My heart flutters, my breath hitch, his deep voice renders me speechless with its staggering effect. I look away and nod unwillingly, sitting beside him as Marco leaves the room and shuts the door.

"How did you find out where I went?" he asks as the doctor slowly starts his work.

I roll my eyes and keep my gaze fixed on his hand, tracing the tattoos, careful not to touch his bruised knuckles. "Does it matter?"

"For future reference."

"You're never doing anything like this again!"

He chuckles, hesitantly intertwining his other hand's fingers with mine.

"Why did you go?" I meet his intense scrutiny, fixating on his dark eyes, to not accidentally see the doctor and whatever he's doing on the back of Elio's arm. The blood's scent is already making me queasy.

"You first." He smirks.

Huffing, I roll my eyes before giving in and explaining in detail.

He raises his brows after I'm done. "Can I sue you for going through my things?"

"I'd like to see you try," I snap.

He laughs only to wince and curse under his breath, his features twist in pain and the doctor scolds him.

"Your turn," I press, letting my free hand's fingers gingerly trace the shape of the anchor with the snake draped around it on the back of his right hand.

"I changed the Fabris clan's capo."

My head snaps up and I gape at him. "W-what were you thinking! And only with ten men!" I shake my head as I lean away from him. "You're insane."

"They're no longer a problem for us, the new capo won't ever dream about going against me."

I expel a sharp breath. "Do you realize how dangerous-"

"It was long overdue."

"Why didn't you tell Marco? Or take Pietro?"

"There was no need for either of them."

My mouth stays agape with disbelief. I'm about to grill him for more answers when I notice the doctor is done patching him up.

He speaks Italian with Elio, and the moment he's done talking I point out the wounds on Elio's forehead and temple. As he's about to get to it, Elio growls something in Italian making the doc jump and literally flee.

"Unbelievable," I mutter. Shaking my head, I grab the black zip-up hoodie Marco brought and toss it at Elio before rummaging through the first aid kit, and fishing out the antiseptic and wound dressing.

He watches me as I struggle to open the antiseptic. Frustratedly, I exhale and purse my lips, setting the bottle aside. I'm careful not to touch him as I help him wear the hoodie and pull the zipper up to his throat, glaring at him.

He laughs. "Looks like one slap didn't blow off the steam." His eyes bore into me as I dab the sterile gauze with the antiseptic. "Cerise," he calls when I don't look up. "Silent treatment? Seriously!"

I roll my eyes, harshly grab his hand, and start cleaning the wounds making him wince and flinch each time I press the cloth to his beaten-up knuckles.

"It hurts!" he complains.

"Good," I snap.

He sighs. "Sulking doesn't suit you. C'mon, throw a hissy fit, shout at me, fight with me, just talk to me, tell me what's wrong."

"What's wrong!" My voice raises. "Are fucking serious!" I shake my head as I hold out my hand, inclining my chin at his other hand.

Slowly he places his wounded arm's palm on my hand and I start cleaning up his battered knuckles, gentler this time. Once I'm done, his fingers tighten around me and he pulls his arm to the side, dragging me with him as his other hand latches to my waist pushing me over to his thighs. To not fall headfirst onto the bed, in quick reflex my knees plant on either side of him, straddling him.

I glower at him, but he lays his injured arm on my waist and holds my glare. "I'm serious. For starters, I can't read your mind, but I should know what's going on inside your head since I'm the person your anger is directed at."

I purse my lips and look away. Staying on my knees, towering over him, I grab a fresh piece of gauze and dab antiseptic on it. Hesitantly, I push his hair away from his forehead and lightly wipe the dried blood. I fix my focus on the task, even though I feel his gaze burning through me, making my heart pound harder.

Elio's hand stays on my waist as his other palm rests slightly above the back of my knee. The warmth seeping through my clothes tingles my skin, making me hyper-aware of our proximity.

I blow on his wound as I work on disinfecting it as gently as I can before finishing with two Steri-strips.

