A Kingpin Love Affair (The Complete Series 1-5) Boxed Set

by J. L. Beck

  “How did you know he left?” I whispered softly to her, wondering if Jared had called her.

  “He called Zerro. Told him he needed some time to breathe. Gia is with my dad, and I was already in the area, so I figured I would swing by.”

  “Well, thank you really, for coming by, for explaining the things that Jared fails to explain.” As soon as the words left my lips, I realized just how messed up what I had said really was. I still had yet to explain to him what had happened to me. I knew he had some idea though as Alzerro was the reason I was free.

  Bree laughed which in turn caused me to smile. “We all have a story that we have to tell as our own. He would’ve told you eventually. I just knew that right now I needed to tell you. Jared needs saving, and that’s the bottom line. He needs someone to reach inside of him and pour her light and love into him. I know you have darkness inside of you still. I know this because, for a while, I had it in me. But the same way everyone saw my light even when I didn’t, I see yours... Jared needs yours, Izzy.”

  Saving Jared. Those two words coinciding together in my mind, side by side, seemed as if they were impossible.

  “I don’t know if Jared can be saved,” I spoke quietly, my fingers drifting over the soft blanket beneath me.

  “We all can be saved. It’s just more about when than if...”

  I nodded my head in agreement knowing her words held the truth that could be reached if you had hope and faith—two things that had now become second nature to me.

  I would have faith I could be the light for Jared—even in my own darkness, I would have enough hope for the both of us.

  .

  Chapter Fifteen

  “She is as beautiful as she is smart. Fierce when she needs to be and quiet when she knows danger is lurking. She is an enigma and it is why she shall be yours.” The salesman spoke with ease. He was a short man with a large midsection, telling me he lived a rather lavish lifestyle. His head was bald, and his eyes were dark and beady.

  My eyes scanned the picture of the frail girl. Her eyes were dark and filled with fright. Her body was tiny, but you could tell she had a womanly body with curves created solely for hands to peruse. Her hair was long, dark, and curled.

  She stood straight up, her chin held high as if she had a point to prove to someone. To most, it may have been a sign of disrespect, maybe even blatant anger. However, to me it was a sign of her worth. Even being treated as a piece of property, the simple gesture of holding her head high told me just how valuable she truly was.

  “I want her,” I growled, my hand gripping the photo with force. My cock was growing hard with images of taking her over and over again. She would be my little slut, my woman to do with as I pleased.

  “Then she shall be yours, sir,” the salesman replied. He sounded just as excited about the exchange as I did. That in turn made me smile. I gestured to Oliver and watched as he handed over the envelope of cash. Then I smiled even wider, knowing that sooner or later she would be mine. It was all in due time now.

  “Boss, I have some news regarding Isabella.” I lifted my eyes, pulling myself from the memory as I waved my hand, motioning for Wyatt to continue on with what he was saying. Wyatt had become one of my men about two months ago. His mother was in need of money when I plucked him from her, bringing him in as my own. Wyatt’s hair had grown out a bit, the brown color looking ragged, his dark eyes bleeding into my own.

  “She is being protected by the United States FBI. They have put her under witness protection.” I narrowed my eyes at him. Witness Protection? Of course, they would enroll her in something like that as if it would make it less possible for me to find her.

  “How do you know this is true?” I questioned, taking a drink of my whiskey. I watched his face grow white as snow as if he didn’t want to tell me the lengths in which he had gone in order to find this tidbit of information.

  “I have intel, They work closely with the agent who helped to rescue her. Said they were on the agent’s special recovery team.” I smiled. Money could change a good person into a bad person in five seconds.

  “Anything else?” I asked another question, the whiskey in my glass swirling around in a hypnotizing way, drawing my attention to the caramel color that reminded me of her eyes in the picture I was given.

  “We have yet to set eyes on her, but from what my intel has told me, she is being protected by a man. Adam’s confirmation on location was correct. He is a driver for a company that does pickups and drop offs, only for the most important people in the state and has been spotted on French Island as he stated.”

  My fingers gripped the glass harder than expected thus causing the glass to shatter. Liquid dripped down my hand as glass pieces fell to the floor. Another man was protecting her? From me, her owner?

  “Are you all right, sir?” Stephen rushed to my side as if I were a five-year-old unable to hold my own glass of water.

  “Perfectly fine.” I shoved him away as I got up from my seat in search of something to dry my hands with.

  “What do you want to do next?” His question bounced around in my mind as I wiped the whiskey from my fingers. What did I want to do next? It was still too early for me to make my presence known, but I was also closer to her than I had ever been before. I had the choice to go in early without a well thought out plan and get what belonged to me, or I could act like the leader I was and find out everything I possibly could on the man who signed his death wish the moment he decided to be a hero.

  “Gather some information. I need to know who this man is, and I want to know everything. From what he eats for breakfast to what color socks he has on. I will also need to know the exact company he works for, how many drives he goes on a week, even the routes he takes. And then once you’ve given me what my heart desires, I want to meet him. The man who dared to test Isabella’s fate.” I smiled sickly knowing that if I got the chance, I would beat the life from his body one drop of blood at a time.

