None of them said a word.
My heart was breaking. I wanted to fix everything, to make things as they were before all this mess. But I couldn’t do that.
This was not how I wanted to leave things with them.
I hated hurting them but it was the only way.
Getting into the vehicle, I couldn’t look at them.
“They will forgive you,” she whispered, threading her fingers with mine.
“No, they won’t.”
“It’s for the best, Lorenzo. They are safer with you gone.” Gideon offered.
“Are they?”
None of us said another word when the vehicles started to move. Walking away from my brothers, the men who always had my back.
It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.
We arrived at the airport and were quickly ushered onto a private jet.
When the plane took off, I finally let myself breathe.
“It’s going to take an hour to get to our destination. There is a room at the back of the plane if you need privacy,” Gideon said. I didn’t need to be told twice. Needing a moment to myself, I headed for the back of the plane. Finding the room, I shut the door behind me. I sat on the bed and closed my eyes.
Seeing my brothers standing there with the pain I caused in their eyes was something I would never forget. My whole life I was raised to trust, to believe in the family, that together there was nothing we couldn’t overcome. Over the years, we put that theory to the test and survived, stronger and better than before.
So many times, I relied on my family and every time they never let me down and when they needed me what did I do? I walked away. I left them in the lurch, with no explanation, other than my hateful words. If my father was still alive, he would beat my ass.
Maybe I deserved what was happening. I didn’t know. I did know that I was never going to be able to look my brothers in the face again.
“Lorenzo?”
“Not now Donatella.”
“Let me help you, please.”
“I just need to be alone.”
“Sometimes being alone is the worst thing. Sometimes when things are at their worst, having someone at your side can make things better. You’ve been there for me. Let me be here for you.”
“It’s not the same.”
“Yes, it is. Just different circumstances.”
“Please go away.”
“I can’t do that,” she said, standing before me. When her hand touched my shoulder, I lost all my resistance. Grabbing her, I hugged her as if she were my lifeline.
Before I could blink, I found myself standing before her while I gently rubbed my hands across her shoulders, softly kissing her ear. Tracing my lips down her neck I gently bit just above her collar. My hands lifted her shirt, desperately needing to touch her soft skin. She felt like fucking silk as my hands splayed across her stomach, just below her breast.
I never thought I would need someone as much as I needed her. I’ve had vices in my life, some that made me feel out of this world but nothing came close to being in her arms. Her kisses, her touch, the feel of her body against mine was addicting.
I craved her.
I kissed my way across her collar, dipping my head lightly as my tongue licked the top of her breast. Unable to stop what I started, I pulled off her shirt, then lightly bit just below her collar, while my hands cupped her bountiful tits. Soft yet firm, I could feel her nipples harden in my hands.