Killing Me Softly: A Chicago Mafia Syndicate (Castaletta Book 3)

by Ali Parker

  Her nails dug into my thighs as I reached up to take a hold of her hair, my grip perfect for forcing her into submission. She panted loudly, her sounds and the smell of her arousal more than enough to send me over the edge.

  "Please don't stop. Please." She didn't sound anything like the tough broad that counted inventory the day before. Everyone had a million faces. Maybe this was just one of hers.

  "Come for me, Julie. Wet me, angel." I pulled back hard on her hair and smacked her ass, watching her lose herself all over my dick.

  "So close," she whimpered. "I need... I need..."

  "You need me." I stood and turned her over, pressing her against the bed and sliding back into her as she lay on her stomach, her ass in the air as an offering to me. I forced my thumb into her ass which wasn't nearly as tight as I thought it would be. Seemed someone enjoyed their private time.

  "Marcus," she screamed and lifted up as her body convulsed around mine.

  "There you go. Take what you need and then relax while I spend the rest of the night exploring every entrance to your body."

  "Yes." She jerked forward and slammed back on me, her ass bouncing with each movement. Sandra lost a great asset, and I'd gained one. We would become friends and I would protect the girl unless she was a rat. If that was the case, then I had one choice.

  Turn her over to Demetri and let him deal with her. I was new in the family and there was no fucking way I was dicking things up for a girl I didn't know.

  "So good." She collapsed beneath me, her body twitching as I crawled up farther on the bed and gripped the front of her hips, lifting her ass back up.

  "Mmmmm... we're just getting started, baby." I gripped my cock and played with her ass a little, loving the way she whimpered and pressed back on me. "Someone likes it in the ass."

  "Me." She lifted up on her hands and knees and glanced over her shoulder, her expression fierce and filled with determination. "You already knew that."

  I closed my eyes as she pressed back and took my dick fully inside of her, the feeling orgasmic. The world disappeared and for the first time in a long time, I let myself go, enjoying every inch of her, wanting more, giving more, lost in her sex, her lust, her need.

  *

  We fucked until neither of us could move, the pretty girl falling asleep in my bed around three. I got up and finished the bottle of whiskey in the kitchen. My body purred like it hadn't in forever. Kate and I spent our younger years fucking each other silly, but that was so long ago that I hardly remembered it.

  Seems fate would have another plan for me. Audrey didn't have my heart, nor would she ever, but the sex was mind-blowing. That was more than enough for now.

  My phone buzzed, surprising me a little. Jon.

  "Dude, this better be good." I pressed the phone to my ear.

  "Why? I couldn't sleep, so I looked into your girl." He chuckled.

  "Why does it sound like you're about to enjoy my pain?"

  "She's a fed, dude. Julie Parker from the FBI. She's a six-year agent. Top of her class and has a decorated fallen police officer as a father. Her only brother was murdered a few weeks back, but they've yet to pin it on anyone. Lucas Parker is the guy’s name." He cleared his throat. "Who is she, Marcus?"

  "She's a rat in the Castaletta house." I ran my hand down my face, breathing in the delicious scent of her come all over my fingers. "Fuck. Fuck!"

  "Get outta that, man. Turn her ass in and run away from anything to do with her."

  "Alright. Thanks man." I dropped the call, not needing a lecture from Jon of all people. He played the line between good and evil more than anyone I knew.

  After checking to make sure she was still asleep, I closed the door behind me and walked to the living room to find her bag. It was tucked behind the couch, and sure enough, there was a small video recorder and a handful of tapes with dates along the side.

  "What are you thinking, Audrey? Julie? Whoever the fuck you are." I growled and dropped down on the couch. I had to talk to someone. Zak.

  I called and he answered like he should have, half-asleep. "Marcus? What's up man? Something wrong?"

  "Yeah." I brushed my hand down my face and growled. Jumping up, I walked to the kitchen to wash my fucking fingers as my mind spun out of control. "Audrey is really an FBI agent named Julie Parker. She's been undercover with the Castaletta's from what I gather for the last year or so. At least that's how long she was at the whore house from what Edward and D said."

