Romeo The Mafia Casanova

Eden’s [POV]

Naz screeched, and we both jerked apart, Romeo nearly against the wall, me nearly colliding with the bathroom mirror.

“Mama, it’s been five minutes!” Had it though?

Because to me, it felt like an eternity, those few moments where our lips had touched. Romeo’s lips pulled into an amused smile.

Naz rounded the corner and put his hands on his hips. “Mom, if I don’t get to bed on time, I’ll get sick, remember? You said if I don’t go to bed at the same time I’m going to”

“I know what I said,” I interrupted.

“Uncle Romeo, Mama’s face is super red. Is she getting sick? Should she go to bed too?” Romeo licked his lips and bent down until he was at eye level with Naz.

“You’re right; she probably should go to bed early…”

I crossed my legs, He was driving me insane!

One minute I wanted to run him over with my car, the next, I was thinking about an early bedtime with his mouth between my thighs.

Tristian had never…I’d told him I didn’t like it, Had I just been saving that for someone else?

For Romeo?

And why was I even thinking about that right now?

“Mama?” Naz waved a hand in the air. “Did you hear what I said?”

“Absolutely.” I cleared my throat and hopped down from the counter, then nearly collided with Romeo. He steadied me on my feet.

“Let’s get you to bed, buddy.” Romeo released me but not before squeezing my arm as if to say

“later.” Did I want there to be a later? My body and mind were at complete war with each other. I led Naz into his room, said his prayers with him, and kissed him on the head.

I grew up with cameras all around me, so the ones that I knew were in his room, thanks to Romeo, didn’t bother me.

Exhaustion had already hit. I went back to my room, only to hear the shower running.

“Strip,” Romeo said as he came out of the bathroom.

“Now.”

“I am not having sex with you!” The nerve of that idiot! A kiss didn’t mean naked time! I could just strangle him!

His lips pressed together in an amused smile as he approached me. Leaning in close to my mouth, he whispered, “I don’t remember asking you to.”

“What?”

“Have sex.” He pecked the tip of my nose like I was a little girl, a child, and before I could stop myself, I was on him, trying to attack, strangle maybe, who knew?

I’d finally lost it.

With a laugh, he grabbed my leg, twisting me around until he could pry me free. Throwing me on the bed next, he swiftly hovered above me.

I surrendered.

Panting, my chest rising and falling, waiting.

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“You’re exhausted, Red. Let me put you to bed.”

“I’m not a child.” I straight up pouted.

“You literally just tried to attack me. If you were standing, you’d probably stomp your feet too.”

“Would not.”

“Would too.” He winked, grinning in that Romeo Sinacore sort of way.

For a moment, we both stared at each other. It was like old times before everything turned confusing, frustrating, ugly.

He was the first to break our mirroring thoughts.

“I missed you, Red. A lot.”

“Don’t.” Tears filled my eyes. “Please don’t.”

“You want me to lie?”

“Lies hurt less than truths.”

“Eden.” He kissed my forehead. “The lies are what separated us, the truth hurts, but it’s the only thing that will eventually set you free.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing has changed. I’m still no good for you.”

“Yet here we are. In the same place we’ve always been. You say that lies are what separated us, but now truths are separating us as well? I don’t understand. What are you keeping from me?”

“What I have to in order for you to move on.”

“Move on from what?”

“Me.”

That one word hurt more than laying my husband to rest.

He pulled me to my feet, making quick work of slipping my shirt over my head.

I stood there in a trance.

Stunned, angry, happy and guilty.

My leggings came next, then socks, panties. My bra somehow came off. He was picking me up into his arms and setting me in the steaming shower.

I flinched when he followed.

Squeezed my eyes shut when he started rubbing his hands all over my body, washing me, cleansing me. It felt like a holy moment, one where you don’t speak your confession for fear that you won’t stop once you start.

He led me under the water, I kept my eyes closed, He scared me, I scared me.

What was happening?

It was as though I was having an out of body experience; I was there, but I wasn’t.

I couldn’t believe he was cleaning me like it was no big deal when it was a huge one. Still, it felt comfortable being there with him. I wanted to open my eyes, but I was afraid of what I’d see.

What I’d feel.

When I was already feeling everything.

I always had Tristian standing between us, we both did, and now… now there was nothing but this chasm of pain between us.

Mistakes and regrets.

Memories we could never change.

“You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted but couldn’t have.” He came up behind me, pulling my back against his rock hard body. “That’s my truth. Telling you that doesn’t fix anything, doesn’t change anything. It just makes me angry, and it makes you sad. I’m fucking exhausted from making you sad, Red.”

Cold air hit me in the back as he stepped out of the shower. I let him go; it was just easier that way. Nothing was ever simple between us. Except… walking away.

Later that night, long after he’d fallen asleep, I thought of his words.

Did that mean he still wanted me?

Still cared?

Did that mean he was here for more than just protection?

Or was it because his only competition was dead in the cold hard ground?

With a curse, I threw off the duvet, grabbed a sweatshirt, and left my bedroom.

Thought after thought assaulted my mind, and on my way to the kitchen, I noticed the light to Tristian’s office was on. Before I knew what I was doing, the door was creaking open. Legos littered the floor in an explosion of color.

“Naz,” I whispered.

He missed his hero.

And it would be my life’s goal to make sure he only saw Tristian as that. Despite being one of the biggest lies of them all, it’d be a lie I would gladly tell.

The truth was sometimes too painful to recognize; it left scars where a lie sometimes left a smile.

I started picking up the Legos around Tristian’s old desk. How had Naz gotten so many in here in the first place?

A few toppled over onto a piece of paper, I glanced at it, then did a double take, what the fuck?

My heart dropped, my breathing hitched, I was lost all over again.

With a shaky hand, I brought the paper up to my face, having to take a seat to keep my legs from giving out on me. In my hands was a wire transfer for twenty-five million dollars into a savings account with Naz’s name on it. More money that I couldn’t trace, that I didn’t know about it. When would it end?

In what world did an accountant make that sort of money? And why put it in Naz’s name?

We were wealthy.

But not that wealthy.

Not even close.

“Tristian,” I whispered to myself. “What the hell have you done?”

I jolted out of my skin when I heard Romeo roar, “What are you doing?”

Like a kid caught doing something wrong, I hid the paper behind my back.

“Goddamn it.” He stalked toward me and held out his hand. “Now.”

“You didn’t say please.”

He narrowed his gaze at me. “Please give me the paper that made your face turn white so I can fix whatever the hell my brother fucked up.”

With a sigh, I handed the paper over.

If he was surprised at finding more incriminating evidence, Romeo didn’t show it; instead, he folded the paper and moved past me, his eyes searching documents on the desk before he dumped out one of the Lego containers that Naz had pulled in there and shoved every last piece of paper into it.

“Wait!” I grabbed his arm.

“No.” Romeo’s jaw clenched. “Information is guilt; if you know, then you’re part of it. I’m not going to stay up all night and read these to you; I’m not going to tell you what they mean. Especially when it’s not any of your business.”

He walked out of the office. A cold chill took over my body.

Romeo didn’t come back to bed.

I wondered all night where he went. If he wasn’t in my bed, then it meant he was in someone’s.

Was it for pleasure or information…

On what I just stumbled upon.