Love and War

by Jackie Chanel

Caprice broke into a wide smile. “A new life for you and your family out of state. A high paying job with real benefits. Proper medical care for your mother. The good life.”

  “What’s the trick?”

  “There’s no trick,” Caprice stated. “No tricks. Only conditions.”

  “What conditions?”

  “You have to get Aries to meet me tomorrow. Alone at the St. Albans house. That’s all you have to do. Get him there and go pack up your family. I’ll have a place in Atlantic City waiting for you.”

  Diesel eyed Caprice with suspicion. She’d taken a beating a few months ago. Those metal bats must have really screwed up her head if she thought for second he believed she was serious.

  “Atlantic City? What are you talking about?”

  “That’s where I’m going to be. We’re building a casino there. It’s going to be the best one on the strip, and it has to be staffed. I’m offering you a real life…a safe life. And if you want, you can have a life with me.”

  “And all I have to do is set up my best friend, right? You are out of your damn mind.”

  Caprice shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. She was trying to keep it cool, but his words hurt. She was honestly trying to look out for him. He had to realize that no matter what he said, the situation wasn’t going to change. If he didn’t cooperate with her, her brother and his goons were going to kill him in less than twenty-four hours without hesitation. There would be nothing she could do about it. He had to know that. He’d been in the streets way too long not to realize the entire Black Diamond Mafia would pay for what Aries had done.

  “Aries is a bitch,” Caprice stated coolly. “He never asked me any questions about my family or anything. All he did was try to fuck. He assumed that because I was Nico’s sister, I was working against him. He had no concrete proof, yet he ordered his bitches to hurt me. I was in the hospital for weeks, Diesel!” Caprice yelled. “My jaw was wired shut. I had to have surgery to fix my face! Four broken ribs, my left leg was broken in three different places! My brain was swollen. I almost fuckin’ died! All over a fuckin’ assumption!”

  “But they weren’t wrong, were they? You were workin’ for your brother.”

  “Maybe…maybe not. I told you that I had just met my father and his family. Don’t you know anything about Italians? You do know that women rarely work in the family business, right? Why on earth would Nico ever let his little sister do something as dangerous as spy on the Black Diamond Mafia? Did you ever consider that my involvement now is simply because they tried to kill me?”

  Diesel rolled his eyes. His mouth turned up into a small smirk. “You’re good, Caprice. But, don’t try to con me.”

  “I’m not trying to con you. I’m telling you that Aries is stupid and a bad leader. I’m trying to make you understand why you shouldn’t be protecting him. He did what he did to me based on an assumption. Tell me, Diesel, is that how a boss operates? Do you feel safe working for a man that didn’t even have the balls to finish the job? If you were in charge and you found out about me, would you have let me live?”

  Diesel’s silence confirmed everything Caprice thought she knew about him. He wasn’t happy with the way Aries ran his gang. Diesel had wanted to handle the Bonatelli situation differently from the very start; he’d said so on a few different occasions. But Aries always had a plan. Look where all his plans got them. Gangs had tried to go up against the Italians many times in New York. None of them had been successful. Now they were in a position that meant Aries could stay protected and BDM would go to war with the Bonatelli Family. Or Diesel could do as Caprice suggested and walk away. He sat down on the bed next to Caprice.

  Caprice saw the anger and frustration burning in Diesel’s eyes. She used it to her advantage as she hiked up her dress and straddled his thick thighs. She looked him right in the eyes, daring him to look away.

  “You would be a better leader than him,” she said. “You could probably work well with Paolo or my brother. But you don’t have to. Why stay in New York? Why choose your fake family over your real family? You went to college because you wanted to be better than what you were. Here’s your chance.”

  Diesel’s hands crept slowly around Caprice’s waist and down to her ass. He gripped her tightly while he looked in her eyes for any sign that she was lying.

  “And all I have to do is…”

  “Trust me,” Caprice finished his sentence. “All you have to do is trust me. Because whether you help me or not, whether you still care about me or not; you can’t stop what’s already in motion. I’m not asking you to be with us on this, Diesel. I’m simply telling you not to be against us. The day after tomorrow, I’ll be in Atlantic City. You have one day to decide where you’re going to be.”

