The Family (A Mafia romance) 1-3

Chapter5

Gio

I had made her angry and that was fine, because I was angry with her as well. Where had my sweet girl gone? The girl who had clung to me and me alone after her attack. The sweet perfect angel who had always greeted everyone with a smile.

The new Keeley was all frowns and bitter words. She had changed so much that I felt I didn’t know her at all. But that didn’t mean I was going to give up on her either. Because the woman I knew was still there somewhere, buried deep behind the walls she had erected to keep herself safe. All she needed was someone to help her feel safe. She needed someone to remind her that it was ok to ask for help.

The phone laying on the dashboard of my car rang, shattering my quiet reflection. For a second, I paused. My eyes stared almost unseeing at the name flashing up on the now lit screen. I didn’t want to answer it. I didn’t want to hear of the latest disaster that needed my attention. Not when all my energy needed to be on Keeley and bringing her back to herself.

With a sigh, I answered it, but my eyes never left the block of flats I was parked outside. I already knew which apartment was Keeley's. Just like I knew she shared it with a man called Kieran. A man she had lived with for two years.

“Gio?”

I shook myself. “Judge. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to check in with you.”

I frowned. That was a lie. The Judge didn’t just call you for a chat. He wasn’t that type of person. He was a killer. He didn’t phone up to check in on my well-being. Not ever. Which meant either he was hiding something from me, which seemed unlikely, or he knew I had found Keeley.

“Really?” A light in Keeley's apartment turned on and she appeared at the window. Her face was full of smiles as she laughed at whatever her live-in boyfriend was saying to her. She looked happy, more like her old self, and it gutted me. I hadn’t seen any of those smiles when she had been reunited with me. The only time her face had lit up was when she had seen my unused kitchen.

There had been a different reaction though. One I had almost missed. When I had closed my hand around her throat and pinned her back against the sofa, her breathing had hitched. Her eyes had widened. But neither of those reactions were in fear. She had been aroused. She had liked my hands on her.

“Want to tell me why you are outside Keeley's house, Gio?” The Judge's voice was low.

I started. “Wha...how the hell do you know?”

The Judge’s laughter filled my car. “It's my job to know these things, Gio. You pay me really well to know.”

I glanced around, almost expecting to see him loitering about somewhere.

“Plus your reaction told me.” His voice lowered. “Do you think stalking her is the right way to go? I mean she made it pretty clear that she wanted out, that she intended on getting away from all of us. Her own blood included. Why would she even want to see you?”

The Judge might think he was all knowing but it was clear he didn’t know that I had already seen her. Or that if I had kissed her, I was pretty sure she would have kissed me back. I dampened my lips at the thought, my eyes glued on her figure in the window.

Had she left my place last night and crawled into bed with her boyfriend? Had she let him touch her and make love to her? At my side, my hands closed to fists. I wanted Keeley to be happy. but not like this.

Not with someone else.

“I have to go.”

“Gio, don’t do something stupid,” The Judge warned.

“Too late.” Without even ending the call, I pushed my way out of the car and crossed the lot with sure, hurried strides. I looked out of place in the neighbourhood, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about the bewildered glances of the group of youths that were loitering on the corner.

“Make sure my car isn’t touched and there’s a hundred pounds in it for you,” I called out to no-one in particular. Not that I really cared about the car. There were plenty more cars in the world. There was only one thing I cared about, and she was embracing another man in the window.

Like she had sensed the sudden danger, Keeley turned, and her eyes went saucer round as she watched me approach.

She opened the door before I could kick it down.

“What the hell, Gio? You can’t just come in here and…”

Ignoring her totally, I pushed past her. probably more roughly than I should have.

“Gio!” She rushed after me, clutching at my arm and trying to drag it down. It was only then that I realised I had drawn my weapon. And I had it pointed directly at her man. I expected him to back down, and it sparked a flicker of respect for the much smaller man when he didn’t. He met my eyes unblinking.

“Leave.” My voice didn’t shake. “Now.”

“This is my place. You should be the one to leave.” Now there was fear in his eyes, and I relished it. “I could call the police.”

He couldn’t have said a worse thing to me. “You would die before you took a step. Save your life and f*****g leave. Keeley is…” I hesitated momentarily. “She isn’t yours any longer,” I finished. I had been about to say mine. In my head she had always been mine. Even when I thought I just wanted to f**k her, she had been mine. And I was fed up with denying myself.

Whether she liked it or not, Keeley would belong to me. I would make her back into the girl I had once known.

“Gio, stop this. Please.”

I didn’t turn to her. She wasn’t the threat. The man in front of me was. He wasn’t a danger to my life but he was a danger to the life I wanted. “I won’t share you, Keeley. Not for a second longer,” I growled out.

“God, you are crazy. I was never yours, Gio!” Swinging her hand back, she slapped my face. It was foolish and dangerous. The gun could have easily gone off and then we would have had to clean her lover’s brains off the floor. I didn’t mind that. I could get my hands dirty if I needed to.

“If he…”

She cut me off. “Christ, Gio. Kieran isn’t my boyfriend. He's my friend.”

I frowned. I had seen them embracing. And I knew they shared a bed. Was she seriously expecting me to believe that there was nothing happening between them? Even if it was casual, he still got to touch her when I didn’t.

“Gio, look at me.”

Slowly, my eyes drifted to her face. And it was only when I was looking at her that she spoke again. “Kieran’s gay, Gio. He doesn’t like me like that.”

I blinked at her in shock. He was gay? Risking a glance at the man I knew was called Kieran. I watched him shrug, his lips twisted sheepishly.

“He’s gay?” I parroted back.

“Yes, he would fancy you before he did me.” Keeley's hand was still on my arm, her fingers clutching at my shirt sleeve. My gun hand lowered.

I had run in and been about to murder a man just for touching her…and he was gay? I felt like a fool. I hadn’t had a plan. Just that I wanted her. I still wanted her.

“Get in the car, Keeley.”

“Gio.” She sighed again. “I have just said that we are just friends. You can’t just come in here and demand…”

I turned to her bodily, but my gun hand rose again in the opposite direction. “I said get in the damn car. Or do you want me to blow your friend’s brains out?”

She knew I wasn’t joking. I could tell by the way her face fell. “For what reason? So, you can kidnap me and take me home? I don’t want to go back there, Gio. My life is here.”

Was that what she thought I planned on doing? Kidnapping her to take her home to Monster and the Savage Sons? The thought hadn’t even entered my mind. I hadn’t even told them that I had found her. And I was certain The Judge wouldn’t, not unless he thought he needed to. If he had seen what I had just done, then he might be considering it. The thought curled my lips.

“I’m not taking you home, Keeley. We won’t even leave the city. I am taking you out to dinner.”

Her face twisted in confusion. “You want to take me to dinner?” she asked incredulously. “I’m not dressed for dinner and…”

“I will find you something to wear that’s suitable for our first date.” Slipping my gun into the waistband of my trousers, I closed my other hand around her bicep, leading her towards the door. “Now get in the damn car.”