Aching for His Discretion (The Discretion Dynasty #1)

28. Teegan

Chapter twenty-eight

Teegan

P ushing him back slightly, I closed the door behind me and looked up at him in a panic.

“Levi. What are you doing here?” I asked, and he tilted his head to the side as he sighed.

“I’m here to apologize, Tesoro. I should have never lied to you or hurt you… I’m sorry,” he said, and I narrowed my eyes at him. Part of me was still adjusting to the fact that he was even here in the first place.

“Levi. You cannot kidnap someone I know, kill my neighbor, drop a dying man off where I work, and manhandle me to stay with you!” I whispered.

He stepped closer, his captivating, manipulative eyes holding concern and regret.

“That’s why I’m trying to apologize,” he said, trying to justify why he followed me to another state and found my parents’ home. For a man like him, I didn’t second guess how he found me, though it slightly concerned me with how fast he did. I turned as I went for the doorknob, only for him to put the flowers down on the grass and place his hand over mine.

“Tesoro, please,” he muttered, and I shook my head as I pulled away from him and crossed my arms.

“You don’t get to call me that anymore,” I whispered, and he sighed heavily.

“Teegan… There is absolutely nothing I can say to make what I’ve done disappear. And I am sorry for what I put you through. You are my everything, la mia vita, il mio cuore, la mia anima… everything. I’m a better man when I am with you, Teegan. You make me a better person just by being there. And I know I should have been honest and should not have forced you to stay… but I felt hopeless… out of options,” he said sincerely.

I looked over to him as he placed his hand fully in mine. I looked down at our intertwined hands and part of me began to oddly feel warm inside.

Teegan...

“I begin to lose myself without you… I can’t eat, sleep, think. I couldn’t let you go,” he admitted, and I looked up at him slowly.

Teegan.

“I know I do horrible things… things I know that will never be forgiven. But I only do what I do to help other people. I… take care of people that hurt other people. That boy, Tesoro,” he said, trying to control his anger as he placed his hand on the side of my face and looked deeper into my eyes. I subconsciously leaned into his hand, and he glanced at the gesture momentarily.

“I did what I needed to do to keep you safe. I only wanted to protect you, sweet girl. Everything I do and will ever do... is for you. Silly, I know, but I had to keep you safe…”

He placed both hands on my face, and I bit my lip as he rubbed his thumbs over my cheeks.

TEEGAN!!!

“Come back to me, Tesoro. Hmmm? I don’t want this little fight to keep us apart. I will learn to do better for you… for us .”

Teegan. He is manipulating you. That is what he does. Say no and go inside. He’s minimizing the effect of the situation and showing you that he only did this for your sake.

He kills people, Teegan.

He hurts people.

He hurt you.

“I—” I said softly, and he continued looking down at me with his warm and safe gaze.

He’s getting into your head. He’s manipulating you. He’s lying. He’s—

“Okay,” I whispered, and he let out a dark and alluring smile, pulling me closer as he placed a kiss on my lips. Wrapping my arms around his neck as he lowered his hands to my waist, I felt myself relax in his hold. For once… my thoughts were quiet. At ease. And I felt the relief, passion, and possession in his kiss, which kept me aching for more .

Pulling away, I bit my lip as he closed his eyes in relief, resting his head against mine.

“Thank you for giving me another chance, Tesoro—” he began, but I cut him off as I spoke.

“You have to let Alec go,” I whispered boldly.

After a silent, heart-pounding moment, his eyes opened and darkened slightly as I continued warily.

“His father is worried, and so is everyone else on campus. I know he mistreated me… but I don’t want him hurt.”

He pulled away and remained silent as I looked up at him. His expression was unreadable, but it was clear he was contemplating his following words.

“Oh… I hope we didn’t interrupt anything,” I heard behind me, and I sighed as I closed my eyes.

Looking over my shoulder, my mother and father stood by the door, waiting patiently. We were quiet for most of our talk, so I assumed they didn’t hear much of anything at all... But after realizing Levi and I were way too close for my father’s growing anger, I quickly pulled away from him.

“Are you going to introduce us to your friend, Teegan?” my mother asked suggestively with a wide smile, and I bit my lip as I looked over at Levi, who picked up the flowers from the grass.

“Mama, Papa, this is—”

“Levi Amante. My apologies for barging in on you with such short notice…” Levi said, cutting me off.

My mother responded gingerly. “Well, it’s not a problem at all. Assuming you’re a friend of Teegan’s, I would suppose you came all the way from New York. She came in from New York a few days ago and seemed very upset about a… disagreement she had with someone close to her,” she said suggestively once again, and I glared at her as she was trying to imply that she knew who Levi was.

“You’re not wrong, ma’am... I actually just came to apologize, to make things right, and ask for her forgiveness. She left while we weren’t able to resolve our differences, and I knew it was my fault. I didn’t know how or when to tell her how truly sorry I was, as she needed her space,” he said, looking over to me, and I noticed the sincerity of his words in his eyes.

