Better In Your Arms (Parisian Mafia 2#)

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Chapter 3: The Thin Line Between Love and Danger

The days following her encounter with Lawrence were strange for Amari. She tried to get back to her routine, focusing on work and her personal life, but Lawrence's presence lingered in her thoughts like a storm brewing in the distance. She was drawn to him, even though she knew he was trouble.

Amari often found herself retracing the steps they had taken along the Seine, wondering what it was about him that fascinated her so much. Was it his air of mystery? The way he could switch between charming and distant? Or perhaps it was the feeling of danger that seemed to surround him, even though he had done nothing to harm her.

Whatever it was, it was consuming her thoughts more than she wanted to admit.

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Lawrence, on the other hand, couldn’t afford to be distracted. After the call, the threat from a rival family had grown more serious. It wasn’t just idle talk; they were making real moves, and it was his responsibility to ensure that nothing happened to jeopardize his family’s position.

He was a Stuart, and that meant carrying the weight of his family’s legacy on his shoulders. His father expected nothing less.

Yet, no matter how hard he tried, his mind kept drifting back to Amari. He had never been one to be swayed by emotions, especially not over a woman. But something about her innocence, her warmth in the cold, brutal world he inhabited, made him feel things he wasn’t used to. And that made her a risk.

He couldn’t allow himself to get involved with her. Not seriously, anyway. It was too dangerous for her, and too distracting for him.

But no matter how many times he told himself this, he couldn’t stay away. Not completely.

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One evening, just as Amari was finishing her shift at the café she worked at, she looked up and saw Lawrence standing at the entrance. He was dressed casually this time, though there was still that unmistakable air of power and danger around him. She wasn’t surprised to see him—after all, some part of her had been expecting him, waiting for him to reappear.

“You came back,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron as she walked over to him.

Lawrence nodded, his eyes studying her carefully. “I told you I’d see you again.”

“You did,” she replied with a small smile, though she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that he was holding something back. “Are you here for coffee or… something else?”

“Something else,” he admitted, his voice lower than usual. “Can we talk? Privately.”

Amari’s heart skipped a beat at the intensity of his gaze. “Sure,” she said, her voice softening. She turned to her coworker, letting them know she was stepping out for a bit.

Lawrence led her outside, where the cool Parisian night greeted them. They walked in silence for a while, the tension between them thick in the air. Finally, they reached a small park nearby, secluded and quiet.

He stopped walking and turned to face her, his expression serious. “I need to tell you something,” he began. “Something that you might not want to hear.”

Amari’s pulse quickened. She had a feeling this was going to be the moment where everything changed. “What is it?”

Lawrence took a deep breath, as if weighing his words carefully. “I’m not who you think I am.”

“What do you mean?” Amari asked, her voice laced with confusion and curiosity.

“I’m not just some guy you met by chance,” he said, his eyes locking onto hers. “I’m Lawrence Stuart. Heir to the Stuart family.”

Amari blinked, trying to process the name. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it at first. Then it hit her—the Stuart family. The same Stuart family that controlled much of the underground world in Paris. The mafia family that her parents had always warned her about, though she had never believed those stories to be more than urban myths.

Her heart started to race. “You’re… part of the mafia?”

Lawrence nodded slowly, watching her reaction closely. “Yes. My family is one of the most powerful in Paris. And I’m next in line to take control.”

Amari took a step back, her mind racing. “Why are you telling me this now? Why… why did you get close to me?”

“Because I wanted you to know the truth,” he said, his voice steady. “I didn’t want to lie to you, Amari. But I needed you to know what kind of danger you’re in if you stay around me.”

She stared at him, her thoughts swirling in confusion. Danger? She had felt it all along, but now it was real. The man she had been drawn to was part of a world she knew nothing about—a world filled with crime, violence, and secrets.

“Why me?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “Why did you choose to involve me in this?”

Lawrence hesitated, his expression softening. “Because I couldn’t stay away from you.”

The admission hung in the air between them, both heavy and raw. Amari didn’t know what to say. Part of her wanted to run—to get as far away from him as possible. But another part of her wanted to stay, to understand him, to explore whatever this connection was between them.

“You should hate me,” Lawrence continued, his voice filled with self-loathing. “I’m not a good man, Amari. I’ve done things… things I’m not proud of. But when I’m with you, it feels like I could be something else. Someone better.”

Amari’s heart ached at his words. She could see the pain behind his eyes, the weight he carried as the heir to a criminal empire. But what did that mean for her? Could she really be with someone like him?

“I don’t hate you,” she said quietly. “But I don’t know if I can be part of your world.”

“I don’t want you to be,” Lawrence replied, stepping closer to her. “I don’t want you anywhere near it. But the truth is, you’re already involved, just by knowing me.”

Amari felt a lump in her throat. This wasn’t what she had expected. She had imagined falling in love with someone normal, someone safe. Not the heir to a mafia family.

But love wasn’t something you could control. It just happened.

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered, looking up at him.

Lawrence reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You don’t have to decide right now. Just know that I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

Amari’s breath hitched at his touch, the tenderness in his gesture contrasting with the dangerous world he belonged to. She wanted to believe him, to trust that he could protect her. But could anyone really be safe in his world?

For now, all she could do was follow her heart. And her heart was telling her that Lawrence was worth the risk.

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