Mafia Protection (Tomassi Series Book 1)

by AA Lee

  “I’m sorry,” she said quickly and started to cry. He was breaking her heart all over again. She did not know what to do to fix it. Ella did the first thing that came to her mind and smashed her lips against his. She hoped it was a proper apology. She hoped that it would take away his hurt. Angelo did not refuse. He kissed her back. The warmth of his mouth reassured her in her moment of doubt. If he was all she had from now on, she wanted all of him and pushed the thin boxers from his hips to his thighs.

  “Make love to me,” she whispered to him.

  He did not hesitate. Angelo hiked her up on the counter, obliging every move that she started with him. His length thrust into her without warning, leaving her to cry into his shoulder from the force of his charge. She did not care if it hurt. The closeness of his body made up for the discomfort it caused. She held him closer. Her dampened body pressed against the dryness of his. The firm arms around her nearly choked out her breaths. She did not care about that either. She had never needed him more than she did now.

  CHAPTER 42

  Angelo watched the rushing of cars and people scurrying through the front window with indifference to going back to the Royal Flush after what Ella tried in the shower. He needed to stay home and take care of her, but he also still had business to handle at the hotel and was unwilling to leave Ella at the house alone. While there was a chance of being attacked, he would not leave her alone anywhere for a while. His chest still ached from the scare she put him through; his body tensed as he merely thought about what had happened. He could not do it again.

  “Do you tell Rafa everything?” she asked.

  Her question came out of nowhere. Angelo’s brows lifted with curiosity. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Well,” she continued, “does he have to know what happened earlier?”

  “Oh,” Angelo said. He glanced over but turned his focus back to the road. She felt embarrassed about the incident in the shower. He understood, but there was not a lot that he did not tell Rafa. “What I don’t tell Rafa, he usually will figure out on his own. He is sort of psychic like that.” It was true. Rafa could practically read thoughts.

  “Okay,” Ella sighed.

  “Ella.” he brushed his hand against her neck. “Rafa is a smartass, but he knows when to shut up. He won’t pass judgement on you for that. You can relax. He knows you learned a lot of information all at once.”

  “Can you just not say anything to him anyway?” she asked. Angelo felt bad for her even though he knew it would come out.

  “All right,” he replied and took out his phone. “Rafa is going to meet us for breakfast. I have to take care of some matters around the hotel.” Then he pressed the screen. “Hey, meet us at the hotel restaurant. I need you to take care of something for me.”

  “Couldn’t you just ignore the phone?” he heard a woman say on the other end. “Hey, I’m busy with something,” Rafa said.

  “Rafa, do you really think I care who you’re with right now?”

  “Why do you think I’m with anyone?” he asked.

  “Because, Rafa, I can hear her. Remember, I pay you to cater to my needs, so you have ten minutes to be there.”

  When Angelo hung up the phone, he looked at Ella. “I swear, for someone who thinks he’s better than everyone else, he sure gets around…” Angelo huffed. “Forget it. I don’t even want to think about who he does in his free time.” Ella slightly smiled at him. She probably could not imagine how any woman ever convinced Rafa to go to her room in the first place. He wondered that, too.

  At the restaurant, they were already eating when Angelo saw Rafa walk through the entrance. He dragged his feet to the table and grunted to his seat. He looked like he probably felt. The server immediately approached and gave him a smile.

  “Welcome, Mr. Paolini. What will you have this morning?” Rafa gave her a bothered look and glared at Angelo.

  “I’ll take black coffee and whatever they’re having. Make it quick with the coffee,” he said. The server nodded and left. Two minutes later, she set a cup in front of him before leaving again.

  “Don’t give me that look.” Angelo returned his glare with an equally annoyed expression. “It’s nearly noon. It’s not like it’s six in the morning.”

  “You forget that I was up late dealing with her casino incident. Then I had to tend to the exchange. You could at least release the reins a bit.” Rafa picked up his cup with irritation. “Is this important, or did you just want me for coffee and omelets?”

