Taken by the Heartless (HEARTLESS, Book 1) (NOW EDITING)

AFTER THE NIGHT

    Cassandra snuggled closer to Eros, fitting perfectly into his arms. They lay there without speaking for a while, each thinking about what had just gone down between them.

"So... what was your dream? What would you have become if you weren't in the mafia?" Cassandra asked after a while, rubbing a scar on his chest.

"Well, I didn't have any. I was born for the mafia; my path was chosen when I started existing in my mother's womb."

"Growing up, you didn't like any other thing?  Didn't you get interested in something?"

Eros clicked his tongue. "I was busy growing sad to like anything else. What about you? What was your dream?"

Cassandra smiled at the sudden way he turned the tables on her. There was something about his childhood days that he didn't want to talk about, and she was only getting curious about it. But she wasn't going to push him to say them. If he trusted her enough, he would tell her.

"I have always dreamt of becoming a dermatologist, but some dreams don't come true, right?"

"What happened?"

"After graduating high school, my mother took ill, and the whole money saved up for me went to her treatment; now, all I know is how to till the soil and plant seeds."

"It's not too late to achieve your dreams." Cassandra chuckled but remained quiet. Eros sensed that she wanted to say more but remained silent. "Are you scared of me?"

She raised her head and looked at him with furrowed brows. "No, why?"

"Were you ever scared of me?"

"I was not really scared; it was more resentment than fear."

"So, why are you holding back your words? Are you scared I will get mad?"

"Well, sometimes, people hold back their words not because they are scared of the other person but because they don't want to hurt their feelings or ruin the moment, but that's by the way."

"I will make your dream come true," Eros said.

"Pardon?"

Eros turned to lie on his side, facing her. "I will get you registered in a school so that you can achieve your dreams."

"Thank you, but I don't want you to do that."

Eros' brows creased. "Why?"

"I can't be your responsibility; I can return to my father after the Miami project is over. Didn't you say I will cover the debt after that?"

"What? You want to leave?"

"Eros, this is not my house. I have to go. It was our deal."

"But I can't see you whenever I want to."

Cassandra chuckled. "Yes, you can. I am still in Spain, under the same sky as you. I need to live my life, Eros."

"Let me give you a good life. Live with me."

Cassandra stared at him for a while, his eyes were pleading, but she couldn't just abandon her life and live in this big mansion doing nothing. "Eros, I need to work, go out when I feel like it, and live my life."

"I will get everything you want. Work, school, anything, I have connections."

"That's it; you are not my father..."

"Enough. Let's not talk about this again," Eros said. "I will find you a good private college so you can go to school, giving you the time to go wherever you want. Come here, let me hold you." Cassandra started to protest. "Don't ruin the moment, Cassie. You are hurting my feelings with your words," he whined and drew her into him, wrapping his arms securely around her.