Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91389 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91389 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“Staying here sounds… nice.” But also terrifying and exciting.
Another kiss, and I can tell this one isn’t going to end anytime soon when he takes my wine from my hand and puts it down onto the table before steering me over to the couch. I end up in his lap, straddling him, feeling giddy, like I just made a momentous decision and I can’t wait to find out where it leads.
Chapter 30
Claudia
He drives me back to my place that night. We hold hands on the way—a small, normal gesture, but it feels somehow even more intimate considering we spent the afternoon having sex, eating delivery, and having even more sex. I don’t think we used every surface in his house—but we sure as hell tried.
I’ve been trying to imagine what it would be like to stay with him. I’ve only ever lived with Serena, my parents, and my uncle, so I don’t really have a good baseline. Angelo’s attentive, surprisingly gentle, though he can be grumpy and moody sometimes. Today felt good though, it felt right, and not just because his house is an enormous upgrade from my comparatively crappy apartment.
We mesh. It’s strange. We fit together and even our silences are comfortable. At one point, we sat on the couch together, tired and spent from fucking again, and he did nothing but rub my feet and watch the fan spin. I watched him, the pulse on his neck, the way he licks his lips, his eyes opening and closing in slow, sensual blinks. I could trace his ear with my tongue and never get bored.
“I’ll walk you up,” he says, and we head into my building together.
“I’m surprised you still came around after you saw all this.” I’m joking around, but I’m really not.
He seems amused. “I was in prison for five years. Your apartment building is pretty fucking nice compared to that.”
“Yeah, but where you grew up—”
“Doesn’t matter. I barely spend time at home. It’s just a space, baby.”
“Right. Just a luxurious, gorgeous space.” We reach my hall and I slow to a stop, staring at my door. He grunts in surprise, and for a second, neither of us reacts.
Until he’s moving forward, a gun in his hands. Where did that gun come from? The door to my apartment is slightly open, but there’s no sign that someone broke it open. It looks like whoever is inside used a key and forgot to shut it behind them. Which makes no sense. Unless—
“Angelo, wait,” I say, hurrying after him, but he holds a hand to keep me away.
“Stay there,” he commands, hesitating next to the frame.
“No, listen, I think—”
“I said, don’t move,” he snarls at me. All gentleness is gone. He’s business, and he’s terrifying.
I stay still and let him go into the apartment first, gun drawn and ready. I hear a muffled grunt of surprise and a voice I completely expected. I hurry in behind him and find Serena standing near the couch, looking surprisingly calm despite the gun pointed in her direction.
“It’s okay,” I say, lowering it down to the floor. “I gave her a key.” I glare in her direction. “She must’ve left the door open by mistake.”
Serena seems bashful and rubs one elbow. “Whoops. Sorry. I just wanted—”
“I’m going to check the rest of the apartment,” Angelo says and storms off down the short hall.
I stare at my sister. She looks back. Her eyes are glassy, but not too bad. She’s high, but not wasted. There’s a glimmer of her old self behind the drugs and I don’t know what she’s doing here, but this is a first.
I’m nervous. I’m scared, and I don’t know why. I should be elated—she’s never been interested in coming here before, even though I gave her a key a while back. This could be the moment I’ve been praying for.
So why am I afraid?
“Place is empty.” Angelo returns, gun shoved away. I don’t know where he keeps that thing. “What are you doing here, Serena?”
“Please,” I say, putting a hand on his chest. “Let me talk to her.”
“It’s not safe.” He remains by my side.
“Go into the hallway, okay? If I need you, I’ll yell.”
“The door remains open.”
“Just a crack.” I touch his cheek. “Please, Angelo.”
He looks reluctant, but he turns and walks away after giving Serena one last hard look.
I turn to my sister and walk over. She brushes her hair from her face, and that’s when I notice the dark circle around her eye, lightened by makeup, but I know her too well not to see it now that I’m closer. It’s an ugly, shiny bruise, and my hands fly to my face in surprise. Her smile is rueful as she prods at the edges.
“I knew you’d notice. I never was good at makeup.”
“What did he do?” I’m tempted to grab her arm. I’m so angry I could scream. In all this time, despite all the drugs and the partying, Tommy never once put a hand on her in anger.