“Archer, traveling isn’t against the law.”
“But you could look, without alerting them.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Archer, be careful. This family isn’t warm and fuzzy. They’re ruthless. And they’re sneaky as fuck. Maybe you should leave Elena where you found her and get on with your life away from the damn mafia.”
“If it was Nic, would you walk away?”
He sighs hard on the other end of the line. “No. I wouldn’t.”
“Didn’t think so.”
“I’ll let you know what we find, but it’ll be a few days. I want to make sure we do this right, and on the down-low, so low that no one can detect it. If it’s done any other way, it could put my men’s lives at risk. I’m not willing to do that, not even for you.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to. Thanks.”
“Why now, Arch? What happened?”
I don’t know how much I should tell him. The less he knows, the better. “Someone broke into Elena’s house this morning. Ransacked it. Local cops think it was kids, but I want to make sure there’s no chance that her family is in town.”
“Understood. I’ll look into it. Be careful.”
He hangs up, and I sit back in my chair, staring out at the water. Elena would be livid if she knew what I just did. But I have to know, and I trust Matt a hell of a lot more than I put faith in the cops here.* * *“I’m finally getting spaghetti out of you.”
I lean my shoulder against the fridge and watch as Elena chops up an onion to add to the ground meat sizzling on the stovetop.
“I figure since you’re driving me all over, and letting me stay here, it’s the least I can do.”
“You don’t have to repay me,” I reply and watch as she dumps the onion in with the meat. “You’d do the same for me.”
“Maybe.” She shrugs and then grins at me. “Okay, probably.”
“Are we having garlic bread with that?”
“Of course. And Caesar salad.”
“You’re a goddess.”
She barks out a laugh and stirs the pan. “The old cliché of charming a man through his stomach sure is true with you.”
She adds sauce and seasonings. Garlic. Gives it another stir, then covers the deep pan.
“It needs to simmer for a bit,” she says.
“Good.”
I move in fast, turn her to the wall, and pin her there as my mouth ravages hers. The desire, the all-encompassing need for her never ends. No matter how many times I have her, it doesn’t appease the fire I feel for her.
Her mouth is eager under mine, matching me nip for nip. Her hands are in my hair, fisting and then combing, then clenching again.
I move in closer, glide my hands down her sides to her ass and then lift her. She wraps those gorgeous legs around my hips, and I grind against her, making us both moan in pleasure.
“Need you,” I whisper against her lips. I push her hands over her head and pin them there while I continue kissing her senseless.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No, Archer.” She wiggles out of my grasp and pushes against my shoulders. “Let go.”
I set her down and blink rapidly as she hurries away from me across the kitchen and wraps her arms around her middle.
“Whoa, what just happened?”
She clamps her eyes shut and whispers, “Shit.”
“I’m gonna need you to talk to me, babe.” I carefully step toward her. “If some asshole hurt you—”
“No, it’s nothing like that.” She shakes her head and pushes her fingers through her hair in agitation. “It’s just the whole having my hands pinned above my head thing. It gave me a bad moment. And I know that’s not fair to you.”
“What a mean son of a bitch,” I growl as frustration and rage fill me all over again.
“Without question,” she agrees.
“I wish he hadn’t died,” I admit and prowl around the living space. “Because I’d like to rip him limb from limb until there’s nothing left of him. What right did he have to treat you like that? You’re his daughter.”
“I was his possession,” I remind him. “And, yes, he was mean. Ruthless. Feared. And my mother? Well, I don’t know if she was worn down so far by that time that she had no fight left in her, or if she really didn’t care about me at all. I don’t remember ever receiving a kind word or affection from either of them.
“But if someone else tried to mess with me? They were dealt with. So while they didn’t love me and couldn’t be bothered with me most of the time, if push came to shove, they had my back.”
“Out of principle, but not because they loved you.” Anger rages inside me. Elena is sweet and kind. She always has been. How could they not love her? “Obviously, because he tortured you for marrying someone you loved.”