  "Oh shit. Who knows this, man?"

  "Me and you, and Jon. He looked into her for me."

  "So we turn her into D. We walk away. I like the girl, but we don't need this."

  "She's in my bed, Zak." I let out a soft growl and glanced up at the ceiling in the kitchen. "How do I always end up in the fucked up situations?"

  "You let your cock lead?" He chuckled.

  "Not funny," I barked and walked back to the living room. "She has some tapes from Freddy that most likely have a confession of some sort on them."

  "This just gets better and better, right?" He let out a long sigh. "Marcus, this isn't about you trying to find a new life. It's about doing what you know is right. Call Demetri and let him make the call on the girl and the tapes."

  "Alright. I'll check in later."

  "Be careful man. I'm glad to be here, but if something happens to you, I'm likely to go on a killing spree."

  "I knew you had a hard-on for me, man."

  He chuckled. "Call me the minute it's done."

  "Alright." I dropped the call and walked back over to the couch, dialing D's number next.

  "Marcus?" He was wide awake.

  "Yeah. I have the tapes. You're gonna want to get over here and get them before Audrey wakes up." I swallowed and brushed my fingers by my mouth.

  "She's at your place?"

  "Yeah. I got her drunk and asked a few questions. She passed out and I have the tapes. She was trying to help solve the mystery on who killed Vivian and Freddy, dude. She's just a kid." I bit my tongue to keep from telling him that she was an FBI agent. I couldn't yet. Not until I understood how having her on our side could help us. We needed a rat in the Feds. Everyone in our line of work did. I'd blackmail her. She'd be my bitch, and I'd keep her secret. What choice did she leave me?

  D's voice dropped so low I almost couldn't hear him. "Stay there and keep her with you. I'll be there as soon as I can."

  "Yep." I hung up and leaned back, hating myself. "This isn't your fault. It's hers. She's a fucking idiot for sticking her head in a snake pit."

  Somehow it didn't feel that way. I was getting soft in my loneliness. Dangerous place to be.

  Chapter 21

  Demetri

  The sun had barely come over the horizon as I drove toward Marcus' make-shift apartment. My stomach was fucked up from too much stress and knowing that things were completely jacked with Izzy. Whether we ended up lovers was another problem for another time, but I needed her now as my right hand.

  Joe had me.

  I had her. Or used to.

  Marcus opened the door before I could knock, leaving me backing up.

  "Hey." He extended the bag to me. "We didn't listen to these. I don't think she did before coming over here. If she had, there's no way she would be carrying them around."

  I cocked my eyebrow at him. "And why do you say that?"

  "From what you told me yesterday, these have the power to convict Freddy or free him up." I shrugged. "I would say they're pretty fucking important. Not sure what you have on your list of things to do today, but listening to them would be numero uno if it were me."

  "And what did you find out about the girl?" I took the bag and tried not to seem too overbearing. Marcus wasn't the type of guy who would put up with being pushed around. It was one of the things I liked about him. He was a lot like me.

  "Nothing yet, but the minute I do, I'll let you know." He looked me dead in the face, his expression slack, relaxed. "And something to think about..."


  "What's that?" I kept my eyes on him, though I wanted to peer into the apartment. Had he slept with Audrey? If so, there was a chance that he would be compromised. No. He was lost to this Kate Jarrett chick from what I knew.

  "If she is a rat, then let's tie her to us and use that to our advantage."

  I nodded. "I like the sound of that. How would you propose we do that?"

  "I'll get the truth out of her this week, or we’ll have the right people dig as deep as we need them to. We'll know what the fuck is up with her by the weekend." He crossed his arms over his thick chest. "If she's the rat Izzy thinks she is, then I'll blackmail her. She does what we need her to do with whoever she works for, or I'll tell you that she's a rat, and one of us will kill her without batting an eyelash."

  "I like it. Find out what you can. Before the weekend." I turned and walked back toward my Jag, lifting the bag of tapes. "Thanks for these. I owe you one."

