When He Takes: A Dark Mafia Romance (Fallen God Book 2)
When He Takes: Chapter 26

When I wake up the next morning, the sun is high in the sky, and Nero is no longer in my bed.

I sit up against the headboard and wince at the dull ache between my legs.

Maybe I should have taken a bath at four a.m. after Nero woke me up again, but at that point, I’d come so many times, I was no more than a puddle of tingling nerves. I would have likely drowned.

I let out a low groan and roll my head back and forth to stretch my neck. There’s a constellation of hickeys marring the swells of my breasts. I’m sure if I look in the mirror, I’ll replace more.

Gingerly, I get out of bed. As I walk to the en suite bathroom, Nero’s words come back to me, constricting my chest. “I’m in love with you. And I know you’re not sure if you feel the same way about me because I’m not the kind of man you ever imagined yourself with.”

I anchor my palms against the vanity and heave out a breath.

It’s true, I never imagined myself with a guy like Nero. On paper, he sounds exactly like the kind of man I swore to stay away from after seeing how my mom suffered with my dad.

But it’s time to face reality and admit that I’ve fallen for him. Thoroughly and completely. Regardless of who he is.

Rowan Miller. Nero De Luca.

Turns out they’re not so different after all, at least not as far as my heart is concerned.

I splash some cold water against my skin and meet my own gaze in the mirror. My hair is in a terrible state. I grab a brush and start combing out the knots, taking my time with each one so that I can gather my thoughts before I get out there and face the man.

Nero was honest with me last night. He’s been honest with me since he put that cheap ring on my finger. But I haven’t been honest with him. He has no idea about the deal I made with Vita behind his back.

While he was telling me last night how good and selfless I am for trying to help him, all I could feel was a crushing sense of guilt.

When did I become a liar? And a hypocrite as well?

I was so angry with Nero for weeks after I found out how he lied to me in Darkwater Hollow. I declared I’d never forgive him for those lies.

While he’s been trying to bring us back to each other these past few weeks, I’ve been scheming about how I can run away from him.

That seemed justified at the beginning when I was brimming with anger and hurt, but it doesn’t feel justified anymore. And would I have kept up the lie if Maksim’s disgusting offer hadn’t forced us to call off our plan last night?

Probably. I would have continued to let Nero believe I was doing all of this only to help him. I would have gotten that passport from Vita, and then I would have had a big decision to make.

To stay or to go.

It’s so clear to me now that if I’d left, it would have crushed Nero. It would’ve been the worst possible thing I could ever do to him. It would’ve been a cruel betrayal. But I don’t have to worry about that anymore. My hand has been forced. It feels like fate’s telling me to trust my heart instead of my head, and I’m going to listen.

I can forget about the favor Vita promised me. I can pretend it never happened. I place the brush down on the vanity, grab my robe from the hook, and wrap it around me. What if Vita mentions it to Nero herself? I never told her what the favor would entail, but Nero could likely guess the gist of it. It’s so damn obvious what I would have wanted all those weeks ago when I met with her.

Should I tell him the truth? Confess?

I don’t want to. It’ll be agony to see the hurt inside his eyes when he realizes how cruel I’d planned on being.

I just want to move on from all this and start fresh with him. But can I do that without coming clean?

My feet carry me to the kitchen, where I replace Nero staring down at the ingredients spread out in front of him on the marble counter.

My heart stills. He’s wearing nothing but his boxers and an apron tied around his waist, and he looks so damn sexy that I have to take a moment to just appreciate him.

Heat stirs between my thighs. I’m sore as hell, but I still want him.

His eyes lift to mine, his lips curving into a tantalizing smile. “Morning.”

My feet carry me right to his side. He puts the knife in his hand down on the wooden board and turns to face me.

Something vulnerable passes through his eyes.

I didn’t tell him that I love him last night, and even now that I know I do, the words get stuck inside my throat. Why can’t I say it?

I take a step forward and press my cheek against his chest.

His ribs expand on a deep breath. I can hear the steady beating of his heart as he brushes his hand back and forth over the small of my back.

I tip my head back. “What are you making?”

He bends down and places a quick peck against my lips. “Breakfast. French toast and scrambled eggs. I didn’t think you’d be up so early. I was going to bring it to you in bed to help you recover from last night.”

“How thoughtful,” I say with a soft laugh. “Is that your peace offering for what you did to my insides?”

Concern flashes over his expression. “How bad is it? Should I call Doc just in case? If you’re in pain, maybe he can prescribe something.”

I swat at his arm. “You are not going to call Doc and tell him about how you destroyed my vagina last night. I’ll be fine.”

“Wait right here.” Nero walks around me, pulls open the thoroughly stocked medicine drawer, and plucks out a small bottle of pills. “Take this.”

