Ugly Ronney: mafia romance [English]

Chapter 9-3

We walked with the small security group through the lush gardens of the exquisitely detailed palace. It was a bit isolated from the resort, but it fulfilled all the expectations of even the most demanding clients. Everything inside the establishment was huge, starting with the lobby, the corridors, and then the pools.

I was relieved to find Lucas...alive. His black eye and cut lip were evidence of a severe beating. I was so mad at myself.

We went up to the top floor of the palace in transparent cabins with a breathtaking view of the Sea of Cortez. These modern facilities, enhanced by state-of-the-art technology, gave a refined touch to a place that I would have found enchanting in other circumstances.

The elegant suite, surprisingly large with fancy furniture, gave the room an antique yet modern charm.

Strategically, I positioned myself next to the door, against the wall, right next to a dark oak dresser. Lucas hesitantly walked in with his head down and stood next to me. Yeraz turned to his team of five men and spoke a few words to them in Arabic. The men left the room to leave us alone. Yeraz took off his glasses and gave Lucas an unwelcoming look.

"Did you voluntarily turn off your phone?"

"No, boss. The battery was dead."

Yeraz began to pace the room with a rigid gait. Lucas kept his head turned towards the ground.

"I don't need you here anymore. You're going back to Sheryl Valley."

Lucas, overcome with frustration, nodded and whispered, "Yes. I sincerely apologize. This won't happen again."

Yeraz pursed his lips and let the young man leave in heavy silence. As he left the room, Lucas gave me a small, sorry look before lowering his head again. I swallowed. It was my turn. At that moment, I would have liked to separate from my body, or fall into a deep coma, instead of having to face the man standing in front of me, glaring at me. Leaning against the wall, I was unable to make a single movement.

"Why do you spend your time doing the opposite of what I ask?"

Yeraz came dangerously close to me. In his black suit, he embodied both beauty and opulence.

"I didn't know it would be this bad," I whispered in fear. "I didn't think about it at the time."

"This island is full of sharks, and when I say 'sharks,' I don't mean the aquatic animals."

His hands went for his gun in the back of his pants, then he put it on the dresser next to me.

"I'll stay in my place next time. I understand that I wasted your time, but if you hadn't brought me along, we wouldn't be here!"

I hadn't meant to say those last words out loud, but they had slipped from my mind. I noticed a fleeting expression of surprise on his face. I looked away from his intense eyes to the weapon. Then a terrible idea crossed my mind. All I had to do was take it and shoot him, making sure to aim well. I would explain my action as self-defense. And then what? Who would I call first? Help or Camilia? I'd probably be put under judicial protection for the rest of my life for taking down the head of one of the most powerful mafias in the world. Good Lord! There would be a price on my head. How much was I worth? Thousands of dollars? Hundreds of thousands of dollars? I shook my head to keep my thoughts from wandering further.

I didn't know how, but Yeraz read my mind at that moment. He said in a low voice, "It's still loaded, and I'm close enough to you that you won't miss. Few people have dared to point a gun at me, and those who have tried are no longer alive to testify to it. Do you really think I'm afraid of death when I've been on a first-name basis with it since I was a kid? I fall asleep and wake up in its arms."

"If you don't fear death, what do you fear?"

"Fear is a chain that shackles us and prevents us from moving forward."

"We're all afraid of something." An expression of fury tightened his features. I glanced at him with fear and disdain, then added, "You gathered an army of men to find me. What did you feel all those hours while looking for me?"

"An urge to kill," Yeraz retorted with a cold smile.

He let a moment pass to make sure I understood his words.

"I'm mad at the whole world, Ronney, and you'll never change that. So far, I've spent my time flirting with the devil's temptations, and that was enough for me."

I saw in the quivering of his lips a sweetness under the anger. The veil that covered his eyes had just lifted to offer me a look filled with tenderness. My breath stopped. I refused to admit to myself that I was undeniably attracted to this man, who was tormented by his inner demons and plagued by pain. At that moment, his face was so close to mine that I could feel his breath caressing my cheeks.

"What am I afraid of? Friday nights, when you leave and I don't have a safeguard to keep me from loading this gun."

My heart was pounding. My breathing got faster. In my head, it was a whole mess. I let Yeraz put his cheek against mine and breathed in his scent, half-closing my eyes. His beard, shaved close to his skin, tingled. Without thinking, I raised my hand to touch him, but I only stirred air. When I opened my eyes again, he was gone, and so was the gun. Gasping, I fell to the ground. It took me many minutes to calm my pulse, but also for my head to stop spinning.