“Good. More conservative. Remember to stay true to me only or else.”
“I know, Colosar, I promised before I left.”
“Yes you did, and you were wet and so obedient. You’ll be rewarded. As far as Paulie’s concerned, he wasn’t too cooperative or respectful to myself or to Trojan. Seems he thought he could pull a fast one on me in order to get me to release you. That isn’t going to happen. Trojan set him straight.” Her heart was racing and the tears wanted to fall but she was trying so hard not to lose it.
“He’ll live, Bella. Know that the only reason why he’ll live is because you’re obeying me. You’re agreeing to be my woman and share my bed.”
“You hurt him?” she asked.
“He needed to learn that I don’t take threats to my life mildly. Like I said, he’ll live.”
She would call Paulie the second she got off the phone with Colosar.
“Now tell me you miss me and can’t wait to make love.”
She waited. She couldn’t say the words.
“Tell me now, or the punishments will add up.”
“I miss you.”
“And?”
“Can’t wait to make love,” she said to him.
“Good girl. Behave and I’ll talk to you in a few days.”
When she heard the click she sank down to the floor and quickly dialed Paulie’s cell phone. He didn’t answer. Anger pooled in her belly. Hatred for this monster and what he was doing to her family. She looked at the dress she had on before and she stood up, changed back into it and fixed her makeup.
“Fuck you, Colosar. This week I live for me and to be free. I’m not going to think about next week and the misery I’ll be forced to live in. This is about me, and nothing else matters but to live and be free.”
Chapter 7
Don Costanza paced the waiting area in the emergency room. He got the call that Paulie was found beaten near to death and was rushed to the emergency room. He had been strangled to the point that he had tears of blood. The medics revived him and saved his life but he was still fighting.
“Don.”
He heard his name and turned. He saw his brother Clemenza and cousins Sunny and Vinny along with Dominic Coglonie, one of the heavies in a secret organization they were part of.
“What the hell is going on?” Sunny asked him, and they all gathered around.
“I have no freaking idea. I get a call from his buddy Lester that paramedics are bringing Paulie here. That some guys found him behind a dumpster near Sullivan Street. Not exactly in the right neighborhood.”
“Shit, what was he doing, a job for someone to make some cash?” Vinnie asked.
“What makes you say that?” Don replied.
“I heard he’s been looking to do jobs and make quick cash. Do you think he owed a loan shark and didn’t pay up?” Vinnie asked.
“It very well could be the case. No witnesses and his buddy Lester had nothing to add. No guess as to what was going on.”
“Figures. It smells like a shit situation,” Clemenza stated.
“Anyone call Uncle Paulie?” Vinny asked.
“No, but I guess we should. They had to resuscitate him. Whoever did this meant to cause a lot of damage but not kill him, and I want to find out who and why.”
“You be here for your cousin. I’ll make the calls and get people on it,” Dominic offered and Don nodded then looked at his brother Clemenza as Dominic walked away.
“We need to get to the bottom of this. The aunts are going to flip out when they hear, never mind Nonna, the cousins, and Bella,” Don told them.
“Bella doesn’t need to know right away. She’s on vacation, and if she hears about this she’ll cancel and head home. She never goes on vacation,” Vinnie told him.
“You’re right. Let’s do what we can and prepare for the others to arrive. I’m going to wait on Dominic and hope he comes up with something quickly,” Don said, and then his cell phone rang. He squinted his eyes and looked at the number. Miguel Lupo?
“Hello?”
“Can you talk?”
He glanced at his brother and cousin.
“Yeah, go ahead,” he said and walked to the hallway for privacy.
“Some fucks set me up. There was a fucking situation with goods being stolen from someone and transferred into my warehouse to make it look like I had men do it.”
“What? Who is involved and what do you need from me?”
“Your family is involved, and if it weren’t for the fact that you and I know one another well and have done business, I would be sending a fucking message.”
“Whoa, wait one minute. I don’t even know what the hell you’re talking about.”
Miguel exhaled.
“Is your cousin alive?”
“He’s in surgery and in critical condition. It’s touch and go.”
“He knows who set me up and why. If I were you, I’d keep some security around there and hope he lives to talk because having men like the Fiorre family on your asses will put you in your graves quick.”
“Fiorre? What the fuck? We’re not involved with this. You should know some of the shit we do. I can call one of them and explain that.”
“I wouldn’t, but be ready for them to send someone. If I hear anything else I’ll call you. I’m on damage control myself.”
He disconnected the call and ran his fingers through his hair. He was pissed off immediately. What the fuck did Paulie get involved in that now put the whole family at risk?
“What’s going on? Who was that?” Sunny asked, with Vinny and Clemenza standing by.
“Paulie has a lot of explaining to do, and if he lives, it may not be for long once the Fiorre family gets a hold of him.”
* * * *
“Holy shit, Bella, this place is phenomenal,” Fina said to her as they all walked into the party after meeting Rayanna at the front gate.
“I know. Look at that pool and the disappearing horizon. Oh, and the hot tub.” Bella pointed.
“Drinks, ladies?” someone asked, and when they turned there was a server offering glasses of tropical drinks. Between Bella and her friends, the tray emptied, and he smiled and then winked. “Enjoy the party.”