  Diesel’s grip tightened on Caprice’s ass. He slid his other hand into her hair. In the weeks they had spent together, they’d never been so close. He was torn by the decision he had to make, but there was one thing he was sure of…

  He was still completely in love with the woman in front of him.

  He almost didn’t care who her family was. Caprice was special to him. Had Aries told him what he planned to do to her, Diesel would have figured out a way to stop him. In fact, he still felt guilty that he hadn’t stopped him.

  “Why are you taking this risk?” he asked Caprice. “How do you know that I’m not going straight to Aries when I leave here and tell him what you’re up to?”

  “I don’t,” Caprice whispered softly. Her eyes began to fill with warm tears. “But I trust you.”

  “Why?”

  “My gut tells me I can trust you.”

  “And? I mean, you’re putting your life on the line here,” Diesel said. “And it isn’t because you trust me.”

  Caprice closed her eyes and sighed. “I think…I think I’m in love with you. That’s why I trust you. That’s why I’m doing this. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

  “I wanted to hear that three months ago,” Diesel answered and pressed his mouth firmly against hers, kissing her forcefully. His tongue probed inside her mouth like he was treasure hunting.

  Diesel moved one of his hands and began to stroke her braless nipple through the thin cotton of her dress. Caprice’s moans became involuntary when he moved from her lips to her neck, sucking hard…marking his territory.

  Without warning, Diesel swung Caprice onto her back and pinned her arms to the bed with one hand. Caprice gasped as every nerve ending in her body caught on fire. With one hand holding Caprice’s wrists over her head, Diesel unzipped the long silver zipper on the front of her dress and opened it.

  Circling his fingers around her navel, he watched with immense satisfaction as Caprice’s chest rose and fell rapidly.

  “Atlantic City,” he murmured. “A casino, huh?”

  “Yes,” she moaned as Diesel played with the top of her panties. “And hotel.”

  “What will you have me doing there?”

  In the heat of the moment, Caprice had a laundry list of what he could do in Atlantic City…none of which involved working at The Capri, and she would get to it later. But for now, she didn’t have a clue as to exactly what job he could do when they got there. That’s what she told him too. She had no reason to lie to Diesel.

  “So,” he dragged the word out slowly. “You expect me to betray my best friend, uproot my mother and siblings, and move to Atlantic City and do what? Be your boy toy? Your kept nigga? I don’t think so, Caprice. Seems like that only works for you. What’s in it for me?”

  What’s in it for you?” Caprice repeated angrily and slapped Diesel’s hand away from her body. She wiggled out of his grip and sat up on the bed.

  “Are you fuckin’ serious right now? What’s in it for you? How about not having my brother blow your brains out for starters? How about making some real money that won’t get you locked up? I’m offering you the deal of the fuckin’ century. Sack up and make a choice!”

  “And what’s Nico going to do when I show up in Atla
ntic City with you?”

  “Like I said, trust me and you won’t have to worry about my brother.”

  “I don’t know what Aries has planned for tomorrow. I don’t know if he’s even going to be in the city.” Diesel pushed Caprice gently back down on the bed and kissed her navel. “But I’ll do my best.”

  “That’s not good enough.”

  Diesel slipped his hand between Caprice’s thighs and pulled down her damp panties. His thumb circled her clit as he slid his middle finger into her pussy as deep as it would go. She sucked in her breath in a quick hard gasp.

  “Make it enough,” Diesel whispered. He continued to stroke her with his thick fingers until her thighs began to quiver.

  “I’ll text you tomorrow,” he said between flicking his tongue across Caprice’s hardened nipples.

  She wasn’t hearing a word that was coming out of Diesel’s mouth. Her body was screaming for more while simultaneously dealing with the sensations he was already delivering. It was too much for her to concentrate.

