This was it—her ultimatum. She would never fucking look at him ever again or stand to be in his presence. He had to prove that she wasn’t a precious painting in a museum like her father thought, and that Dominic wouldn’t treat her the way he did.
Despite that face in turmoil giving her one last look, Maria stood still for two reasons: not wanting Katarina’s death on her hands, and to see what he chose. She would wait to find out until she was ready to leave, wanting to pretend he would never do such a thing, even though every man was the fucking same when it came to her.
Minutes seemed to already have passed when the alcohol she had consumed no longer warmed her body. That heat she had felt in her belly around Dominic was gone, too. The only thing of him remained was his jacket and his scent that it carried.
Putting her arms through the sleeves, she wore it properly to try to get warmer. She brought the baggy sleeves that were well past her hands up to her face, inhaling that fiery scent deeply. She had been surrounded by men in suits who wore strong cologne before, but she had never smelled one like this. Dominic smelled natural, earthy, like it came from his surroundings and not from a bottle. His scent was intoxicating, making Maria feel like a cat smelling catnip for the first time, for suck’s sake.
With the daze of alcohol finally fading, she remembered what he had been about to tell her. For the life of her, she didn’t know what would have given her heartless heart away. Remembering everything about her mother’s funeral, but strangely, also nothing at all. The thing she remembered the most was her dead mother in her favorite light pink dress, tucked away in her stark white casket.
At the time, Maria didn’t think the body looked very much like her mother. Death hadn’t suited her, nor the pounds of makeup they used to cover it up. Underneath, even at fifteen years old, Maria knew what was hiding under there—blood, bullet holes, and gray, lifeless skin. They might have succeeded in making her beautiful again, but her mother was never going to be as beautiful as she had looked alive.
What she couldn’t believe now, however, was that it was the last time she had seen Dominic, until fate brought them back together, both probably older than their years. Maria was sure she hadn’t remembered him because her mother’s death had brought in half the city to pay their respects to the Caruso boss’s late wife. She had met so many men that day—a lot of them creepily telling her what a beautiful woman she was becoming. Dominic had already been an adult, a young one, probably in his early twenties. Between their age difference and her dead mother, it wasn’t surprising her younger self hadn’t paid any attention to him.
She only remembered how tightly her father had held her shoulders from behind when Lucifer and Dominic had come up to pay their respects. The fakest apology of the night had been from Lucifer. Behind those black eyes, she had seen it—satisfaction.
Maria knew her father must have seen it too. But the peace they kept between the two families had been strong then and hadn’t shown any signs of breaking until Lucifer’s greed and sick mind had eaten away at him every day for almost eight years.
With Lucifer’s death, new peace was created with sacrifices from Dominic, and today, history was made with the uniting of their families.
Well … almost.
Someone in their midst, a man they were calling “One-Shot” was making it his life’s mission for the families to declare war once again.
Walking up to the freezer door, Maria decided she had waited long enough. It was time.
Her hand was almost on the handle when it was opened—before she had a chance to find out if Dominic had locked her in or not.
Thinking Dominic had come back for her, it wasn’t until the door was completely opened did she see the dirty blond hair and that cute little face.
“Leo! Thank God.”
Pulled into a tight hug, he asked the obvious while being slightly smothered, “What are you doing in here?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Whose jacket is that …?” he asked, becoming more curious by the second.
“That’s even longer,” she told him, finally letting go. She needed to divert his attention and make him mind his business. “Did anyone get hurt?”
“Yeah … um … About that … You may not want to go out ther—”
Maria picked up her dress to run out of the kitchen and into the ballroom. She had Leo, so Maria would live with whomever had been hurt or possibly killed. Her eerily always-right feeling had returned, making her hope to God that the groom or, even worse, the bride hadn’t been killed. Kat’s death would have been devastating for her, as she really liked the girl already, which was more than she could say about Drago. And just like if Leo had been hurt, it would kill Dominic if his sister ….
Her mouth ran dry as she pushed through the crowd that surrounded a lifeless body. Maria was colder out here than she had been in that freezer.
Pushing aside the last person, she saw the puddle of blood and the head that followed, carrying a black hole right between the eyes.
Ah, shit.
Was it bad that she was relieved?
Poor Todd.
Ten
Breaking Daddy’s Heart
“Wow.” Maria walked into her father’s office, seeing him sitting behind his huge desk, his consigliere, Vinny, sitting on the other side, and Lucca standing in the far back corner. Never in her life had she been called in and graced with their presences all at once. Telling her that she was here on business, she asked, “And what do I owe the pleasure of being invited into one of your precious meetings?”
She swore that, in the dark corner that Lucca liked to creepily watch the city below, she saw a slight smile behind the glow of his cigarette.
“I told you, Dante, this is pointless.” Vinny suddenly slammed a hand on the wooden desk. “We know who One-Shot is. There is only one man capable of possessing his skill. You’ve seen it. I’ve seen it. We. All. Have. Seen. It.” Vinny got frustrated with each passing word. He also became more compelling.