“Yes, we will,” Alessa replied and they toasted to the Dominican Republic and to getting into this party thanks to Bella.
“Anything you want, just ask the servers. My cousins also have a huge spread of food inside and outside by the grills,” Rayanna told them and took a drink from her cocktail. Bella smiled.
“Thank you again for inviting all of us.”
“I’m thrilled that you’re here.”
“So am I.”
She heard Mateus’s voice.
“So these are your friends.” Bella felt the hand on her hip and turned to see Major and Mateus was right next to him. They eyed her over.
“Yes, they are,” she replied and shyly looked away.
“Hmmm, are you in charge of our entertainment?” Caprice asked, and the others smiled wide and were practically drooling over Mateus and Major.
“We are the hosts, gorgeous. I hope you came prepared to have a good time,” Major said and then snapped his fingers and gave a nod. Suddenly the music got a little louder and a few guys grabbed her friends’ hands and brought them onto the dance floor by the pool. Bella chuckled until she felt Mateus’s solid arm wrapped snugly around her waist and then his lips kissed her bare shoulder.
“I’m thrilled that you decided to come. You look incredible in this dress,” he told her and she smiled softly and turned, seeing Major watching her. She couldn’t believe how instantly turned on she was. Both men were very big, and Mateus’s one arm could control her entire body, and apparently her pussy if her damp panties were any indication of his power.
“I thought I told you two how important Bella is to me?” Rayanna said in a reprimanding tone and squinted at her cousins. Bella wasn’t certain Rayanna was happy about them flirting with Bella, or maybe she knew her cousins were
out of Bella’s league?
“We promise to be gentlemen, as well as her personal escorts for the evening. There’s so much to see and enjoy,” Mateus stated, eying her over as if he planned on exploring her. She felt her nipples harden and her pussy throb.
“Well, in that case, as long as Bella is okay with it then I am going to mingle and find my next big mistake.” She winked.
“Watch it, and be careful,” Mateus warned her. Bella picked up on their concern and protectiveness.
“Sir, the phone call came in. All is good,” some guy said to them. She picked up on the whole sir and respectful tone. Mateus and Major nodded and the guy walked away.
“Shall we give you the tour?” Major asked and held out his hand.
“There’s more?” she asked, already impressed with the place.
“Oh, much more, beautiful,” Major said to her and she couldn’t believe how aroused his tone of voice and words made her feel. Never mind the sexy, controlling expression on his face. She reached out, and when their hands touched, it was just as combustible as Mateus’s arm around her waist and lips against her skin. She liked them. A lot.
As they gave the tour, it wasn’t difficult to pick up on the power the men had, and the respect. She wondered what they did for a living, and if it was legit or not.
“What exactly do you two do for a living?” she asked when they stood by the veranda overlooking the party.
Mateus looked at Major and Major stroked her jaw as he stared down at her. He was like six-foot-three and suave looking. His attire, though casual, still gave off that whole Armani look. Light button-down shirt, black dress pants, designer shoes, a Rolex on his wrist, tattoos galore, and hair slicked back, yet facial hair made him appear both sexy and wild.
“We own many companies, mostly security and private industries,” Major explained. He spoke about their locations and about running other small businesses and having people who actually did all the work. They were very hard workers and self-made millionaires. She was impressed.
She reached out and touched his hand and Mateus’s where the gang signs were.
“And these? Are they recent or from the past?” she asked and then wished she hadn’t by the stern expression Mateus gave her. Boy, were they badass and then some.
“In the past, Bella. We all make mistakes, or sometimes are forced to do things to survive. It’s whether we learn from them or not that makes us better men.”
She thought about that and picked up on Mateus’s attitude from her asking about the tattoos. She didn’t know why she did. She liked these men. A lot. One look at Mateus, that bald head, the goatee, the narrowed, suspicious eyes, and she knew these men had their own secrets. She was the one that wanted to keep things light, with no commitments, no complications, just sex. Sex that she chose, not them or anyone else.
“Did you? Learn from your mistakes?” she asked, and Major reached up and cupped her cheek.
“We’re here with you, aren’t we?” he asked and then went to lean down to kiss her but she looked away and turned.
He pulled her back by her hand and squinted at her.
“Do we scare you? Do our tattoos and what they stand for make you uninterested in us?” Now Major was being blunt. She swallowed hard. She came here with the intention of allowing her feelings to flow and remaining in control of her destiny. She wanted to get to know them, and if these feelings continued to build, she would be willing to get lost with the two of them and have no regrets forever.
“Absolutely not,” she said and continued walking.
* * * *
Mateus and Major both took every opportunity to touch Bella or show possession of her. Major thought she looked incredible tonight, and that short, sexy dress was perfect for her, hugging her curvy body and accentuating her large breasts. He wanted to explore her, but Mateus told him about their conversation today and the need to keep things light.
When he looked at Bella, heard her soft laugh, or inhaled her shampoo, he thought of nothing but claiming her fully and possessing her in every way. No way was that taking things lightly.
