Ignited ✔️

1:12

The black leather couch squeaks as I adjust my position. I twirl my fingers around a loose thread on my jeans and absentmindedly pick at my blue nail polish. River has invited me in and was getting changed, he told me to make myself at home so I sat on the sofa.

I didn't know what to do. I stayed in my room when I was at home because I was to afraid of John. I shouldn't be afraid of him but I was.

What Carter said replayed in my head. I couldn't believe he knew my father. I was curious as to what I could learn from him. Maybe I could figure out what I did wrong that made dad want to just leave without a goodbye.

Heel clomping against the hardwood floor caught my attention. I lift my gaze off my hands and see the brunette come out of a room. She had changed in to a pair of white skinny jeans and a black and white top that showed both of her tan shoulders. Her hair was up in a high ponytail with a few stands framing her face and she had done her makeup.

"Get up. We don't want your germs on our couch" she tells me through her thick Italian accent.

Our?

I quickly stand up and watch in silence as she puts in her earrings and adjusts her top. She pulls it down so it shows more of her cleavage then turns her head to shout behind her.

"Rose dai!" (Come on)

"Mamma in arrivo" (coming momma) a small voice shouts back accompanied by the pounding of little feet against the floor.

A little black haired girl around the age of six comes running down the hall in a bright pink tutu. My eyes widen when I see her. She looks just like River.

"va bene va bene?" (Be Good Okay?) the brunette says to the little girl.

She nods her head in response and gives her mom a kiss on the cheek. Her mom turns and catches me watching them. Her eyes narrow into thins slits.

"Ciao mamma" (bye momma)

The woman sends another glare my way before she leaves the apartment.

The little girl turns to me and shows me a big toothless smile.

"Ciao" (Hello) she says in a sweet voice.

"Hi sweetie"

She sits on the couch a stares at me with big green eyes.

"Mamma always goes to see uncle Carter when she's here. I don't think papa likes it ." She tells me.

I nod my head. I wouldn't like it either.

"Who are you?" The little girl asks as she tilts her head.

I open my mouth to speak but am cut off by a door opening and a huge Great Dane charging full speed at me.

I scream as I'm tackled to the ground and pinned under two hundreds pounds of slobbery dog.

"Lana!" I hear River's voice say as the dog is pulled off of me.

"Rose take her to the room" River says to the little girl.

Rose grabs Lana's collar and drags her away and into the room that her and her mom came out of before.

"I'm sorry princess. Are you okay?" River asks extending a hand out for me.

I grab his hand and in one swift motion he pulls he up. I stumble slightly and fall into his chest, our faces were only inches apart. I see River's gaze drop to my lips before quickly returning to my eyes. He clears his throat and blinks quickly before stepping away from me and scratching his neck.

"She's just a pup. She's really hyper still."

I nod my head as Rose comes running back into the living room.

"Rose can you give us some privacy"

Rose looks up at him and tilts her head.

"Are you gonna kiss her? Mamma won't like that"

Red stains River's cheeks as he looks at me briefly.

"Just go Rosie" River says with a chuckle.

Rosie glances at me before she turns and walks back to her room.

"Sorry about Rosie. She's very outgoing and direct" River says to me as he sits on the couch.

I force a smile and stand awkwardly. River watches me and pats the spot next to him.

"Did my sister Raina say anything to you?" He asks as I take a seat next to him.

"Um not really" I lie.

River glances at me and raises an eyebrow.

"You know you're a bad liar?"

"Yeah I know" I groan and put my head in my hands.

"What did she say? She wasn't mean was she?"

"Italians are always a little uh- rough around the edges"

"Shit I'm sorry. I've told her to be nice but she never listens to me. She's still hung up on Fay" River says with a eye roll.

"Who's Fay?"

River flinches slightly as if he'd been caught and runs a hand through his hair.

"My ex."

"Oh"

There's a few moments of silence before he speaks again.

"Raina and Fay were good friends and she was really happy when we started dating but then I..."

He pauses briefly and glances at me out the corner of his eye.

"I got involved in some really bad stuff and Fay broke up with me when I chose something else over her."

My mind instantly went to the gun that he had. I knew that there was something else to the story. Nobody needs a gun in Bristol. There's no crime or anything here.

"So what are you some type of Italian gangster or something?" I ask with a chuckle.

When River doesn't respond I look over at him to see a guilty look plastered all over his face.

"What!" I shout as I shoot off the couch

"You're in a gang?"

River nods his head slightly.

"Yes I am. I'm the second in command. My father is the leader"

My jaw drops to the floor and my hands run through my hair as I start pacing the room.

"Oh my god I can't believe you're in a gang. And to think I was- oh god." My vision becomes blurry as I feel the start of a panic attack coming on.

River slowly stands up and makes his way over to me with his arms extended. He was being cautious and right now I didn't want him to be.

"Princess calm down for a second and let me explain" River says as he inches closer to me.

My knees wobble and I collapse to the ground as I gasp for breath.

River rushes to my side and grabs my face between his huge calloused hands and starts stroking my cheek bones.

"Breath. Calm down and breath princess" he murmurs to me.

I yank myself out of his grasp and crawl to the corner to create some sort of space between us.

I couldn't believe this sweet guy was part of a gang. That he was a murderer. It didn't make sense to me, but all the pieces were coming together slowly in my mind.

I couldn't believe I had started to fall for him.

•

I'm losing inspiration for this book so I'm going to finish it up fairly quickly. I had originally planned for 40 + chapters but I've lost the inspiration. It'll have less than 30.

I'm sorry to all you guys but I am going to finish it and I hope I can still make it flow the way I planned.