Shadowed: A Hitman Mafia Romance (Team Zero Book 4)

by Rina Kent

  He’s cut off when Nonna smacks his back. “If you’re going to apologise don’t follow it with a ‘but’. That’s not how I taught you, Angelo.”

  “Nonna!” He groans then lowers his voice. “Don’t call me that.”

  “I said I’ll call you whatever I damn please.”

  I watch with slight amusement as they keep bickering. There’s a genuinely playful side to Shadow aside from the dark, fucked up one he keeps taunting around. Perhaps he really cares about his Nonna.

  After a few backs and forth, she shuts him up with pure grandma sassiness and faces me. “As a form of apology, my Angelo will take you horse riding in Hyde Park.”

  “I will not.” He cuts her with a dirty look. “Don’t go making plans on my behalf, Nonna.”

  “Yes, you are.” She widens her stance and taps her foot on the ground.

  “It’s okay,” I put the cup on the table and stand up. “I don’t know how to ride a horse. Besides, I should go back.”

  “He knows how to ride.” Nonna interlaces her arm with Shadow’s. “When I told him I missed how my Giovanni and I went horse riding, Angelo took me to Hyde Park last week.”

  “I still need to –” I don’t get to finish my sentence.

  Nonna pushes us both out of her office and down the hallway. We pass by Natalie and Lachlan who are playing with the kids. The latter narrows his eyes on me while Natalie smiles.

  Nonna ushers us out of the kindergarten and into a black sports car. The Jaguar appears as frightening as its owner. I’m in the passenger seat before I know it. Nonna whispers something in Shadow’s ear before she shoves him in the driver seat.

  She keeps watching from the threshold of the school. I smile awkwardly as I fasten my seatbelt and sink into the leather. It smells like scotch and male and… Shadow.

  The engine revs to life. The vibration shoots straight between my thighs. I swallow as the car speeds in the street.

  Son of a gun. Of course, someone like Shadow would drive a thrillingly fast car. Everything about him is power and danger.

  Once Nonna is out of sight, I face ahead and say in a detached tone, “Take me back to Le Salon.”

  He doesn’t even glance at me. “No.”

  “Then drop me here and I’ll go back on my own.”

  “We’re going to the fucking park.” He grits out.

  I turn sideways so I’m facing him. “Well, I don’t want to go to the fucking park.”

  He offers me a fleeting irritated glance. “Do I look like I care?”

  “That’s called selfishness in case you were wondering.”

  He gasps dramatically. “Thanks for the educational tip.”

  “You’re welcome. While we’re at it, why don’t you learn to respect other people’s wishes?”

  His voice drips with mockery. “Funny coming from you considering that you kissed me without my permission.”

  My cheeks heat, but I refuse to back down. “A mistake I'll never repeat. Now, take me back.”

  “That would be a no, beautiful.”

  I cross my arms. “You don’t want to go as much as me so why force yourself?”

  He flashes me a charming grin. “Because Nonna’s smack hurts.”

  “Not my problem. Pull over.”

  “I don’t take orders.” His voice turns flat as he exits the neighbourhood and speeds in the main road.

  “I want out of this car.”

  “The answer is still no.” His devil grin is on full display. “I'll give you two choices, though.”

  Something tells me I won’t like them. “What?”

  “Go obediently or…” His gaze roams over me, and it takes everything in me not to cross my jacket and hide my cleavage.

  Tingles erupt over my skin and settle between my legs. I squirm and close my thighs together.

  I like how he looks at me.

  Whatever he had to say disappears since his devil grin returns, and it’s not playful in the least. “You can open the door and jump out. Your choice, beautiful.”

  God. I hate him!

  I remain fuming as he drives with infinite ease. It’s pointless to fight him. In fact, I shouldn’t be fighting him because this is my golden chance to dissect him from a closer range. But that’s not what keeps looping in my mind.

  After the conversation with Nonna, I’m starting to humanise this arrogant arsehole and I don’t like that.

