A Duet of the Soul

Chapter 22: Seeking Advice

*Justin's POV*

I turned up the volume on the radio as I drove back to the city. I needed to clear my head before I reached Greg's place, but it was harder than I expected. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, and things were more confusing now than when we started. It was also time to tell Greg everything, although that was the last thing I actually wanted to do.

When Maria and I went to bed last night, she was surprised that my mother had showed up for the weekend. However, surprised doesn't even seem to begin to explain the look on her face when I told her I was going to leave her in my mother's custody today while I drove back to the city to meet up with Greg.

"You're leaving me tomorrow? Alone with your mom? You think I won't run away?"

I had rolled my eyes and pulled her closer to me. It was reassuring to see how relaxed she was snuggling in bed with me after such a short amount of time together. "If you can get away from my mom then you can probably survive on your own against Adam. Though she may be tiny, she's descended from some of the fiercest Celtic warriors, and let me tell you she knows how to handle just about anything and anyone."

Maria had grown quiet, and I had assumed she had fallen asleep. "What are you doing in town tomorrow anyways? Stealing another girl for your collection?"

Her tone surprised me. I hadn't expected her to be so sour about me leaving her alone in the house with my mom. I had placed a kiss on her forehead and snuggled closer under the sheets to her. "Baby girl, are you jealous? It sounds like you don't want me to find someone else to bring home."

"Pfft... Of course I'm not jealous! I don't even like you, so why would I be jealous?"

I couldn't help the short laughter that burst out. Her glare only made my heart swell larger. "If you must know, I'm going to visit Greg."

The annoyance slipped off her face and a curious look replaced it. "Oh, did his wife have the baby? That's why he left Sunday, remember?"

"Yes, I remember, and no, she didn't have the baby yet. They will any day now though. He called and asked me to come down so we can talk about something."

Maria cocked her head to the side as she pushed herself up on her elbow. "You're leaving me alone with your mother just so you and your bestie can go have some girl talk in person?"

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back down on top of me. "Relax, baby girl. You're the only one I'm kidnapping. And it sounded fairly serious, so I'm assuming it has to do with Adam."

She chewed on her lower lip deep in thought. I wanted to nibble on those full lips myself, but I resisted the urge to devour her right there and then. "What if Adam tries to attack while you're gone?"

"Aww, are you really worried to be so far away from me?"

She grunted and playfully slapped my arm. "Are you kidding? That'll be the best part. I'm just worried about him breaking in."

"Maria, who do you think was the first person I called when I realized the situation we're in? I'm telling you, that woman can take on the entire Italian mafia on her own. She's the best protection you could get."

Even this morning, the look of disbelief on her face when I kissed her goodbye and walked out the door was a sight to behold. Truthfully, though, I was fucking terrified that she would actually try to run away today while I was gone. If she left and Adam caught her before I did...