𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒

𝟑𝟏 || 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

My confession was cold, and I watched Violet's jaw set as she looked at me with such a conflicting stare. "And you don't approve of that, I know. But every decision I make, even in bloodshed, is because I care about you."

"Well then maybe you should stop caring!"

"I can't!"

And just like that, I had come crawling back to her.

The very reason that I stood there, confessing about whatever the hell I was confessing, was because I wanted to push her away— not for a long time, but just until I had the Russians under control, so that she would be safe.

I knew she would be upset about what I did to Nathan, and I had prepared myself for the backlash of my actions, and yet I still handled it like a fucking pussy because I still just couldn't let her go.

"I can't stop caring, and I don't know why," I whispered, my voice laced with a mixture of frustration and longing.

She gazed at me, her eyes filled with a perplexing blend of disbelief and confusion, as if searching for answers within the depths of my soul.

Her fists, trembling with a potent mix of desire and impatience, bunched around the collar of my shirt. With an irresistible urgency, she pulled me closer, our bodies drawn together like magnets, and her lips smashed against mine.

I was stunned for a split second at her actions, not anticipating for her to kiss me, and surely not for it to feel like this.

She sank one of her hands into my hair, her fingers threading through the strands with an almost desperate need. The sensation of her tugging, coupled with the intoxicating fervor of her kiss, sent a jolt of electricity through my entire being.

I slid a hand along her neck, and the other around the small of her back. Her mouth moved against mine with such hopelessness, as if almost to try to find something deeper.

Then the persistent vibration of my phone served as a reminder of reality. Reluctantly, she pulled back, our breaths coming in ragged gasps. She looked up at me, and it was almost as if I could see her mind working behind her eyes. "You should answer it," she said.

"No," I murmured, my lips brushing against hers as I spoke. The feeling of her warm and heavy breaths against my face made me want to fucking kill whoever was calling me.

"Answer the call, Dominic."

"No."

The phone continued to vibrate, untouched.

With a slow motion, she grabbed my phone from my pocket, and slid it up to my chest. "Answer it," she distanced herself from us, "and find out why you care, because you aren't forgiven until you do."

_______

"Voi quattro, andate dietro. Aspettate il mio segnale per entrare. (You four, to the back. Wait on my signal to enter.)" I ordered, signalling to the four men who stood before me.

We were at the location of the warehouse. It was an old, abandoned structure and the only sounds that broke the stillness were the occasional rustle of dry leaves and the distant hum of traffic from the nearby highway.