by Kelsie Rae
“Why?”
“Because if you don’t, I’ll have to pick you up and fuck you on the counter.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” she quips, that same flirty grin on full display.
Grabbing her hips, I pull her into me before grinding myself against her. A soft whimper slips past her lips, but the gleam in her eyes is begging for more. The pressure from my grasp is bruising. But I refuse to let her go. Not when she looks at me like that.
“If we were at Matteo’s still, I’d already be inside you. Unfortunately for both of us, we share this roof with more than a couple of individuals, and I doubt you’d be interested in giving them a show with their breakfast.”
“Yeah, please don’t do that,” a deep voice interrupts. Dex swaggers into the room, then opens the fridge and grabs the orange juice while keeping his eyes glued anywhere but to her. “I mean, I know D and I are trying to strengthen the whole brother thing, but I think having front row seats to him having sex is crossing a line or two. And we already heard enough last night.”
A light blush tints Q’s cheeks before she buries her face into my chest and mutters, “Kill me. Kill me now.”
Snatching my shake out of her hand, I laugh then finish it while Dex busies himself with breakfast.
“Any new ideas?” I ask, the idea of using Q as bait feeling just as sour as before.
He stops stirring his scrambled eggs then glances over at me. “A few.”
“Tell me.”
Dropping his gaze to the girl in my arms, he questions, “Now?”
I look down at her. The girl who’s stronger than she thinks and braver than she knows before lifting my chin at him. “Yeah. She has a right to know.”
“Okay.” He takes a quick drink of his juice before diving right in. “I already spoke with Kingston this morning, but we wanted to get your input. There are a few spots that Sei used to go to regularly. I was thinking we could check them out and see what we find. What do you think?”
“Sounds like a shot in the dark, but yeah. I’m in.”
“We were also thinking that Q might be able to help us out a bit.”
“And how would she do that?” I return, my suspicion spiking.
“She, uh,”—he clears his throat and braces himself for the inevitable fallout—“She could walk around a few of the streets. Maybe buy a drink at one of the bars. That kind of thing.”
“No. Not until we know where he is and can set up a plan to keep her safe.”
“That’s the problem, though. He’s not gonna show his face if he doesn’t have a reason to. He knows how well I know him. That I know where he likes to hang out. That I’m looking for him. But he doesn’t know we have Q. He doesn’t know that she knows where he likes to go. If he happens to see Q at one of his regular spots, then he might be more willing to visit that area again in hopes of catching her in a compromising position. He might even get desperate to see her again and make a mistake. One that could benefit us.”
My arms tighten around her before I shake my head back and forth. “No. Not a chance.”
“I’ll do it,” Q interjects.
“No––”
“I’m serious. I’ll do it. I think Dex is right. Besides, you’ll be there to look after me.” She turns to Dex and clarifies, “He will be there to look after me, right? From a distance or something?”
“Yeah. Yeah, he’ll be there. And so will Stefan and me. We’ll stay back, but you’ll always be in our sight. We’ll even give you a wire so we can hear what you hear. We promise.”
“Then I think that’s our best bet, don’t you?” she asks, peeking up at me. Her natural beauty, combined with the vulnerable lilt in her voice, is captivating. But it doesn’t make it any easier to agree to this ludicrous idea.
Resigned, I blow out all the pent-up oxygen in my lungs while everyone stares at me with bated breath. “Yeah, Blue. I think it’s our best bet.”
“Then I’ll go get dressed.” She raises onto her tiptoes, giving me a quick peck against the cheek before skipping down the hall. The sound makes my chest ache because it’s so…normal.
Even though this situation is the opposite.
Her light footsteps are replaced by a heavier set as Stefan and Kingston join us.
Rounding the corner, Kingston gives Dex a pointed look. “Did you tell him?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“And I agreed,” I interrupt, annoyed that they’re talking about me like I’m not in the same room with them.
“Good.”
