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But it did.
Ever since we had dinner with his mother, which had been intense but not as bad as he made it out to be, Ezra hadn’t been the same.
For the past month, we’d spent nearly every moment together. Being together had been part of my routine, and spending time with Ezra had been something that I enjoyed. Now, I felt as though I’d done something wrong, and I didn’t like it.
But I put all of that aside as I walked towards the breakfast place we’d agreed to meet. My stomach turned as I wondered what he wanted to talk about. I’d been monitoring his campaign on the news and the socials, and things were still going well, though slow.
Sighing, I closed my eyes for a moment allowing the sun to warm my skin. There was nothing I liked more than the feel of the sunshine on my skin, and the outdoor air in my lungs. But closing my eyes in the middle of a busy New York sidewalk wasn’t the right move, and I immediately slammed into someone.
“Shit,” I muttered, as my heel caught a crack and I fell on my ass with a loud whoosh.
“Are you alright?” A male voice asked.
I looked up surprised to see Joseph Rome standing before me with his hand outstretched towards me. I groaned internally. He was the last person that I wanted to run into for multiple reasons.
“I’m fine,” I said, even though my ass and ankle were both throbbing in pain. I took Joseph’s hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet. I brushed the dirt off of the front of my skirt and prayed he would soon be on his way.
The last time that we met, I had used my knowledge of his son to gain the upper hand on him, something I’m sure that he didn’t like.
“Sorry for running into you,” I said, using my hair to hide my face, as I attempted to scurry away.
But Rome wasn’t going to just let me go. He reached out and grabbed me lightly by the arm freezing me in place. “You’re Ezra Wright’s girlfriend,” he said. “Apologies, but I don’t think that I got your name when you were subtly threatening me.”
I cringed not just because of him calling me out, but also, because I didn’t want to give him my name. Joseph Rome was the closest I’d been to the Bratva in a year, and I wanted to ensure that I stayed as far away from him as possible.
Somehow, I’d managed to stay off the Bratva’s radar, even while in the spotlight, and I worried that I was simply pushing my luck.
“I’m sorry for running into you, but I’m late to an appointment.” I walked away from him and cringed as a sharp pain radiated up my ankle. I’d worn a new pair of designer shoes to my breakfast, totally impractical for New York City, which I was now figuring out.
“Are you alright?” Rome asked. He reached out to help me, but I tensed up immediately.
“I’m fine.” I tried to pull away once more and had to grit my teeth together.
Rome noticed and reached out. “I’m no doctor, but I believe you rolled your ankle.” His weathered face reminded me of my father. They were around the same age, and I couldn't help but wonder if they were close.
“Where are you heading?” he asked. “I have a car coming, and I’m happy to drop you.”
I shook my head. “There’s no need. I’ve taken up enough of your time, and I’m sure that you have important places to be.”
Rome shook his head. “Nonsense,” he said, before placing a hand on the small of my back. “Besides, your father would have my head if he knew that I left you hurt on the sidewalk.”
I immediately tensed, and I felt as though my breathing were coming in shallow pants. My mind raced as I allowed Rome to lead me to a town car. It wasn’t until I slid into the expensive leather that I realized that Rome could be taking me to my father.
“You don’t need to worry,” he said, as I reached for the door handle. I would sooner throw myself into Midtown traffic before I would return to the Bratva, and my hand was already on the door handle ready to do just that. “I’m not planning to tell your father where you are.”
Sweat was beading down my back, and my vision was starting to darken in panic.
“Where are you heading?” Rome asked, casually.
“What?”
“I need to tell my driver where to take you.”
I breathed in and out as I tried to calm my fast-beating heart. I uttered out the name of the restaurant softly as I tried to gather myself.
“Would you like a water?” Rome asked, gesturing to the bottles that were in the door.
I shook my head. The thought of trying to stomach anything at this moment made my already weak stomach turn. “How did you figure it out?” I asked when my tongue was finally able to work again. “We’ve never met before, as far as I can remember.”
