Page 27 of Mafia Scars

He tilted his head to the side. “I knowhe’s in love with you.”

“Which is better, being with someone who’s in love with me, or being with someone who wants to be with me, so he can inherit my father’s fortune?”

I hadn’t forgotten that.

He chuckled. “That’s for you to decide, except that I’m not with you so I can inherit your father’s fortune. I told you I don’t want it. So, I’m the guy who’ll do what I have to, to be with you.”

Nothing was better than that.

“Really?” No one had ever spoken such words to me.

“Yes.” His stare intensified. “What do you feel for him?”

“I love him as a friend.” That was the truth.

“But you can say you love him.”

“He’s a friend, and that’s it. I don’t feel anything else for him. I can’t.”

He reached out and planted his arm above me, then roughly pulled me toward him. “You need to tell him that. Don’t make me have to because it won’t be good. I may not kill senselessly, but I’m a very jealous man. I don’t share things that are mine. Okay?”

Our gazes tangled, and I saw the seriousness that lurked in his eyes. His possessiveness over me was something that should be infuriating, but it wasn’t.

I liked that he thought of me as his.

“Okay,” I decided to reply.

A sexy half-smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. I liked that too.

“Come with me.” His voice was an urgent whisper, showing more of his desperate need for me to be with him.

“Could I… have a few days to wrap everything up?” Gigi was the first person on my mind. I had to talk to her. Seriously talk as in maybe, probably tell her a little more than she knew about me. At the very least I had to let her know that my real name wasn’t Amelia Taylor.

Luc looked hesitant. “Friday. We leave Friday.”

That gave me two days to work with and say my goodbyes. I might even see Sinclaire too. I had to talk to him to smooth over what happened last night.

He’d probably still be pissed at me, but it didn’t matter. I’d see him and talk.

I didn’t want to be negative, but this could go all wrong.

I might not make it back.

“Friday.” I nodded. “This Victor…” I stopped and narrowed my gaze. I hadn’t asked much about him because I was afraid to hear the full rundown. When we found Cole, he wasn’t just dead. His eyes were gouged out, and his lips were sown together. Then the note on his body had been stuck there with a piece of tape. The note which I still had said,To Amelia R. Only a true psychopath could have done something like that.

“What can I expect from him?” I asked. “What more? I want to know what I’m up against.”

“He’s very unpredictable, and he’s insane. You saw what he did to Cole.” He pressed his lips together. “That was nothing. I’ve seen him do a lot worse. No matter what happens, I have to stop him. Him alive isn’t safe for anyone. Going to Chicago puts things back on our turf and protects peoplehere. The longer you stay, the more risk we put everyone in. Demarco said Victor spent the last month analyzing and studying. That means he’s been looking into your weaknesses and everything about you. Anything he can use against you.”

“Why would he do that? Not that I’m not grateful to be alive, but I thought I would have been killed or something already.”

“Whoever hired him wants you unharmed, but that could mean anything to Victor.”

I squinted and brought my hand up to my temple. “They want me unharmed?”

“Yes. Which can only mean one thing.”

“They want to use me as leverage. My father has something they want, or they want him to pay a ransom for me.”