The Lonely King

Chapter Ten

I was lying in my bed when my phone buzzed. I read the last sentence of the paragraph I was on and reached over to check who it was.

I sat up when I read the text from Nick saying his best friend and some of his men are coming over for dinner. I checked my watch to see I had about two and a half hours before he came home.

I ran to the kitchen to get started, almost tripping over some of the steps on the way down the stairs.

After two and half hours of work, the table was set with all different kinds of meat, salads, pasta, and other dishes. All that was left was the garlic bread.

I stepped out of the kitchen to put the bread down and saw a bunch of men filing in taking their spots.

Nick came to my side instantly after I put the bread on the table. He wrapped one arm around me and walked to the kitchen.

"If you want, you can stay. Just keep in mind these men are dangerous, so if you want to leave, I don't mind." He told me.

"Are these your enemies?" I questioned.

"No! I would never bring my enemies close to you. These are my men."

"I could eat with you if you want." I mumbled.

"Okay. Don't worry. You'll be safe."

I nodded and followed him out to take our places at the dinner table.

Throughout the dinner, Nick was talking with everyone else about his work things, so I kind of zoned out. I ate my food quietly, until I heard something.

"What about her?" I heard. I glanced up to see everyone looking at me.

"No." Nick angrily said.

"What?" I asked clueless.

"Nick needs to go to Italy and steal a contract from his old boss's son. We could use you as a distraction." One of the men explained.

"No." Nick repeated.

I ignored him. "Is this contract important?" I asked.

"Very." The man replied.

"What do I need to do?" I asked.

"Nothing. You're not getting involved." Nick firmly stated.

"If it's important to you, I could do it. I have nothing else to do anyway."

Nick stiffened, probably remembering what happened when I sneaked out of the house because I had nothing to do.

"It's dangerous." He said.

"I know, but I would be happy to help you." I told him. I honestly just wanted something to do.

"You would be happy?" He asked, confused.

"If it helps you." I smiled.

He thought about it for a bit, probably weighing the option of my safety vs happiness. He sighed.

"I'll think about it." Okay, so that meant no. It's fine. He just wants to keep me safe.

Once everyone was done with dinner, Nick told me to go to bed since he said he had things to discuss with his men.

I couldn't sleep though. I tossed and turned, thinking about what happened during dinner. I want to help him. I think it's because I care about him. After spending a good amount of time with him, I saw the good guy underneath the tough exterior. Most of the time, I forget he's the mafia king because to me, he looks like a normal person. He is a normal person underneath.

I also want to help him because I'm tired of staying here all day. I want to do something fun, maybe even a little dangerous just to make me feel alive again. Of course, I would never tell him that I want to be put in danger for the thrill. He'll think I'm crazy. Honestly, I sound a little crazy.

As my mind winded down from the thoughts, my body started to relax. I heard footsteps near my room. That must be Nick. They suddenly stopped outside my room. I heard the door open. Even though my back was turned to the door, I knew it was him.

He walked closer to me, and I pretended to be asleep. I felt the bed dip beside me and his finger run through my hair.

"I know you're awake." He whispered.

"I know you know." I opened my eyes and turned toward him. He continued to stroke my hair.

"Do you want to come with me to Italy?" He asked.

"Well" I started.

"Please, Amelia. Tell me the truth." He knew me too well.

I sighed. "I do."

He stared at me for a moments, just looking into my eyes. He sighed.

"I can't be that selfish." He mumbled.

"Selfish?" I asked, confused.

"I can't let you get involved just because I want you with me. I would be putting your life in danger." My heart filled with a warmth when he said he wanted me with him.

"It's not selfish if I want it too." I smiled.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm going to regret this." He mumbled.

"Okay. You can come with and help me, but you can't leave my side. Okay?"

"Okay." I smiled.

"Oh and you have to come with me right now." He added, a smirk appearing on his face.

I pushed the cover off me and stood up, revealing my black silk nightgown that reached mid thigh. His eyes greedily took in my appearance, darkening when he stared at my bare legs and the lace detailing near my chest.

He quickly stood up and walked to his bedroom. Once inside, he picked me up and put me in his bed. "Wait here."

He went into his closet to change, and walked out in only some low-hanging sweatpants, letting my eyes enjoy the view of his bare upper body. I knew he noticed me checking him out, but he didn't say anything.

He got into bed and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to him. His head rested in between my neck and shoulder and one of his legs tangled in between mine.

"Sleep here." He mumbled. I mentally chuckled.

"Goodnight, Nick." I whispered.