by Ella Jade
“I don’t agree,” I said. “It’ll leave us in a vulnerable position. Do you think his enemies are going to let us walk away without taking everything Dad has worked for?”
“It isn’t like we’re not set for life,” Gianni reminded me. “Do you know what we’re worth?”
“I’m not talking about the money. I’m talking about a lifetime of blood, sweat, and loss. A legacy that he’s leaving us. Our kids.”
“Maybe I don’t want this for my kids.” Gianni stopped when we got to my house. “Maybe I’d rather leave them my construction business.”
“You want out too?” I asked.
“I’ll do whatever Dad needs me to do. If he says we fight to help the other families, I’ll be right there by his side. Now that I have Angelique and the twins, I see things from another perspective. We’ve been extremely lucky all these years. We’re all coming out of this dangerous life unscathed. Why keep rolling the dice?”
“We’ve been lucky because Dad has kept the peace. What do you think will happen when the Marchellis walk away?” Did my brothers really want out so bad? “I just got in. I’ve wanted to stand with you and Dad my whole life.”
“No one is going anywhere anytime soon,” Dominick said. “This is not a business one easily walks away from. We’ll monitor the situation and see what happens. Dad has set the plan, we’ll follow it. Don’t make me regret convincing him to bring you into the mix.”
“I won’t.” I looked out to the road that led to my driveway. “That’s Art.” I wondered why he hadn’t returned the car and left for the night. It was later than usual.
He got out of the SUV and approached the three of us.
“Everything all right?” I asked. “I didn’t think it would take you that long to get Luca home. Was she still pissed at me?”
“I’d say so.” Art smirked.
Dominick and Gianni laughed.
“I wanted to let you know I didn’t take her home. She insisted that I drop her back at the bar where I picked you up from last night.” Art shrugged. “She said if I didn’t, she’d call a ride share.”
“Fuck.” I clenched my fists at my side. “You left her there?”
“She didn’t give me much of a choice,” Art said. “She’s quite persistent.”
“What do you mean?” I yelled.
“Hey,” Dominick warned. “Luca is not Art’s responsibility. She’s a grown woman and can go wherever she pleases.”
“That’s the problem.” I shook my head. “She’s reckless.”
“I’m sorry,” Art said. “I didn’t want to disturb you when you were with your dad.”
“It’s okay.” I held out my hand for the keys. “I’ll go get her.”
“I’ll go with you,” Art offered.
“No, get your car and go home. I’ll be fine.”
Art looked to Dominick for approval. He may have been my bodyguard but he answered to my brother.
“I said I’ll be fine.” I raised my voice.
“I’ll go with you,” Gianni said. “I don’t mind.”
“This is ridiculous.” I sighed. “I’m old enough to go to a bar. Dominick?”
“Art, follow Santino in your car. Make sure he gets Luca without any problems and then you can go home.” Dominick glared at me. “That’s as far as I’m willing to compromise.”
“Whatever.” I headed to my car.
“Text me when you get home.” Dominick yelled out.
“Ah.” Gianni snickered. “It’s like you’re in high school all over again.”
“Fuck you.” I slid into the SUV and backed out to the sound of my brothers’ laughing at me. Being the youngest wasn’t always the easiest.
There wasn’t much traffic at his time of the night. I was able to get into the city fairly quickly. I wasn’t sure what was making me so crazy about Luca. She was absolutely gorgeous but it was more than that. I seemed to be drawn to her in a way that I hadn’t expected.
I hated leaving her at dinner but when Dominick showed up and told me my father requested my presence, I couldn’t say no. I’d been waiting years for a chance to be useful to him. I couldn’t help the timing. I’d have to find a way to make it up to Luca. I had a feeling she wasn’t going to go easy on me. Maybe that was what drew me to her. She was a challenge and I never backed down from one of those.
After I parked the car, I nodded at Art who would wait outside for me until I came out with Luca. It wasn’t necessary but it made Dominick happy and it wasn’t often that he was happy. Maybe he did need a night with the pretty bartender who looked over my shoulder as I entered the bar. Was she looking for my brother?
“Hi.” She greeted me with a cheery demeanor. “What can I get you?”
“Actually, I’m looking for someone.” I glanced around the bar. “Maybe you can help me.”
“The woman you left with last night?”
“Is she here?”
“At the corner table.” When she nodded in the direction of the far corner, I caught a glimpse of Luca’s long, blonde hair.
“Thank you... ah, what’s your name?”
“Bailey.”
“I’m Santino Marchelli.” I extended my hand. “It’s nice to formally meet you.”
“You too.” She shyly took my hand and I wondered how such an innocent looking woman ended up in a place like this. It was a corner bar where unsavory men hung out. If the rumors about her were true, I felt sorry for her. “Tell your brother I said hello.”
“I will.” She was a mystery for another day. Right now, I had to sort out my own issues.
