by Lux Miller
I huff and cross my arms. “So why waste everyone’s time if he knew it was hopeless to start?”
Dante rolls his eyes as he reloads the gun with a smirk. “Nobody said it was hopeless. But this isn’t one man’s job. You don’t trust Leo, so how could you possibly trust him enough to teach you how to operate this?”
He waves the gun around and pushes it back into my hands. My eyes widen as I look down at it nervously, but he chuckles. “Relax, the safety is on.”
I glance over at Leo and shake my head. “You expect me to let him touch a gun again right now after that display?”
Dante snorts. “Hardly. I’m going to teach your how to shoot it. And when you aren’t a danger anymore to the public at large, I will turn you over to the man that can teach you how to hit a target. Luca and I are good with guns. We’ve been shooting since we were kids, but the kind of jobs we’re involved in… quantity is favored over quality. Overkill, you might say. We don’t have to be accurate, because we can pop a dozen rounds into a man and get the same result as getting off one good shot.
“But we have the element of surprise on our side. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to fire a gun for your protection, you’re not going to have a large arsenal of ammunition at your disposal. You may only get one shot. That’s why Luca wants you to be accurate, not foolhardy.”
I nod in understanding. What Dante’s saying makes sense to me. It doesn’t make me any happier about handling the firearm at all, much less Leo continuing to teach me, but at least I get a break from Rambo over there. The man is literally pacing back and forth, muttering under his breath. I can’t understand what he’s saying, but it isn’t nice. That much is obvious by his tone. I glance at Leo, then back at Dante pointedly. He just shrugs in response. “The man may be a loose cannon, but he’s a valuable asset to have on our side. Luca thinks I’m completely insane, but trust me. We’d be fools to look this gift horse in the mouth.”
He doesn’t specifically say so, but I get the feeling we’re not talking about Leo teaching me to shoot anymore. I know better than to press too deeply into family affairs, and I can only assume this has something to do with that. It is rather interesting that a horde of cops showed up to the hotel and arrested everyone, but Luca and I were let go rather easily. I mean, sure, I was the obvious victim there, but even though he was too, I figured the NOPD would be jumping at the bit to slam Luca right back in jail after the stunt we pulled to get him released on their previous charges. He’s a known criminal with an extensive record, yet somehow, he escaped unscathed, while Parker and Parker’s men are having the book thrown at them.
I’m not even going to pretend that I’m privy to how the family business really works, but if you ask me, something is brewing under the surface. The NOPD has their hands in way more than I originally realized. I just hope that whenever things come to a head, the ashes fall in our favor.
Dante chuckles and adjusts my hands on the gun, pointing it down the lane as he pulls my ear protection back over my ears. He tugs me against his side and slides his left arm around me, positioning so that I’m standing in front of him with my back pressed up against him. He puts his hands over mine on the gun and guides my finger onto the trigger. Once he lines up my shot for me, he disengages the safety and puts his own trigger finger over mine. I wince as he presses down hard enough to make me pull it.
The gun fires with a jerky pop. Because of Dante’s strong hands on the gun, it thankfully doesn’t hit me in the face as it recoils. In fact, the recoil was so minimal in Dante’s capable hands, that I’m left standing there with my mouth hanging open. He smirks and nudges me, pulling his finger off mine, but keeping his hands firmly on the butt of the gun.
I close both of my eyes and pull the trigger again. I can feel the gun recoil and it’s more than before, but way less than when Leo was trying to teach me how to shoot. Dante digs his elbows into my shoulders gently, and I pull the trigger again, this time with my eyes open. I don’t think I’ll ever admit to him that I closed my eyes last time. To my surprise, there’s two new dings on the target at the end of the lane that weren’t there before.
I gasp and turn around to look at Dante. He chuckles and shakes his head, pulling the gun out of my hands with a smirk. He puts the safety back on, then pulls his ear protection completely off. I nudge mine off too and eye him curiously. “Are those my shots?”
Dante nods. “Yeah, the one closer to the bullseye was when I pulled the trigger for you, but you hit the target on your own. It wouldn’t be a kill shot by any means, but it might slow an aggressor down. This is probably about the best I can get you. Your biggest thing is going to be getting over your fear of pulling the trigger. A gun you can’t shoot is a worthless tool to you, unless you happen to get close enough to slam the butt of the gun into someone’s face.”
He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip, and I shudder, taking a step back from him. He shakes his head and smiles. “Relax, Emily. I’m not going to flirt with my brother’s wife. Although I can’t believe you really agreed to marry the bastard. I’m just concerned with how you’re holding up. I realize you haven’t really spent much time at home, and truthfully, what you suffered at hands of Parker… that’s not something people just get over…”
I shrug and bring my own fingers up to my split lip. “If my time with Andre taught me nothing else, I certainly learned how to compartmentalize things. If I’m lucky, I can convince myself that the whole ordeal with Parker never happened…”
Dante nods with a sigh. “And if you can’t?”
