by LC Taylor
Catarina glanced between the two of them. “I don’t need a babysitter, Massimo. I’ve worked my whole life trying to put some distance between the family and my career. Having him around will undo all of it.”
“I don’t care. Someone tried to kidnap you, Cat. Do you understand that? If you hadn’t gotten away, I’d be calling mom and dad to tell them you were gone. Please. Do this for me.”
She sighed. “Fine. Whatever. But this isn’t going to be forever. And we,” she turned to Donny, “will have some rules.”
“Yes,” he chuckled. “I will be wherever you are. In fact, we should go now. I need to grab some things if I’ll be staying at your place.”
“Wait a damn minute. I didn’t agree to that.”
“How else is he supposed to watch over you, Catarina?” Vincenzo huffed. “He needs to be with you at all times.”
“What did I miss?” Antonio stepped inside the office where we were all gathered.
“Not much. Just your brother pissing off you sister.” I smiled as I embraced him.
“What else is new. We wouldn’t be the Anastasi’s if we weren’t making each other mad at some point.”
“Well, I agree with Massimo, Catarina. Donny needs to be with you all the time until they can figure out what’s going on.”
“Of course, you’d say that, Madison. You’re fucking my brother,” Catarina barked.
Massimo grunted, but I put my hand up, halting him.
“Yes, and he fucks me quite thoroughly, but that has nothing to do with your safety.”
The men in the room stifled their chuckles as I stepped up to her. “We only want you safe. At least you know him well. I wouldn’t want someone I didn’t know staying with me or following me around.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just frustrated. My life is supposed to be my own.”
“And it is. We just need to make sure you can keep living it.” Massimo pulled her into a hug. “Now, go with Donny.”
“Thanks, Massimo. Madison, I’ll call you later?” Catarina asked, giving me a half-hearted smile.
“Yes, please. I’ve set a date, so we should talk about your role.”
Hugging her quickly, I watched as the door shut. This was going to be a long road, but I knew the danger when I gave my heart to Massimo.
“I’m starved. I think I’ll leave you men to shop talk. Vincenzo, do you have something I can heat up?”
“Heat up!” He snatched my hand. “Come, they can get started without me. I cannot let you heat up food. I’ll whip us all up something to eat.”
I smiled at Antonio. “He may replace you as my favorite brother if he keeps feeding me like this.”
“Shut your mouth. I will always be your favorite. Vincenzo is only good for food. I am the all-around brother. Besides, I’m starved, too. Let’s all go watch Vincenzo cook.”
Waving my hand, I followed Vincenzo out the door. Massimo hurried to catch up, lacing his fingers with mine.
“Hey, Vin, are you ok?” I glanced over at Massimo who only shrugged.
“Not really, but I will be. This whole mess opens up some darkness for me—darkness I’ve spent the last three years trying to bury.”
“We’re here for you, don’t shut us out.” I smiled. “Besides, we’ve set a date and you need to find someone to be your plus one.”
“That’s wonderful news.” He paused, placing his hand on my cheek. “But I will never have what Massimo has found in you.”
Massimo clapped his hand on his shoulder. “Don’t say that, Fratello. You’ll find your soul mate when you least expect it. When you do, nothing else will matter. Now, I thought you promised food? Miguel will be here in an hour and I want to have that discussion on a full belly.”
“Of course, follow me.” Vincenzo headed off toward the kitchen ahead of us.
“Does he really believe he’ll never find love?” I glanced at the empty hallway.
“Yes. Vin seems to think his past transgressions marred him for a good life. He’s tried to bury that part of him, when all he needs to do is embrace it.” Antonio shook his head, “But you can’t make that stubborn ass see reason.”
“You’re one to talk.” Massimo cocked an eyebrow. “You’re hiding your own demons, are you not?”
“Um... I wonder if Vin needs any help.” Antonio rushed off toward his brother.
“That was smooth,” I sighed.
“Well, its true. Both are trying to bury demons. One day they’re going to meet someone who defies all logic and then,” he pulled me against him, “they will be set free.”
“Is that what I did for you? Set you free?”
“More than you’ll ever know, Bella. Before you, I was convinced I wouldn’t find someone strong enough to complete me. Then you walked into my office and all my senses went out the door. You’re the air I breathe. The stars in my sky. Without you I am nothing.”
“Keep talking like that and we won’t make it to the kitchen.”
Massimo growled, capturing my lips in his. He murmured against my mouth. “You are my everything. I love you.”
“And I love you. Let’s go help them; I’m hungry.”
Massimo swatted my butt as I walked ahead of him. “Fine, but I want dessert later.”
This wasn’t going to be an easy relationship, but I knew Massimo would have my back no matter what. I had to be strong, not only for him, but for the others I now considered my family. Together we would protect what was ours.
Together we would be unstoppable.
The End
Epilogue
Vincenzo
Staring down at my hands and the crimson coating them, I turned my head and heaved. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I promised myself I wouldn’t let my past catch up to my present. Yet, as I stood in the alley behind my restaurant standing over the lifeless man on the pavement, I knew it had finally caught up to me.
“Vincenzo?”
Her voice filled the alley, echoing off the metal of the dumpster.
“Go back inside.” I lowered my head, staring at the blood covering my shoes. My hand was still wrapped around the blade I just buried into the man laying two feet away from me.
“You know I can’t do that, Vin.”
“Yes, you can. Turn around and walk through that door.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Goddamn it! Please. If you really love me like you say you do. You’ll turn around and leave me to deal with this.”