  We arrive at Hyde Park. Shadow finds a parking space and doesn’t wait for me as his long strides head to the stables. I might have fallen behind on purpose to watch his arse in jeans.

  He does quick work of taking a horse from the stables. The ladies at the registry have heart eyes the whole time he’s talking to them. I stay by the side watching him. It’s not really his appearance, although he does have that messy, blond bad boy handsome face – and those tattoos are to die for. But it’s more about his aura.

  Shadow has this easy charm and an infectious perfect grin. I doubt they’d be all over him if they knew the darkness boiling inside, clawing to be set free.

  He’s like a storm that’s ready to erupt.

  Shadow comes out from the stables, leading a polka-dotted mare. She follows him out with elegant steps and sniffs his neck. Brilliant. Even the mare is all over him.

  I’m thankful I opted for jeans and boots today, or riding would’ve become super awkward.

  “Why is it only one horse?” I ask once he stops in front of me.

  “You said you didn’t know how to ride.”

  “So?”

  “One horse will suffice. I’m not in the mood to chase you all over the park.” His eyes gleam as he smirks. “Or maybe you want to break your neck?”

  “You’re a freak. Did you know that?”

  “I get that all the time.” He places his foot on the stirrup and mounts the horse with ease. “Now, hop up.”

  I try to imitate him, but my feet catch in the stirrup, and I almost fall backwards. A strong hand clutches my arm and hauls me up. I end up sitting sideways in front of Shadow. My legs are dangling from the side of the horse.

  His strong arms are on each side of me. One around my back and the other grazes my stomach with his hard chest glued to my arm. What the hell is happening in my lower abdomen? Why is it contracting out of nowhere?

  I focus on his arms around me, and it’s the wrong damn distraction.

  The colourful tattoos are brighter under the afternoon light. The snarling tigers are still gruesome but less frightening than usually.

  Hot breaths tickle down my neck, and his scent overwhelms me. I’m so tempted to glimpse at his eyes and see what range of grey they are, but if I do, I’d be treading into a territory I have no idea how to handle.

  Despite the chaos in my body, I motion ahead. “What are you waiting for?”

  The sooner we start the faster I’ll get rid of this overpowering sensation caused by his closeness.

  There’s a slight pause. I can feel his eyes digging a hole at the top of my head, but I concentrate on breathing.

  Shadow gently kicks the mare into a moderate pace. I release a breath.

  Other riders are on the same path, but Shadow keeps taking several twists until people become fewer.

  The entire time, my body is turning into a ball of fire. The more I focus on the flexing of his bicep and the easiness with which he handles the mare, the harder my breathing turns. My nipples tighten and throb against my bra and thin top.

  I clear my throat to delude the silence and hopefully the tension. “I never took you for the type who rides horses.”

  “Neither did I,” he says thoughtfully. “I’m a fast learner.”

  Wait. He learnt this for Nonna’s sake? I purse my lips. That doesn’t humanise him. Nope. Not one bit.

  “Have you considered maybe fast learning how to stop being selfish?” I mock. Even if deep inside, I think he cares about Nonna and those children.

  “Why would I do something so boring?”

  “Bec
ause you’d want to be a better human?”

  “That’s even more boring.” He gives me a condescending stare. “You’re one of those who believe in world peace rubbish?”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Delusions. That’s what’s wrong.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with striving to be the better version of oneself.”

  My voice rises. I’m doing all this because I want to be better. I can’t be a good officer or a decent person until I purge all this vengeful energy out of my system.

  “Aye, Mother Teresa.” He mocks.

  “What? Everyone would want that.”

  “I’m not everyone.”

  “Obviously.”

  The grey of his eyes is clear, and for some reason, that soothes me. “You shouldn’t be everyone either. Be yourself, everyone else has their own shit.”

  “You mean, everyone else is taken?”

  “My version is better.”

  I smile despite myself. “You can’t change a quote because you have a better version.”

  “Sure I can.”

  “Do you twist everything around?”

  He’s grinning wide. “Whenever fucking possible.”