I look up at him and shrug my shoulders, “Then I do what women have done for centuries to deal with emotional and physical trauma. I put on my big girl panties, reach down deep into the depths of resilience that my parents instilled in me, and hope to God that Luca can love me through it…”
SEVENTEEN
My heart lurches into my throat as Dante pulls the car into the winding driveway. Yet again, a new emotion surges through my veins upon seeing the house. Curiosity. After Dante supervised Leo teaching me how to aim the blasted gun, he told me that it’s a good thing that Luca had a backup plan that should prove effective if I’m not able to get a handle on the shooting thing. Dante is confident I can shoot a gun, but he doesn’t seem to be so convinced that I can actually hit something.
As the car rolls to a stop, I glance over at Noemi, who looks absolutely guilty. She’s twiddling her thumbs in her lap and sneaking glances to the front seat at Kyle. Kyle is equally projecting his guilt, and if Dante doesn’t know that something is up between these two, then his mind has been preoccupied for the last four hours beyond trying to teach me how to shoot.
More than once at the shooting range, I caught Noemi and Kyle sucking face, and I’m almost certain they snuck off to fuck somewhere because they were gone for a long time. Noemi made some kind of excuse of going looking for a bathroom, and I think Dante actually bought it. Either he just wasn’t paying enough attention to her because he explicitly trusts Kyle, or he’s sorely oblivious to just how devious and deceitful Noemi can be.
She glances up at me from her lap, and her cheeks flush instantly. I didn’t even mention what I think happened, and she’s showing her hand already. I nudge her and whisper, “Damn Noemi, if you looked any guiltier right now, they’d take him out behind the house and that would the last anyone ever heard from him. He’d be gator food. Quit looking at him… it’s written all over your face what you let him do!”
Noemi shrugs, tossing her hair out of her face. She keeps her voice quiet, but her tone is impassive, “If they’d any idea, they’d say something. Besides, it’s not anything you and Luca, and Dante and that redhead aren’t doing.”
I gasp in surprise and shake my head. “First of all, Luca and I are married… and second of all, don’t change the subject….” My voice trails off as what she says clicks in my head. “Dante’s doing what now?”
Noemi shrugs. “It’s not a what...it’s a who. And she l
ooks suspiciously like someone from his past. Isn’t that right, brother?”
Dante glances up in the rearview mirror as Noemi raises her voice at him, “If you’re doing what I think you’re doing… and who… you’re walking a dangerously thin line between exotic and psychotic…”
Dante narrows his eyes at his little sister. “And what do you think I’m doing?”
Noemi crosses her arms over her chest, but her pouty frown doesn’t stick as Kyle turns his attention on her. She’s almost giddy for the moment when their eyes meet, but I elbow her hard, and she takes a damn chill pill.
She huffs and replies to Dante, “From what I saw… and from the sudden presence of her brother in our lives… I’d almost say you’ve fallen back into bed with Camilla Rossi… again… You should know by now that things with her never end well. And if you break her heart again, her father will literally kill you.”
Dante shrugs and pushes his door open. “Good thing I’m not dumb enough to try to do a friends with benefits thing with someone we all know I can’t be friends with…”
He’s out of the car before anybody can reply, and he punctuates that that’s the end of the discussion with a not-so-subtle slam of the door. I shrug and glance to the front seat, where I catch Kyle watching us in the rearview. “You know, the two of you aren’t very discreet,” I chastise him.
Noemi shrugs and speaks up, “We’re both consenting adults… my brothers can’t dictate who I have sex with.”
I cough, praying that the car isn’t bugged. I point at Kyle and shake my head, “They won’t do anything to her… but exactly how confident are you that they’ll be forgiving of this insane dalliance when they find out?”
Kyle clears his throat, his voice quiet but firm as he replies, “Not at all confident. Which is why we can’t get caught.”
I snort, “Well today wasn’t very discreet, FYI. You’re one fuckup from disaster. And for the record, I’m fairly sure Leo saw the two of you sneak off. I sure hope there isn’t enough bad blood in your past with him to warrant a vendetta, because from what I’ve seen, he’s not a forgiving man, either.”
Kyle nods, and I swear his face looks a little green.
I throw my hands up and shake my head at him. “You’re just now considering that they’ll eventually find out you’ve had your dick inside their little sister?” I turn and look at Noemi in surprise, “You two really didn’t think this through, did you?” I turn back to Kyle and admonish him, “They’re paying you to protect her from men like you…”
I slap my hand against my forehead and push my own door open. “You two better figure this out...and quick… and for God’s sake Noemi, discretion can be your best friend. Quit undressing him with your eyes, and at least make it to the bedroom before you start foaming at the mouth. Better yet, go to a damn hotel! You’re seriously playing with fire by fucking under Luca’s roof… and next to his room.”
I climb out of the car and walk inside, ignoring the grumbled mumblings of Noemi as she slips in behind me and stomps upstairs. I know that she doesn’t like to have things pointed out to her like that, but she’s playing with a fire she can’t control - my husband’s temper. And Dante’s too… he’s just as protective of Noemi as Luca is, if not more since their father died.