"It just makes no sense," I mumble at last.

"Neither does for me," he says with a small smile, leading me to sit down on his lap as he raises his brows in silent question.

I shrug and glance up at him. "I don't get it. You never act like this; you always inform Marco... and something as important as killing off another mafia's capo! It's like you were going on a suicide mission. Like you wanted to be..." my voice trails down and I look away. "Why?"

"Cerise." He twirls a strand of my hair around his finger. "I wanted to do it quickly-"

"Don't lie to me! Didn't you for one second consider what if you're fatally injured? Don't you always say you have this entire business to look after? That this mob is your responsibility. How can you be so careless? What if you would've died today, Elio?" My voice wavers as I look into his dark eyes, the back of my throat closing in painfully.

"You could've died," I whisper unevenly, holding back tears.

He tilts his head as he watches me. "You don't need to worry. I've made sure nothing happens to you, even after I die."

I gape at him. "I don't care what happens to me afterward, I'm not making out of this shit alive anyway! I don't want you to die! I don't want you to be killed! At least not as long as I'm around. I'm tired of seeing people die. Can't you see? I don't have anyone! You're the only person who relatively gives a damn about me... I don't want to lose you too... I don't want you to die like Ruby." My voice breaks.

I blink rapidly and glance up at the ceiling to force the tears away, but it's futile.

"Cerise-" he hoarsely starts, his fingers reaching for my cheek.

I swat his hand. "Did you do it because of the things I told you that day? That you're alive, and she's not? Was this a sick way of making up for staying alive?"

"Don't be absurd," he quickly replies.

I shake my head, my bottom lip quivering. I don't believe him. "Then why?" Strength leaves my body and my shoulders hunch. I rest my forehead on his uninjured shoulder. His arm tightens around me and I close my eyes, inhaling deeply, letting his strong woody scent take out the pain.

An odd sense of safety settles in me. I coil my fingers around his hoodie over his chest.

"I didn't mean them," I whisper, my fingers tightening on the fabric. "I needed someone to blame, to take out my anger on... you were there. It was wrong... I'm sorry, Elio, I didn't mean those things, I don't blame you for her death... I'm glad you're alive. I never wanted anything to happen to you."

His other arm snakes around me, flushing me against his chest as he lays his cheek on my head. "Were you worried about me today?" he asks quietly.

I nibble my bottom lip, contemplating. Being worried for someone means caring... and caring means vulnerability.

"I was worried sick," I mumble, hiding my face in the crook of his neck as a burning blush suffuses my cheeks.

"The slap still doesn't make sense though," he lightly adds. I don't need to see his face to know he's grinning.

"That was for your stupidity and to ensure you won't ever put yourself in a situation like that, like a reckless idiot."

He laughs, the same carefree, deep, soft sound. My heart skips a beat and I bite my bottom lip.

Trouble.

That sound is trouble.

The way my insides tingle is trouble.

Everything about this moment is wrong... yet, it feels right. Perfectly right.

As he quiets down, he runs his hand up and down my back, hugging me closer to himself. "You know," Elio begins, tucking aside the hair from my face, making me crane my neck and glance up at him from his chest.

"When you called to say the place had bombs, the sound of the gunshot came..." He draws in a deep shaky breath, his fingertips tracing my cheekbone and the side of my face. His intense eyes lock with mine.

"I called back a few times, when you didn't answer I assumed the worst had happened. From that point, until I found you, was probably one of the worst few minutes of my life... I-I thought they got you... or killed you." He sighs. "We've done a lot of stupid things; I think we're even now. How about we don't give these sorts of scares to each other again, yeah?"

I smile as his arm tightens around my shoulder. "Okay."

He leans down to me and my eyes close. Our breaths mingle, turning my inside to mush, replacing my blood with fire and need. His nose brushes mine as his thumb grazes my bottom lip. "I missed you."

