Gioele, the newest doctor who worked for the Camorra, dropped me off in front of my home. He’d done so a few times because it was on his way and I didn’t want Dad to pick me up like a little kid all the time.
The moment I was inside, I searched for Battista and Nevio, but they weren’t there. Maybe they were still at the Falcones, so I headed there. I was practically living there too.
Nevio wasn’t in the living room, though. Serafina was there, bent over her sewing machine with a look of concentration. She was working on a skirt and was busy attaching lace to the hemline. She always created beautiful boho-style clothes. Maybe if I ever married, I’d ask her to sew a dress for me.
“Where’s Nevio?”
“He and Battista are in Nevio’s bedroom because Battista was tired.”
I frowned. “Is everything okay?” It was still early for Battista to go to bed.
Serafina gave me an understanding smile. “It was an exciting day, for both of them.”
I nodded. “Can I go there?”
“This is practically your home too.”
I bit my lip. Despite spending so much time over here with Battista, I didn’t dare go into Remo’s wing without permission.
When I knocked at Nevio’s door a little later, nobody answered. Worried, I opened the door and froze.
Nevio was stretched out on his bed with Battista cuddled up against his side, one small arm thrown over Nevio’s chest. A book rested on Nevio’s stomach, and one of his arms was curled around Battista protectively. His eyes peeled open when I stepped inside. I gave him a small smile, feeling guilty for having been so worried, but given Nevio’s past escapades, I couldn’t help it.
Nevio extracted himself from Battista and got up. We went into the hallway. Nevio’s hair was tousled. “Do you want to check on him to see if he’s got a pulse?” he asked with a sarcastic twist of his mouth.
I flushed. “This was your first time being alone with him, and you chose to make a whole trip out of it, of course I was worried.”
“Everything went well.”
“Except for the ruined clothes, the missing diapers, the lack of healthy snacks, and the ruined bedtime routine.”
He took a step closer, backing me into the wall. “Except for that, yes,” he said in a low voice. “But I doubt Battista cared about any of those things. He won’t remember that I forgot to pack his bag, he’ll remember riding a fucking fire truck and having a great time with me.”
To my surprise, I detected a hint of hurt in Nevio’s eyes.
“You’re right,” I admitted grudgingly. “But being a parent isn’t only about doing the fun things.”
“Fuck, Rory. I know, and I’m doing my best. Maybe it’s not up to your high standards yet, and maybe it won’t ever be, but I won’t ever be like you. I’ll always only be the father I can be. Maybe I won’t do things how you would have done them, but that doesn’t mean I’ll do a bad job.”
“Battista looked happy on the pics you sent me. Thanks for thinking of me,” I said as a sort of peace offering. Actually saying I’m sorry to Nevio wasn’t an option at the current time.
His eyes seemed to grab me by the throat. “I always do.”
I looked away, clearing my throat.
Nevio’s gaze traveled along my body. “I like you in scrubs. They look sexy on you.”
I shrugged, pretending not to care even as my body heated. “They’re functional.” I slipped away to bring more distance between us. “I need to figure out a way to get him into his bed.”
“I can carry him.”
“I need to change him into his pajamas.”
“He’s actually in his pajamas. I changed him after we arrived.”
Surprise washed over me, followed by suspicion. “What did you wash off him?”
Nevio sighed. He grabbed my wrist and tugged me closer. “You’re really good at giving me a hard time.”
“This isn’t me giving you a hard time.”
He smirked. “All right then. How about we two go on a date?”
I began to shake my head, but Nevio kept talking. “An innocent date, without any knife play or other kinky stuff. And no other fun activities involving our nether regions either, unless you want to.”
“I don’t—”
“I washed the smell of fries off him, okay? We had our dinner at Shake Shack, and I forgot to brush his teeth after.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “And you think that will make me say yes to a date?”
“I thought honesty would,” he said. His smile still promised trouble, and I had serious doubts Nevio would manage a whole date without trying to seduce me, but I felt myself nodding. “Okay, but no funny business.”
“We won’t have any fun, if that’s what you want,” he said with a smile.
I sighed. I really hoped I wouldn’t regret this.
Nevio carried Battista over to my home. He was so exhausted he didn’t even stir when I put him in his bed. I accompanied Nevio downstairs where we met Dad. His expression was furious. “What were you doing upstairs?”
Nevio’s answering smirk promised trouble.
“Nevio carried Battista for me,” I said quickly before things escalated.
Dad relaxed, but he still fixed Nevio with a hard look. “Did Gioele drive carefully when he brought you home today?”
I pursed my lips. “Of course, why…” Then I got why Dad had mentioned Gioele. Nevio’s intense gaze rested on me. I sent Dad a glare before I pushed Nevio outside, away from Dad’s provocation.
