Mafia Captive - Julia Sykes Page 0,20

wasn’t going to cockblock her.

“Are you Ashlyn?” I jolted at the rumbling, masculine voice. It was low and deep, and far too close.

I spun around on a soft gasp, and I found the dangerous stranger in my personal space. The bar was loud enough that I hadn’t heard his approach, but now that I was caught in his black stare, I was very aware of his nearness.

I took a step back, and my butt bumped into the wall. His lips curved up at the corners, his harsh eyes flashing with amusement.

“So, are you? You’re Ashlyn, right?” he prompted. He didn’t step toward me, but he leaned in, his bulk bearing down on me.

My breath stuttered in my throat, and my pulse hammered in my veins. The dark energy pulsing off him kissed my skin, curling around my body in insidious, velvety tendrils. I shivered, but I wasn’t cold.

“What do you want?” I squeaked. I felt thoroughly trapped, even though he wasn’t touching me. His intent stare and powerful aura were enough to pin me in place. “How do you know my name?”

“What the fuck are you doing here, Marco? Get away from her.”

I sucked in a relieved breath at the sound of Joseph’s furious growl. He was coming to my rescue again, and I’d never been more grateful for my knight in shining armor.

Then, something else registered. Marco. Joseph knew his name. He knew this intimidating man. I’d known Joseph wasn’t from my world; he wasn’t a student at Harvard. But I hadn’t imagined that the tender man I’d fallen for would associate with someone so overtly dangerous.

Marco’s lips curved farther, and he turned his coolly amused gaze on Joseph. “I’m just introducing myself to Ashlyn,” he said, nonchalant. “I heard you had a girlfriend. I wanted to meet her.”

“Outside. Now,” Joseph bit out.

“All right,” Marco agreed. I heaved in a deep breath when he finally stepped away from me, freeing me from his influence. He glanced back at me one more time, a sly smirk fixed on his face. “Goodbye, Ashlyn.”

Joseph snarled and took a step toward Marco. The frightening man raised his hands in a show of contrition. “Outside,” he prompted Joseph.

I didn’t want Joseph to leave with him. Marco was a threat, and I didn’t want him to hurt the man I loved.

Love. Yes, I was in love with Joseph. The idea of him being hurt made my stomach turn.

I reached out and grabbed his big hand, holding him back. “Don’t,” I begged. “Stay in here with me.”

He stared down at me, his expression drawn with pain that I didn’t understand. “I can’t,” he rasped. He leaned down and brushed a kiss over my lips. “I’m sorry. Stay inside. Don’t follow me.”

Somehow the words seemed heavier than a simple order not to follow him outside. My heart twisted, my stomach knotting with anxiety. Something was very wrong, and I didn’t understand why Joseph would go anywhere with Marco.

Before I could fully process what was happening, Joseph pulled his hand from mine and began making his way through the crowd, following Marco toward the exit. The man I loved disappeared into the night, leaving me behind.

Chapter Nine

Joseph

Rage coursed through my veins. Of course Marco had hunted me down. My best friend would never have allowed me to escape from my family. Even though he knew I hated it, I also knew that it’d been selfish for me to leave him behind in that hell.

Secretly, he resented our mafia lifestyle as much as I did, although he’d never admit it aloud. I’d known him long enough to recognize that his cold exterior was a barrier between him and his more volatile emotions. His hard edges concealed a deeply buried pain that he would never express openly, maybe not even to himself.

I couldn’t bring myself to hate him, but I could rage at him for ruining my escape.

“Why did you come after me?” I demanded when we stepped outside the ring of illumination provided by the streetlight. “You know I want out. Why would you do this to me?” The last came out more strained than I’d intended.

I didn’t want to abandon the simpler life I’d found in Cambridge. I didn’t want to abandon Ashlyn and the powerful connection I shared with her. My affection for her bordered on obsession, and there was so much more I wanted to learn about her.

“You know I couldn’t let you go,” Marco rumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “There’s a war brewing