Before I even made my way to Luca’s table, she caught sight of me and bit the corner of her bottom lip. Did she know she was in trouble? After what happened here last night, she came here anyway? If she had a craving for danger, this was not the way to achieve it. She’d only find sleazy men who wanted to use her for one thing. I clenched my jaw at the thought of it.
“Santino.” She set her glass down when I approached the table. “Is your meeting over already?”
“It is.” I turned my attention to her companion. “Rita, how are you?”
“Better now that you’re here.” She eyed me up like a piece of meat. I didn’t know her but I knew her type. The fact that she had come back here tonight told me everything I needed to know about her. She was looking for a bad boy. If she kept hanging out here, she’d find a whole lot of pain and suffering for herself. “I was just telling Luca how attractive you are.”
“Were you?” I smirked. “Of all the places the two of you could have come tonight. You chose here?”
“I’m meeting someone,” Rita said. “Luca suddenly became available, so she offered to keep me company.”
Luca nodded her head. “I did have plans tonight but they were abruptly cut short.”
“Well, now Luca has suddenly become unavailable.” I took my wallet out and threw some cash on the high-top. “We’re leaving.”
“That’s way too much money.” Luca stared at the hundred dollars I left. “We only had one round.”
“Leave it for the bartender,” I insisted. “She deserves it for working here.”
“From what I hear,” Rita said. “She finds a way to make a living.”
“Rita.” Luca shook her head. “That’s a horrible rumor to spread.”
“It’s not a rumor.” Rita looked at me. “Is it, Santino? You know everything that goes on in here.”
"I don’t know anything about the bartender.” I lied but found that my initial instincts about Rita were correct. I didn’t care for her. “Are you ready?”
“I never said I was leaving with you.” Luca interlocked her fingers and rested them on the table. “What gave you that impression?”
“Should we order another round?” Rita asked. “You could join us, Santino.”
I gazed across the bar, noting Bobby staring at us. I couldn’t get into another public confrontation. If anything happened to Loco, I’d be the first one they’d come after. I h
ad to lay low. I had to make a decision. Leave without Luca or stay and make her go with me. Was she worth the trouble?
“Santino is too busy,” Luca challenged. “He made that perfectly clear.”
She’s worth the trouble.
“Oh, wait.” Rita looked in the direction of Bobby who was now with several other men. “My date is here.” She slid off the barstool. “Thanks for waiting with me.”
“No problem.” Luca kissed her cheek. “Be careful.”
“I could say the same to you.” She winked at me. “Treat her right.”
“Now that she’s gone, I suggest we do the same.”
“Dinner was delicious,” she said.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“I might have enjoyed it better if you had eaten it with me.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “I’m sorry I had to leave. It couldn’t be helped.”
“Why are you here?”
“Because I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be here.”
“That’s not your choice.”
“Are you here because you want to be here or because you’re lashing out at me?” If she could answer that honestly, I’d leave her alone.
“Don’t be so full of yourself.”
“Answer the question? Are you here because you want to be in this dive with these men who don’t give a shit about you? If you give any one of them the time of day, they’ll take it and run with it. I know the type. They’ll use you, destroy you, and laugh about it when they’re done.” I cupped her cheek in my hand. “If you really want to be here, I’ll leave because I don’t need the aggravation. They’re already staring at me, waiting to provoke me.”
She stared into my eyes, pondering her decision. I wanted to toss her over my shoulder and get her far away from here but no matter how much I wanted to remove her from any danger. I had to let her make the choice.
“Are you leaving with me?”
“Yes.” She stood from her chair. “But only because I need a ride home.”
“Of course.” I helped her into her short, brown leather jacket. “I’d be happy to take you home.”
When she flipped her hair out of the back of her jacket, I caught the scent of her apricot shampoo. She smelled delicious.
Placing my hand on the small of her back, I guided her through the crowd and to the door. I nodded at Bobby and his crew, letting them know I wasn’t afraid to be here. They may have thought this was their territory but they were wrong.
LUCA
Santino got out of his car and came around to open my door once we were in front of my house. When I got out of the SUV, I noticed my mother peering out the front window. I gave her a death glare and she quickly retreated.
Walking out of the bar with Santino gave me a bigger thrill than it should have. I noticed the looks of jealousy coming from the women and the stares of disbelief from Bobby and his friends. Santino had a set of balls showing up there again after what had happened last night. That intrigued me.
“I’d like to take you back to the winery. Tomorrow night?” He walked up the steps to my front door with me. “I’m sure Sal would love to have us again.”
“I’m busy tomorrow night.” I wasn’t really but I didn’t want to be too eager with him. I needed to make him work a bit to see if he was really interested in me or if I was a shiny new toy to him. I’d been down this road too many times. I needed to figure out if he was like all the others.
“Maybe another night?”
“I’ll have to check my schedule.”
“Last night you were eager to say yes to my invitation.”
“Last night you hadn’t left me to have dinner in a crowded winery by myself.”
“I’m a jerk. I get it.” He took my hands in his. “I’ll work harder.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to get to know you better.” When he moved closer to me, a chill rolled through me. “Will you let me?”
