Chapter Five
Jessie’s fingers trembled. Sweat coated her back and the front of her shirt. The same one she wore to work earlier that morning. She’d been on high alert the entire day, wondering when Sergio or one of Mr. Rossi’s men would burst through her door. Surely, they’d check her apartment first. Not for the first time that day, she wondered if running would have been a better option.
Sergio looked momentarily baffled, but he raised his hands. A gesture of mock defeat maybe? Neither of them had illusions about who would win this particular fight once she put her gun down.
“Are you going to shoot me, Jessie?”
“I don’t have a choice,” she whispered. “Mr. Rossi sent you here to kill me.”
His face darkened. “That’s true, but I have no intentions of ending your life. You mean too much to me.”
“What are you talking about? We’re practically strangers.”
“No one has the right to touch you, much less kill you without my permission.”
“You’re not making any sense.” She shook her head. “Is this some kind of game to you?”
“I won’t play games with you, Jessie, unless you ask me to.” Sergio took a step forward.
“Don’t move a muscle. Do you think I’m kidding around?” she demanded.
“You haven’t shot anyone in your life, have you, Jessie? Me? I’ve killed plenty of men and women. The young and the old. Some of them didn’t deserve to die, but I did it anyway.”
“Why?” she asked in a faint whisper. If Sergio was trying to scare her, then he was doing a good job of it. Why was he so insistent on painting himself as a monster in her eyes? She always knew he wasn’t anyone’s Prince Charming. None of the men who worked for Mr. Rossi were good, but he’d always been kind to her. He noticed her. She existed. At least in his eyes.
“Because they were all threats to Victor, to the Family,” he said with a shrug. The casual way he spoke about murder unsettled her.
“And I’m the same. Am I wrong?”
Sergio took another step forward. Did he think so little of her? He probably wrote her off as weak. In his eyes, she was just a small bug he could squish. How could she ever have been attracted to this man? Jessie pulled the trigger.
Sergio jerked to one side. The bullet scored his shoulder, cutting through his jacket and shirt and drawing blood. Her hands shook violently. Sergio took three, four steps toward her. Suddenly, he stood in front of her and wrenched the gun from her hands. Part of her was glad he could move like some supernatural creature. Using a weapon capable of murder had taken several years off her life. She didn’t want to hold it again.
This was it. The moment Sergio would steal her life. How would he do it? Would he pull out a gun, a knife? Strangle her with his bare hands? Sergio did none of those things. He pulled her close until her breasts pressed up against his solid chest. Sergio wounded his arms around her, embracing her.
“W-what are you doing?” she whispered, lifting her face.
His dark-green eyes were unreadable. He lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss took her completely off-guard. Her first instinct was to shove him away, except her resistance died the moment he thrust his tongue down her throat. One kiss and Sergio managed to light a fire inside her. Jessie gripped his shoulders and responded. She became aware of her nipples tightening against the fabric of her lace bra, the moisture gathering between her legs.
Her mind might hate him, but her body reacted differently. When he pulled away, she panted.
“Does that answer your question?” he asked her. Sergio cupped her cheek. His callused fingers felt rough, but they were so warm. She didn’t know why she leaned in closer or why she rubbed against his palm like a kitten seeking heat. No one had ever touched her this tenderly before.
“No. Not at all,” she whispered. Jessie recovered from her initial reaction. She tried to draw away from him, but he refused to let her go. “Why are you doing this?”
“I didn’t lie to you, Jessie. I didn’t come here to kill you. You’re mine to keep and protect.”
“What about Mr. Rossi’s orders?” she asked.
“Fuck them.” Sergio must’ve decided she wasn’t going to run because he released her. She watched him walk to her window. He looked out and swore. “I should’ve known Aldo would send backup.”
“What’s happening?” She eyed her gun on the floor. Jessie could make a grab for it, but she didn’t think she could shoot Sergio again. After all, Sergio could have done away with her, but he didn’t. Besides, his words felt genuine and raw. For some reason, he was disobeying his boss’s orders for her sake. Now wasn’t the right time to analyze his actions or guess his intentions. All she wanted to do was survive, and having Sergio on her side was her best chance of staying alive.
Sergio walked back to her and grabbed her shoulders. “We need to go right this very instance, you understand? There are three men exiting their cars. I know them. They’re all skilled killers.”
“They couldn’t be better than you, right? You’re Mr. Rossi’s right-hand man.”
His bark of laughter surprised her. “Yeah, but I can’t risk you. Do you trust me?”