  “Business,” Angelo pointed at Ella. “I have some matters to handle and I need you to guard her.”

  Rafa’s mouth opened with the scowl on his face. “You called me down here to babysit? Get Brett for that. He would love to run into trouble while protecting her.”

  “No, not this time,” Angelo said without elaborating. Rafa understood him and did not say another word about it.

  The server returned with Rafa’s plate and set it in front of him. He barely acknowledged her, and Angelo spoke instead. “Nobody is to come over to this table until we call. Is that understood?” The server silently nodded and left as Rafa unrolled his silverware from the cloth napkin and took a bite.

  “I think…,” Ella started and both he and Rafa looked at her. Their immediate attention made her hesitate for a second, but then she continued. “I think I should take over my father’s position. I could gather all the highest ranking members and announce a merge with Bonadio.”

  Rafa choked on the bite he took, and Angelo dropped his fork on his plate, making a high-pitched, resonating sound throughout the restaurant. “What?” Angelo asked. He wanted to ask her if she had lost her mind, but she was already leaning in that direction. He tried to restrain his voice as he gave her a reply, but he doubted that his eyes could hide the anger he felt. “Why would you want to merge with Bonadio in the first place?” He really wanted to know her answer.

  “Women aren’t allowed to act as members,” Rafa added as if that had anything to do with what she had asked.

  “You don’t even know what I was going to say.” Ella looked down at her plate.

  “Yes, do continue.” Angelo pointed. “It had better not be like it sounds.”

  “For god’s sake, you did not let me finish,” Ella huffed. “You want to weed out the impostors, don’t you? What better way than for Gregorio’s daughter to step in and announce a merge. Of course, the merge won’t actually happen, but they won’t know that. If you review footage of the members’ reactions, you will be able to pick out your traitors by seeing which ones are agreeable with the news. It’s easier than trying to pick them out one by one.”

  Angelo crossed his arms. At least she was not proposing what he originally thought, but he still was adamantly against the idea. “There is no way in hell,” he said. He looked at Rafa for support, but he stayed quiet and also crossed his arms. It looked like he might actually be contemplating her idea.

  “Think about it,” Ella continued. “You will be an opposing boss going into the ranks of my father. Those members who have turned aren’t going to raise their hands and say ‘shoot me’. How are you going to weed out any impostors if you don’t know who you can trust in the first place? It just makes more sense for me to do it. I mean, just for a couple of weeks.”

  Rafa still said nothing and returned to his food, but Angelo glared at him harshly and held out his hand. “Don’t tell me you are actually entertaining this ridiculous scheme.” Angelo huffed. “Up until yesterday, she didn’t even know her father led a group. Now she’s going to throw a group meeting?”

  “I’m not entertaining anything,” Rafa replied. “You know I always think all scenarios through before I give my opinion. That’s why you recruited me.”

  “I don’t want an opinion on this. There is nothing to think through, Rafa. It is not going to happen.”

  Ella let out a sigh. “I just don’t want you to risk your life, Angelo. I feel like I should do something after all the trouble my family has caus
ed you.”

  Angelo stood and set his napkin in the chair. “You don’t need to do anything. Nobody holds you responsible for your father’s decisions.” He hugged her from behind and whispered, “I will be back in a couple of hours.” Then he gave her a light kiss. “Rafa, I’ll be back in a while. Give Ella the master code and key to the suite and the conference rooms.”

  “All right, we’ll be on floor two after that,” Rafa said.

  “All right, keep your eyes open too.”

  ***

  Angelo rode the elevator to floor three. He could not believe that Ella wanted to put herself at risk to make up for the errors of her father. He was sick of Gregorio. That man had caused unrest between everyone for years. He would not stand for his foolish ways anymore.

