A Taste of Darkness

Chapter 15: In Your Arms

Julio

Her head shoots up as I take a step forward, her eyes widening in shock for a moment before her expression changes to what it was previously. I can tell that the emotions she's feeling from the Elena situation are too powerful right now for her to be able to act how she usually does towards me. Now that I'm closer to her, now that she's looking at me, I can see her face all the more clearly. Her grief-stricken expression, her furrowed brows, her sad eyes, her slightly puffed-up, reddened cheeks as a result of her tears. . . and that's all it take to feel that tug at my heart again. Fuck. . . what's happening to me?

She was wearing that same outfit from when I crashed into her in the hallway after she came out of the shower that one day. Although I couldn't see her long, toned legs like I could last time as the blanket covered them, her tempting curves were on display, along with the skin of her stomach. Her shirt emphasized and drew attention to her breasts- or maybe that was just me- while the outline of her nipples could be seen through her shirt, I could tell that she wasn't wearing a bra.

And fuck if it didn't do something to me. . . .

Heat starts to shoot straight down to my cock and within a second, my pants suddenly feels suffocating. I look down and see a growing bulge taking shape. Shit.

Now it not the time.

Maybe if I sit down and face my body away from her she won't see. If she did I might as well just allow her to go back to her old life, away from this penthouse, away from me, and for some reason I didn't want that to happen. It was probably just because I knew that the more members I have, the better.

I hope.

"What are you doing here?" She defends while wiping her eyes with her hand, hiding her face. It pains me that she feels the need to hide from me. . . for some odd reason.

"I heard noises," I answer. I won't say or admit that I heard her crying, as then she will think that I cared enough to check up on her because of it. I couldn't have her believe that.

I sit down on the corner of the bed, far enough so that I won't bother her, but close enough so that I could see her face. "What are you doing?" she questions, startled.

"I'm sitting down."

"I never asked you to sit down."

"You didn't need to. I'm doing it anyway."

She lets out a frustrated groan as she leans back on the headboard, crossing her arms and refusing to look at me. I find it almost. . . cute.

Okay, now I'm sure something's wrong with my brain.

"If I said we'll find her, we'll find her Scarlett. You have my word," I promise, lowering my tone so she can see just how much I mean it and addressing the elephant in the room. Her eyes dart back to mine again and she sighs, it sounds like one of relief but I could never be certain with her. However just as quickly as it happens, she does her signature eye roll.

"You don't take me as a man of your word," she states, looking directly into my eyes to show me no fear. I liked that about her, her strength. How she was always able to hold her ground no matter the situation.

"I wouldn't be a mafia leader if I wasn't," I assure her, but of course she shows in her expression that she doesn't exactly believe me.

"Probably only when it comes to murdering people you are," she jokes. Although I can see that she's trying to put on the most certain façade possible, I can tell that behind that mask, a fraction of her doesn't believe her own words. And that seems to be the only reassurance I need.