I’m about to protest that he’s being ridiculous before I realize it’s ibuprofen.

Eh. That can’t hurt.

He hands me a glass of water to chase down the pill and starts cracking eggs into a bowl.

I sit on a stool across from him. “Have you talked to Gino?”

“Not yet.”

I search his tone for a hint of regret—maybe now in the morning light he’s realized what he’s losing by giving up his one chance at a promotion—but I don’t replace it.

He splashes some milk into the bowl and picks up a whisk. “Listen, I want us to get away from here for a few days.”

“Yeah?”

“I was thinking about what you said last night before I, as you said, ‘destroyed your vagina.’“

I groan, feeling my cheeks heat.

He throws me a mischievous look. “Your words, not mine.”

“I shouldn’t have said that,” I grumble. “Your ego is big enough as it is.”

He laughs, and the low, throaty sound makes my stomach flutter with butterflies.

“What I was trying to say is, you’ve been cooped up in here the last few weeks—alone or with Vita for company. And then we jumped straight into this Maksim and Ekaterina bullshit, which is no fun. We haven’t gotten a real chance to do anything that makes life here enjoyable. I want to show you that being here with me wouldn’t just be all this mob bullshit.”

Oh. “It wouldn’t be?”

“No, baby. You’ve been thrown right in the deep end, but that’s not how it’ll be from now on. I promise you that.”

Nero’s phone starts buzzing on the counter. He leaves the whisk in the bowl and glances at the screen.

“Gino?” I ask.

“It’s Maksim.” His eyes flash with barely restrained fury as he glances at me from beneath his brows.

The blood in my veins chills. For a moment, I think Nero won’t pick up, but then he grabs the phone and presses it against his ear. “Hello?”

I wrap my palms around the edges of the counter and just watch him. What does Maksim want now? Anxiety churns in the pit of my belly. What if he decides to come after Nero or something insane like that?

Seconds tick by and then turn into minutes. Nero’s responses are curt and indecipherable. He hangs up, puts the phone down, and picks up the knife again.

“He apologized,” Nero says, sounding irritated as he chops the veggies. “Said he was out of line. Wants to meet to discuss how we can help each other.”

My stomach drops.

So it’s not over. Not yet.

If Maksim is willing to come back to the negotiating table, it means there’s still a chance we can pull this off.

“Why the change of heart?” I force past my dry throat.

“He said he was bluffing last night. He thought he could convince you he’d be doing me a favor by putting me in contact with the pakhan. He needs something to convince the pakhan he’s still a useful asset.”

Nero’s phone pings with a notification. He opens it and scrolls for a little while. “Might have something to do with this.” He slides the phone to me.

It’s a newspaper article with the headline, “FBI pursuing investigation into alleged turf war between the Italian Cosa Nostra and the Russian Bratva outposts in New York.”

“The Bratva don’t have as much sway with the authorities as we do. They want to finish this quickly. This is the perfect time for Maksim to appear as their savior.”

“What are you going to do?”

“What do you think I should do, Sunshine?” He places his hand on top of mine.

My lungs feel stiff. It’s difficult to breathe.

I should tell him about my deal with Vita. If there was ever a time to come clean, it’s now.

But there’s a little voice inside my head that disagrees. You might still have a way out of here. Won’t it be nice to at least have that choice?

I want to stay with Nero. My fantasy of escaping overseas doesn’t appeal to me anymore, not even a little bit.

But what if that changes? What if you go down this path only to realize it’s not for you? Sometimes, love isn’t enough. You know that. It’s good to have an exit plan, even if you never use it.

I swallow. “If you meet with Maksim…maybe there’s a way we can still pull this off. You could still be capo.”

A muscle in Nero’s jaw twitches.

“We’re so close. You said a lot of things last night, Nero, and—”

He walks around the island and comes up to me. “And I meant every word. We don’t need to do this. I will be fine just the way things are right now, Blake.”

“I know. But I would feel better knowing the debt Gino Ferraro thinks you owe him is paid. Having you infiltrate the Bratva was the reason he spared you. If we walk away when we don’t have to, and he replaces out, who knows what he’ll do to you?”

It’s not a lie, but it’s not the full truth either, and I wonder if Nero can see hints of my deception as he cups my cheek and peers into my eyes.

Nero’s gaze is intense, searching, but he doesn’t replace what I’m afraid he will.

“Fine. But you’re not getting involved in this anymore. I will deal with Maksim alone.”

“But—”

“No buts. At this point, your job is done. If he’s willing to negotiate, it means we have him.”

A lump forms in my throat. Now I understand how Nero felt when he thought he might be putting me in danger for selfish reasons.

Aren’t I doing the same?

No. You’re doing what’s smart. For him and for yourself.