just mere centimeters apart, Chloe started walking as fast as she could, trying not to run back to the house.

Lucca’s voice carried across the yard. “You can’t run from the truth forever, darlin’.”

Chloe picked her feet up faster.

Yes, I can. I’ve been doing it for years.





Chapter Thirty-Three

The Sound of Defeat



Nero waited until his crew had walked out the front door before he pulled his sister to the side, asking her to take Elle to her closet to pick out something to wear to school tomorrow. He lucked out right after when Chloe told her to go on, and that she was going to leave now, too.

He watched Elle run out of the living room with his sister, loving the way she looked wearing his shirt. Nero had managed to win her back, panting and moaning underneath him. I love the sound of defeat.

However, he still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that he hadn’t fucked her right there. She was hot and ready, yet still he had denied his body to claim her. What the fuck is wrong with me?

He didn’t know if fucking her too early would taint her and make her think she was like all the other girls he’d fucked, or if fucking her before she learned the truth bothered him. Regardless, Nero had been given a little taste of her, and he was ready for the whole damn strawberry cake.

I really need to fucking thank Lucca. Then he remembered her lying there helpless, and he changed his mind. He understood why Lucca had done those things. Lucca had tested the water with the college kid in the diner to see if he rattled Nero. Then he broke them up, because clearly Lucca had been following them and knew he couldn’t get close to her with Nero constantly around her, which all brought them to her being snatched. It was a test because Nero shouldn’t have cared what happened to her. Elle turning up dead would be the best thing for his family, but instead, Nero had fought for her life, showing his cards to Lucca—his brother and his underboss. That could have turned out very badly for Elle and him. It still could if Lucca tells Dad.

Nero didn’t think his brother would. He wanted something to gain from the whole thing, and Nero needed to figure out exactly what that was.

Nero watched Chloe put her coat on and then walked up to her. “Could I talk to you? I need to show you something.”

“Um, yeah,” Chloe said nervously.

Before he’d even asked, he knew she wasn’t going to be comfortable with what they were going to talk about.

Nero grabbed a jacket that hung beside Chloe’s. “Here, walk with me.”

Nero walked towards his backdoor that she had gone out earlier. He opened the door for her and saw her nerves had kicked in.

“Please, it’s about Elle.”

Chloe hesitantly walked out the door with him, and then he pulled the door to a close.

Nero started walking once he was greeted with the winter wonderland. “My mom spent months landscaping this backyard. When she was finally finished, she spent practically the whole day out here.” Nero stopped to smile. “I still remember her crying when it turned cold and all her flowers would die.”

“It’s beautiful,” Chloe whispered.

Nero kept walking through the huge yard, going toward the gazebo. “It is. My mom used to stare at the backdoor, dying to escape.”

Chloe looked up at him. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”

Nero laughed. “It’s okay. I’m glad someone could enjoy it again.”

“I wish I could have seen it in the spring,” Chloe confessed.

As Nero walked up the step and took a seat on the chair, he watched Chloe take a seat on the middle of the bench. He saw her stare out into the backyard and could see the glint in her eyes.

“Sadly, it doesn’t look the same anymore. Now that she’s passed away, it’s not kept up the same and most of the flowers don’t return.”

Chloe looked back at him, the glint now gone. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Nero nodded, thanking her. It was time to move on to why he needed to talk to her, though.

“You know I like Elle, right?”

Chloe nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“Then you know I need to know everyone that has ever touched her.”

Chloe started wringing her hands. “W-why can’t you ask Elle?”

Nero shook his head. She won’t fucking tell me. “She won’t tell me.”

“I-I don’t want to tell you, either.”