Dante himself was convinced, not disagreeing with a word he said.
It was a trying time for the family. Men seemed to be dropping like flies, and with One-Shot’s skill. Needing only one bullet, one time, right between the eyes, to them it all pointed to only one man.
Dominic.
She had heard the whispers, the rumors surrounding him and his infamous Glock, not knowing what parts were true or exaggerated. Based on what she had heard, she had thought for sure the latter. However, judging by the serious looks on their faces, she wondered if it was an exaggeration at all.
Seeing just how convinced her father and his consigliere were, she knew the only reason they hadn’t killed him yet was because they had no proof. Maria just wondered where Lucca stood on this ….
“Tell them where you were when the gun was fired, Maria.”
Her eyes flew to the corner, now knowing exactly why she had been called in and where her brother stood in this mess.
He knows. And now her brother was ratting her out.
To tell her father where she had been and what she had been doing, even if it was mostly harmless, would change everything.
What he thought of her.
How he looked at her.
If he would talk to her again.
Frankly, Maria didn’t know what would be worse for him to believe—that Dominic was One-Shot or that he had gotten his daughter alone for a dance right in front of his eyes. And worse … she had wanted it.
Only one of them was true, and right now, she was the only one who could prove his innocence.
“I was in the kitchen attached to the ballroom.”
“And ….” Lucca threw his ashes out of the slanting open window, letting the wind take them through the city before they’d ever hit the ground below. He wanted her to continue breaking Daddy’s heart.
She supposed it was a good thing—her opinion of her father as of late was shit anyway. At least they could be disappointed in each other to
gether.
“I hate to tell you, Father, but when the gun went off”—a smiling Maria stepped closer, wanting him to get a good look—“Dominic was with me.”
Dante’s shock and horror had him taking a long time to digest what he had just heard. It was clear he was playing out the worst scenarios of what they could have been doing.
“Are you sure?” The consigliere cleared his throat, doing his best to navigate the conversation while also trying to be respectful to who was in the room. “You had eyes on him the entire time?”
Her eyes never wavered from her father’s cold, piercing, ice blue eyes. “Oh yes, I’m sur—”
“That’s enough!” It was Dante’s fist that hit the desk next. “You are to never speak to that Luciano again!”
Maria practically laughed. “That’s rich, considering you forced one of your best men to marry one.”
Slowly rising in his chair, his voice cut like the ice in his eyes. “No daughter of mine will be caught dead with the spawn of Satan.”
“It was just a dance, Father.” She looked at him pitifully. “Sorry to break it to you, but you can’t kill Dominic for that or for being One-Shot.”
“If you continue to see him, you’ll be dead to me.”
With her head held high, she spun around, turning on her heel.
If he had acted differently, she might have had the heart to tell him that she had made no plans to do so. Dominic had locked that fucking door, and she knew it.
“Do you hear me, Maria?”
The farther she walked, the louder he got, and the more hatred he spewed.
“Dead to me!”
Maria didn’t fucking look back once.
Hearing the clicks of heels, Lucca took one final hit off his cigarette, drawing out the sweet taste until the little bit of tobacco burned into the filter.
From his seething anger, his father had to wipe the beads of sweat off his brow. Vinny, on the other hand, sat quietly, pulling together his thoughts like a good consigliere did.
“Don’t worry, Dad.” Coming over to the desk, Lucca pushed the butt of the stick into the glass ashtray that sat in front of his father, until it was crushed into almost nothing. “You were dead to us a long fucking time ago.”
Coming down the steps, Maria went through the foyer and into the living room to get Leo. What she hadn’t expected was the full audience, having thought everyone was at the penthouses in the casino hotel.
Leo.
Nero.
Elle.
Chloe.
Oh, great.
And Lucca.
She dressed up all the time so, maybe they won’t notice ….
“Why are you dressed up like you’re the one going to homecoming?” Nero was the only soul brave enough to ask the obvious.
Fuck.
It was the dress that gave it away. Yes, she wore dresses every day, but this one wasn’t one of her normal, fuck-me dresses that she wore on a daily basis. Wanting to look like a woman in a sea of high schoolers, she had picked a more mature cut. It had an off-the-shoulder, sweetheart neckline that flared out until halfway down her thighs, making her collarbones look tasty and her waist non-existent. The dead giveaway, however, was the color. Blood red.
Wishing she had picked the pink one—she might have gotten away with it—now all she could do was fucking sell it.
“Because I am.”
Narrowing his eyes, Nero was still too fucking brave for his own good. “Why?”
Leo picked up the water he’d had been drinking and took a sip, while Elle and Chloe side-eyed each other before glancing at their phones, pretending they were minding their own business.
“I was asked to volunteer,” she told them confidently, throwing a curled, blonde lock behind her shoulder.
Lucca, who had been too quiet sitting there, finally spoke, “By whom?”
Why did she fear saying this name to Lucca more than she feared saying Dominic’s to their father … “Kayne Evans.”
“Kayne Evans?” Nero was in disbelief. “As in, my used-to-be English teacher?”
