Page 153 of Ruined
“I tried. It didn’t work.”
“And look how far you’ve come,” I teased, brushing my thumb over his cheek. “You went from homicidal maniac to my husband. That’s character development.”
He snorted. “That’s one way to put it.”
“It’s true. You don’t break into houses anymore. You just steal the covers and drink all my coffee.”
“Maybe I should go back to trying to kill you.”
I grinned. “You’d miss me too much.”
He rolled his eyes again, but when I kissed him he didn’t pull away. His arms tightened around my neck.
“Thanks for not giving up on me.”
I pressed my forehead to his. “You’re stuck with me. Forever.”
“Yeah,” he muttered. “Forever sounds about right.”
The front door creaked open, followed by heavy footsteps. “We’re here!” Santino’s gruff voice rang out.
“In the kitchen,” I called back.
Santino appeared first, carrying a box of tools. Delilah followed, balancing a tray of coffees and a stroller in her other hand. Inside, their toddler, Sofia, slept soundly, her tiny fist curled around a blanket.
She set the carrier on the floor and handed Luca coffee. “You’re going to need this if you want to survive today.”
Luca took the cup. “Thanks.”
Hours later, the living room looked halfway decent. Delilah had managed to get paint in her hair, and Luca had spent more time laughing than working. My shirt was ruined, my arms ached, and I’d never felt more at peace.
Later that night, after Santino and Delilah left, we sat in the half-painted living room. Luca’s textbooks were spread out across the coffee table, engineering equations scrawled in his handwriting.
“You’re going to ace the exam.”
“We’ll see.”
“You’re on the honor roll every semester. You’ll be fine.” I leaned back, stretching out my legs. “What’s next on the list after you graduate?”
His eyes lit up. “I want to see Italy with you.”
I smirked. “Big dreams, huh?”
“With you? Always.”
“Wherever we go,” I whispered, “I’m with you.”
Luca smiled. “Sounds perfect.”
I tightened my arm around Luca’s shoulders. Perfect didn’t begin to describe the life we were building. It felt like a foundation—steady, real, and ours.
Thank you so much for readingRuined!Need more mafia romance?Get Arranged now, the first in my Sinners of Boston series! Or keep reading for the first chapter!
I've inherited my sister's fiancé.
She had him first. Alessio Salvatore. Charming, gorgeous, and completely off-limits. I watched him propose and counted myself lucky when my sister said "yes" to the notorious gangster. I have plans for my life. None of them involve sleeping with the enemy, even if it's to broker peace between our families.
But when my sister mysteriously dies, my life turns upside-down. I'm now the heir of my father's assets, and without an arranged marriage, our families are on the brink of war.