“That’s exactly what they want. They want to be your lover—no strings attached.”
“Maybe in the beginning…” Every time I tried to have a fling, it always turned into something more. Even when I didn’t want to see them again, they wanted to take me out to dinner. Sex always led to a relationship.
“Then you must be good in bed.”
I imagined he probably was too. “As a matter of fact…”
A ghost of a smile crept onto his lips, a glimpse of his human side. Whenever he softened, his eyes turned from black coffee to a warm cappuccino. He was much more handsome that way, when he didn’t look like he wanted to kill someone. “That makes two of us.”
I rolled my eyes.
“You can say it, but I can’t?”
“I was graceful about it. You’re blunt.”
“And that’s the difference between a man and a woman.”
I crossed my legs and leaned back against the couch, wearing a pink sundress with my mother’s necklace. Summer was upon us, and the days were growing warmer. I loved the Tuscan heat, but I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it this summer…not when my father was gone.
He continued to watch me, studying my expression. “What are you thinking?”
My eyes shifted back to him. “Does it matter?”
“Your tone changed. I could see it in your eyes.”
“Well…every few minutes, I’m reminded where I am…what I’ve lost.” My eyes moved back to my father. “It’s hard to forget.”
Maverick walked around the bed and joined me on the couch. He took a seat, his heavy weight making a much bigger dent in the cushions than Dante did. Dante was just as tall as Maverick, but Maverick had at least an extra thirty pounds of muscle. He was lean but strong like a horse. His knee touched mine as we sat together.
“You don’t have to stay with me… I’m sure you have stuff to do.” I didn’t know exactly what he did for a living. I didn’t even know how his family had ties to the underworld. Truth be told, I really knew nothing about him. I didn’t know about his finances, where anything was in the house, and if he had a swimming pool.
Maverick didn’t move. “I’ll stay…for a little while.”
Even though I knew it was coming, I was still devastated.
I cried myself ugly, my face was swollen from the sobs, and my eyes bloodshot red. I convulsed because the sobs racked my body. The tremors made my fingers and toes numb. He passed away in his sleep, pain-free on a morphine drip, but knowing he wasn’t here anymore still killed my soul.
Now I was in my bedroom, sitting on the couch and staring at the stone-cold fireplace. Tears streaked down my cheeks and splashed onto my black dress. My fingers rested against my lips, feeling the drops as they made their way to my chin.
A knock sounded on the door.
I stayed quiet.
The door opened, and Maverick walked inside. I could tell by the sound of his heavy feet. “It’s time.”
The funeral was today. We would have the service at the church then transport his body to the cemetery nearby, placing him on top of my mother so they could be together for eternity. I’d watched him stop breathing, and that felt like the most final goodbye I could give. Going to the funeral would just destroy me even more—but I couldn’t skip it.
Maverick was patient with me. He hadn’t snapped at me since my father had passed away. He didn’t go out of his way to be nice to me, but he didn’t pick any fights either. He came farther into the room and approached the couch. “Arwen.”
I didn’t look up at him, the tears still coming.
He stood beside me, still like a statue.
I covered my eyes with my hand and took a deep breath, willing my tears to stop so I could make it to the church with a dry face. My fingers smeared away the final tears, and I rose to my feet. I avoided his look, embarrassed by the way my face must look right now, red and blotchy.
His arm circled my waist, and he guided me to the door. It was good that he was there because I still didn’t know my way around this maze. He got me to the car and we drove away, heading to the church in the heart of the city.
Dante wouldn’t be there because I couldn’t make a public appearance with another man, especially when my father’s enemies were ready to collect what they’d lost. My apartment was gone, and my bank accounts were closed. I didn’t have a penny to my name—my maiden name.
Maverick looked out the window as we made the drive to the city.
I rested my head against the window and tried to stay positive. My father wouldn’t want me to feel like this, to be this devastated. He would want me to accept his departure and know he’d lived a happy life.