“Yes.”
“You’re going on a date with Mr. Evans?” Still in disbelief.
“It’s not a date.”
“Well, it’s a fucking date dressed like that.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Says who?”
“Says me. If Elle was dressed like that, it’d be a fucking date.”
About to ruin Nero’s fucking life, she then lost her train of thought when Lucca took his arm out from behind Chloe’s back where they were snuggled on the couch, got up alone, and started walking away.
Chloe, feeling the awkwardness from her fiancé, spoke up, “W-Well, I think you look very beautiful.”
“Yes. I hope you both have fun,” Elle agreed, trying to help.
The compliments went unnoticed as Maria’s eyes followed Lucca’s path into the kitchen, wondering why he hadn’t said anything.
Nero looked over at Leo. “Did you know about this?”
“Yeah. What’s the big deal?” Their youngest brother shrugged, pretending like it was nothing. Getting up from the couch, he went to stand beside his sister so they could leave in a hurry if she wanted.
“What the hell?” Nero darted his eyes across the room, clearly confused. “Why is no one saying anything?”
“What’s the matter?” Maria arched one of her brows, a sly smile tilting her lips. “I thought you would have liked Mr. Evans, considering that love letter you wrote for him about Elle.”
Chloe’s mouth dropped open. The strawberry blonde, whose hand was on Nero’s, lifted it to cover her own. Leo, of course, nearly died of laughter.
About to open his mouth again, Nero shut it and looked over at Lucca in the kitchen, waiting for him to speak. When nothing came out, he took over his usual role; however, learning his lesson not to talk about Kayne “Who the fuck is even going with you?”
“Jerry.” A.k.a. her new suit, which was actually one of her old suits who used to watch her back in high school. He was the only one willing to take on the job, since the last time ….
Like Nero, which she wouldn’t admit, she had been more concerned about what Lucca thought. Her eyes were still on him, watching him prep dinner.
Why the fuck isn’t he saying something?
“I think he just pulled the car up,” Leo announced, still clearly trying to save her.
Again, Maria and Nero continued staring at a busy Lucca. It was her brother who gave up first.
“Fuck it. Go on then, I guess.”
“H-Have fun,” Chloe assured.
“Be good,” Elle warned, none of them, including her, knew if it was for Maria or Leo.
“Okay then ….” Drawing out leaving for just a few more seconds, she went to grab her fur coat off the couch where she always threw it. Carefully watching for anything her older brother would give her into what he thought and/or why he hadn’t opened his mouth, she got not-a-fucking thing. Swallowing hard, she finally put on her coat. This disappointment was definitely harder than the last. “Bye.”
Eleven
Her Second Dance
Walking up to the school, Maria was distracted by thoughts of Lucca. It was the fact that he hadn’t said a single word after she said Kayne’s name that had thrown her off, making her wonder if he approved, which she highly doubted. Or if he didn’t approve, which was almost certain, but exactly how much?
Her mind began to drift to the first time she had met Kayne …
…“You’re very welcome ….”
She swept her gold hair behind her ear, smiling. “Maria.”
They turned their heads when the front glass doors were flung open with a thud.
Here we go, she thought as the man coming through quickly closed the distance between them.
“This is my brother.”
She watched something flash in the handsome man’s golden eyes.
“Lucca Caruso.” Her brother held out his hand.
�
��Kayne Evans.” He took Lucca’s hand, shaking it. “I teach English here.”
He’s a teacher? How come I never got teachers who looked like this?
Maria looked at their hands. Kayne’s grip matched Lucca’s. Not to mention he could shake his hand while looking Lucca straight in the eye. She could tell that was really starting to piss Lucca off, considering not many men could, let alone an English teacher.
Lucca finally released his hand. “English, huh? You don’t seem like the teaching type.”
“And you don’t seem like the type who would listen when I say there is no smoking on school grounds,” Kayne retorted.
Oh, no. Maria tried to brace herself.
Lucca reached into his pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. Grabbing a stick, he put it between his lips, then began to talk as he held it there.
“Considering I never listened years ago when I was here”—he flicked open his Zippo and lit the end before taking a long, deep hit then blowing out the smoke, making sure it hit Kayne in the face—“I’d say you’re right, Teach.”
“Well, I’m glad we know our roles here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my students are about to graduate.”
Kayne then smiled at her. “It was nice meeting you, Maria.”
“It was nice meeting you, too.” Maria tried to keep from blushing and staring into the molten gold of his eyes.
“Lucca,” Kayne said as he passed him.
“Kayne,” Lucca returned as he dropped the butt on the floor, stepping on it.
Well, that could’ve gone worse, she thought as she watched Kayne walk down the hallway. Damn if his walk wasn’t somehow sexy.
“What the fuck, Sal?” Lucca roared when Sal came back around the corner.
“Sorry, she fucking drilled him right in the face with the door. I couldn’t quit laughing.”
While Maria closed her eyes, feeling bad all over again, Sal began laughing once more, clearly replaying in his mind what had happened.
Maria (Made Men Book 7) Page 6
