Page 32 of Ruthless Scar
“Then why did you walk away?”
A long pause. His hand drops. Comes back up. Drops again.
“Because I destroy everything.” The words are barely there. He grabs the doorframe behind him, holding it until the wood creaks. “The last person I loved.” He stops. Swallows. Tries again. “She called my name at the end. And I was across town.”
His voice cracks on the last word. He turns away. His chest heaving. “If I let myself have you. Really have you.” He drags his fist across his jaw. “I’ll break you. And I can’t.”
The rest doesn’t come. He just stands there, breathing like he’s been sprinting, fists opening and closing at his sides, turned toward the wall because he can’t look at me while he’s being this vulnerable.
But he’s still standing in front of me.
I reach up. I cup his jaw. He jerks back. Then stills.
“Let me be there tomorrow. I’m not asking to fight. I’m asking to help. On comms. In the van. Something.”
He leans into my hand. A fraction of an inch. Just enough.
“No.”
“Lorenzo.”
“No.” He covers my hand, holds my palm against his face. “I can’t focus if you’re there. I can’t think about anything but keeping you safe, and what you’re asking for is how people get killed.” His voice drops, raw and scraped. “My people. Your sister. I need to be able to do my job.”
My lungs lock.
“Then promise me something.” He opens his eyes. Dark. Burning. “Bring her back. Bring yourself back.” My thumb brushes his cheekbone. “I’ll be here. But you have to come back.”
He turns his head, presses his lips to my palm.
Then he pulls my hand away from his face. Gentle. But firm.
“The dress.” His voice is rough. “Don’t wear it again.”
“Why?”
“Because the next time I see you in it, I won’t be able to walk away.” He holds my stare. “And I’m barely holding on as it is.”
He releases my wrist. Steps back. Turns toward the door.
“Lorenzo.”
He stops. Doesn’t turn around.
“Tomorrow night. You find her.”
A pause. “I’ll find her.”
He reaches for the handle.
“Wait.”
He freezes.
“The zipper.” I turn my back to him. “I can’t reach it.”
Silence. His chest rises and falls.
“Isabella.”