“Who’s Gioele?”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s a doctor in the hospital, and he occasionally lets me ride with him so Dad doesn’t have to pick me up.”
“How nice of him.” Nevio’s voice was hard, and his eyes promised violence.
“It seems some things haven’t changed…”
“I’m still me, Aurora. The murderous asshole you fell for. I haven’t turned into a fucking domesticated housecat so if some asshole thinks he can make a move on you, he better know about the consequences. I don’t share you.”
My heart picked up. “You can’t share me because I’m not yours.”
He didn’t say anything but his face made one thing very clear: I was his.
“Gioele is married, so you don’t have to hurt him.”
“As if marriage has ever stopped anyone.”
“He hasn’t done anything, so please stop it!”
“I’ll stop it, and I won’t even kick his ass if you’ll let me pick you up in the future.”
“And what if you are busy?”
“Then I’ll send someone I trust.”
I huffed. I couldn’t believe his audacity but at the same time I got a sick thrill out of knowing Nevio was jealous. “We’re not dating,” I reminded him.
“But I’ll do everything in my power to change that. I’ll make up for the shit I pulled in the past until I’m worthy of calling you mine.”
He turned and stalked off, leaving me with my heart pounding in my chest. Nevio was still as intense as he’d been before he’d left despite the notable changes I couldn’t deny. Even if I’d never admit it to him, I was glad he hadn’t changed completely. That fact probably made me as crazy as him. Thinking of our upcoming date, my belly fluttered with butterflies. I’d never been on a date. What Nevio and I had done in the past had hardly qualified as one.
Nevio
I picked up Aurora at the hospital the following day. Fabiano had driven her there in the morning. Because I’d had to visit a couple of casinos for the Camorra, Mom had watched Battista until early afternoon, and I’d taken over after that. By now, the little man had gotten used to me, and every moment I spent with him he grew more on me too.
“Gioele wasn’t at work today. Not as a doctor at least. He was admitted last night as a patient because apparently someone ran him over with a car.”
I bared my teeth. “It’s a dangerous world.”
Aurora narrowed her eyes. “It was you.”
I shrugged. “I’m still me, Rory. I put on my civil mask more often for you, but beneath it, there’s still a monster that hungers for blood, especially when men don’t keep their distance to you.”
Aurora shook her head. “You could have killed him!”
“I ran him over with my car so I wouldn’t feel tempted to kill him because if I’d felt his blood on my skin, I would have ripped his heart out.”
Aurora blinked and slowly turned around to Battista as if she remembered his presence just now. “Did you have fun today?”
He nodded enthusiastically. His curly dark hair bobbed all over the place.
“He and I took a quick dip in the pool.”
Aurora gave me a small smile. I could tell she was still a little pissed, but she knew what she was getting herself into.
“You sure you want low-key?”
I’d given her the choice between fancy and low-key for our date, and of course, Aurora being Aurora had picked the latter.
“Definitely. No dress up or stiff settings.”
“Nothing will be stiff, promise,” I said with a devilish grin. Aurora sent me a warning look, as if Battista would get my innuendo.
I dropped them off at Fabiano’s mansion so Aurora could change out of her scrubs (though I really liked her in them and would have loved to remove them myself) and put Battista to bed before I picked her up for our date.
Two hours later, I rang the bell. Of course, Fabiano opened the door. He barred the doorway with a hard expression, arms crossed in front of his chest. He looked like a bouncer. “I don’t think I have to say anything.”
“I’ll behave and bring her back before curfew,” I said in my best everyone’s darling voice. “Promise, Sir.”
“I don’t know why an intelligent, nice girl like Aurora picks someone like you,” Fabiano muttered.
“Bad boys do it better.”
Luckily, Leona and Aurora appeared behind Fabiano at that moment or he would have punched me in the face. And while I was always eager for a bit of sparring, I was really looking forward to my date with Aurora. That alone showed how Aurora had changed me.
Aurora wore a short black overall dress, a white T-shirt beneath, and her favorite white Converse. I smiled. This was Aurora, and I hoped she’d never change.
She tapped Fabiano on the shoulder until he finally stepped back to let her pass. She scanned my shirt with raised eyebrows. I wore a black T-shirt with the KISS band logo, black cargo pants, and black Converse. “Since when do you like KISS?”
“I started listening to them in Italy.”
“Be back at ten,” Fabiano interrupted us.
“Midnight is good,” Leona said.
“I’m of age.”
Fabiano scowled at me, not her. “And you live under our roof, so you play by our rules.”
