My Monster *On Hold

Chapter 9

Titus POV (surprise)

After getting off of the phone with Livia, I grinned. She was so amazing. She was kind, funny, innocent, and absolutely breathtaking. The first time I saw her, I thought there was an angel in front of me. She literally was my lifesaver.

I had never felt this way about anyone before. I couldn't get her off my mind. Thoughts of her flooded my mind constantly.

At first I planned to stay away from her. I didn't want her getting involved in my mess of a life. She was too innocent too pure to be tainted by knowing me. I sent two bodyguards to keep watch over her, though. It was the least I could do for the woman who took me into her home and helped me.

Then she seemed to catch on to the fact that people were watching her, so I told my men to back down a little and not be so obvious. By then my curiosity about her had grown until I couldn't stand it. I had to see her. I had to know her.

She lived up to my first impression of her. She was more sweet and caring than I thought possible in any person, let alone someone who had gone through what she had. Her parents were killed by some reckless person, and yet she kept her faith in humanity. She lived in New York, a place where crime was all around, and she could still see good in everything. I was convinced that she would find something positive in the worst of criminals. She apparently saw something in me, what it was exactly was beyond me.

The more I got to know Livia, the more I felt the need to protect her. To shield her from all the bad that was in the world. I knew I should probably include myself in that, but I was in too deep. She was like a drug, and I was addicted. I had a feeling that no matter how hard I tried, or how long I stayed away, I would alway want more: more smiles, more laughs, more blushes. She was perfect, and I didn't think I could let her go now that I had a taste of perfection. So I settled for the next best thing, protecting her from every other bad thing the world had to offer.

She had me wrapped around her finger, and she didn't even know it.

***

The next day, I woke up excited for the day's events. Livia texted me to meet her and her brother at the park at twelve, so I decided t handle some business beforehand. I wasn't lying when I said I owned a weapon manufacturing business. That was mainly just a front, though. My main job was a gang leader.

If I had a choice in the matter, I would be in a different line of work. I tried to get out at one point, but then the universe decided to do its thing and turn my life to sh*t.

Even though I didn't particularly like my job, I still did my best. My father taught me to give everything one hundred and ten percent, and it wasn't in my character to do otherwise. So, I did my job with a straight face, never letting anyone see beyond the cold exterior. Eventually, my reputation spread, and I rose slowly to the top of the food chain. Being at the top did have its perks. Since people were scared sh**less of me, I could get by with making more threats and being slightly less violent. Only slightly however. I still had to send my underlings to wreak some havoc on a regular basis.

Work went by quickly. My mind was filled with thoughts of my girl. Well, she wasn't officially mine quite yet, but I had plans to change that soon.

At a quarter to twelve, I left to meet Livia at the park. Luckily, it wasn't too far away. I arrived with five minutes to spare. I made my way to the entrance, and there she was. She was standing by her brother, looking at him with a warm smile on her face. You could tell without a doubt that she loved him unconditionally. She was wearing a pale peach colored top and some faded jeans. Her hair was in a ponytail with a few strands out framing her face. I took a moment to stare in awe at her flawlessness. Then she looked up and caught my gaze.

Now I wasn't wearing a heart monitor or anything, but if I was, I am pretty sure it would have picked up how my heart skipped a beat.

A/N First of all, thank you so much for the birthday wishes. I had a really great day. I didn't really do much, but it was perfect to me.

Also, thanks for all of the votes and comments. My Monster got into the top 100 in romance for a bit there. I think it has dropped some, but it's pretty amazing that it got there in the first place. I never expected this great of a response, especially this early in the book. I haven't received a single negative comment yet, so that's cool. You all are the best readers I could ask for.