"Then why did you avoid me?" My eyes open as he backs away.

"I wanted to give you space, I thought you didn't want to see me."

"Only for the first three days," I say with a sheepish smile.

He chuckles. "I'm not a mind reader, tesorino."

"Maybe you should've asked."

"And risked another slap? Not a chance," he replies with a laugh, making me giggle.

His smile slowly fades as he gazes into my eyes, smoldering me. He cups my cheek, leaning to me. His gaze flickers to my lips before jumping back to my eyes. "I want to kiss you," he breathes out huskily.

Butterflies flutter in my stomach as my heart skips a beat. "Then what are you waiting for?" I breathlessly ask.

A corner of his mouth twitches into a smirk. His soft lips capture mine in a scalding, slow kiss. His hand slips to the back of my head, through my loose bun as he deepens our kiss.

I cling to him. His lips have the same staggering effect they had the first time. Every thought, worry, and apprehension dissipates to nothingness as his lips move ever so slowly against mine.

My heart races as I savor the feeling, my body growing hot, thrumming with desire. Every cell in my body yearns for him. His bulge becomes more noticeable, pressing right up against where I'm throbbing for him, making my core clench with need.

As though knowing my train of thoughts, he lowers me to the bed, never breaking the kiss, as his lips become hungrier, devouring me.

I stop him and break the kiss. "Your sense of timing sucks," I point out, but let my hands stay on his chest and shoulder.

"I'm more of an opportunist," he says with full seriousness and I burst into laughter.

"But this time, you're not going to take it." I pat his chest. "Rest and let me get back to my work."

He raises a brow, leaning closer to me. "Work?" he echoes, barely keeping a straight face. "I wasn't aware you're running an organization over here."

Elio kisses my neck, his lips lingering. My breath hitches and he smirks. "Please don't tell me it has anything to do with crime, or else I'll have to take serious actions," he says against my skin.

I bite my bottom lip, to suppress my grin. "Like what?"

"Like," he starts, his voice dropping an octave as his teeth graze the shell of my ear. Goosebumps raise all over my skin, his hot breath sends tingling sparks of pleasure.

"Make you mine," he whispers and situates himself between my legs, his large bulge rubbing against me.

A surge of intense need zips up to my core. My toes curl as my body begs for more contact, more friction. I use my entire willpower to stay still, and not move my hips in desperation for more.

"And perhaps keep you under me, just like this," he groans, his hand curling around the nape of my neck. My lips stay parted as I breathe heavily. With each inhale, my breasts press against the hard muscles of his chest, melting me from within.

His hips grind against me and a moan slips from me. He lightly sucks my neck. "Long enough to show you the pleasures only I can give. Make you crave my touch until you won't be able to think about anything or anyone but me, and the way only I can make you feel." He leaves a trail of hot wet kisses down the slope of my neck.

My thoughts scatter, and my body rules out every rational thought. Before I lose the last string of self-control, I utter, "Not today, Elio."

He sighs and rests his forehead on mine. "So stubborn," he gruffly says.

I lay my palm on his cheek. "What can I say, it's my specialty."

He shakes his and falls on his side, snaking his good arm under my shoulders and pulling me to his chest. "Tell me, prosecutor, do you deem this wrong too?"

I smile as I welcome his touch. "Yes."

"And is it enough reason for us to not do it?" He quirks an eyebrow.

A blush creeps up to my cheeks and I hide my face, pressing my forehead to the crook of his neck. "No."

"Good." He kisses the top of my head, pressing me against himself.

❈ ☯︎ ❈

Hehe things got hot pretty fast, didn't they? lol

Anyway, do you think Cerise's guess about the reason Elio went on this mission without informing anyone was right?

What were your thoughts on Cerise finally admitting she's worried for him? And him saying he missed her? 

Thank you for reading, vote if you enjoyed the chapter, and comment your thoughts, I'd love to hear them ^^

Stay safe, lots of love, happy reading ♡♡♡