Love?

Playlist for this Chapter: Exile by Taylor Swift ft. Bon Iver, This Love by Taylor Swift.

Nicholas walked into the room and froze at the sight of me holding a gun and examining it carefully. He frowned glancing at the gun and looked at me.

"Where'd you get that?" He asked and I shot him a mischievous smile.

"Took it from Jake." I said and he raised his eyebrows.

"And he gave it to you?" I hummed in response.

"It's not my fault no one can resist me." I smirked and his gaze darkened when his eyes trailed my body and came back to my face.

I got up and walked over to the window, looking outside and felt an intense presence behind me. I was caged between his arms as his hands rested on the railing on either side of me. I heard him take a deep breath, pressing his body to mine, his lips went to my neck as he trailed wet kisses on my neck.

One of his hands went to my waist, holding me firmly as I struggled to stand straight.

"I missed you so fucking much sweetheart." He whispered in my ear and I sighed.

I did too.

His free hand slid closer to mine, the one holding the gun and when his fingers touched me I turned around abruptly and pressed the gun to his chest. He staggered back a step, raising his hands in the air.

His tongue ran across his upper teeth and he cocked his head and looked at me.

"Smart. But not too much." I sighed and he looked surprised. "And yes, I do how to use it. A good friend of mine taught me." I said, loading the gun. Now all it would take was a small pull.

"What happened to you?" He whispered and I scoffed.

A lot did sweetheart. You have no idea about the hell I've been through.

"Where do you want me to start?" I asked him sarcastically and he put a hand on the gun, lowering it and taking it from my hand carefully, he threw it aside and it skid across the floor. He took my hand and led me back inside, closing the balcony doors and we both sat on the couch.

I tried my best to keep my distance from him, but he kept on scooting closer to me no matter how far I slid from him. When I reached the edge, my head snapped to his.

"Say what you want so I can leave." I hissed at him and he looked taken aback for a moment before recollecting himself, he took a deep breath and looked down.

"I... I don't know what to say.." He finally spoke and I stood up an so did he.

"Then I can leave." I said but he caught my hand before I could turn around. I snatched my hand from his and glared at him.

"Don't fucking touch me." I said and he retracted his hand, and I remembered how I said the exact same thing to him when I left him.

"Do you have any idea about the hell I've been through because of you? Do you?" I chuckled nervously and looked at him but he didn't say anything.

"After I left you, I was taken hostage by some freak named Giovanni who tortured me like anything. And you know why? Because I was with you. I didn't even know the fucking guy! Two weeks Nicholas. Two. Fucking. Weeks. I was with him." I felt the tears forming and saw his face harden.

"Giovanni?" He asked in disbelief and gave him a firm nod. "That's... not possible... How? Why?" He ran a hand over his face and looked at me with worry, pulling me against him and hugging me tightly.

"I'm so sorry my love.. I didn't know... I should've known..." He sat rubbing my back as he whispered sweet nothings in my ear. All I wanted at the moment was to melt into his embrace and I did just that, no longer holding the tears back. I let it all out and he picked me up and put me in his lap, cradling me and calming me down as I held onto his shirt tightly and buried my face into his chest.

His manly scent calmed me down, and he held me close while I trembled violently.

"I'm here now... And I won't let anything happen to you... I'm right here..." He whispered, rubbing by arms as I quieted down and just snuggled into his chest.

"What did he... What did he do to you?" He asked after a while and I took a deep breath.

"He... he told me everything... About you and the mafia..." I said and he tensed. "He said you killed people. Too many to count. And that you used to be friends." I said and he grunted in response.

"Used to be. Not anymore. Ucciderò quello stronzo per averti toccato." (I'm going to kill that fucker for touching you.) He whispered. "What else? Did he touch you?"

"He... uh-... I was covered in bruises when they found me unconscious... Dan found me and took me to the hospital." I could feel the anger radiating off of him as he growled.

"Does your family know?" He asked and I sighed.

"Only Dan and Ava know. And Cole and Abby. About the whole mafia thing... Not my parents." I said and he hummed in response.

"Did you have fun today?" He suddenly asked me out of the blue and I nodded.

"It was nice while it lasted." I said and he placed a hand on my thigh, making small patterns on my bare skin. He reached into the inside pocket of his coat and took out a rectangular box, and opened it. I saw a beautiful silver necklace inside, and on it hung the same signet that was on the ring he wore, and a diamond shone in between it.

I gasped. "This is so beautiful" I said, admiring the necklace and he smiled. And a genuine one at that.

"It's for you." he said and my eyes snapped to his as I looked at him in disbelief.

"For... me?" I asked him and he nodded.

"Who else?" He said and and smiled at me but I frowned.

"I can't accept this... It's too much Nicholas." I said and he frowned.

"Why not?" He said and I shook my head, getting out of his lap and missing the warmth of his embrace.

"I just... can't.." I said, eyeing the signet warily and he realized why I refused.

"I'm giving you this as a permanent token of... affection... from me to you." He stood up and took my hands in his.

"Why? Why are you here suddenly? You remember what rumors followed me when I wore your family crest on my finger. But now on my neck? What are you trying to prove?" I asked him and he ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm really sorry for all of that, but I had the best intentions, I promise you." He said with desperation and I shook my head.

"But why Nicholas? Why me?" I asked him again, equally desperate.

"Because I love you god dammit!" He suddenly spoke with frustration as my eyes widened at his sudden outburst.

And I felt the weight of his words settle into the air like a heavy weight as we both stared at each other, desire in our eyes evident as we looked at each other with so much pain and so much longing.

I think he caught me after all.