The Camorra Chronicles Boxset (Books 1-3)

by Reilly, Cora

  I gave them both a grateful smile as I slipped into the booth across from them. “I know, but I’m really not looking forward to seeing Nino getting hurt.”

  Savio snorted. “Don’t worry. My brother is invincible.”

  Nobody was, not even Nino, even if his emotionless mask made everyone believe it. Nino was human. He could fail. He could get hurt.

  Leona regarded me curiously, and I wondered if my feelings for Nino were obvious to people around me. I hoped I could hide them, because how foolish would I appear if people realized I’d come to love someone incapable of emotion?

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I need to talk to Diego,” he said. His friend was giving him signs. Savio walked off without another word, and a waitress with long black hair and pink lipstick appeared at our booth. She gave Leona a tense smile, ignoring Fabiano, and finally turned to me with a wary expression. “What would you like to drink, Mrs. Falcone?”

  That name still made me pause. “Do you have wine?”

  The waitress pursed her lips. “This is a fight bar. We have liquor or beer.”

  “Careful, Cheryl,” Fabiano said in a low voice that sent a shiver through my body. His blue eyes held a clear warning as he regarded the waitress. “You better remember who she is.”

  Leona touched his arm, which was propped up on the table, but Fabiano didn’t take his eyes off the woman. Enforcer. It was easy to forget what that meant.

  I felt bad for her and quickly said, “Then a beer.” I needed something alcoholic to calm my nerves and hard liquor was out of the question. I didn’t have the necessary tolerance for it.

  “And one for me,” Remo said as he appeared close behind Cheryl. She tensed and stepped aside to let him pass.

  “I’ll bring it over in a moment,” she said then rushed off.

  To my surprise, Remo slipped into my booth. As usual, my body tightened with unease at his closeness. He gave me a challenging look but didn’t come close enough so we’d touch. “Still?” he asked with a twisted smile.

  He didn’t have to elaborate. I knew what he meant, and I didn’t think I’d stop being wary of him anytime soon. He hadn’t given me reason to do so, but something about Remo just screamed danger, and I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

  Leona rolled her eyes when Remo turned to Fabiano.

  “I saw that,” he said under his breath.

  I stifled a laugh. Sometimes, very rarely, I managed to get past my fear of Remo. In those moments, I almost understood why Nino thought so highly of his brother.

  Two men in fight shorts entered the cage. My brows furrowed. “I thought Nino’s fight was next?”

  “The biggest fight is always last,” Fabiano explained. “There are two fights before Nino’s. Whoever wins might end up fighting me or perhaps Savio next.”

  “Why do you do this? Why do you keep fighting? It’s not like people don’t fear you enough.”

  “If you get comfortable, you get weak. That happens to many people in positions of power. It’s good to prove to people and to yourself that you are still someone to fear,” Remo said, his dark eyes passionate and fierce.

  The referee gave the signal. At once, the two men barreled toward each other and collided with grunts. I winced as I watched their kicks and punches. Cheryl returned with our beers, and I took a deep gulp despite my aversion to the taste. One of the men flew against the cage and blood spurted out of his mouth.

  I covered my own with my hand. “Oh God.”

  Remo cocked an eyebrow. “This is nothing.”

  “Maybe for you,” I muttered.

  “You’ll get used to the sight.” He nodded toward Leona. “She did.”

  “I still don’t enjoy it,” Leona said. “Especially if Fabiano’s in the cage. It’s horrible seeing him getting hurt.” She shuddered.

  “I’m not getting hurt,” Fabiano said firmly. “I always win.”

  Savio returned and sank down beside Remo. “Because you’ve never fought against me.”

  “I’ve fought against you, and I kicked your ass,” Fabiano muttered.

  “That was more than a year ago.”

  The crowd burst into applause, and my eyes darted toward the cage where one man lay unmoving on the floor while the other stood above him with raised hands.

  My heart beat in my throat when the referee finally announced Nino’s fight. His opponent, a man the size of a giant, was already waiting in the cage when Nino stepped out of the changing room.