  Angelo knocked and waited. The door of Gregorio’s room opened and within seconds, Angelo was sitting on a chair opposite him. Sullivan was standing behind Gregorio with a gun pointed at Angelo. It did not surprise him that Gregorio had called for backup. He was still wise enough to guard his life. Angelo found it a shame that he did not take the same precautions for his daughter the entire time.

  The paperwork for the agreement between the two families was lying on the table in front of them. He wanted this exchange to happen fast so he could leave. He felt a dangerous air around him for simply being in the same room. He hoped his gut instinct was right and coming alone was a good idea.

  “Gin, Tomassi?” Gregorio picked up a small glass and rocked the ice back and forth before taking a drink.

  “It’s a little early, but yes, I’ll take one.”

  Gregorio set some ice in another glass and opened the bottle, pouring the clear liquid halfway. “I’m assuming that you are ready to sign the papers,” he said. He handed over the glass and watched Angelo take a large drink, despite it only being two in the afternoon.

  Angelo stretched his neck and rested against the back of the chair. He picked up the forms and started to read. He needed to make sure that Gregorio would hand over everything before he put his name on the signature line. He should have brought Rafa with him. Two sets of eyes were better than one, but Rafa was the only one he trusted with Ella right now.

  “Why didn’t you tell Ella who you were instead of keeping her under lock and key without any explanation?” Angelo asked. “The truth almost sent her to her grave.”

  “What’s done is done. No answer will change the way all of this turned out. Your job is to take care of her now.” Gregorio took another drink as though what Angelo had to disclose did not faze him. Angelo wanted some sign that he cared about Ella, yet he gave no indication at all. He was her father, but Sullivan’s panicked expression showed more concern than he did.

  “That’s all you have to say for yourself. Your men have beaten her and almost killed her, and you show no remorse. How can you not feel an ounce of guilt? She’s your daughter.”

  “Tomassi, quit laying blame on me. I can’t do anything now. Sign the papers and she is your responsibility. You take care of her since you are sure you can.”

  Angelo shook his head. “Ella thinks that she needs to make up for your mistakes. She actually proposed going into your ranks to sift through the members that turned. You should have taught her this growing up. She has no clue about the dangers.”

  “Then you teach her,” Gregorio said.

  Why was he being so flippant? He was making Angelo angrier at each word. It was as though he did not care about anything but himself.

  “Your daughter tried to kill herself earlier so she wouldn’t be strung in the middle of this problem,” he said. “Do you not love her at all? Do you not feel a bit sorry for the pain she is going through? I am cold, but at least I understand.”

  The horror of that morning had no effect on Gregorio’s expression. He stared ahead without the slightest show of guilt, but Sullivan’s eyes darted to Angelo. Mentioning Ella’s suicide attempt struck a nerve within him. Angelo recognized his concern right away.

  “Just sign the papers,” Gregorio yelled. “You are not here to discuss my life. I have dealt with enough. I don’t need to explain why I did what I did. Just sign the fucking papers.”

  Angelo stared with contempt at the agreement and read through to the last page. The contract said what he expected and then something extra. A separate one-page sheet stated that Angelo must clear Gregorio’s name of murder in the next thirty days. Gregorio had already signed both, and there was a place for a witness on the main contract, Sullivan. Angelo did not think that Sullivan read the added content.

  If he had just agreed to meet Ella sooner as his father had said, he could have prevented much of what happened to her. The restaurant would not have burned. She would have never seen a bruise on her body. Ella would not be on suicide watch right now. How long would it take Ella to come to terms with her situation and all that had happened?

  “You should have never added the threat to hand Ella to Bonadio in this contract after all the shit you put us through. I have been dealing with Bonadio for years because of you. His men or your men—nobody knows who they are actually working for—tried to kill me and almost killed her. Yet you want to give her to Bonadio, the man who caused the problems. If I refused to sign the contract, what kind of life do you think she would have with him? Bonadio would beat her, and you don’t care?”

  “Sullivan,” said Gregorio. “He either signs or you shoot.” Sullivan did not hesitate and started to pull the trigger. Angelo looked at Sullivan hard. He knew that he had interest in Ella’s safety. It would be stupid for Sullivan to kill him if he cared about Ella.

