Crashed Into a Gangster

59

Victoria

"You know they had a picture of you." I say, the gangster's warmth consuming me as he stands close. Lost in his longing gaze, his dark brown irises hold mine as we stand in my bedroom.

"You were outside of my house in the photo. So I had to tell him. I told the detective that you and I had an affair after Jack's murder. And I didn't realize how bad it sounded." I breathe against him, running a hand through my wavy hair - his dark eyes penetrating me as he examines my face, standing silent.

"I told the detective that we're together. He knew your name." I inform, and swallow softly, flicking my gaze down to his full, luscious lips. Rio's dangerous, yet comforting proximity causes my heart to pound wildly - his taller frame still hovering.

I watch the gangster lift his hand, silently, only to brush his skin against my own; caressing my cheek. My skin tingles from his galvanizing touch.

"Don't worry about it." He begins, his tone low, soothing.

"They had to see your tattoo, Rio. They have a picture." I repeat firmly, his warm skin still contacting my own. "Detective Greene is already on to me. You understand that this could lead to more questions, right? About you?" I ask him.

In turn, Rio doesn't speak - my eyes held by his burning gaze - and instead I feel him push back a strand of my brown hair behind an ear, gently. Rio seems calm, regardless of my warned tone.

"It's only been a day since your questioning and you're already worrying, sweetheart." Rio states rather questions, his thick brows furrowed as he watches me intently.

He's right, but I have every right to worry. Suddenly, my pulse quickens when I breathe in the air we share, just when his face nears and his frame is leaning in, deliberately.

The gangster's warm hand cups my cheek - his full lips gently brush against my own in a teasing manner. Again, Rio succeeds in showcasing his gallant ways. My heart increases it's rapid speed.

"I don't care if they come tonight, or bang on the front door in the mornin' to take us in for questioning. They can come now for all I care." Rio shrugs in his black t-shirt. "But they ain't gettin' the answers they're searching for. At least not the truth." The gangster states seemingly incapable of containing fear, his hard and structured jaw clenched.

I hold my steady gaze onto his, furrowing my brows. "You don't know if all of this will work. I accused someone of a murder that you committed." I say softly, lulled into his overwhelming masculinity - but I know when to pull away.

I watch Rio fixate his irises down onto my lips. And I catch the sight of his full lips twitch. Then, he meets my own gaze once again.

"I know that it'll fall into place when we want it to." He assures huskily. "But in the meantime, I'm gonna need you to know somethin'." He adds lowly.

As his chest brushes against mine within every breath he takes, the fear of him actually feeling my wild heart rate takes place and settles in me. And butterflies claim their territory in my stomach. I provide every sliver of my attention onto the gangster before me, and I glance down to see him lick his luscious lips for moisture again, before words roll from his tongue.

"I've been in this business for a while, darlin'. You haven't even seen half of it, yet." Rio's lulling irises send me a once over, as he fails at suppressing his full lips from tugging upward.

"When you do, and if somethin' were to happen to me..." Rio furrows his brows, his blazing orbs glinting with curiosity, causing my pulse to quicken increasingly. "Would you know what to do, if everything I had was left in your hands?"