  Caprice wiggled out of her dress the best she could and reached for his belt. She had to have him on top of her…inside of her right then and there. When she reached into his jeans and pulled out at least nine inches of solid black dick, her pussy began to throb in anticipation. She knew that from that moment on, she and Rocco could only be friends.

  As soon as Diesel’s boxers and jeans hit the floor, Caprice pushed all two hundred pounds of brown skin and solid muscle onto his back. Straddling his thighs, she slowly guided his dick into her dripping wetness and felt his back arch beneath her. She leaned over and pressed her titties against his chest. Moving her hips in a slow grind, she allowed Diesel to glide inside of her inch by inch until she felt his balls gently hitting her ass.

  “Fuck me now,” she whispered in Diesel’s ear. She felt oddly empowered at that moment. With Rocco, it was always clear who was in charge. She was less experienced than he was and she kind of liked being bossed around in the bed. But with Diesel, it was different. He was so much bigger than her, yet there he was lying beneath her as she commanded him to fuck her.

  One hard thrust caused Caprice to cry out with pleasure. Diesel smirked and squeezed her ass.

  “You’re not the boss of me,” he chuckled.

  Raking her nails down his chest, Caprice grinned and increased the speed of her grind.

  “Oh, but honey,” she purred. “I will be.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  After Diesel left the next morning, Caprice laid in the bed, drenched in his scent and unwilling to move a muscle. Her mind wasn’t even on the importance of today, even though her entire plan revolved around Diesel doing what he promised he would do.

  Instead, she was listening to the birds chirping and watching the sunrise over Manhattan. She was in love and felt it from her head to her toes. She wanted to bask in the feeling of loving someone and genuinely knowing that he loved her too. There wasn’t a better feeling in the world. There just couldn’t be. She wanted to call all of her friends and giggle for hours about the best sex she’d ever had. She wanted to call her mother and tell her about Diesel.

  Unfortunately, that part of her life had to be put on hold. She had real issues to deal with; issues that involved her getting out of bed and meeting her brother in Staten Island so they could make the three hour drive to Allenwood, Pennsylvania. They’d been summoned by their great-grandfather.

  Before she rolled out of bed, she picked up her phone and dialed Diesel’s number.

  “I said I would text you,” he laughed when he picked up. “I haven’t even crossed into Queens yet, Baby.”

  “I know,” Caprice smiled. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

  “You miss me already?”

  “Yes.”

  Diesel sighed. “Baby, you better focus. Now is not the time to be distracted. You’ll see me tomorrow.”

  “I know. I’m focused. I just wanted to make sure that we’re good.”

  “We’re good, Caprice. It’s me and you, right?”

  “Me and you,” Caprice repeated and meant it. “I’ll be waiting on your text.”

  “Goodbye my love. See you tomorrow.”

  Caprice hung up the phone and smiled. “Love you too.”

  An hour later, Caprice had showered and dressed in jeans and a tank top. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail when she pulled her father’s Mercedes in front of La Galleria 45. The restaurant was closed but Nico’s Tahoe was parked out front so she knew that her brother was inside waiting for her. She took a deep breath and got out of the car. She had to tell Nico about Diesel and he was going to be livid, especially if Domani had already told him about Rocco.

  Nico was fiddling around with Maria’s industrial espresso maker when Caprice entered the restaurant’s kitchen. He was making a mess so Caprice pushed him to the side and took over. She warmed a few Danish and found some capicola and smoked Gouda cheese in the refrigerator. When the coffee was done, she carried the tray into the dining room. Although the restaurant was empty, Nico was seated in the same back corner booth that their father always occupied.

  The brother and sister ate in silence for a few minutes. The weight of what they had to accomplish today weighed heavily on each of their shoulders. Caprice also found herself mentally working up the nerve to tell her brother what she had been up to for the past twelve hours. She was still unconvinced that she could ever make Nico understand, but she had to try. Her future with Diesel depended on her brother accepting what she had proposed.

  “So,” she finally said. “Rocco called me last night. He said everything is straight on his side.”