  “You’re weird.”

  “Aren’t we all?”

  No. He’s more than the normal weird. And it’s pulling me in, dammit.

  We bicker some more about how he can’t change quotes. He can only steal them. I do that to Elle all the time.

  Shadow thinks idioms and quotes are nonsense if they’re preserved like they are. We have more versatile language now, so we should spice them up.

  When we head back to the stable, I actually feel a certain comfort. Ever since I came into Le Salon, I hadn’t felt as carefree as I did on this ride, and it’s thanks to the overbearing person behind me.

  He hops from the horse and offers his hand to help me. My chest flutters at the look in his overcast eyes. They’re too heated, but also unreadable.

  I suck in a deep breath, but before I can place my hand in his, the mare neighs and moves. I lose my balance and shriek while falling. Large hands clutch me by the hips. My hands land on his broad shoulders as my feet touch the ground.

  Shadow doesn’t remove his clutch on my hips. My top hunches up and his thumbs glide over my naked skin. My nipples throb and the sensation travels down my thighs.

  His stormy gaze roams all over my face with so much intensity. He looks like he wants to fuck me then hurt me. Or maybe fuck me and hurt me at the same time.

  A guttural moan lodges at the back of my throat.

  My heartbeat pounds in my throat, and my lids fight to flutter close. My lips tingle with anticipation until I taste it. Shadow’s breaths tickle the side of my neck, and I can feel his lips hovering inches away from the skin.

  He’s a monster, Zoe. Your father is a monster.

  Mum’s voice snaps me back to reality.

  I push Shadow away, my voice is as small as a mouse’s. “I can’t.”

  His inquisitive gaze studies me like he’s trying to rip his way inside my head and fish for answers. Honestly, I wouldn’t put anything above him.

  He wants to know why and if I don’t give him something convincing, he’ll continue to burst my walls open and wreak havoc.

  Someone like Shadow doesn’t seem like the giving up type. He’ll become a danger if he finds out that I’m only here for a specific purpose. Getting entangled in someone as lethal as him is a risk to my mission.

  I blurt out the first thing that I always used to push men away, “I have a boyfriend.”

  Shadow’s hands drop from either side of me. A part of me is disappointed. My empty body craves his.

  He turns and heads out of the park.

  I know it’s good for both of us, but when he doesn’t even give me a fleeting glance, my heart tugs.

  Nick’s words return in full blowing force.

  You’re so fucked up under that pretty face, Zoe. No one in their right mind would want you.

  I swallow the tears that threaten to spill. No matter how much I tried to ignore those words, they cut so deep.

  Because I’m starting to believe that maybe they’re true.

  Chapter Nine

  More than a week passes without much of a clue.

  Liam’s getting restless. Not because the lack of results? but because he believes my position will be compromised sooner or later.

  What I’m worried about is that these new leaders don’t seem to want President Joe in their business. It’s a bit tense around here, but I don’t think anyone is concerned about a war.

  If anything they’re ready for it.

  I’d hoped Mist or the mysterious Ghost would be smart enough to avoid casualties, but perhaps, they’re like Shadow and don’t give two fucks about something apocalyptic.

  With a nod, I thank the barmaid and take the tray of drinks. Booming music swallows the club area. My movements are automatic and bored as I distribute to each table. Some customers’ gazes linger a bit too much on the low cut of my dark red dress. However, no one has tried to cop a feel so far. Perhaps Mist’s terrorising ways are enough warning. I’ve seen her throw out rich men and politicians without batting an eye.

  She’s still my hero – aside from the drug thing.

  Natalie smiles at me from across the room. I smile back, but I doubt she sees it in the dim, red light and the chaos.

  This isn’t me. I’m not supposed to be a waitress in a club working every night until I have no energy left.

  The nightmares with Mum’s voice are returning, and I wake up with tears streaming down my cheeks and self-loathing burning underneath my skin.

  I’ve been keeping an eye on Le Salon, the underhanded dealings, and the secret meetings, but I still can’t find an opening to something big. Maybe I should’ve joined President Joe’s side and tried to dig his grave from there.

