Riding Dirty: Luciotti Crime Family (A Bad Boy Mafia Romance) - Kara Hart Page 0,47

He must’ve hurt the kid in some way. He must’ve. Only, I was the hero here. Despite that little fact, I knew I would end up going home a villain. I was used to that sort of thing happening to me. That was the reason why I didn’t go out in plain sight very much.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” she said, holding Jen in her arms. She looked beautiful, those faint wrinkles around her eyes. I knew they were from years of stressing over the people she gave all her love to. She deserved everything in the world. I had seen some shit in my life, but I had never felt the hardships of being a single mother.

“Alright, we’ll pack it in.” She signaled to the rest of the officers that it was time to head back to the station. Still, she turned to Dahlia as they were about to leave, and said “If you need anything. I mean, anything. Don’t hesitate to call. You know the number.” Dahlia nodded and they took off.

13

Dahlia

“Shit. That was close,” he muttered. I glared at him. There was no doubt in my mind it was his fault this all happened. No doubt at all.

“Shut up,” I said. “I’m so tired of hearing things come from your mouth. Why can’t you just leave my family and me alone? Can’t everyone just leave us alone?” It took a lot for me to not break down right then and there. The past few years of making a new life for us had been hard enough. Now it had become real evident that all that work was for nothing. “Come on, Jen. Let’s go inside.”

As we turned toward the house, he asked us “Aren’t you going to ask me to come in? You need protection. He’s still out there.”

I stopped, facing the other direction. Jen ran inside, skipping and laughing. It was as if nothing had happened to her. Kids were so adept at forgetting and us parents had to carry just about every burden.

Lucas, on the other hand, was a bastard. The problem wasn’t that he was an asshole. The problem was that, deep down, I knew he was a good guy. He was Mafioso at the core of his very being. But he had saved Jen and he had been trying so hard to be there for us. There were the huge tips, helping Jen with her homework, and not to mention his strength and protectiveness. I couldn’t stay mad at him forever, no matter how much I wanted to.

“Fine. We’ll have it your way. Come in.” I sighed, making my way inside the house.

We sat down in the living room while Jen played in her room. Normally I would be riding her to do her homework, but today was operating under different circumstances. “He found her,” he said. “But I don’t think he’s trying to hurt her.”

Right when I sat next to him, I broke down and cried. “I don’t know what’s going on anymore,” I said. “I’ve got to be the worst mother in history to lose my child to my ex-boyfriend. And then I meet you and you’re,” I hesitated to finish, wiping my eyes. “Well, you’re you. A gangster. And I thought maybe I could trust you. But I can’t trust anyone. They all just lie and let me down.”

He put his arm around me and I soon found myself falling into his chest. It was comforting. His scent, warmth, and strength fit me like a missing puzzle piece. I hadn’t felt that way before. Not even with Cade.

“You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met,” he said. “And even if you cast me out like the rest of society, I’ll always be grateful I met you.”

I looked up at him, drying my tears, and said “You’re crazy. You don’t even know me. I’m just some girl you met at a café in a small town. You’ll forget all about me in a month or less.”

“Well, you’re right about something. I am crazy. But that doesn’t mean I’m dumb. You’re sassy, strong, and you’re mean as hell. But those are all parts of you that keep me coming back for coffee every morning. I know you didn’t want to see me again, and I’ll respect that. But I won’t forget about you. Not tomorrow. Not in a month. Not in ten years,” he said.

“I’m still mad at you, you know.” Though, with each passing minute I was finding less and less reason to hold