Sensing my reservations, Dex asks, “What is it?”
I scratch my jaw and roll my shoulders. “What if it doesn’t work?”
“We’ll rotate between using Q and questioning a few of Sei’s old allies.”
My brow quirks. “And when you say questioning…?”
Kingston answers, “He means you can do whatever the hell you want to them to gain intel on Sei’s whereabouts. Capisce?”
“Yeah.” My mouth twitches with a smile. “I hear you loud and clear.” I’ve never been one for torturing and interrogating the enemy, but in this case, I might have to make an exception.
“Good. Dex, have you heard anything else about the other families? How is everyone else acclimating to new management?”
“Not…terrible?” he offers with a shrug as he plates his scrambled eggs then plops down at the table.
Scoffing, Stefan pours himself a cup of coffee. “That sounds promising.”
“The majority are turning to Lucca Russo for guidance since his dad was taken in during the tournament. But he’s a pussy who’s terrified to stand up to the Romanos, yet doesn’t want to look weak by bending the knee too quickly,” Dex explains.
“Then it’s about time we form an alliance with Lucca, don’t you think?” Kingston suggests. My gaze darts over to Stefan as soon as the suggestion rolls off Kingston’s tongue. He’s frozen, but it doesn’t stop my smirk from threatening to break through the surface.
About. Damn. Time.
Matteo had mentioned the idea when I last saw him, but it sounds better and better every time I hear it.
“With Lucca?” Dex scratches his jaw and considers the family. “He’s…an asshole but is harmless if we can get him on our side.”
Satisfied, Kingston approaches Stefan and slaps him on the back. “Then I assume congratulations will be in order.”
“What?” Dex interjects, confused.
Throwing my brother a bone, I explain, “A while back, Stefan suggested a solution regarding the Russo family and offered to marry the younger sister to form an alliance.”
“Emilia?” Dex’s brows furrow.
“That’s the one,” I confirm, not bothering to hide my grin as Stefan blushes like a schoolgirl. The guy has had a thing for her since he was ordered to spy on a secret meeting between Burlone and Emilia’s dad, Lorenzo Russo, a few years back. He’s had a hard-on for her ever since.
“Shut the hell up, D,” Stefan prickles when he catches my Cheshire cat grin.
“Why? You should be chipper with the news, don’t you think? You’re gonna finally get your girl.”
“If Lucca says yes,” Stefan grumbles. He brings the coffee to his mouth and takes a long gulp of the scorching liquid.
Kingston rolls his eyes. “He’ll say yes.”
“You don’t know that,” Stefan argues. “Your dad hated Lorenzo Russo. The families have been enemies for as long as I’ve been a Romano.”
“Times have changed,” Kingston offers. “If he doesn’t agree to the marriage, then we’ll wipe the family out. Lucca knows that as well as we do because you’re right. We’ve been enemies for decades. But, unlike his father, Lucca doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing as a mob boss. He’s desperate for someone to take over while still keeping the respect his father cultured. The Russo family is finished without the backing of the Romanos. And this looks like the perfect opportunity to present the alliance. Don’t you think, Dex?”
“Yeah. I’ll speak with him and see what he says.”
“Good. And Stefan?” Kingston prods.
“Yeah?”
“Looks like your patience is gonna pay off. But let’s plan the ceremony after this shitstorm has passed, okay?”
He takes another long gulp of his drink before staring at its contents as if it holds all the answers in the world. Then he sighs. “Yeah.”
25
Diece
“This is a terrible idea,” I mutter under my breath. With my focus glued on Blue, she sways into the little restaurant in a tank top and shorts. The combination shows off her long legs and perky tits, making my molars grind together with every step.
“You say that every time,” Dex points out. “And every time, she’s been fine.”
“Doesn’t make me feel any better. It only takes one time for all hell to break loose.”
Dex pats my back, but it only feeds my annoyance. Shrugging away from him, I give him a glare that dares him to try it again.