“Well... please, come inside. I’d like to get to know the man who brought my daughter a bouquet of a hundred roses,” my mother said, sending me a look, and I bit my lip as I watched my father step aside silently so Levi and I could enter. I felt a bit anxious as my parents watched us with curious eyes. My father looked very conflicted, and my mother was obviously a bit too intrigued.

As if on cue, I heard purring as Grayson leaned back on his hinges, and I blushed as I caught him in mid-air before he could jump into Levi’s arms.

“Do make yourself comfortable. I was just starting to prepare lunch,” my mother continued with a smile, looking at the interaction between me and Grayson.

My father spoke. “Levi. Do me a favor and join me in my office for a moment.”

My heart skipped a beat as Levi handed me the flowers and followed my father through our home.

Watching their backs, I lost sight of them and came to my senses as I heard the door close. Looking over at my mother, I followed her as she entered the kitchen. Placing the flowers on the table and letting Grayson down, she gave me a knowing look.

“For as long as you two were caressing one another, I assume you have made up, hmm?” she asked, tilting her head, and I sighed.

“Something like that. Do you think Papa is going to be… harsh?” I asked, a bit afraid, given Levi’s temperament, and she shook her head.

“They’ll be fine. He seems like a fine gentleman,” she said, grabbing her oven mitts, and I nodded as I sat on the stool.

“He is,” I whispered, and she passed me a bowl of fruit to cut into smaller pieces.

After around ten minutes, I finished and set the table. While doing so, I felt a pair of eyes on me. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed Levi watching me intently as he leaned against the wall.

“How did it go with my father?” I asked him.

He tilted his head as he approached me slowly. “Fine. We talked about you for most of it.”

I nodded and felt butterflies in my stomach as his hand went around my waist slowly.

“I’m still mad at you…” I whispered, looking up at him, and he hummed as he squeezed my hip.

“I know you are, Tesoro.”

Turning away from him, I finished setting the table and stepped away as I walked over to the steps. He followed me slowly, and we soon ended up in my childhood/teenage bedroom. I kept much of the same aesthetic when I moved, primarily white, beige, brown, and pastel colors around the room.

Going over to my desk, I did a bit of tidying up as he looked around the room curiously. Soon, I heard my door close, and I paused as I listened to his footsteps in the middle of my room.

Turning around, I noticed him sitting on the edge of my bed with his elbows on his knees. He gestured for me to come to him, and I bit my lip as I padded over to him slowly.

He placed his hands on my waist, and he placed a kiss on my stomach before speaking.

“I... will put the boy somewhere. Unharmed. I’ll have the guys tell his father. However, he won’t be coming back to your school.” He muttered the last part, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as I placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you.”

He hummed, pulling me to sit down on his lap.

His hand caressed my face, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear. “You’re coming home with me tonight,” he said, leaving little room for discussion, and I felt a little of the same feeling from a few days ago. His expression was now was the same as I remembered… humorless, serious, almost daring me to defy him. Slowly, he brought his hand to my neck and squeezed it slightly as he felt my pulse. My eyes widened slightly as my breath hitched.

“Do I make you feel… scared, Tesoro?” he asked, his voice dangerously low, and oddly alluring as it drew me in. I gulped softly as he waited for my response.

Mitchel. Lidocaine. Trash bags. Blood. Killing.

Shaking my head as I told the partial truth, he pulled me closer, and a smile came over his face. Placing a kiss on my lips, I could feel my fear climbing as another feeling came over me… It was stronger than the fear. I craved it even. It felt passionate, almost like a desire to succumb to this man who manipulated his way into my life.

He pulled away after a moment, and I just stared into his eyes. There was a reason I didn’t listen to my rational side, because this man made me ache to be near him with his affection, mannerisms, attention… I felt controlled by him. Lost in his eyes, comforted by his touch, blinded by his actions.

I hate that he could practically see it in my eyes, and part of me wished I could find the strength to pull away from him.

“Let’s go downstairs to join your parents, Tesoro,” he said, and I nodded wordlessly as I grabbed his hand, allowing him to walk me outside my room and down the steps.

We entered the dining room. I pulled my hand away to be safe as I noticed my parents having a small conversation. Hearing us come in, they both turned in our direction.

“Lunch is ready. I was just about to send your father to get you two. I assume the tour of the upstairs was nice, Levi?” my mother said curiously, and I blushed as he chuckled and pulled the chair out for me to take a seat.

“You have a lovely home, ma’am,” he said politely, causing her to smile even more.

Soon, we had engaged in a bit of small talk, with my mama grilling Levi beside me and my father chiming in a bit as well. Even though she had many questions, the conversation was still light and friendly.

In the midst of laughing at a joke my father had told, we heard the front door open and slam closed. I quickly grabbed Levi’s hand under the table that rested on my knee and felt Grayson curl up on my feet as he shook softly.

Hearing footsteps, we were silent as Declan let out a humorless laugh as he entered the dining room. “Well... what do we have here?”