REMEDY: A Mafia Romance (Return to Us Trilogy Book 3) by M.K. Gilher Read Free Book Online Page B

looks up at me with wide, round eyes. Her fingers inch closer to mine.
    I swallow hard, wiping my clammy hands against my jeans.
    "Yeah. When I first saw you, I was blown away." I angle my torso toward her, brushing my shoulder against hers.
    "You were?"
    "I still am." I press my pinkie finger to the side of her hand. A frisson of electricity sparks up my arm.
    Her breath catches as her gaze falls to our point of connection. She felt it too. She glances at me and bites her lower lip. I give her a half-smile and a light squeeze with my hand.
    "You still cold?" My voice breaks.
    "No."
    "Yeah, right. I see you shivering. Come here." I twist toward her and open my legs, nodding to my lap for her to get closer.
    She scooches in front of me without looking up. I grab the edges of the blanket and wrap us up with my arms crossed over her chest. She grabs my forearms with her hands.
    I rest my chin on top of her head and inhale her vanilla scent. Mmm, she smells like an angel. The warmth coming off her seeps into the tight space between us. Her soft hair rubs my neck and arms.
    "Why did you run away?"
    Her shoulders drop. "This time it was drugs. I delivered a package, but the guy didn't give me the money I was supposed to collect. When I came back empty handed, my foster dad lost it. He came at me fast with his fist in the air, but I high-tailed it and ran. I always run before they can hurt me. I'm eighteen now. I'm not going back."
    Wow. She's much more comfortable talking when she can't see my face. "Why did you steal the car?"
    "Viktor took the Corvette first. He said I could live with him at his farmhouse if I stole the Mustang. He taught me the trick with the drill." Her voice trails off.
    "You ruined my stepdad's ignition."
    "Sorry about that."
    "It's okay. I'll fix it." I rub her upper arms and wrap my legs around her curvy hips. "Are you gonna stay with Viktor at his farmhouse after he gets released?"
    "I don't know."
    "Do you have anywhere else to go?"
    "No."
    We embrace in silence for a while, listening to the rustling wind, the crickets, the unidentifiable noises of the outdoors at night.
    "I wish I could take you home with me, but I can't. My stepdad's a mean drunk. It's not safe for you there."
    "Why don't you run away?"
    "I stayed to help my mom. Not sure how much good I did, but at least he hasn't killed her. He shot me once, though."
    "Oh my god, he did?"
    "Yeah. I'm okay. I'm getting the hell outta here now."
    "Where are you going?"
    "Away—to school. I'm gonna make something of myself."
    "Oh." Her back rounds against my chest as she slouches.
    "You going to college?"
    "Yeah. I guess so."
    Not the best answer.
    "You should. It's important. Don't let those assholes at your foster home hold you back."
    "Okay."
    She yawns, and I glance at my watch. "It's four am. We should get some sleep."
    "Oh, okay."
    "I'm gonna say one more thing first."
    "What?"
    My hands skim the bottom of her breasts as I wrap my arms around her waist. I rest my chin on her shoulder and press my lips to her ear. "I will have you someday."
    Her back shoots ramrod straight. She angles her face toward me. "Have me now."
    "No," I say through gritted teeth.
    "Oh. I see."
    She pulls away, but I tighten my hold. She doesn't see shit. Fucking Heldman.
    "It's not that I don't want to. I mean, you're gorgeous. It's just that… Well, I shouldn't. You're not mine to take."
    "Why not?"
    "You…" Shit. What can I tell her? "I have nothing to offer you."
    "I don't need anyone to take care of me. I'm strong. I can handle myself on the street."
    "I believe you, but we still shouldn't."
    She drops her head and pulls away again. I let her go this time. She spins and stares into my eyes, her brow furrowed.
    "What?" I ask her with a laugh.
    Her lips twist into a devilish smile, and she looks around us. She jumps me, wrapping her arms over my shoulders and her legs behind my back. Her tits bump my chin.
    "Ahh! What the hell?" I support her with my palms on her spine,