The Carrero Contract - Selling Your Soul (Mafia Romance)

I shake my head, stomach turning over as I put it back in my bag and hesitate, even though my heart is saying to leave it well alone. Something inside of me is fighting it and I’m not letting it go as I tilt my head back to let out an exaggerated sigh into the eerie surroundings. My inner stubborn is grabbing at my soul and begging me to end my own agony and reach out to someone I know will help me.

‘Just do it! … It can’t be worse than this.’ I say it out loud to myself, telling myself off, shaking some sense into me.

I know before I pull that card out that I have already made my mind up. I’m weakening, my health, my heart, my fight. It’s all been shaky since the day I left that hospital and I have barely been holding on for months. I am so tired of struggling to fight every day, and the thought of someone else taking control for just five little minutes is like a life savour in the stormy sea. Just five minutes of not struggling to survive is all I need. My weary soul demands it.

My phone is staring me in the face, reminding me that after four percent I will have no more phone until I go home. It’s enough to make a call. It’s almost like fate is telling me that it is now or never and I dial the number from the back of the card marked ‘Cell’ with no more hesitation, even though my heart is pounding through my chest. I wipe my free hand on my leg to remove the clamminess and I’m surprised to find my sweats are already severely damp. I won’t last out here for hours if I get sodden this fast.

As it rings, I begin to shake, mouth drying and knots inside my gut flip over and turn inside out. My chest gets very tight and I try to focus on the trees swaying in the gentle wind.

It’s not that I’m afraid of Mico being cruel and telling me to leave him alone; I don’t think he will.

I’m scared of having any connection to that fucking man, and Mico is well embroiled in the Carrero kingdom. Where there is one there is always the other, and they are too hard to separate.

God, this is so dumb.

I lose my resolve, fluttering heart giving up and I fumble, about to pull the phone away and kill the call as sense gets the better of me but a sound hits hard.

‘Hello? Who is this?’ The voice startles me; so husky, familiar, heart-warming, and he answers so quickly. It’s as though someone up there knew I was going to lose my courage and hang up.

I realise he won’t know who this is unless I actually answer him. I ditched my phone from Alexi when I left the hospital, this is a throw away cheap phone, and he won’t have a clue who is calling him. I am just so overjoyed to hear his voice, it has my throat all clogged up with emotion, and the feeling of severe loneliness for the first time in months abates a little.

I swallow down the bout of nerves dredging up inside of me and clear my throat to find my voice.

‘Mico, hey.’ I sound pathetic, voice small and shaky and lose my courage completely. He sounds exactly the same; unemotional, strong voiced with that little Carrero depth in the tone. It makes my heart hurt to hear it. Both because it’s Mico and because it reminds me of another voice I never want to hear again.

Every part of me is trembling as I close out the world and focus on that beacon of familiarity.

for a second as he either moves or switches ears. I guess he is surprised after four months to be hearing

the other end, and with the effort of talking as my sickness takes over. I’m losing my voice, cracking and painful to talk and my nose is practically a running tap, dripping, so I

this bloody New

like Mico, genuinely concerned, mildly panicked and so decent it almost breaks me in two. I forgot what it felt like to have someone give a

in a genuine way is painful, in a good way.

can go back and get myself together.’ My voice is barely

but I didn’t know who else to

needed help to call me. Now give me your address, I’m coming right now. Camilla, are you sick? You don’t sound so good, in fact, you sound awful.’ Mico, gorgeous, caring, safe Mico. He sounds like a haven of hope, and I am suddenly so relieved

I just need to be able to lie down at home. I’ll text you the address before my phone dies on me.’ My voice fails, croaking

sobers me right up. That connection is never far away and I nod silently, searching for some strength

time and I hold my throat as I squeak down the

I can meet you. I’ll be there ASAP.’ He’s in a commanding tone. The voice he uses to deal with his staff

whisper and hang up without hesitation to save battery, not sure whether to feel relieved or just in despair that I had to ask

just so tired. I have been this way for so long that I forget what anything else

the address and then get up and pull my bags with me, dog walker is still lingering in the grass area, and he eyes me warily from his distance, obviously having heard my conversation. Something in

my phone, I couldn’t even

is so out of place in this downtrodden area, among the crappy cars held together by duct tape. It’s too modern and spanking new to be from this neighbourhood, so I guess Mico is already here and upstairs, which gives me a boost of calm. I guess he will be more than likely freaking out that I have passed

as no doubt he would have kicked them both out with broken faces. Mico is much like

just going to help me fix it ourselves. I guess I should have known a Carrero would bring in a professional pronto, and it just makes me feel a little lighter immediately. I guess that’s one trait he shares with Dick Head Devil that I never hated. They take control and sort things out with minimal effort or fuss. They make you

to protect me while fucking me up in the head, but then I could

but the bag of professional tools tells me he is either a carpenter or a locksmith. He smiles and moves out of my way, opening the door like a gentleman for me to enter. He has a fatherly air about him, mid-forties,

less chaotic and I swear my heart melts for a moment at both the sight of my friend who fills me with an insane bursting bubble of warmth and the fact he is trying to put to

of him, that I push away

being so soft,

‘Mico?’