  The crowd regarded Nino with respect and fear as he walked through the aisle they’d made for him. His eyes were directed straight ahead at the cage with an expression of cold determination, yet something was different about him. For once the emotionless mask seemed almost forced, as if he had to make it appear that way. Or maybe my own nerves had me imagining things.

  Nino climbed into the cage under the roaring applause of the crowd. In his fight shorts and with his gruesome tattoos, he was an intimidating sight. The moment Nino had entered the room, Remo, Savio, and Fabiano had changed their behavior. There expressions showed no hint of doubt or worry, only pride and the grim knowledge that Nino would win.

  I knew Nino was a good fighter, but his opponent was several inches taller and much wider than Nino. My husband didn’t seem impressed by the man in front of him, and the moment the ref got out of the cage and closed the door, he switched into predator mode. His entire body became taut, his eyes cautious as they regarded their opponent.

  The man was the first to attack. I tensed when he barreled toward Nino, who jumped to the side and landed a hard kick in the man’s side. Remo cheered loudly, and Savio and Fabiano applauded, but I could not move.

  Nino seemed off. I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. His opponent got him good in the first few minutes of the fight. Nino was thrown against the cage and landed on the floor hard. I jerked violently, clamping my hand over my mouth to stop a scream as tears formed in my eyes. Remo tensed, leaning forward as if he was on the verge of jumping up.

  I sucked in a deep breath, trying not to cry. Remo looked, scanning my expression and eyes. “Don’t lose it. This is public.”

  I blinked. “What if he loses?” I whispered. “What if he dies?”

  Remo narrowed his eyes in anger, but there was something else there. Worry. “Nino won’t lose, and he definitely won’t fucking die. Understood?”

  I gave a nod, and to my relief, Nino was already back on his feet. For a moment, he didn’t move, only regarded the man who was taunting him. Then his eyes moved toward me for a second, and my body exploded with emotions.

  He turned back to his opponent and as if a switch was turned, Nino dropped the analytic calm. I had never seen that look on his face. He lunged at the other man and attacked viciously. He looked unhinged, hungry for blood and death, and he kicked and punched his opponent over and over again, not stopping even as the man dropped to the ground.

  It was a deeply unsettling sight.

  “What’s gotten into him?” Savio muttered.

  Remo didn’t take his eyes off the cage, but his mouth thinned. “I don’t know.”

  Nino thrust his fist down on the unconscious man one more time. Then he staggered to his feet, covered in blood, gray eyes alight with fury. Even scarier was how quickly the emotion was replaced his usual calm. What had just happened?

  Nino left the cage before the judge declared him the winner and stalked toward the changing rooms under the applause of the crowd.

  I jumped to my feet. “Let me out,” I said.

  Remo stood as well and gripped my arm. I tensed but didn’t pull away because people were watching, and I knew how to keep up appearances. “I don’t think this is a good time for you to go to Nino. I will handle him.”

  “Nino won’t hurt me,” I said quietly.

  Remo tilted his head. “Are you sure about that?” His voice held a challenge.

  I gave a resolute nod. “Absolutely. Let me go to him.”

  Remo smiled coldly a
nd motioned for Savio to make room. They both stepped out of the booth so I could leave before sitting back down.

  Remo held my gaze. “I’ve never seen Nino like this, but if you think you can handle him, be my guest.”

  Straightening my spine, I moved through the crowd, who backed away from me as if I was contagious. Some people gave me pitying looks; others regarded me as if I was someone to be scared of. Kiara Falcone. I heard their hushed whispers.

  I was glad when I reached the changing room and stepped inside.

  Nino wasn’t in front of the lockers, but I heard the shower running and walked around the corner until I caught sight of him in the last stall. He was braced against the tiles, head hanging low as water poured down his body. His head turned and the look in his gray eyes sent a stab of worry through me.

  “Are you all right?” I asked breathlessly.

  Nino straightened in all his naked glory, covered in cuts and bruises. Magnificent. “Come closer,” he said in a strange voice.

  I moved toward him but stopped in front of the shower. Nino stared down at me as if I was a problem he wanted to solve. His expression was intense, on the verge of angry, which didn’t make sense considering this was Nino. He didn’t feel anger. He didn’t feel anything.

