Leroy Kingston.
He is dangerous. He is ruthless and he craves revenge.
As a mafia boss, he's used to simply taking lives out without even blinking. Why didn't it work with Katrina? Was it the fear in those sky-blue eyes that made him start thinkin...
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"I am now twenty-six years old. A few years ago, my father sent me to a friend of his. He ran a school for fighting sports, where the main focus was on discipline and strength. My father always wanted me to go there to be able to defend myself properly one day and also because he always thought that this school was a bit of a cure for the soul somewhere, so I did him that favor. I learned kung fu and wushu there, but I also had to learn to take responsibility, just like all the other students. The school was known for taking in orphans and each trainee was assigned an orphan to take good care of and also to educate. I was given Danny. Danny was still a baby for me, barely two years old, he could only just walk and it annoyed me that I had to look after a baby who took up so much time, but those who had a lot to learn were given very young children to look after. When I finished school, Danny meant the world to me. So I adopted him."
At first, I stare at him speechless, just not knowing what to say, so amazed and moved am I by the story.
"Wow," I then bring my lips together in a whisper. "You have the same eyes and also the two little dimples next to your lips, that's hardly a coincidence!"
Leroy shrugs and continues to fix his hair.
"Danny calls it fate," he repeats.
"So Danny knows you're not his biological father."
"Everyone knows, but it's never mentioned. Danny happens to be an orphan and now he has someone to call a father. No one's going to ruin that for him," he replies, wrinkling his nose and puckering his mouth as if he's stopped himself from inflicting anything at the right moment.
And that's when it hits me.
"You left something out," I speak my thoughts aloud and Leroy promptly pauses in his movement.
I made it sound as if I knew what he had left out, but in the process, it is merely a guess, yet his posture now shows me that I am right. Unfortunately, though, he gets himself back under control far too quickly.
"Just like you," he replies and I frown in confusion. He takes his hands out of his hair, which is now done and turns to me.
"So how many men have you slept within a week?"
"You're incredible." I shake my head, feeling my features slip away, and walk towards my bag.
Leroy silently reaches for a damp cloth and cleans his hands with it before reaching for his face cream.
"Maybe if you tell me what you left out, I'll tell you what I left out," comes quietly from him as he turns back to the mirror.
I draw my eyebrows together. Fucking hell, I want to know! I sigh and look up at him carefully, only to realize that he is already looking at me. He does seem to be in a better mood today. He has never spoken to me like this before.
"Zero," I admit meekly. He raises his eyebrows and narrows his eyes.
"What, I didn't hear you."
"I've never had a close relationship with men," I repeat, embarrassed, playing with the zip of my sweater. Contrary to what I thought, Leroy doesn't laugh at all.
"Why?" he probes instead, to which I just sigh again.
"It never came to that. I didn't have the time. I concentrated on school, then on my studies, and now..." I falter and look away. "Well then, I wanted to go out with someone, but I guess I can say goodbye to that from now on since you kidnapped me and now I'm married to you." I grit my teeth.
"I don't even know how to act on a date," I add, laughing dryly. When I look up at him, his undefined gaze is on me.
"Well," is the only thing he says in response before shrugging his shoulders, just turning around and actually leaving the bedroom.
I pause.
Did he just leave?
I trust him with something that is very uncomfortable and intimate for me, and he just leaves? I can't believe that now! Besides, he should tell me now what he left out!
"I'm so stupid!", I hiss and slap my forehead with my hand. Why am I even telling him something like this? It's all so embarrassing. I talk myself into self-pity and he just leaves. The only thing he could come up with in response was: Well.
Annoyed and ashamed, I grab my clothes and go into the shower. But even the warm water can't calm me down, especially it's annoying that I have this patch stuck to my stomach and it's starting to itch.
I feel much worse now and feel so stupid that tears come to my eyes. He is and always will be an asshole! I will never talk to him again.
When I leave the bathroom with wet hair, but fully dressed, Leroy is back in the room and on the phone. When he hears me, he looks at me, but I instantly turn my head away and walk purposefully to the dresser where my hairbrush is. The anger has subsided, now I'm just sad.
"Muy bien," he murmurs contentedly into the phone and then hangs up, as I can see from the corner of my eye. Then his eyes fall on me again and I wince inwardly.
"I have to go now, but I'll be back tonight to pick you up. Be ready before eight and put on something nice because we're going out for dinner. Danny will be well taken care of here," I hear his pleasant baritone, but his eyes cause me to pause.
My eyes widen and I turn to him, only to meet his expressionless gaze. Did I get that right?
"What?", I whisper, because I just don't know what to say. Leroy frowns.
"Like what? What part of that wasn't to understand now?"
I squint my eyes and shake my head slightly.
"Who are you?", I ask seriously suspicious, to which he approaches me looking just as serious. Then he suddenly holds out his hand to me and I flinch.
"Leroy Kingston," he replies and I look down at his hand as if it might be a spider. He sighs and rolls his eyes. "Didn't you say yesterday that you wanted to be my wife and that I should treat you like one? I'm trying now. So let me show you that I can be different."
For a few more seconds I wait, as if waiting for him to suddenly snort out and tell me that he's fucking with me and just wants to expose me more, but that doesn't happen, so I ignore the suspicious voice in my head and place my hand in his.