  Who am I kidding? I’d reveal my intentions towards him in no time. I resent him too much to be able to hide my hatred. He came over a few days ago for negotiations with Mist. All I saw was Mum’s dead face, and I almost attacked him. Which would’ve gotten me killed.

  My gaze strays to the lift and the stairs. A few more guards than usual are stationed near every exit. Mist has a meeting with a mysterious guest tonight. I should find an opening and try to eavesdrop and hopefully, come up with something useful.

  I turn towards the bar and stop short. Shadow is standing in the dim area across the dance floor with Lachlan and Scar. He’s wearing his standard dark jeans and a white T-shirt that hugs his impressive build. Even from this distance, I can still make out those snarling tigers as if they were tempting me close.

  Shadow hasn’t been paying me the slightest attention since the stroll in Hyde Park. He completely erased me as if I’m invisible.

  I’m the one who rejected him, but I’m itchy about the fact that I’m unworthy of a glance.

  Well, screw him. He doesn’t exist for me either.

  And yet, my gaze rakes over that mesmerising height of him and that ‘fuck the world’ posture. It doesn’t help that I’ve been visiting Nonna and the old woman has been telling me all sorts of stories about Shadow’s childhood. Most of them are tragic.

  The only reason why I’m hung up on him is because I pity him. Nothing more.

  Still…

  I cut a glare at Scar who’s wearing a short Barbie-style dress that hugs her petite, soft body. I want to ruin her perfect face and cut up her entire wardrobe. She’s the only woman here, aside from Mist, who dares to talk casually to Shadow and Julian.

  I hate that.

  I rip my gaze from them and search for Natalie. It’s almost closing time, and I need a drink stronger than my usual coffee.

  There’s no trace of Nat in the club, so I head to her sanctuary. She spends a shit load of time in the storeroom. Her way to hide from all the chaos, I guess.

  I halt at the foot of the stairs when I hear distorted noise. The music from the club hush
es in the background as I approach the ajar door with careful footsteps.

  “No, please.” Natalie’s brittle voice. “They’ll kill me.”

  My heartbeat skyrockets as I touch my lotus bracelet.

  A gruff male voice speaks next. “All you have to do is tell me what they want, babe, and then out ye go.”

  “No, no. Please.”

  I shove the door open and stride inside. A slim but tall man has a trembling Natalie caged against the row of alcohol boxes. Panic smudges her brown eyes and she shrinks back.

  The man is wearing a leather jacket and jeans that don’t flatter his bony physique. At my entrance, he throws a bored glance my way. His cheeks protrude and a long, faded scar runs from the middle of his forehead to his left cheek.

  I’ve seen that repulsive face in Liam’s reports and during that fight a few weeks ago.

  Johnny. President Joe’s second in command.

  I should’ve known that Mist’s mysterious guest has something to do with President Joe.

  Johnny obviously found a way to escape the security because I doubt they’ll let him roam Le Salon so freely.

  His filthy eyes travel up my bare legs, measure my hips, and my breasts before ogling my cleavage. He makes no effort to hide the lust written all over his face.

  It takes everything in me to swallow down the discomfort.

  “Who do we have here?” His attention is on me, but he doesn’t leave Nat alone. “Where does Mist find you pretty lot?”

  Instead of kicking his face, I smile wide. “Thank you. That’s so kind of you.”

  I discreetly motion for Natalie to move away.

  Johnny slams his hand on the other side of her. Natalie flinches and bows her head. Curls of brown hair cover her face.

  I slowly approach them as Johnny clutches her chin and squeezes until she whimpers. “Now tell me or I’ll slash your fucking face.”

  “She’s a useless whore.” I continue smiling, but the urge to commit violence is barely contained under the surface. “How about I help you?”

  Johnny lets go of Natalie and whirls around. There’s a sadistic gleam in his eyes like he needs to hurt and watch others suffer just because he can.

  Like my father.