His Juliet: An Age Gap Hurt Comfort Mafia Romance (Empire of Royals Book 2)

I was out of breath by the time I got to Juliet’s bookstore. I’d been meeting with our Brooklyn capo about a new weapons shipment and I’d had to fight traffic to get here. Matteo needed me back at the apartment, but I’d told Juliet I would walk her home and I wouldn’t go back on my word.

Plus, I wanted to see her again. This morning had been cut too short.

I slipped into the bookstore and found Juliet at the counter, typing something on her computer. She broke out into a shy smile when she saw me.

“Hi, beautiful. You ready to go?”

She cocked her head. “I was going to wrap up one more inventory thing, but I can save it for tomorrow if you’re in a rush?”

I was surprised by how easily she read me. “I have somewhere I need to be soon. A business meeting,” I quickly clarified when I realized she might think I meant a date.

She grabbed her jacket from a hook behind the counter and I cursed myself for not helping her put it on.

You’re just friends, the annoying voice in my head reminded me.

Well. Friends helped friends get their clothes on all the time.

She came around the counter and stopped in front of me. “Thanks for coming back. You really didn’t need to.” She averted her gaze. “I’m usually not as”—she waved her hands—“dysfunctional as this morning.” She let out a soft chuckle. “Well, maybe that’s not quite true. But I usually hide it better.”

The self-deprecation in her voice was familiar to me. It was the same way I often spoke of myself, but I didn’t like it on Juliet’s lips.

I cupped her chin. “Don’t talk about yourself like that. You’re not dysfunctional, and you never have to hide your struggles with me.”

Her skin flushed pink and it took everything in me to release her and step back. I wanted to feel her curvy body in my arms, to taste her lips, but I held myself back. Once we were outside, I kept a close eye on Juliet. She let out a shuddering breath when she saw the construction that had forced the detour this morning had been cleared up. Even so, I grabbed her hand as we crossed the busy street. She entwined her fingers with mine, and it made my heart beat faster, like I was a fucking teenager.

Not that I’d ever felt this strongly about anyone as a teen.

Too soon, we were at her building again. She squeezed my hand. “You better get to your meeting.”

I squeezed back. “Yeah.” My words were like gravel.

She unlocked the door to the lobby, but before I gave her hand back, I pulled her towards me and kissed the crown of her head. “Have a good night, angel.”

“You too, Romeo,” she whispered.

I jogged back to where I’d parked my car and drove uptown, fighting traffic and the unsettled feeling that I shouldn’t have left her.

Sofiya sighed heavily from her spot next to me on the couch. I cocked an eyebrow.

“You okay?”

“No,” she groaned. “I need this baby to come now. I’m too pregnant.” She shifted so she was lying down, a large pillow between her legs.

Matteo was meeting a new weapon supplier tonight. Usually, I would have gone with him, but he’d ordered me to stay with Sofiya. She already had her bodyguard, Angelo, but the mounting tension with this new Albanian faction, along with his wife being pregnant, had made Matteo even more overbearing than usual.

“Only a few more weeks now.”

She groaned. “Can’t come fast enough.”

We were watching some weird teenage vampire movie where the guy was watching the girl he was interested in while she slept.

“Do you think it’s crossing a line to put cameras inside someone’s apartment without letting them know?” I asked.

“No,” Angelo said.

“Yes,” Sofiya responded at the same time.

She scowled. “Who are we talking about here? Why do you need the cameras?”

I shrugged. “It’s just a hypothetical. But what if the cameras were there to keep her safe?”

“Her?” Sofiya perked up, no longer looking aggravated and tired. “Who is her?”

“No one,” I muttered. “Never mind.”

I met Angelo’s gaze and he lifted his chin. “You do what you need to do.”noveldrama

There was a depth of understanding in his expression and it made me wonder.

“How are the girls we rescued the other day?” I kept my eyes on the bodyguard. His jaw clenched and he was suddenly engrossed in the movie.

“They’re… I don’t know, it feels wrong to say they’re okay,” Sofiya said, voice soft. “What they went through, I don’t know how you heal from that. But they’re all safe now and we’re doing everything we can to support them.”

“What happened to the woman you carried out, Angelo?”

He scowled. “She lost her leg.”

“Fuck, that sucks.”

“She didn’t deserve that,” he said gruffly.

I’d known Angelo since he was a kid. He had always been sweet and gentle, raised in a loving home with two nurturing parents. His father was in the Family as an accountant, but Angelo had been determined to be a soldier. I’d worried he was too soft for it, but he’d proven himself when he saved Matteo’s life. He’d risen through the ranks and proven himself again when he became Sofiya’s guard and defended her within an inch of his life—getting shot in the process.

I still wondered if this life made him happy.

“What’s her name?” I asked.

He glanced over at me. “Who?”

I had to hold in my smile. “The woman. What’s her name?”

“Anya.” Darkness covered his features. “Why do you want to know?”

Oh, now this was interesting. It seemed I wasn’t the only one harboring a secret… secret what? Crush?

Calling Juliet a crush didn’t feel good enough, but could I have more with her? Could I have what Matteo and Sofiya had?

For the rest of the movie, all I could think about was how soft Juliet’s skin was, how good her hair smelled. She’d looked so perfect today. Felt so perfect.

She was perfect.

I watched Juliet leave her apartment the following morning. She entered the bagel shop next door and left a few minutes later, bag in hand. As soon as she was out of sight, I entered her building. It was massive, with close to a hundred units. Luckily, I’d gotten Juliet’s apartment number from Sienna, who had looked way too fucking smug when she gave it to me.

Placing the cameras was easy. One pointed at her door, and I put the other by the front entrance of the building. I was tempted to put one inside her apartment, but even I knew that was crossing a line. Or was it?

Yes, yes, it was.

At least now I could make sure she got home safe every day.

When I got back to my car, I opened the app to ensure the cameras were streaming correctly and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw they were.

I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel and opened a new text message.

Romeo

I’m sorry I missed you this morning. Did you get to work okay?

My heart thumped loudly in my chest as I waited for Juliet’s reply. Maybe I should put cameras up in and around the bookstore. What if something happened to her on the way to work?

The seconds ticked by, pushing my heart rate higher. What if she had collapsed somewhere? Should I go after her in my car or on foot?

I threw the car door open, ready to start sprinting, when I saw the typing text bubble pop up. I collapsed against my seat in relief.

Juliet

No detours this morning

Romeo

Glad to hear it

I rested my head on the steering wheel as my heart rate returned to normal. I wanted to go to the bookstore now. Juliet probably needed lunch and I could bring it to her. But then I got a text from Matteo asking me to take Enzo and Dante to visit one of our warehouses upstate that housed our cocaine shipments. Inventory numbers weren’t matching up, and Matteo was concerned that one of our men was skimming off the top.

I used to love my position as second-in-command to the Don. My work gave me a thrill and a purpose. But lately, something else was competing for my attention. Someone. And that worried me. Matteo was my brother and the Mafia was my family. They needed to be my priorities.

I started the car. I needed to get my head in the game. Juliet would be fine, and I had work to do.