Filed to story: Sold to The Possessive Mafia Boss Book (Xavier & Jane) Free Online >>
I fold the note and pocket it. “I mean nothing to you?” she asks. “Is that true?”
I ignore the question. “I had your possessions collected while we were together last night. Thought he might do something like this. Here’s the address.” I hand her a business card. “You must stay with me until I’ve dealt with Garibaldi. Your life could be in danger.”
She shakes her head. “Are you insane? You gather up my things like some thief in the night. You stand there smiling at me while my house turns to ashes and you act like it’s no big deal? I ask if I mean nothing to you and you don’t answer? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Wailing and crying will not resolve this situation. You want to be safe. Come with me.”
“Get fucked. For all I know, you did this.”
“Talk sense. Why would I burn your house down?”
“You tell me. To force me to stay with you maybe? How did you even get here this quickly? Were you following me again?”
“You left without waking me. How? I sleep lightly. I should have heard you leave.”
“You were in a deep sleep. I felt sick. Wanted to get some air.”
“Came a long way to get some air.”
“For your information I was outside the hotel when I got a call from my neighbor to say my place had burned down. She’s in hospital with smoke inhalation, tried to rescue me from an empty house. I’m going to see her. I’ve got a cab on the way.” She looks at the business card. “Then I need to get my stuff and find a new place to live.”
Taking a deep breath, I decide it’s time to lay all my cards on the table, to involve her in the decisions that could shape our future.
“You don’t get it. Your life is in danger. The only way to keep you safe is for us to get married.”
Her eyes widen, a mix of surprise and confusion. “Marriage?” she echoes, disbelief coloring her tone.
“It’s a shield, a way to keep you safe under my name. It’s the quickest way I can think of to ensure no one dares to harm you again.” I rush to add, “It doesn’t have to be real. We can annul it as soon as the danger is over.”
She nods slowly, the wheels turning in her mind. “I need time to think,” she finally says as a cab pulls up, beeping its horn.
I watch her climb in, wondering if she noticed the tracker I slipped into her pocket when I took the note from her. I might trust her ability to look after herself but I don’t trust Garibaldi to leave her alone. I need to know where she is at all times, for her own safety.
I walk over to where Tony’s parked. “Book St. Mary’s church for a wedding. First thing tomorrow..”
Jane’s POV
Two hours later…
Emma’s eyes flicker with concern as I slide into the booth opposite her. “It’s like a ghost town in here, isn’t it?” she murmurs, echoing the unease that’s settled over me. “You ever seen Greg’s diner without anyone in it?”
“Yeah, it’s still early though,” I reply, trying to shake off the disquiet. “We’re never here this early, are we?”
She leans forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Tell me everything, Jane. Last time we talked, you were cooling your heels in his hotel. Why’d you sound so weird on the phone?”
I sigh, a part of me grateful for the chance to unload, another part terrified of where to start. “My house burned down last night,” I say. “While I was with him.”
“What? Your house burned down?”
“Mrs. Henderson tried to get me out but I wasn’t there. I was still at the hotel. She’s in hospital.”
“Oh, my God. Is she okay?”
“She’ll be home in a couple of days.”
“Good. Any idea how it happened?”
“Xavier’s rival did it to hurt him. Guy named Garibaldi.”
“Not Angelo Garibaldi?”
“I assume so. Why? Do you know him?”
“He’s a mob boss. Real nasty piece of work by all accounts. She frowns, then her brows quirk upwards. “Hang on, you were with Xavier, as in spent the night with him? As in you lost your V-card? You dirty girl. Welcome to the slut club. You’re going to love it. How was it? Was it good? Was he huge? Tell me he was huge.”
I nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah, it was good. Really good.” My cheeks flush with the admission.
Her expression softens, a mix of surprise and sisterly affection. “That’s great. How do you feel about it all?”
I pick at the edge of the table, my thoughts a whirlwind. “Everything’s so complicated. I’m scared, Em. Scared of how fast I’m falling for him, and all this shit that seems to follow him. It’s like the more I let him in, the more I lose myself in his world. And now, with this marriage proposal…”
Emma sits back, her eyes wide. “Wait, what? He proposed? As in marriage?”
A server approaches our booth with a tray laden with dishes. “Did you order before I got here?” I ask.
Emma shakes her head. “Uh, we didn’t order this,” she says, her voice laced with confusion as she looks up at the man, expecting perhaps a mix-up or an apology.