As they walked through the party, introducing her to several friends, he got the thumbs up and a few of the guys totally checked her out and whistled low. He was half pissed off and half proud that she was with him and his brother. Definitely not the type of thinking that went along with taking this lightly.
He acted a bit possessive. When he could he kept an arm around her waist, his hand low to nearly her ass and she held on to him, leaning her head against his shoulder, showing she was feeling the attraction, too.
After the tour they settled down on one of the large lounge sofas near the dance floor. Major watched Bella smiling at her friends and declining them when they begged her to join them.
Mateus placed his arm over the back of the couch and her shoulders. Major placed his hand on her bare knee, sliding fingers along her skin.
“You don’t like to dance?” Major asked her, stroking her skin on her knee. She was petite, sexy, and he felt a protective sensation beginning to bubble inside of him. It was stupid. He hardly knew the woman, and upon seeing her his first thought was possessing her in bed. She seemed so feminine, and it was like she needed looking after. Needed protection. She wasn’t like other women in many ways. When he and his brother hooked up, they did with a certain type. Women who were beautiful, sexy, but had a bit of experience and confidence about them. Or maybe he just knew those women were easy and wouldn’t last but for what they needed.
This was different. Felt different, made him think different thoughts. Like keeping her by his side. Like how she might look lying in bed between him and his brother every day, not just tonight. That sort of freaked him out. She was sweet, precious, too pure for the likes of men with their professions, their experiences, and their capabilities. He knew that, so why was he still sitting here wanting her, needing to learn more, ready to take her to bed and explore every inch of her?
“I love to dance, I just didn’t want to be rude and leave the two of you.”
“I for one would love to see your moves, Bella,” Mateus said to her and then tilted her head toward him, leaned closer, and kissed the corner of her mouth.
She shyly pulled away and looked down at her lap, then up at Major. He winked at her but also caught the expression of something in her eyes. Was that inexperience? A shyness he hadn’t expected.
He eased his hand a little further up her thigh and along the side under the material of her dress. Suddenly she jumped up.
“I think I will dance,” she said, and Major chuckled.
“You scared her.”
“Like you didn’t, kissing her like that,” Major stated, watching her meet her friends on the dance floor, who high-fived her and looked at him and Mateus. Her friends seemed impressed with them, why wasn’t Bella?
They watched her dance sexy moves with her friends. It sort of made Major feel old. Bella was twenty-five, young, sexy, energetic, and full of life. He was thirty-six and had experienced enough heartache, life-threatening situations, and pain to last a lifetime. He went to fucking prison. Had killed several men in his lifetime. Served time for one of those men and would do it again. He narrowed his eyes and watched Bella and her friends drinking, dancing, and having fun. She was an innocent, and it wasn’t right to want that purity, that sweetness, when he was nothing but bad. He and Mateus could do a thousand legit business deals but the criminal ones, the ones that made men fear them, would always place a shadow of darkness over them and those who were close to them.
“What are you thinking about, Major?” Mateus asked him and took a sip from his drink.
“She looks like a fucking angel, and I’m the devil.”
Mateus chuckled.
“I fucking thought the same thing when I saw her by the little enclave on the beach. I stare at her, that body, that smile, her shyness, and I can’t help but want some of that.”
Major looked at Mateus. “I thought you warned me
to keep this light. No complications, no commitments, this is just a vacation thing.”
“It has to be, for our sakes and for her safety.”
* * * *
Bella was feeling the alcohol but was having such a fun time. She had to take a break and went to find a bottle of water, but not before noticing that Caprice was kissing one of Mateus and Major’s friends. Another guy moved in behind her, sandwiching her and kissing her neck. Bella felt aroused. She never would have thought ménage encounters would look so enticing. Maybe she was just so determined to not feel like a prisoner, a possession of Colosar, that she was willing to engage in anything that was her choice. Hell, being around Major and Mateus had her wondering if her first time having sex should be a ménage encounter. Maybe with Mateus and Major? She liked them, was attracted to them, and would never see them again. The perfect remedy to her fucked-up situation with Colosar. That thought had her worrying about her cousin. She walked to the side, grabbed her purse, and headed into the house and down the hallway to get some privacy and to be away from the noise of the party and music. She looked at her cell phone. No response from Paulie, but a text message from Colosar.
Passed by Uncle Louie’s restaurant. Crowded. A fire hazard. Be good.
Tears stung her eyes. Was that a fucking threat? Her nostrils flared. She turned off the phone entirely, placed it into her bag, and then slammed her hand against the wall. Then she kept her palm there and gasped as a strong arm wrapped around her midsection and lips kissed her neck and shoulder.
“Bad news?” Major asked her. She exhaled.
“Aggravating text,” she said and went to turn but Major grabbed her other arm and gently placed her other palm against the wall. Her pussy clenched, her nipples hardened. Holy fuck, she was too turned on by his control. Hadn’t Colosar scared her by acting like this? Why was it different when Major and Mateus did it?
He slid his palms up and down her arms and tapped her hands.
“Stay just like that, baby. You look so fucking hot.”
She heard a door close and glanced that way, catching Mateus’s eyes. He licked his lips.
Made Men 1: Bad Timing (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8