“You know why I can’t walk away. Don’t make me choose.”
“Seems like you’ve already done that.” I dropped the heavy metal to the ground. “Can you at least call my brothers first?”
“It didn’t have to come to this. There was another way, Vincenzo.”
“Another way? This piece of shit tried to ruin my life. He tried to have my sister kidnapped. And then,” I took a breath, “he nearly killed Antonio. There wasn’t another way. You know as well as I do, he would have walked if the police were involved. He was too powerful.”
“And now what? He’s dead and you’ll be a martyr in jail. You say if I loved you, I’ll walk back inside. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“If you loved me, you wouldn’t have let it come to this.”
Sometimes we have to decide what path to take. This is the path I chose. My family means everything to me. Everything!” I balled my fists against my thighs. “I thought you’d come to
realize this by now.”
“I told you I wouldn’t walk this path with you. I can’t. Your family means too much to you. Well, so does mine. It just happens to look a little different from yours.”
“Family? You think your so-called family is going to stand beside you when they learn you’ve been fucking the enemy?” I turned toward her, her body stiffening against my hateful tone.
“Fuck you, Vincenzo.”
“Just do what you have to. This road was going to lead here at som
e point. We both knew we couldn’t last.”
I brushed past her, pausing beside her ear, “But never forget my words, il mio Tesoro. When I was buried inside that pussy of yours, I meant ever word I said. I love you. I’m sorry it has come to this. I’ll be inside waiting.”
Her sharp intake of breath cut at my heart. I knew she was torn between doing the right thing and her love for me. I wasn’t wrong in saying our path only had one destination—it did, an end.
Spotify Playlist
Familia (Nicki Minaj, Anuel Aa)
Crazy in Love (Beyonce)
Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones)
Sunshine of your Love (Cream)
House of the Rising Sun (The Animals)
Heathens (Twenty One Pilots)
White Room (Cream)
All Along the Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix)
Love me like you do (Ellie Goulding)
Under Your Spell (Desire)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (AC/DC)
Hard for Me (Michele Morrone)
Can’t You See (The Marshall Tucker Band)
Be sure to check out...
Matias: Book One (The Silva Brothers Trilogy)
Social Rejects Syndicate
Taylor Dawn—Scotland
Theresa Sederholt—Ireland
LC Taylor—Chile
Quinn Ryder—Mexico
Janet A. Mota—Portugal
KL Ramsey—Albania
Annelise Reynolds—Russia
AM Cosgrove—UK
Erin Osborne—Australia
JL Baldwin—Germany
CR Robertson—Cuba
AJ Macey—New Zealand
Beth Hale—USA
Dawn Sullivan—Columbia
Deja Voss—Poland
Eden Rose—Greece
Sahara Roberts—Guyana
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Did you love Massimo: The Anastasi Family Syndicate Book One? Then you should read Vincenzo: The Anastasi Family Syndicate Book Two by LC Taylor!
Vincenzo
I was the person they called to take care of problems, a legend among hitmen. I've spent the last few years trying to suppress the killer inside, desperate to find a different side of myself. But Dimitri Ivanov ripped open Pandora's Box and I'm not sure it'll ever close again. I was ready to unleash my inner demons once more, letting the old me take over... until her.
Dimitri might have freed the murderous man I am, but I'll do everything I can to battle my own darkness and be the man she thinks I can be. My only hope is that her love can withstand the truth of what I've done.
Riley
My world shattered the night I lost my father. Vengeance was the only path I could see.
So, I vowed to do what no one else had been able to—bring down the Anastasi Family Syndicate…starting with him.
Vincenzo Anastasi is everything they say he is--powerful, ruthless, and alluring. My plans for getting close to him are brought to a screeching halt when I discover he's just a regular guy. Danger doesn't intimidate me, but then again, my heart hasn't been on the line before either. When I'm forced to choose, his forgiveness may be out of reach. In the end, I'll risk everything to protect the person I sought to destroy… even if it means losing everything.
This is Book 2 of the Anastasi Family Syndicate, part of the Social Rejects Syndicate.
Read more at LC Taylor’s site.
Also by LC Taylor
Anastasi Family Syndicate
Massimo: The Anastasi Family Syndicate Book One
Vincenzo: The Anastasi Family Syndicate Book Two
A Second Chance Military Romance
The Glass Heart
Bound
A She-Shifters in Blue Series
Lipstick & Lead: Callista
Lipstick & Lead: Charlotte
Mystic Valley Shifters
Woven
Wretched
Willing
Whispers
Worthy
Silva Brothers Trilogy
Matias: The Silva Brothers Trilogy Book One
Cristian: The Silva Brothers Trilogy Book Two: Social Rejects Syndicate
Standalone
Cracked
Phoenix Night
Watch for more at LC Taylor’s site.
About the Author
A little about me...
I like long walks on the beach, campfires, unicorns, and liquor.
Awe fuck… who am I kidding, I just like unicorns and liquor.
Raised in the south I grew up on sweet tea and southern hospitality… BUT having a mother from the north, I inherited the gift of sarcasm and an affinity for the word fuck. I am married with 3.5 kids -- I say half because I have to share my step-daughter with her mom). I have three dogs and plenty room for more.
I started publishing my work in 2017 after taking a chance someone would like what I had to offer. Writing all things romance, you’re sure to find something you like. My stories aren’t erotica… but they pack one hell of a punch. I often refer to them as SPICY Romance novellas. So, if you’re in the mood for something spicy, I urge you to check me out!
Read more at LC Taylor’s site.