  “Meet him?” Wyatt’s voice surrounded me, causing my jaw to tick. Was he questioning my motives? Or just me in general? With a flick of my wrist, I pulled my knife out, pushing it against his throat before he even had a chance to correct his mistake. He knew better than to question me. They all knew, yet they were all testing me lately it would seem. I stared into his eyes, thoroughly considering his death. I needed to show them just because Isabella had my mind all over the place, I still held their lives in the palm of my hand.

  “What seems to be the issue, Wyatt? When I tell you to do something, you do it. Do you want to live, maybe continue to breathe?” I put pressure on the blade, causing it to press harder against his skin. I could see his skin breaking against the metal, a thin line of blood bubbling up over the blade.

  “I didn’t mean any harm, sir…” he stammered, his voice alone pissing me off even more.

  “You didn’t?” I leaned into him, my voice filled with disgust. Allowing him to walk away without harm being done to him would allow the other men to think they could question me whenever and however they pleased. That was a risk I was not willing to take. The whole reason they were here was because of me. My family had brought them into the United States. They owed me everything. Their lives most importantly. So when they fucked up, they paid in blood. That was the rule, their only option.

  “I didn’t, sir… You know I would never question you.” Wyatt’s eyes were begging me to extend my forgiveness, but there was no compassion in me to accept his plea. My body grew more and more alive with every passing second, waiting for another slip up so I could end his pathetic fucking life.

  “That’s funny because you already questioned me. So not only have you disobeyed my authority, you also lied straight to my face.” Wyatt’s breath came in heavy pants as I determined what was to be done with him.

  “I should have your tongue cut off. Maybe then you would learn to never question me.” I growled at him, squeezing his arm tightly as I jerked him over to the countertop of my bar. He was going t
o lose two fingers today. One for being Curious fucking George and another for lying to me. My men knew better than this.

  “Sir…” Antonio called, but I paid no attention to him as I removed the knife from Wyatt’s neck. Whatever he had to say to me would have to wait. I pushed Wyatt down so that the top half of his body was flushed against the smooth surface, his hand laid out in front of me. It was a shame to have to do this to him, I thought briefly as I held the blade up, watching it gleam in the light. Then I gripped his wrist hard, pushing it harder against the countertop. Wyatt’s eyes continued to silently plead with me, but there was no turning back now. I had already taken my knife out and it was hungry for more blood.

  “This is your offering to me for your transgressions. Let this be a lesson to you.” I smiled just as I brought the blade down on his thumb and pointer finger. His agony filled scream filled the air as the blade cut through his skin and bone with ease. Blood dripped from the blade as I lifted it up, crimson droplets falling on the surface. Wyatt yanked his hand from the table, hysterical screams falling from his lips.

  “Remove him and send Stephen to clean this mess,” I told Antonio, taking a seat back at my desk in the middle of my office. I held the blade in my hand, completely captivated by the blood.

  More blood would be shed.

  People would die and it would all be at my hands.

  I was the new king of the mafia.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jared

  The lights inside the bar blinded me, reminding me more and more why I shouldn’t be drinking, I told myself as I brought the beer to my lips. Her dark locks of hair in my mind. Her eyes were full of pleasure as she sank her teeth into her bottom lip.

  Shaking my head, I forced the image of her away. What was the point of leaving and coming here if I had continued to think about her after I was gone? She was fucking with my head, crawling under my skin, and embedding herself deep inside of me.

  “Another?” The blonde behind the bar asked, signaling toward my beer. I tipped my chin up at her letting her know I would, in fact, take another.

  “What the fuck is up with you?” I rolled my eyes. I knew that voice and I knew what it brought. A fucking headache.

  “Nothing is up with me. I’m simply having a beer after a long, strenuous day of work.” Alzerro took the seat next to me, a beer sitting in front of him before I could turn to face him. One look at him told me he needed a drink more than I did. His hair was a mess, his eyes creased in worry.

  He laughed low, his voice darker than usual. “You working? Really? I have yet to see a day where you were actually working.” I clenched my fist reminding myself of how rude it truly was to punch your best friend slash brother-in-law in the face, even if he did deserve it. Once an asshole, always an asshole.

  “Isabella is a lot more work than you told me she would be.” I cursed myself the moment the words left my mouth. I had all but opened the door to a conversation about Isabella and me. Even more, I had opened up the chance to discuss my feelings. He tipped his beer back, a smile curving around the top of the bottle.

  “Doesn’t matter what kind of woman they are. A woman, in general, is more work than just some easy lay.” Of course, he was speaking from experience. He was married to my sister after all.

  “At least Bree isn’t being chased by the Russian Mafia and forced to live with a man who is unstable, and unavailable in every emotional sense.” Fuck! I had to be drinking something stronger than beer. There was no way I was having a deep conversation so open and freely with him.

  “I think you have forgotten about the past. If I’m not mistaken, Bree once found herself in the home of a Mafia King with no way out.” He nudged my shoulder causing me to smile without cause.