Aurora sighed as she followed me to my truck. I touched her lower back, but she moved away so my hand slid off. Fair enough. I still had a lot of work to do before Aurora would forgive me. I led her to my Ram and opened the door for her, then held out my hand to help her climb inside. She took it with a mumbled thanks and got in. The glimpse of her gorgeous legs immediately quickened my pulse, but with the utmost effort, I kept my comments to myself. Aurora wanted the good-boy version of myself today, and I’d try to give him to her.
When I sat behind the steering wheel, I said, “This is my first date.”
“I know.”
“No,” I said firmly. “I’ve never been on a date with a girl.”
Surprise flashed in Aurora’s eyes and a small smile played across her face, making her even more gorgeous, and making it ten times harder for me not to lean over and kiss her. “I guess then we need to make it count.”
“I’m doing my best,” I said as I started the engine and pulled away. In the rearview mirror I could see Fabiano still in the doorway. I had to admit I had been sure he’d put a bullet in my head but that he actually allowed me to take Aurora on a date made me really want to prove to him and everyone else that even if I was fucked up as hell, I had it in me to be what Aurora deserved.
“Where are you taking me?”
“KISS world mini golf.”
Aurora laughed. “Really?” Her blue eyes sparkled with amusement. “That’s why you’re wearing the shirt?”
“Yep. Trying to get in the mood.” I let my gaze travel over her. “And I really like that our clothes are matching without even trying.”
Her hands rested in her lap and she was playing with her fingers. I put my hand on the center console, palm upward. Usually I would have just taken her hand without asking but I really wanted to give Aurora the time she needed this time even if it went against my nature.
Her gaze darted to my hand but she didn’t take it.
Biting back my disappointment, I kept my palm where it was in case Aurora changed her mind.
Aurora’s eyes lit up when we entered the KISS-themed miniature golf. It glowed in the dark in neon colors.
“I don’t even remember the last time I played miniature golf,” she said.
“I think it was about three years ago with Carlotta, Greta, Massimo, Alessio, and me.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Right. Massimo beat all of us, but you came in second.”
“Tonight, I’ll win.”
“We’ll see,” she said with a smile.
Aurora let out a sigh when she missed the hole again. The ball had to roll up the red tongue of a Gene Simmons figure, but Aurora either used too much force or too little, and she grew frustrated.
“Let me help?” I stepped up behind her and she gave a small nod. Pressing my front to her back, I put my hands over hers, my arms wrapped around her. “You need the right amount of force,” I said close to her ear to be heard over the music. “Not too hard, but not too gentle either.”
Aurora shivered in my hold, and then together we moved and hit the ball with the golf club. The ball shot up the red tongue and dropped into the hole.
Aurora beamed. “Let me try it on my own.”
I stepped back even if it was the last thing I wanted. Behind us a couple of people were waiting but one look from me and they backed off.
Aurora flushed. “Sorry. Just one more try!”
“Take all the time you need,” I said firmly.
But she hit the ball with the right amount of force on the first try this time and hit the hole. She jumped up with a big smile and hugged me. My arms came around her at once, holding her against me. She beamed up at me and then the KISS song came on that had been on repeat in my car when I’d been in Italy.
I was made for loving you.
I leaned down. “Rory, you were made for me, and I was made for you.” Our eyes met and Rory swallowed hard. I forced myself to pull away to give her the space she’d requested, then nodded toward the next hole. Aurora followed me without a word as the next song came on.
After that we got In-N-Out burgers and vanilla soft serve and ate it in the car on a hill overlooking Las Vegas. Aurora had requested the spot, and I got why. “Is this low-key enough for you?” I asked once we’d finished the soft serve.
She gave a nod and sank against the seat with a satisfied smile. Fuck, she looked perfect at that moment, especially because of a smudge of ice cream on her cheek. It was so fucking Rory.
I reached over and wiped the ice cream off. “Ready to go home?” It was half past eleven, and I wanted to get Rory back within the time Leona had given. This was a new thing for me, but if this meant Aurora realized I was fucking serious about her, then I’d be the good guy for once.
Surprise flashed in her eyes. A moment of hesitation followed before she said, “Yeah.”
I started the engine, and like I’d done on the drive at the beginning of our date, I put my hand in the middle. Rory glanced at it, then put her palm in mine, and I closed my fingers around hers.
Fucking perfection.
Before I dropped her off, I turned to her, our hands still linked. “I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a night that didn’t involve blood more than tonight.”
“I enjoyed our date as well,” Aurora admitted.
“So you’ll go out with me again?”
“Yes.”
“This is probably breaking protocol but I don’t care. I need to do this.” I tugged her toward me and kissed her, then with a monumental effort, I pulled back.
“Thanks,” Aurora said quietly as she stepped up to the front door.
“Thank you for giving me a chance I didn’t deserve.”
