Page 64 of Royal Desire

“For dragging you into this. The only person who knows about this is Grandma.”

“You told Alice but didn’t want to involve me?”

She shrugs. “We weren’t exactly on speaking terms. Did you expect me to call you up after twelve years when I knew you hated me and ask for help with the mob?”

When she puts it that way, I almost remember why I hated her.

Almost.

I wind her hair around my hand and ignore her comment about me hating her. I can’t think about that right now. “Let’s get the Mafia off your ass before we delve into the past. More than anything, I need you to make me a promise.”

She swipes at the tears on her cheek. “What?”

My fingertips press into her skin. “Don’t leave. I’ll use every resource I have to make Enzo Caruso go away, but you have to promise me you won’t leave. No more running from me. Got it?”

She mulls my demand over in that beautiful head of hers.

She sighs and gives in. “Okay. I won’t run.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

I lick my lips and wish I could ignore the twelve years that separated us forever, but I know that’s not possible. But for the time being, I can set it aside knowing we’ll deal with it soon.

“Good. As long as you don’t run, I’ll unfuck your life. We’ll figure the rest out later.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

ROMANTIC AT HEART

Ruby

Even though every instinct tells me to go, go, go, there’s no way I can leave Payne. It broke me doing it to him once. Never again.

What shook me most is the way he seems to be connected. Private investigators, Mafia friends, and calling in favors from his high school BFF to watch over my grandma and brother.

Then there are the biggies...

He doesn’t hate me.

He kissed me.

And he declared I was the love of his life to the world. Okay, maybe not to the world, but to every single one of his clients and a few Winslet residents.

The last two might have been for show, but I’m a romantic at heart. Even if he did it to protect me from Enzo’s asshole employee who bruised my arm, the entire event has lived in my head on repeat like breaking news—worthy of repeating over and over again because I absolutely can’t fathom that it’s true.

I have nowhere to go, and I can’t say no to Payne. He woke up a part of me that had died. This means I’m out of choices.

Choices...

This isn’t the first time in my life I’ve found myself backed into a corner. Only this time, I’m not running from Payne and breaking my own heart and his. Instead, I put my trust in the only person I’ve ever wanted and told Payne everything. It felt good and terrified me in equal measures.

After that, the day became boringly normal. I have weekends off at the Combover, and I was anxious to get back to Grandma’s house. She already knows everything, though I was not anxious to tell Blake what was going on. He needed to understand the drama that I brought to his doorstep.

Blake’s reaction was exactly what I thought it would be—supportive and loyal. He was in awe and declared that his life had never been as interesting as it is since I moved back. Even though Grandma already knew why I came home, her continued support was as spirited as ever. She said no one threatens her grandchildren and gets away with it. Then she went on to graphically describe how if Enzo comes to look for me, she’d tear his arm off and beat him to death with the bloody stump. Blake promised to have her back, but he said it with a wink. Since he doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body, I can only count on their protection in spirit. It’s nice, but if Enzo Caruso comes for me, I’m on my own.

Thank goodness for small miracles—the day was uneventful other than the Winslet police cruising by the house so often, I worry the officer might lose his mind from boredom. But when it came time for Blake and me to leave Grandma home alone for the evening, I’ve never been more grateful to the boys in blue.