I roll my eyes and start ducking my head into various rooms, looking for Luca. I find him seated at the head of the large, mahogany table that takes up more than two-thirds of the room I’m not allowed inside. Dante is seated to his right and they’re deep in conversation when I find them. I decide it’s probably best not to disturb them, and I’m retreating out of the room as I hear an ear-piercing scream from upstairs.
Both of their heads jerk up, and I stand there, frozen to the spot like an idiot as they jump up from the table and brush past me, pushing me out into the hallway as they both race up the stairs.
It only takes a moment for me to regain my wits and follow them up the staircase. I almost collide with Luca’s broad back as he stops suddenly in the doorway and bursts into laughter. Dante’s shoulders shake with laughter too, and now I absolutely have to see what the commotion is about. I’m just praying I’m not about to see Noemi or Kyle naked.
I push my way between Luca and Dante, and the sight that greets me is about the last thing I expected to see. Noemi’s voice is shrill as she points at a ball of fluff that scampers around her, weaving in and out of her feet. “Get it out of my room!”
Luca’s laugh is deep and bellowing as he strides across the room and leans down to grab the wiggling, fuzzy thing that yips at him as he grabs it behind the scruff of its neck. Little legs flail about as he wraps his arm around it and walks back over to Dante and me. He chuckles, “I’d hoped to introduce the two of you a little bit differently, but this little guy is Plan B, since the gun range apparently didn’t work out.”
I look over at Dante and nudge him, “Couldn’t wait to tell him how pathetic I was, huh?”
Dante holds his hands up in front of himself, “He asked, and I answered honestly. I may be bigger than him physically, but he has more power than I could ever hope to have.”
I roll my eyes at Dante and slap his arm, “Complete cop out... “
Dante shrugs, twisting his lips into a smirk, “Not gonna deny it. You suck at defending yourself, so Luca got something that’ll stand guard.”
I lean over to Luca to look at it and shake my head, “Is there anything to it, or is it just a furball?”
Luca laughs and dumps the squirming bundle into my arms. I squeak, and a tongue finds its way to my face, licking the length of my cheek. I grab the flailing thing in my hands and hold it out from my face with a laugh. “It’s awful friendly. And not very scary… in fact, it’s rather cute.”
Luca nods with a chuckle, “Well, it’s a baby. When he’s full-grown, he’ll top a hundred and twenty pounds and stand almost three feet high.”
I blink as I set the fidgety bundle of fur on the floor, and he dashes back over toward Noemi. She squeals and stomps on the floor,and it skids to a stop to avoid her, but trips over its paws and tumbles head over heels under her bed.
Noemi wheels on the three of us and points accusingly, “That little… rat… thing was digging in my trash!” Her eyes go wide, and she snatches the waste-basket up and starts digging through it. Instantly, I’m grossed out by the real possibility that she’s searching for used condoms.
Luca ignores her and turns to me. “Do you like him?”
I giggle and nod. “He’s cute, yeah.”
Noemi huffs, “He’s a monster… and a thief…”
I shrug and kneel down, patting the floor. His fuzzy black face peeks out from under the bed. He glances up and when he sees Noemi, he yelps softly and tears across the room, nearly diving into my arms. I stand up with him firmly in my grasp and scratch between his ears. His entire back end wiggles as I scratch down the length of his back. He nuzzles into me, and I take that as a sign of approval. “I think he likes me, but you know he’s going to rule things around here. Ha, maybe I should call him Boss…”
Luca nods with a chuckle, “I like it. Boss, it is. Now let’s get this mess he’s created picked up. He has a crate in our bedroom if you want to put him in it.”
I slip out of the room and settle the yawning puppy into said crate. He whimpers softly as I walk away, but quickly settles down. I walk back down to Noemi’s room to help clean up the mess that he made by dragging her trash everywhere, but when I walk into the room, it’s dead silent and nobody is moving.
Luca is holding something in his hands with a look of utter shock on his face. He whirls on me and holds it up, “Is this yours?”
I blink in surprise and walk over to him, recognizing what he’s holding with a gasp. I shake my head quickly, “It’s not mine, I swear.”
Luca turns to Dante and shakes his head, “If it isn’t Emily’s...then...who?”
Luca’s face grows stormy as he and Dante both turn to look at Noemi. Her eyes widen as her brothers
stare her down. She nibbles on her bottom lip nervously, and it’s Luca who speaks up first, “This is yours? Noemi! You’re pregnant?”
Noemi winces and takes a couple of steps back away from the guys, the backs of her legs hitting her bed. She stands there, staring in shock as both Luca and Dante’s faces mirror a maelstrom. Finally, she nods quickly.
Dante roars, slamming his fist into his outstretched hand, “What the fuck? How?” He eyes narrow as they land on Noemi’s face. “Wait, don’t answer that. Who?”
Realization dawns on me as I hear quick footsteps behind me. I turn around in time to see Kyle skid to a stop in the doorway. “Is everything okay? I was patrolling outside and heard Noemi scream…”
Luca turns to face Kyle and his nostrils flare. “No, it’s really not. Seems you haven’t been doing your job very well. Noemi is pregnant! How the fuck did she have a chance to get pregnant? You’re supposed to shadow her and be near her at all times! Who was she fucking?!?”