  “If you kill me, Ella will be sent to Bonadio. Is that what you want?” Angelo asked Sullivan.

  Gregorio chuckled a mocking laugh and set his empty liquor glass on the table. “Sullivan is loyal. He does what I tell him to do no matter what. I suggest you sign the papers, Angelo, or he will kill you. Then you are the one who sent Ella to Bonadio.”

  Angelo glared at Gregorio. Everything he wanted for Ella would be taken away at the hands of her father. He hated him. Gregorio did not seem to care whom she was with as long as it was not his problem.

  “You will burn,” Angelo said and yanked out his gun, aiming it at Gregorio. The spite he felt for the man had tripled since meeting Ella. If Sullivan shot him today, at least Gregorio would be gone too. Then the contract would be void.

  “Shoot,” he said to Sullivan.

  At those words, Angelo fired at Gregorio as Sullivan pulled the trigger on his gun. Angelo thought he was gone for a second. His hand immediately went to his face, surprised he did not feel blood. Then he looked at Gregorio. His face tilted forward. Blood seeped down the side of his cheek from two bullet wounds on his head.

  Sullivan lowered his eyes to the floor. He seemed conflicted with what he had just done. He had shot a man who had trusted him to protect him.

  “I am loyal,” he said. “I was hired to protect Ella, and he was trying to hurt her. I didn’t betray him. He betrayed her.” Sullivan shook his head. “When she asks you if you killed her father, you can be honest and tell her no. It was my bullet that hit him first.”

  Angelo felt the full extent of his pain as he watched Sullivan stare at Gregorio. Angelo saw it. Sullivan was more than loyal to Ella. He was willing to protect her even at the cost of his own good name in her eyes. Angelo did not know how to respond to that.

  “I guess you will take care of this,” Sullivan said and lowered his gun.

  Angelo nodded with regret. Gregorio was once the leading man in the area brilliant. For some reason, that changed long before the loss of his wife. Angelo would not forget the lesson in his death.

  “Why do you care about Ella so much?” he asked Sullivan, looking from where Gregorio had sat to see the slight look of surprise in Sullivan’s eyes at the question.

  “The reason doesn’t really matter.” He looked down with a hint of sadness, reminiscent of some matter in his thoughts. “I just want her to live a happy life just
like I’ve always wanted. That’s how a real father acts. I know that you can give her that.”

  “Father?” Angelo looked at Sullivan with a shocked expression, not knowing if Sullivan meant what he thought. “You?” he asked.

  Sullivan did not confirm, his eyes lowering to the floor and back to Angelo as he shoved his pistol into his back pocket. “Take care of her,” he said and opened the door, letting it shut quickly and leaving Angelo alone.

  CHAPTER 43

  Silent and stressed, Angelo was trying to come to terms with what Sullivan had said. He sat in the recliner and stared at the contract in his lap, leaving Ella on the bed to wonder what went through his mind. The truth about Sullivan would add to the troubles they faced.

  His tired eyes drifted from one spot on the wall and finally settled on the door. Ella could not shake his concentration even with shifting on the bed. It was not until he reached in his pocket for his phone that he glanced her way, acknowledging that he knew she was watching him.

  “Hey,” he said into the receiver. “Come up to the room. I need you to bring me what you picked up earlier.” Hanging up again, he looked at Ella and gave an affirmative nod. “I gave my word to protect you, and I will follow through.”

  He always had thought Gregorio was careless to let a woman have such a hold on his mind, but he was letting Ella do the same thing to him. He needed to rid his worries of her and start thinking rationally. If she wanted to live, she would have to do as he said without questioning his reasons.

  The knock at the door came faster than he expected. Rafa entered and looked at him without saying a word, proof of the tense feeling in the air. The death of Gregorio and what they would face in the future weighed on them both. No one was safe as long as Bonadio was alive.