  "Nope. You don't." The door closed, leaving me alone with my thoughts as I walked across the parking lot.

  Marcus was going to be good for us, good for me. If he earned my trust and respect, then I could abandon the idea of bringing Drake back into the syndicate. Joe knew he was alive and was fucking with me. He had to be.

  Anger burned through my gut as I drove to the mansion. He didn't give me more than a few days to cut things off with Izzy before he laid the bomb about Drake on her.

  "Bastard," I growled as I pulled up to the beautiful Castaletta house. It was a place of elegance and beauty from the outside, but within its walls, it was nothing more than death and deceit.

  Timothy lifted his hand and smiled. "D. Morning, man."

  "Morning, Nate." I stopped in front of him. "How is everything with your brother?"

  Tim would be playing Nate's part as head guard of the family until everything settled down and we had a few answers. He'd done a great job thus far and looked so much like Nate that it was unsettling.

  "He's doing great. He got the new job we were talking about last week. Took him no time once he set his mind to it." Timothy shrugged and opened the door. "He said to tell you that he'll burrow in deep and find you when he knows something worth bothering you over."

  "Good man." I walked in and paused by the opening to the kitchen.

  Joe and Maria were laughing, standing a little closer together than I'd seen them before. She jerked back when she realized I was watching them.

  "Oh! Demetri. You scared me." She touched her chest and shook her head as she walked past me. "Say something next time, boy!"

  "Boy?" I smirked and watched her go before turning back to Joe. "I have the tapes. I'm going back to my place to listen to them, unless-"

  "No. You listen to them. I've had enough heart ache in my life lately." He took a sip of his coffee and set the mug down before walking toward me. He lifted his hands to cup my face and it was all I could do not to flinch. Not that Joe had ever hit me, but I'd seen him hit Freddy and Marco more times than I could count. The old bastard was just lucky he never touched Izzy.

  I cupped my hands over his. "I'll get this figured out, but be ready for anything Joe. My gut tells me that we're in for more loss and despair before the sunlight rises on the Castaletta household again."

  He nodded. "There was only one lie between you and Izzy a few days ago, D. I cleared it up for you." He patted my face. "I love you like a son."

  I took a shaky breath. "I know, Don."

  "And I should tell you that I know about Drake." His eyes got a faraway look as my heart almost stopped in my chest. "I know why you hid him away, and I can respect that on one level, but things are falling apart and you're standing alone. I cannot protect you. My time is almost over here. You need him more than I do, though I miss him so much my heart hurts."

  I could see the truth of his words all over his face. "Joe."

  "No. Don't say anything. Just bring him back." He patted my face and walked toward the hallway. "Not for me, Demetri. For you." He paused. "And know that I forgive you and my baby girl for lying to me. Just right it and we'll be even."

  I stood there in stony silence. Joe had known where Drake was the whole time and hadn't done anything about it? Why? He wasn't a good man, we all knew that. He was a horrible father, at least to his sons. Why was Drake so different?

  *

  "Wait. He knew the whole time?" Drake's voice rose on the phone.

  "I guess. How long would it take you to get here?" I ran my hand down my face. "I honestly think you're the only one that can talk him down from this. He's worried that no one has my back."

  "What about Izabella? What the fuck happened?" Drake's voice was pinched.

  I hated myself for even calling him. "Joe told her that you're her brother. She's not talking to me." I dropped down on my couch, the tapes in front of me calling to me like some kind of fucked up siren. "You know what, don't come. It'll be okay. Seriously."

  "No. I'm leaving now. I'll be there in a couple of hours. I'll get on a flight."

  "I'll send the jet."

  "No. If I'm doing this, I'm doing it my way. I'm not flying in his jet. Fuck." He let out a painful sigh. "We should have known that this wasn't going to work. What the hell am I going to tell Sicily?"

  "Tell her the truth, Drake. It's all you can do man. Maybe you come here and we can talk Joe off a cliff. Everything is falling apart right now. Maybe you won't even have to see him." I pressed my fingers against my forehead, knowing that Joe would go after Drake if we didn't bring him in first. There had to be some way around it. I didn't need help, not yet.

