Bought by The Mafia Boss

Chapter 52

The drive home was a silent one. Not the heavy burdened filled kind of silence, but one of safety. Comfort and home. I relaxed into Renzo's chest, his arm slung around mine, grateful for him. Grateful for the excitement and adventures he provided, but more so for his warmth and embrace. His loyalty and devotion.

My eyelids felt heavy, struggling to stay awake as we finally turned down the dirt stretch that led towards the cabin. Home.

This place, everything involving him was becoming home and I needed to tell him. Soon, I would tell him soon. The car lurched to a stop and Renzo slowly slid his arm from around me, exiting the vehicle fast enough to come and open my door for me. My feet hit the ground, and I laid a hand into his outstretched palm and stepped out of the car.

He clamped down tightly, refusing to let my fingers go as we slowly meandered towards the house. I stepped closer, reveling in the heat from his body. His thumb began sliding across the back of my hand. Instead of heading towards the front door, he guided me around to the side as we found solace in each other's presence. The night critters sang, the owls hooted, sending a sweet melody to dance across the starry sky.

"Why didn't you tell me what your father did to you?" He breathed out, breaking the blissful caress of stillness. "If I had known sooner-"

"And that," I cut him off. "Is one of the reasons I didn't. But more so, you were a stranger, Renzo. For such a long time."

He paused, spinning to face me, his face tight in confusion. "A stranger?" I nodded. "How so?"

I scoffed, a little surprised that he was so oblivious to it all. "You were merely someone I'd met over Christmas who ensnared me in some sort of spell before leaving me shattered."

His jaw tightened.

"Do you not remember?" I spoke softly, knowing that my words were about to cause either a rift between us or draw us closer together. "You yelled at me right before leaving me. After having me in ways I'd never let anyone else, after somehow convincing me that you cared. You. Left."

He cast his eyes downward and let go of my hand before shoving his in his pockets. "I remember." He whispered.

I stood there, waiting for him to speak, to move. To really do anything. But he seemed to be withdrawn, his eyes clouding over as my arms prickled with goosebumps.

"I thought it would keep you safe. Out of all of this." He finally mustered.

I pinched my lips together and crossed my arms. "So instead of asking me, presenting me with a choice, you made it for me." A little boiling bubble burst within me. One that had been filled with rage and contempt from that morning. From Christmas morning when he'd flipped a switch and shut me out.

His shoulders sagged. "That was not my intention."

"Yet it's what happened."

His eyes suddenly shot up from the cold, dark grass that was parked below our feet. "Would you have done something different?" He spat at me, a little angry.

"Yes. I would've." I shot back, my toes turning a little numb from the brisk exposure.

"Alright, what would you have done?" He stepped closer to me, huffing in anger and rolling his shoulders back.

"I would've let me help! Let me be there for you while your mother possibly died! I would've told me who I really was because da** it, Renzo, I would've gone to the ends of the Earth and back for you if you'd let me!"

"That's my f****** job, not yours." He roared back.

I jammed my finger against his chest. "Yet, you. Still. Left." I jammed it again and he caught it in his hand.