  He curled his fingers around my wrist and pulled me toward him, his eyes not once breaking their staring. “Nino,” I protested. “My clothes.”

  But he didn’t hear me. His lips claimed my mouth, stopping me from saying any more. He pressed into me, his tall frame caging me in. His hand brushed my thigh, pushing up my dress, shoving aside my panties. He slipped a finger into me, his mouth still soft yet dominant, and I arched back against the tiled wall. He followed, not allowing me to escape his overwhelming presence as his free hand cupped my breast through my wet dress. I wasn’t sure what had gotten into him. His touch and kisses were overwhelming, but my body reacted with a tidal wave of arousal as he slid his finger in and out of me.

  He nipped at my lower lip then licked water off it and claimed my mouth again, possessive, unrelenting, desperate ... but how was it possible?

  His thumb swiped over my clit as he moved his finger faster. “Nino,” I gasped out. “What—”

  Again he interrupted me with an almost harsh kiss. I blinked up, confused and turned on, and a bit unsettled but not enough to stop. He added another finger, and I grasped his shoulders to steady me. He hooked one of my legs over his hip, opening me up so he could slam his fingers deeper into me. I rocked against his hand, clinging to him as his mouth ravaged mine, all the while his eyes never looking away from mine as if he was trying to devour me. As if he needed me. He flicked his thumb over my clit again, and I cried against his lips when my orgasm rocked through me. Stars burst in my vision, an almost blinding pleasure. My fingers dug deeper into Nino’s skin.

  I stared at him, openmouthed, panting. He slowed his thrusts then eased his fingers out.

  He released me but moved even closer until he filled all of my vision and breathed harshly as he stared down at me. He was hard, digging into my stomach, but he made no move to take things further, and it confused me, like his expression confused me.

  “Nino?” I reached for his chest, trailing my fingers over it then moving lower. He didn’t take his eyes off me, but when I curled my fingers around his shaft, his hand came down on them, and he leaned forward, his mouth brushing my ear.

  “If I fuck you now, it’s going to be against this wall. It’s going to be hard and fast, and nothing like last time. Nothing like you want. Nothing like you need.”

  I shivered at the underlying threat in his voice. I gazed up into his eyes, and again they shifted between anger and absolute calm. I didn’t understand any of it. Had the fight unchained him that much? Remo and Savio had been stunned by his behavior, so it wasn’t something that happened with every fight.

  “You won’t hurt me.”

  He took a deep breath, chest heaving, and closed his eyes. My dress clung to my body and my feet swam in my heels, but I stayed where I was, close to Nino, as he battled whatever demons the fight had summoned. His breathing slowed and his hand around mine loosened until he finally released me completely.

  I kept my fingers around his erection and lightly brushed my thumb over the silky tip. Nino’s eyes jerked open, but this time he didn’t stop me. I moved my hand slowly up and down, not hard and fast, trying to give him comfort and not let this be his outlet for the violence brooding in his body. He braced himself, placing his hands on both sides of my head, and regarded me through half-closed eyes.

  He rocked his hips in rhythm with my pumps, and eventually some of the tension slipped away. His breathing deepened as I rubbed him, and when I used my second hand to cup his balls, he let out a low breath and pumped even faster. I wanted to comfort him, wanted to show him that I was there for him.

  Nino lowered his head, and I tilted mine back to meet his mouth for a kiss. It was gentle, unhurried, and deliciously slow. No anger or violence, only beautiful sensuality. My own body responded to the kiss and the feel of Nino coming undone under my touch. His moves became less controlled and his kiss more passionate, and then his body tightened, and he groaned against my mouth. He jerked in my hand, his eyes closing. I kept stroking, and for a long time he stayed still, his forehead lightly pressed up against mine, his chest heaving.

  I released him and the water washed away every trace of our juices. Nino opened his eyes again, and his expression was back to the familiar calm. I was torn between missing the more unhinged version of him, the one he’d never shown before, and being relieved that Nino hadn’t lost it completely.

  He straightened, robbing me of his heat. He turned the water off, his eyes trailing the length of me. “You can’t walk out of the changing room in wet clothes,” he said matter-of-factly.