  "See you soon. Stay at your place until I get there."

  I nodded and dropped the call, as if he could see me. Maybe I did need him. He was the only family I had that wasn't tied deep into the Castaletta world. Fucking Cat was sleeping with Marco. I knew something was up and should have followed my gut.

  After wallowing in my angst, I finally got up and set up the video camera and popped in the first tape. Freddy came up on the video, his face red and blotchy. His words were hard to make out, but from what I could hear, he was lost in grief over Vivian dying. He never mentioned anyone or pointed to who might have done it, but simply lost his shit over her being gone.

  She was the only person in the world who believed in me. Who loved me.

  My eyes burned with unshed tears as my heart contracted painfully in my chest. "That's not true, kid," I whispered. "Izzy loved you. Marco and I did too."

  The tape ended, and I put the next one in, falling asleep to Freddy crying again over Izabella this time. My dreams haunted me, nightmare after nightmare, all of them focused on me losing Izzy. Each time I pulled myself out of it, another one would start.

  A knock at the door brought me out of my stupor. Drake.

  I got up and stumbled to the door, opening it to find my little brother standing there, pale and shaken. "Hey."

  He walked in and pulled me into a tight hug. "Hey. I'm sorry I left all those years ago. It's not been fair to you, bro."

  "No. I helped you get a new life. What's not fair is me trying to take it back now." I moved back and cupped his face. "Let's get you back to the airport, and I'll tell Joe to fuck off."

  Drake laughed. "No. He's my father, D. You joined this goddamn mafia because of me, remember? To protect me from my own father."

  "Yeah, well, that's what brother's do."

  "And I left you here and went on with my life." He dropped his bag and let out a long sigh. "Forgive me."

  "There's nothing to forgive. This became my life a long time ago, Drake. You know that. Izzy quickly became the reason I stayed, and now I'm devoted to Joe. He's my main focus. He's my father now as much as I hate to think of it like that. I'd never let anything happen to him."

  "Even though he'd steal your freedom and the heart from your chest in the blink of an eye?" Drake gave me an incredulous look.

  "Yes." I turned and walked back to the couch, dropping down. “I've watched two or three of these. Freddy's not saying anyt
hing. He's just wailing."

  "Keep watching them." Drake moved toward the TV and put in another tape. "I'll watch with you. We got anything else we need to do today?"

  "Nope." I leaned back. "Grab the beer from the fridge. It's going to be a long ass afternoon."

  He returned with a six pack and sat down next to me as Freddy came up on the screen again. This time Freddy's face was right up in the camera and he was whispering. His eyes were wild, hair a mess.

  I sat up and leaned forward as Drake handed me a beer.

  "I don't have long. I can feel it." Freddy glanced around and jerked a little. "I've done everything he's told me to do, and I'm still not going to survive this." His voice broke and tears filled his eyes. "He told me to divert the shipments, that we needed to fuck up the narcotics ring, and I did. He promised me that he wouldn't let anything happen to Momma if I did, but he lied. He fucking lied!"

  "Oh shit." Drake moved to the edge of his seat and took a sip of his beer. He glanced back at me. "You sure you wanna-"

  "Shut the fuck up," I barked loudly and reached for the remote turning the TV up.

  Freddy pressed his hand to his mouth and cried, his fingernails caked with dirt. "Izzy, if you see this, I didn't hurt momma. I loved her more than," he glanced around and started to shake, "more than any of you. I just didn't have a choice. He didn't tell me why, and I'm too dumb to figure it out. He said he would hurt you if I fucked up. He killed momma because I messed things up. I should have just listened the first time."

  Freddy smacked himself in the head several times, beating his face with his fist. "Please don't hate me. Just find the tapes and find me. He's trying to tear the family apart and he's going to do it, Izzy. He killed momma, or had momma killed, but he was there."

  He cried out again, his voice growing thick. "He has a goddamn video of the night she was raped and killed." He reached up and pressed his fists to his ears. "I can still hear her screaming. I can-" His voice broke as he bent over and sobbed.