I nod. “After that, all my memories are of my mom and dad and growing up in Whitefish. I used to see a therapist for the nightmares, and eventually they stopped. She said I probably blocked all my memories and that it was my mind’s way of protecting me.”
“They probably brainwashed you,” he snaps angrily.
He shifts and pulls his phone out of his pocket. I watch as he brings up Massimo’s number, and when the call is answered, he growls, “Bring Dakota Romano to the mansion.”
My eyebrows fly up, and realizing Mom might be in danger, I quickly move off Leo’s lap and climb to my feet. Wildly shaking my head, I say, “Promise you won’t hurt my mom.”
Still on the call, Leo lets out a dangerous-sounding chuckle. “No. If she had anything to do with your kidnapping, I’m fucking killing her.”
Horrified, I keep shaking my head. “She’s my mother, Leo! Even if she was involved, she raised me. I love her. If you kill her, you have to kill me.”
Dropping the phone on the couch without ending the call, he shoots to his feet and comes to stand right in front of me. His rage makes him look unbelievably threatening.
“You were stolen from me by those fuckers you call family. They fucking killed Diego. Your brother, Carina! They shot your unarmed mother and father as if they were dogs. They put two bullets in me.” His voice drops to a low hiss, “I was left lying in a pool of my own blood and couldn’t do shit as you screamed for me to save you.” His breathing speeds up dangerously fast. “Because of the Romanos, I’ve lived in hell for seventeen years.”
Everything in me stills as I listen to Leo’s side of what happened. I lift my hands to the sides of his neck and give him a pleading look. “Hurting my mother will hurt me. Killing her will kill me.” I give him a pleading look. “I’ll never ask you for anything again, just don’t hurt her.”
Leo pulls away from me and picks up his phone before barking, “You still there?” He listens, then his eyes lock on me again as he says, “No, don’t tell her anything. Just say she’s coming to visit. I want to see her reaction when I confront her. Send Dante and a team to Nicolo’s place and have them detain everyone. I want Nicolo alive.”
Leo ends the call, and I give him a hopeful look.
He pushes the phone back into his pocket before he comes to wrap me up in a hug. I listen as he takes deep breaths, then he says, “I won’t hurt her.”
A sigh of relief bursts from me, and I wrap my arms around his waist. “Thank you.”
“I’m only doing it for you.”
I nod quickly before I push my body up on my tiptoes to press a thankful kiss to his jaw. When I pull back, Leo brings a hand to my face and grips my chin between his fingers. His mouth slams into mine, and he kisses the everloving crap out of me. Histongue thrusts past my lips, and the wildness as he devours me makes me whimper and push my body against his.
There’s so much desperation and need, and for a few minutes, there’s only Leo and the way his mouth claims mine.
I taste his anger, his pain, and his crazed obsession with me. It should terrify me, but instead, it draws me in like a moth to a flame.
By the time he breaks the kiss, and we stare at each other, our faces only an inch apart, I realize I’ll allow this man to burn me to ashes.
There’s so much emotion alive in his eyes as he says, “I love you so fucking much it drives me to the brink of insanity.” He sucks in a deep breath, then tilts his head. “Stellina mia.”He brushes his hand over the side of my face, his gaze taking me in as if I’m all that matters to him.“Princepessa mia.”
I nod before pushing up on my tiptoes so I can kiss him again. It’s tender but quick, then I pull away and say, “You need to put on your shirt.”
I pick it up off the couch and hold it open so he can push his arms through the rolled-up sleeves. Moving around him, I quickly fasten all the buttons.
Leo tucks the fabric into his pants while he walks to where his gun is lying, and I feel a spike of anxiety as he tucks the weapon in behind his back.
He said he won’t hurt Mom. I have to trust him.
Chapter 23
LEO
Seeing the anxious look on Haven’s face, I say, “I’m just going to talk to her.”
She nods. “Okay.”
I walk to the side table and pour myself a drink, which I down in one gulp. I feel the welcome burn of the whiskey in my throat, but it does nothing to ease my thirst for blood.
It’s the only thing that will calm me down.
Gallons and gallons of fucking Romano blood.