  I searched his face for a hint of something, but he returned my gaze steadily, eerily. He stepped out of the shower and grabbed two towels. “It’s probably for the best if you undress and dry yourself. I will get dressed and see if I can organize clothes for you.”

  Nodding mutely, I took the towel, wrapping it around my curls to stop them from dripping all over the place. I peeled my soaking dress off my body. Despite his words, Nino didn’t leave or move to get dressed. Instead, he watched me remove my dress then my underwear. “Nino, are you all right? You’ve been off since the fight.”

  “I’m fine,” he murmured then finally dried himself off and got dressed. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “What if someone comes in?” I asked, a hint of worry creeping into my voice.

  Nino shook his head. “Nobody will dare to come in. Trust me. I won’t be gone long.”

  He disappeared, and I wrapped another towel around myself, staring down at the red heap at my feet. What had gotten into Nino?

  As promised, he returned a few minutes later with jeans and a plain black T-shirt. “Roger’s waitresses keep spare clothes in case they spill something.”

  I took the clothes and put them on. They were a bit too big on me, but at least they smelled clean and were dry. I cringed, thinking about what people would say if I came out in different clothes than before.

  “Something is bothering you,” Nino said, coming a bit closer, his brows drawn together.

  “I’m worried what people will think of me.”

  He gripped my waist and pulled me toward him. “They will think that you gave your husband a prize for winning.”

  My cheeks grew hot. “Yeah, that.”

  “And?” he asked quietly, the strange look still in his eyes. He nibbled my throat, then my ear. “You are my wife.”

  My lashes fluttered, and I released a strangled breath. I was already getting aroused again. He picked my dress up from the ground, wrung it out, and put it into his bag before taking my hand. I took my slippery heels in my free hand and followed Nino out of the changing room, barefoot.

  Most people had left the bar by now, but everyone who was still there
stared at us. It took all of my self-control not to duck my head under the force of their scrutiny. Nino’s presence helped. He appeared completely unfazed, of course. When we arrived at the booth with his brothers and Fabiano and Leona, they all regarded us strangely. My face heated, knowing what they were thinking.

  Remo’s evaluating gaze was especially hard to bear. His eyes narrowed as they moved between his brother and me. “I take it you fucked his strange behavior right out of him?”

  My mouth fell open. “I—I didn’t—”

  Nino squeezed my hand. “Let’s go home. I’m done with this day.”

  Remo nodded then exchanged another look with Fabiano and Savio. They were as puzzled by Nino’s strange behavior as I was.

  CHAPTER 20

  KIARA

  Nino didn’t say anything on our drive home. I kept glancing at him but his eyes were closed. There was a cut over his cheekbone, and the skin around it was swelling. At least it wasn’t bleeding.

  Remo watched us occasionally through the rearview mirror as he drove his car, but he didn’t say anything.

  When we walked into the mansion, Nino headed straight toward our wing. Remo gripped my wrist before I could follow.

  I flinched, but he didn’t release me. “Will you stop this shit?” he growled. I forced myself to meet his angry gaze. “Keep an eye on my brother. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. Usually he would analyze the fight like a fucking computer program right after. That he’s like this is a fucking bad sign.”

  “Has he ever been like this?” I asked.

  Something in Remo’s eyes shifted as if he was remembering something. He loosened his grip. “Just keep a fucking eye on him.”

  I turned and continued toward our wing of the mansion then upstairs into the bedroom. Nino was perched on the edge of the bed, arms propped up on his legs as he stared down at the ground. He was completely naked.

  I approached him, but he didn’t move. Slowly, I raked my finger through his still damp hair, and finally he raised his eyes to meet mine. “I want you,” he said quietly.

  Leaning forward, I kissed him, my fingernails scratching his scalp, making him shudder and release a low breath. He tugged at my jeans and pushed them down my legs. I wasn’t wearing panties. He leaned forward and kissed my hipbones, biting down lightly and making me jump. Then he soothed the spot with his tongue. Slowly, he trailed his tongue down from my hipbones to my upper thigh and then between my legs.