He laughs. “Come on, D. We’ll be able to see her the entire time, and we can hear every word through the mic.” He taps his earpiece that matches mine. It relays everything happening around Blue and has a GPS attached to it in case we lose visual at any point during one of these bullshit missions.
Cursing under my breath, I ignore him and look down the barrel of the scope to check on her again.
“It’ll be okay,” Dex adds. He tries to get comfortable on the roof of the abandoned brick building that’s opposite to the one Q just ventured in.
“And if it were Regina?” I counter, making him freeze.
His amusement disappears. “Then I’d be losing my damn mind. But I wouldn’t suggest this if I didn’t think it was our safest bet.”
“I know,” I mutter. “Doesn’t make it any easier.”
Lifting the scope of my rifle again, I watch Q order a drink then sit down on a barstool. She looks so timid. Like a little deer during hunting season. My jaw tightens before I tear my gaze away from her and scan the rest of the building.
“I don’t see Sei,” I growl.
“Neither do I. But give him a minute.”
“How are you with sharpshooting?”
His mouth curves up in amusement. “I’m not Stefan.”
“None of us are Stefan,” I laugh before checking out the building south of us. A little black speck mars the rooftop and confirms Stefan’s set up and ready to go if he’s needed.
“Thanks for coming with me, though,” I grudgingly remark as I squat next to him. We still haven’t really…talked. Especially one-on-one. And it feels weird to dissect the elephant in the room and whether or not we should acknowledge it. That we’re blood. That I’m sorry he was raised under the Allegretti name instead of where he belongs.
And even though he’s a Romano now, it still doesn’t change the past.
“No problem.” Dex glances over at me then stares off into the distance at nothing in particular. A heavy silence that’s tainted with awkwardness seeps onto the roof, but I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to say.
“Ya know….” He clears his throat. “When I was in that shed getting my pinky cut off, I thought I was gonna die.”
“I wasn’t so sure you were gonna make it either,” I admit with a dry laugh.
He joins in for a second, then rubs the back of his neck, sobering right before my eyes. “One of my biggest regrets was not getting to know my big brother before it all went down.”
I exhale, then look over at him. He looks like our dad. Like me.
I think it’s the eyes. And maybe the nose. I can feel him studying me just as closely as I’m inspecting him before I admit, “It’s messed up, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“So…how do we do this?” I ask. “Do I just ask what your favorite color is and shit?”
He laughs. “No clue. What’s yours?”
I steal another glance through the scope. As Q tucks her hair behind her ear, I mutter, “Blue.”
“Favorite food?” Dex prods.
I picture Q licking her fingers after eating a French fry in Matteo’s basement all those nights ago. “Fries. You?”
“Regina makes a mean lasagna.”
“That’s because Mama Romano has a kick-ass recipe,” I explain with a grin.
“So I’ve been told. All I got from Burlone was shit leftovers.”
Burlone.
My expression sours before I say something that should’ve been said a long time ago. “I’m, uh,”—I glance over to him—“sorry our dad turned you away at first.”
He scoffs. “At first? Our dad was an asshole who abandoned his kid to be raised by a fucking human trafficker. Don’t sugar coat that shit, D.”
“Turning you away that day was his biggest regret—”
“Bullshit.”
“I’m not kidding, Dex. He even tried to buy you back from Burlone when he realized he’d screwed up, but Burlone wouldn’t do it.”
The earpiece chirps with Q thanking the bartender for her order, but Dex remains paralyzed from my insight, oblivious to our interruption.
“I uh, I didn’t know that,” he mutters a little while later while picking at a random sticker that’s plastered on the brick wall next to us.
“Figured that much. But he wanted you, Dex. I promise. It was just too late. He might’ve been an asshole in some ways, but he was a good dad. Especially in this line of business,” I add with a dark laugh. “Good dads are hard to come by.”
“Yeah. Yeah, they are.”
