Page 93 of Unchained

She pinches the bridge of her nose. “This.” She points between us. “This needs to stop. Let’s leave it in Greece and go back to ignoring each other.”

I pop the meatball in my mouth; it’s so good I almost moan. I let the silence sit between us while I eat. When I’m done, I say, “Do you always run when you’re scared, Gianna? When things get too real? When the robot starts to develop any kind of feelings?”

It’s a pattern, an obvious one. Any emotional talk, or talk about the future, she shuts down. And I can see she tries to fight it, but she can’t. So, I have to keep going.

“No. I don’t run. I make smart decisions to protect myself.”

“You’re protecting yourself from me, hmm?”

That hurts more than I’d like it to. I never want to hurt her.

She nods. “Or perhaps I’m protecting you from me?”

I don’t respond. I’m not going to argue with her over this. She needs to figure it out by herself.

We finish our meal in silence, which is a shame, because it’s some of the best damn food I’ve ever eaten.

“Have you ever considered partnering with an outside organization to run your product?” she asks, crossing one leg over the other.

“Why would I do that? We ain’t looking to expand. I trust the men I work with now; it works seamlessly.”

I pull out a cigarette and light it. She’s got something playing on her; there’s a real question beneath all this bullshit. And for some reason, she ain’t being direct.

“Why?” I ask.

“I’ve got a client interested in moving drugs for us from LA through the West Coast.”

I nod. “Then you tell them to stay the fuck out of Arizona. Do I make myself clear?”

She swallows. She’s not nervous. She’s not scheming. I think she’s been thrown in the middle of this and she’s trying to navigate it without pissing me off. So, I’ll play along.

“Would you not be interested in hearing what they could offer? You could get some time back to yourself, let them do the risky work that could land them in jail.”

My jaw twitches. “No. I don’t want to hear it. If I want new runners, I’ll speak to Enzo.”

She simply nods, like I’m some sort of client sat at her desk.

“Yeah. I thought so. I’ll deal with it,” she mutters, picking up her phone.

I lean over, grabbing the leg of her chair and dragging it towards me.

“Are you trying to fuck me over, viper?” I whisper.

I know in my heart she ain’t. I wanna hear it.

She shakes her head. “No. I thought that would be your answer; I just wanted to make sure. I said I’ll deal with it.”

I wrap my hand around her throat gently, tugging her towards me, our lips almost brushing.

“We will deal with it. If it concerns my family, my organization, I want in. We’re a partnership now, G. Don’t take the weight of everything on your own; it’s what I’m here for. This was an alliance; let's make something fucking epic with it together. Because I think we can.”

She smiles against my lips. “Only if you let me take charge, polpettino.”

I kiss her, threading my fingers into her hair. “I enjoy watching you work, so I’ll be your second-in-command. If…” I pause.

Her eyes shimmer. “If what?”

“You agree to move in with me.”