Page 48 of Risky Behavior: Submitting to the Ruthless Guard
“Talia, why don’t we let them finish up here and get started with your session?” Anthony asked, breaking the silence in the room.
I looked back at Leo and wanted to scream. Realizing that I was a minute from losing my shit, I stood and walked from the room with Anthony close behind. By the time I made it to the sitting room we usually met in, I was ready to explode.
“Can you believe that?” I said, turning on him as soon as the door was closed. “He thinks that I’m too frail and broken to be left alone.”
“Leo didn’t say that, Talia.”
“That’s what he meant, though.”
I began pacing the room as he poured himself a drink and took a seat next to the window.
“I get that this whole thing is my fault, but I didn’t ask for some knight in shining armor to swoop in and save my life. I definitely didn’t plan to fall in love with him, and now here I am making a fool out of myself in front of some of the most powerful people in the city!”
Anthony just watched as I paced around the room in anger. “I am strong enough. I am perfectly fine and no one gives me credit for that. Alessia is... fuck, I can’t even say it. What is going on between the two of you, anyway?”
He had the decency to look embarrassed as his eyes shifted from me. “My personal life has nothing to do with your feelings right now. Let’s take a minute to work through a thought ladder.”
“Oh, fuck that. You know what, it doesn’t matter. Alessia is fucking perfect, you know that. It’s not a lie. Everyone around here is. I mean, look at Valentina, Dante, Nico and Ares. They are so in love and so perfect and I’m so… not.”
“Talia, I need you to slow down and take a couple of deep breaths for me.”
I stopped walking and turned to face him. The look on his face left me no room to argue, so I breathed and then he started talking.
“You have been through a lot over the last few months. You know that. Your life differs from theirs, but it doesn’t mean that their lives are perfect and yours isn’t. Valentina and Alessia both have their own struggles every day, and don’t get me started on the men. No one is perfect and sometimes in life, certain people need more support than others. Have you ever considered that maybe Leo can’t leave you? Maybe this isn’t about you at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe being away from you for the last few days was too hard on him. You aren’t the only one in this relationship. He is part of it too. Did you share with him everything that happened to you while you were with Carter?”
“Yes.”
“You are living with both the mental and physical memories of sexual assault. Leo is living with the emotional memories of you sharing with him what happened. He loves you, Talia, and the pain he feels for you is real. Time spent building your relationship is going to be more important than anything else right now. Both of you need to work on mental and emotional strength and if he is willing to let Alessia and Mario handle something so personal to him, then it’s important you hear him out.”
I collapsed into the chair across from him and looked out the window, staring out into the beautiful forest that surrounded the Corsetti Estate. Could he be right? Was it more than just Leo wanting me to need him? If he needed me too, then I owed that to him.
“He would never admit it.”
“Maybe not. But you know your partner better than I do. I can only make observations from the outside, but the man I saw in that room is one who isn’t ready to disappear into the trenches of this fucked up world and track down two men that I know he’d rather kill on his own.”
“You know it’s a little weird having a shrink that is just okay with murder and things, right?”
He let out a small laugh. “You wouldn’t be surprised if you knew more about my past.”
The Cabin
Leo
TakingTaliatomycabin was a risk, but it was one I was willing to take. She agreed to keep up with therapy via video chat and we hightailed it out of the city as soon as my meeting with Alessia was done. It was settled. She would speak with Mario and his men would handle taking out the assholes contracted to come after my Little Bird. I was unsettled with the whole thing, but in the end, the best decision for the two of us was for us to remain together, not for me to go out shooting at anything that moved in the night. Revenge was something that some thought was sweet, but I often found it to be pointless. Even after they were dead, I was still angry.
“Okay, where do you want me to start?”
I pulled Talia’s body closer to mine as she woke up. The mornings here were cooler this time of year, and I had to pull out a few different quilts to keep her warm. Later today I’d light a fire, but last night we were both exhausted and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my bed with my woman. All the time we had spent together was amazing, but now having her here in my space was a world of difference.
“Good morning,” she murmured as her body pressed into mine.
“Good morning, Little Bird. How did you sleep?”
“Amazingly well, considering everything going on.”