“Speaking of which,”—I look over at him—“how’s it going with Will?”
He sighs. “I have no idea. I don’t really have anyone to look up to in that department, but I guess I’m figuring it out? I don’t know? He’s a good kid, despite his shitty dad. I think that might have something to do with Q’s help, though. Will idolizes her.”
Eyeing Q through the scope again, I murmur, “She’s something else, isn’t she?”
“Yeah. How’s she doing?”
“It’s a slow process, but I think she’s getting better.”
His voice is pained and filled with regret as he apologizes, “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“It is,” he argues. The self-deprecation in his admission is staggering. “I’ve done a lot of messed-up shit in my past that I have to live with, and not being able to protect Q is one of them. Letting Sei get away is another.”
“We’ll find him.”
“Yeah. We will.”
Glancing in my scope again, I cock my head to the side. “Do you see that?”
“What?”
“The guy in the back corner booth with the hoodie.”
Dex’s eyes form tiny slits before he inspects the stranger in question through his scope. “I…I can’t see well enough.”
“I’m gonna head down,” I announce, setting my rifle aside.
“Wait—”
“I won’t go in. I just need to be closer.”
His jaw tightens as he assesses me for a few beats before giving me a nod. “Okay. But don’t go in unless we can confirm it’s him.”
“I know the rules, Dex.” Then I take the stairs two at a time. My breathing is ragged when the fresh air swirls around me at the entrance of the building. Tucking my hands into my front pockets, I pull out my phone and pretend to text someone while looking out of the corner of my eye. But I can’t see shit.
A dark figure approaches Q at the bar, and my adrenaline shoots through the damn roof. I press my finger to the earpiece and try to ignore the bustling street that’s drowning out Q’s conversation.
“Are you lost?” the deep voice challenges.
Q glances over her shoulder but doesn’t whisper her safe word as she scans the unfamiliar face. “Umm…nope? Just passing through.”
“Let me buy you a drink then. I can keep you company,” he offers.
“I’m good.
Thank you, though.”
“Come on…. What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”
Playing dumb, she returns, “What do you mean, a place like this?”
He sits down beside her without waiting for an invitation. Conceited asshole. My phone creaks in protest as I take my frustration out on the damn thing before it starts buzzing.
Raising it to my ear, I growl, “Yeah?”
“Don’t go in there,” Dex orders. “Let her handle it.”
I don’t bother to reply as I keep my gaze glued to the train wreck in front of me.
“Let me buy you a drink,” the asshat repeats. It’s not a question.
“No, thank you,” Q politely refuses. Her voice is soft. Gentle. And only eggs him on.
“Come on, babe. Let me take you out to a real place. One that’s better than this dive bar you stumbled into. A pretty girl like you is too pure to be in a place like this.”
“I’m not really interested, but thank you,” she repeats.
He leans forward, using his height to intimidate her. “It wasn’t a question.”
“I-I’m just here for a drink.”
“And I’m here to get laid.” His hand inches up her knee beneath the barstool, paralyzing her with fear as she looks down at it.
I can’t see his face, but I can see hers. Wide eyes. Pale skin. Her tongue darts out between her lips to moisten them before she sucks one into her mouth and starts chewing on it until she can taste blood.
She’s terrified.
And I’m done watching this shit.
I look both ways, then cross the street and rip the door to the bar open with a bit too much force. If only I gave a shit.
“Hey, baby girl. Sorry I’m late.” I ignore the asshole who was bothering her and grab her neck before forcing her to kiss me. The tension and surprise in her frame melt instantly as I suck her lower lip into my mouth and taste the blood I’d been expecting. After rubbing my tongue across it, she whimpers and grabs on to my T-shirt like her life depends on it. Fuck, she tastes good.
Her fingers tangle in the thin fabric covering my chest, desperate to keep me in place as I devour her whole. And I will devour her.
Later.
When we don’t have an audience.
