Secret Sin

6

Clint’s listing was located on the twelfth floor, which I liked. I’d always preferred even numbers to odd. No good reason, they just felt more wellrounded. “Clint,” Pippa chimed when we reached the apartment entrance. “Would you mind if Bishop and I look around in private for a few minutes?” His eyes cut to me hesitantly. “Sure, you guys go on in. I have a call I need to make anyway.” He retrieved a key from a lockbox to open the door and stepped aside. The second the door was closed behind us, Pippa whirled around and jabbed a finger in my chest. “What the hell are you doing here?” she hissed quietly. “Telling you we need to talk.” She frowned. “How did you know where I was?” “Does that really matter? I want to know why you snuck out earlier.” “I didn’t sneak.” She scoffed, lifting her chin. “I just had no reason to stay. It was time for me to get home anyway, and you were sound asleep. If that’s all we needed to discuss, you can leave.” An amused, fiendish grin tugged at the corners of my mouth. “I don’t think so, kitten. I’m not leaving you alone in a strange apartment with another man.” “What?” Her jaw slacked open with bemusement. “I can take care of myself.” I prowled forward, forcing her to take a retreating step back into the wall. Once she had no avenue for escape, I spun her around, restrained her hands behind her, and had my hand up her skirt in two seconds flat. She gasped but didn’t struggle, too shocked to react. I brought my lips to her ear, kissing her neck once before squeezing her wrists just shy of bruising. “All it would take is a few minutes, and your life would never be the same,” I said harshly, accenting my point by pressing her harder into the wall until she whimpered. I’d kill any bastard who hurt her, but she needed to understand the dangers. That type of crime could never be erased. Pippa’s entire body trembled. “It’s not your place to worry about me, Bishop,” she said softly, her words no longer bristling with a challenge. “That’s where you’re wrong.” I slowly brought my hand to her s*x, gently cupping her warmth. “This is mine now, and I protect what’s mine.” The words were past my lips before I realized what I’d said. They’d come from somewhere deep inside me, and I felt their resounding truth down to my bones. I was staking my claim to Pippa Revello, and if she thought she was shocked, she should have heard the voices screaming in my head. I was starting to think I’d gone f*****g insane. OceanofPDF.com His? I couldn’t believe this was happening. I figured Bishop would be delighted to know I wasn’t going to cling to him with expectations. He’d probably had s*x with a hundred different women in his life. Why the hell had he decided he wanted more from me? Because I was a virgin? Surely, I wasn’t the only virgin he’d ever had s*x with. And if that wasn’t it, what had driven him to go out of his way to find me? I’d been too stunned to confront him when I first stepped off the elevator and saw him standing there, all predatory grace and righteous fury. The lighthearted side of Bishop was disarming. The edgier, intense side of him was downright fascinating. It had taken me nearly a half hour to shake free of my bafflement and demand answers. Except his response had only left me more confused. The odd part was, I got the sense he was just as puzzled as I was. We finished walking through the East Village apartment in a daze. I commented on the quality of the fixtures in the kitchen. Bishop noted the advanced security system already in place. We drifted from room to room, ignoring the giant pink elephant walking behind us. This is mine now, and I protect what’s mine. I had no idea how to react. Clint joined us midway through the tour, so we continued with the ruse of coupledom. It felt too awkward to explain that we were sorting things out after a one-night stand. And I wasn’t ready to treat Bishop like some kind of stalker. He was a tad overzealous, but I couldn’t blame him. He’d been bamboozled. Maybe after a day or so, he’d settle down, and things would get back to normal. Maybe he’d see a girl at a club to distract himself and realize he’d overreacted. I rubbed at a sudden ache radiating through my chest. What the hell was that? Was I … jealous? I couldn’t fathom what had come over me. All I knew was the image of Bishop with another woman did yucky things to my insides. We’d both lost our goddamn minds. That was the best explanation I could come up with. And on top of it all, I couldn’t be fully upset that he’d shown up because he’d been right about the East Village. It was perfect for me, and I adored the apartment Clint showed us. In fact, I wanted to make an offer. That meant I needed to suck it up and tell my parents I wanted to move out. Suddenly, living with them forever didn’t sound so unreasonable. Come on, Pip. You can do this. You need to do this. Ugh. I’d been dreading the conversation, though I knew it was inevitable. I loved my life. I had money and privilege and parents who loved me. Mafia life was a sweet gig if you didn’t mind the constant surveillance, ever-present threats on your life, and a father who terrified and drove away everyone around you. Nothing about my life was average. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I had all the luxuries in life a girl could ask for. Enough that I should have been happy. I shouldn’t have battled a constant ache to see beyond the walls around my magical Mafia kingdom.