  “Oh, no. I remember the big ole mean Mafia King you used to be. That’s beside the point though. Isabella deserves better living conditions.” There was no way I was going to tell him she was causing me to feel things—things I had never felt in my life. That she was slowly worming her way into my mind and body, and eventually, she would end up in my soul, too. I could feel myself grow weaker for her touch every single day.

  “I know the last three years I have been hard on you, wanting you to be the person I grew up with, so much so that every time I called or came over, I ended up telling you to get your shit together instead of giving you actual advice. But I want to tell you something, something that has changed how I look at things over the years. Something that turned me from that person, the Mafia King, who didn’t give two fucks who’s blood he spilled, into just Alzerro King.” I wanted to roll my eyes and tell him to shut up, but instead, I stopped myself wondering what kind of advice he wanted to give me. Then he opened his mouth and something I had never heard came out.

  “Fear is only what you make of it. What you fear isn’t really something you’re scared of, but something you think you are afraid of. Imagine everything you have ever wanted in your life is on the other side of that fear... What are you going to do to get to it? Conquer that fear or risk the chance of losing everything—of losing her?” My eyes grew wide, the air in my chest evaporated, and my heartbeat accelerated. I could feel the desire to flee taking over.

  “Don’t even think about it.” His hand landed heavily on my shoulder, keeping me in place. Grounding me.

  “I can’t be at risk of losing something that was never mine,” I growled. Being alone was always for the best when it came to me. It was easier to hide the pain than to face it head on.

  “She was yours the moment I told you to protect her. I saw the look in your eyes, Jared. Lie to yourself, to her, but you can’t lie to me because I see in you what I once felt within myself. The desire to be healed. I don’t know what you’re battling deep down inside of yourself, but I promise you if you open yourself up, she’ll be the one to heal you.” Misery, suffering, and rage were what I was battling deep within me. I was broken, the pain killing me slowly.

  “I don’t want your advice. I don’t want to be told how to love someone. I just want to be left the fuck alone.” I threw a twenty down on the bar and got my keys out of my pocket. Being home with Isabella might cause a thousand and one emotions to flow through me, but listening to Zerro talk about ways to heal my nonexistent heart was pissing me off far more than that.

  “You’re welcome.” He threw the remark over his shoulder as I headed toward the bar entrance. Forcing myself outside and away from him, I drank in the night, allowing deep breaths of air to filter into my lungs. My head was a mess, my body begging me to give it things it desired.

  Jumping on my bike, I started it and revved the engine allowing the noise to fill me. You got this. You know what’s best for you, not anyone else. Zooming off like a bat out of hell, I headed home weaving in and out of traffic as I went. Five minutes later, I pulled into my driveway. All the lights in the house were off and there was no music blaring from inside like last time. This time, there was only quietness and peace, both things settling deep into my bones.

  I cut the engine and then hopped off my bike, walking to the front door. My hand gripped the metal door handle tightly. It was cold and solid, bringing me back to the present. I reached in my pocket, removing my key and unlocking the door. With a twist of the knob, I entered the house only to discover it looked as if no one was here. My heart ached, a twisting feeling growing in my belly. What if she left?

  Something told me there would be no coming back from that. I might have been trying to push her away, to make her see I had nothing to offer, but pushing her as far as making her leave was never my intention. Did I push her too far this time? The twisting in my stomach grew more and more as I walked around the house. Nothing was out of place, yet the walls held an alarming eerie quietness to them.

  Whipping my jacket off, I headed toward her room, my booted feet heavy against the wood floor. I have to know, I thought as I came to a halt at her door. It was slightly opened, but no sounds of peaceful slumber could be heard through it.


  Lifting my hand unsteadily, I pushed it open the rest of the way. My eyes landing on her empty bed. It was made, sheets pulled up, and it looked as if no one had even attempted to lay in it.

  “Fuck!” I said loudly, slamming my fist into the wall. Fuck. Had I really pushed the only good thing to happen in my life away? My feet pounded back down the hallway toward my bedroom. Rage surged through my veins as I all but knocked the bedroom door open, barely noticing the sleeping form in my bed. The blankets were pulled up to her shoulders and she was curled into herself.

  She stirred slightly, and I cursed myself for being such a reckless asshole. I had failed to check the entire house before slamming shit around, before making a rash decision to do something stupid. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I removed my boots and clothes. Once just in my boxers, I pulled the covers back, my cock growing hard with every slip of the fabric off her skin. My eyes lingered on her bare back and then down where I found a shapely ass that was, in fact, naked. Fucking Christ.

  I gripped my hair hard. She was playing games with me—fucking with my head and messing with my heart. This was no longer the game of who could push who harder, no—now we’re on the verge of dangerous territory. She wanted to give herself to me, or at least it seemed that way. Instead of crawling into bed with her and sliding between her warm thighs, I walked to the other side of the bed, shaking her softly. Her eyes popped open immediately, they, of course, were heavy with sleep, but there was something more underneath. The look was smoldering, devouring even as if she would do whatever she could to get a taste of me.