“You’re going to have to prove that you’re not like the others.”
“What others?” He rubbed his thumbs along my hands.
“The men I’ve dated before. I haven’t been very successful.” Why was I telling him this?
“If you’re going to compare me to the men, and I’ll use that term loosely, you dated, you’re going to have to give me a fair shot.”
“You’re going to have to earn that shot.”
“Fair enough.” He let go of my hand and pressed his palm to my cheek. “I know tonight didn’t go as planned. Next time will be different.”
“Who says there will be a next time?” My heart pounded inside my chest because I could be making a huge mistake by playing so hard to get.
“I’m confident there will be.”
My knees weakened when he leaned closer, swiping his mouth along mine. “I can be extremely determined when I want to be.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
“This shouldn’t either.” His warm breath swept across my lips just before his mouth connected with mine. He twisted his fingers in my hair as his thumb pressed into my cheek. I gripped his shoulders, trying to steady myself as he deepened the kiss.
When he broke the connection, I held onto him tighter, brushing my lips along his to initiate another kiss. He indulged me for a few moments before pulling away.
“You should go inside.” He let go of me. “Your mother is waiting.”
“You saw her?”
“She’s hard to miss when she’s spying.” He grinned. “Go inside and tell her all about tonight.”
“Even the part when you ditched me?”
“And the part where I rescued you from yourself.”
“I can handle myself.”
“I still think you need a new hairdresser.”
“Good night, Santino.” I kissed his cheek before going inside the house.
That man had me twisted in knots. There was a part of me that screamed I should walk away before I got in too deep. That part already knew I left the shallow end the night we kissed.
“Well?”
I jumped when my mother spoke. “You scared me.”
“How did it go?”
“Fine.”
“Just fine?”
“Our date got interrupted. He had to leave.” I didn’t want to get into it but she wasn’t going to let it go. “His father had an emergency.”
“A mob emergency?”
“A legal matter.”
“That’s code for a mob emergency.” She clapped her hands together. “What do you think the problem was?”
“I didn’t ask.” I hung my coat in the hall closet. “I was too upset with him.”
“He’s loyal to his family. That’s not a bad thing.”
“I wanted his undivided attention. Is that a bad thing?”
“It looked to me like you had it.”
“Mom! Stop spying on me.” I sat on the sofa. “It’s weird.”
“What? I worry about you.”
“Why?”
“Santino Marchelli is not like any other man you’ve ever dated. He’s rich, powerful, and comes from a dangerous family. Do you know what you’re getting yourself into?”
“I thought you liked him.”
“I do but you’re the one who has to be with him.”
“That’s what I’m struggling with. I don’t know if I can be with someone like him.” Last night he practically killed a guy in front of me and tonight he left me sitting in a restaurant. “You’re right. He’s like no one I’ve ever met. He intrigues me and makes me want to run in the opposite direction all at the same time.”
“Sounds like you like him.”
“Who wouldn’t like him but maybe I should stop this before we actually start.” I flipped the channels on the remote, not really caring what was on. “I don’t know him that well. I work for his brother. This could be a disaster waiting to happen. But then again, what if I miss out on a great guy?”
“Don’t overthink it. Let it
play out.” She sat down next to me. “You’ll know if it’s right but you have to give it a chance first.”
“Do you want to watch a movie?”
“I’ll make popcorn.”
“Perfect.” I rested my head on her shoulder. “What would you do?”
“I’d go for it. He’s sexy, charismatic and has tattoos.” She giggled. “If I were ten years younger, I’d be all over him.”
“Cougar!”
“Wait, doesn’t he have a single, older brother?”
“Mom, stop it!”
Chapter Five
You won’t regret this...
Luca
Monday was more hectic than usual at the firm. Vincenzo had been in meetings most of the day but I knew he’d resurface soon. He had a very important appointment that couldn’t be missed. He had me confirm it two times.
When the elevator doors opened, I lifted my head from my computer to find Santino standing behind the largest vase of lavender roses.
“Hi.” I stood from my desk. “You’re not on your brother’s schedule today.”
“I’m not here to see my brother.” He handed me the roses, giving me the opportunity to see him dressed in his perfect suit and tie. “I wanted to say hello to you.”
“What are these for?” I set them on my desk, admiring how spectacular they were. No one had ever given me flowers before.
“I thought they might brighten your day on this rainy Monday.”
“Purple is my favorite color.”
“Your nails were painted purple the other night. The color reminded me of you, so when I walked past the florist, I had to get the roses for you.”
“That was very thoughtful of you.” I was impressed that he had noticed my nails. “How’s your day been?”
“It’s better now.” When he smiled, my heart raced. “How about yours?”
“Busy.”
“Vince has requested my help on a few cases. I’ll be assisting where he needs me.”
“Oh, he didn’t tell me.”
“We decided at dinner last night.”
“You’ll be working here?” I could barely keep it together the few times we were in the same room. How was I going to manage seeing him here?
