Smoke (The Carelli Family Saga #1) - Eden Butler Page 0,51

his mouth pulled into a frown. He motioned me back with a nod, closing the trunk after I stepped out of the way. It was several long seconds with him looking at the full back seat of my car before he said a word. In that time, I thought my pulse had gotten louder and louder with each beat of my heart.

“You were just going to leave? No goodbye? No thanks? No fuck you, Carelli, see you later?” He didn’t look at me. Instead he moved his attention to my building, straight to the fourth floor, our floor like he hoped somehow, he could spot Mateo through all that stone and mortar.

“It’s… a little more complicated than…” I exhaled, not sure what I should tell him. If I knew anything about this man, it was that he took on everyone’s problems. He was a rescuer even when no one wanted him to be.

Smoke Carelli might be a gangster, but he also was a Lancelot, always showing up to save you even when you swore you didn’t need anyone slaying your dragons.

And this was the biggest damn dragon I’ve ever faced.

“Maggie?” he said, finally looking at me. He narrowed his eyes, tilting his head toward me until I let him catch my gaze. “What’s going on?”

He was going to be pissed.

He was going to rage and curse at me for trying to handle this all on my own.

“If this is about Rick and the blood…”

When I didn’t say anything, looking away, down the street, reminding myself the damage he’d do if he knew the truth, Smoke lifted my chin, his expression tight, but his eyes soft. “You promised me.”

“I…” Damn it. I had. I’d given him my word.

“Just tell me. We can fix this.”

“I…don’t want anyone dying because of me.”

Smoke lifted his eyebrows then, and he grabbed my elbow, like he wanted to keep me from taking off. “Who needs to die, bella?”

“I don’t want you killing anyone because of me.”

There was a lot I saw moving in his eyes then. There was a lot I guessed he wanted to say, but Smoke was a man with secrets and even if he loved me, there was some secrets he’d keep buried. Even from me. Likely to protect me. It was his way.

“You tell me, and I’ll protect you the way I need to.”

I shut my eyes, knowing what I said would likely be signing someone’s death certificate. Mateo was my child. He was my life. If I had to choose between him and anyone else in the world, it would always be him.

Looking up at Smoke, I exhaled, knowing the second I spoke, he’d take care of us. Knowing we would be safe. That terrified me. But it made me feel relieved at the same time.

“It’s Alejandro.” Those two words totally transformed Smoke.

The tone of his voice hardened and the relaxed press of his fingers on my elbow tensed, dropping into a ball at his side when he stood straight, moving in front of me. “What about him?”

I nodded, not sure what to think of how deep his voice got.

“He sent me the flowers. There was another bouquet today.”

Smoke grunted, his nostrils flaring just as he curled his top lip a fraction.

I waved my hand, trying to calm him, even grabbed his arm to keep him from imagining the wrong thing. “This time, there was a note. He promised he was coming for us. When I read it, I immediately started packing everything. We…have to get out of here before he shows up.”

Overhead the wind picked up, brushing my hair into my eyes. I reached for my face, but stopped, dropping my arm when Smoke took the long strands and swept them off my forehead. He’d never looked at me the way he was now, all angry and worried, a little lost, a lot enraged, but too caught up in his own thoughts to do more than just look at me.

When he held my face between his large hands, I closed my eyes, taking one last moment to enjoy the way only Smoke touched me.

“You’re a hardheaded woman…” His voice was dark, deep, and something in his tone twisted my insides, like warm, smooth tequila you felt all the way down.

“I have to leave.” I inhaled, letting his earthy, masculine scent intoxicate me one last time. “For my son, Smoke, I have to go.”

“I can…”

“Don’t say it.” I took Smoke’s hand from my face and he didn’t fight me. He let