  Nico nodded slowly. “Yeah. They weren’t too hard to find. He’s driving down from Watertown now. Didn’t you talk to him this morning?”

  “I was in the shower when he called. He didn’t answer when I called him back.” Caprice quickly looked down at her breakfast. Lying to her brother to his face was difficult for her. She’d never done it before and knew that lying to him would not become a regular thing.

  “What about your part?” Nico asked. “I drove by the house last night. It doesn’t look like anyone has set foot in that place in months. Are you sure you’re going to be able to get him there?”

  “I’m absolutely positive,” Caprice nodded. “He will show up.”

  “So you’ve talked to Aries?” Nico guessed.

  “Umm,” Caprice paused. “Not quite. But I talked to Diesel.”

  “Diesel?” Nico’s brow wrinkled, not clearly understanding why his sister had deviated from the plan. “Why you’d talk to that thick necked nigger? What could he do? All he ever does is follow Aries around like a groupie.”

  Caprice laughed. She had thought the same thing about Diesel until she actually met him and started to get to know him.

  “Diesel’s a good guy,” Caprice replied. “He doesn’t want any problems with us. That’s why I went to him instead of Aries. There is discontent among the ranks, apparently. Young Cassius has a lean and hungry look.”

  “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Nico snapped. “Who the hell is Cassius?”

  Caprice burst out laughing. “I was quoting Shakespeare.”

  “Why? What the hell does that have to do with us?”

  “You didn’t read Julius Caesar in high school? You’re kidding, right?”

  “Caprice,” Nico said. His tone held a warning that Caprice picked up on right away.

  “Fine. Diesel is pissed at Aries. He thinks that Aries was wrong for going behind our backs and hooking up with Cesar. He sees Aries as causing more problems than necessary. At the end of the day, Diesel is loyal to us.”

  “I don’t trust any of them,” Nico stated evenly. “You shouldn’t either. You should have stuck to the plan and went to Aries yourself.”

  “I trust Diesel. He’s going to get Aries to come to the spot. He’ll text me when he’s on the way.”

  “I don’t like that plan, sis. Why the hell
would you think this was a good plan? You’re smarter than that!” Nico shouted.

  “It’s going to work,” Caprice said calmly. “Diesel and I-”

  Nico eyed his sister suspiciously. “You and Diesel what?”

  “We worked out a deal,” Caprice answered. Nico was too upset for her to tell him everything. Eventually, she’d have to spill the beans about her feelings for her new partner in crime, but one glance at her brother’s angry red face confirmed that he was not ready to hear the entire story.

  “What kind of deal, Caprice?”

  “Well,” she said slowly. “I offered him a job and a house in Atlantic City…an executive position. But,” she added quickly before Nico could explode. “It’s perfect. Diesel has a degree in Business Management like me. He’s smart. We’re going to have to staff The Capri anyway. He’ll be good for the job.”

  Nico looked doubtful. Something was going on with his sister. She wouldn’t have made that decision without speaking to him first. Either Diesel was holding something over her, or his sister liked him. Nico prayed that it was neither.

  “If your boy doesn’t come through for you, you know what we have to do,” Nico stated coolly. “The wheels are in motion, Caprice. Rocco has his special delivery. I flew two guys over from Campania for this. We’re not dealing with amateurs, Caprice. My cousins didn’t cross the Atlantic just to twiddle their fuckin’ thumbs.”

  Caprice nodded her head slowly. She understood the consequences if Diesel did not do as he promised. If he didn’t come through for her…if he double-crossed her in any way, last night would be the last time Caprice ever saw him again. Every high ranking member of Aries’ carefully constructed organization had a target on his back, and Nico’s cousins wouldn’t miss.

  “Aside from the stupid shit that you just told me,” Nico spoke angrily, “there is something else or should I say someone else we need to discuss.”

  The serious expression on Nico’s face was the same expression Domani wore whenever he talked business with his children. Caprice wanted to smile and comment on the resemblance, but she knew better. Nico was not in the mood for her shit. Nico Bonatelli was going to make a proper Boss.