The Sting of Love: A Mafia Romance (Gangsters and Dolls Book 5)

by Khardine Gray

  “It’s Belgian chocolate. Raw Belgian chocolate. I like making hot chocolate from it. It helps calm the soul.” He nods.

  He takes a cup from the cupboard and pours some of the mixture inside. It’s so thick and creamy it slurps into the cup. I already know it has to be super fattening but since I haven’t eaten much all day I think I can cut myself some slack.

  The smell is even more prominent, making my mouth water. I take a sip when Armand gives it to me and oh my goodness it really is delicious.

  “Hmmm, oh wow. I love it.” It doesn’t taste like any Belgian chocolate I’ve ever had in the States.

  “I am glad. My little girls used to love drinking that with cookies. Unfortunately we’ve run out of eggs so I couldn’t make any.”

  “You bake cookies?” I ask. It intrigues me because he looks like a tough guy who would be more at home in a Bruce Willis film as opposed to in the kitchen making hot chocolate and cookies.

  “I do bake, and so does Donny. My wife made sure we could all bake. Anything baked is instant stress relief.”

  “She was right.”

  “Yes, she was always right. She lived her life with so much positivity. A very wise woman who was beautiful on the inside as much as her outer appearance.”

  I want to ask what happened to her but the flicker of sadness in his eyes tells me I shouldn’t. His reference to her in the past tense gives me the feeling that she died, or she’d be here too.

  “That’s beautiful,” I tell him. “She seems like a great person.”

  “Thank you. She… died many years ago,” he answers confirming my thoughts.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that. My Evelyn was a firm believer doing whatever she could, no matter how small it may be to make life better. Even something as small as a cup of the best hot chocolate you will ever taste in your life.”

  I smile at that. “This is definitely the best hot chocolate I’ll ever taste. Thank you for making it for me.”

  He dips his head reverently. “How are you feeling?”

  My hands tense and I set the cup back on the table. “Okay. I’m okay.”

  “Cuts and bruises okay?”

  “Yeah,” I answer. Those were hardly worth mentioning. My knees still hurt but I’ll be fine. I’m trusting that I need to be here, but my mind keeps going back to Lurlene. “I’m still worried about my aunt, Armand. She’s like a second mother to me. Actually, she’s more like my mom than my actual mother. That’s why I came to Italy.”

  “She will be okay. I can assure you that Donny wouldn’t have left her with anyone who couldn’t take care of her if trouble came knocking on the door.”

  “I just um… wish she was aware of what was going on. That’s all. You can be more careful when you know.”

  “My dear girl, I completely understand, but if your aunt knew what was going on, or if you had told her what do you think would happen?” He raises a brow.

  I would be very stupid if I didn’t factor in all that could happen. “She would have gone crazy with worry and sent the police to get me.” That’s exactly what Lurlene would have done.

  He narrows his eyes slightly and I realize it’s because I mentioned the police. I’m sure it goes without saying that you never mention cops to people like Armand.

  “I won’t tell anybody. I just meant I know she would.”

  “I believe you,” he says. “But that is why we didn’t allow you to call her. I’m sure prior to today you would have told her exactly what was happening.”

  He holds my gaze and I can’t lie. “Yes… I was… scared.”

  “That is understandable.”

  “The people after Donny… what’s happening? I just want to know.”

  “It’s being dealt with as best as possible,” he answers but that doesn’t really tell me much.

  “He said someone set him up.”

  “He told you that?” He looks me over with curious eyes.

  “Yeah.”

  He releases a heavy sigh. “Sometimes things happen in our world we don’t have much control of. It means death if you make the wrong move by certain people’s opinions. One day things could be fine, the next you’d be lucky to see nightfall.”

  “Your world sounds hard.” It feels like I’m talking to an alien. I guess though I’m not far off since their world is alien to me. “How do you do it?”

  “We just do. But, mostly we don’t allow fear to stop us from living. At least we try not to.” He sits and temples his fingers, intensifying his stare on me. “The secret I suppose is allowing your heart to guide you.”

  Something about the way he said that grips me and I think about how I feel about Donny. My heart refuses to let go of him. All this time it continues to hold on.

  If I truly allowed my heart to guide me and pursued whatever I have with him, would my life be like this? With the worry of danger and death hanging over me every day?

  “Drink up and get some rest,” he says with a nod. “It’s been a long day.”

  “Yeah… it has.” I finish off the hot chocolate and Armand refills the jug of water, adding ice and a plate with slices of lemon.

  We bid each other goodnight and I make my way back up to Donny’s room.

  Donny’s still asleep. Deciding I probably should get some rest, I set the tray down on the night stand, switch the light off and turn on the bedside lamp, reducing the lighting to an amber glow.

  The next thing I do is something I haven’t done in close to a week. I climb into bed next to him. I just want to be close to him.

  I settle there slipping under the covers with my back to him, resting my head on my arm. Gazing out the window I watch the storm and think of what everyone must be doing back in LA. I’m sure Dad would have called me by now. None of my sisters would have called though. They never do. We aren’t close at all. I’m sure Mom must have told them I went to Italy.

  I can just imagine them gathered together talking about me. Jade and Varity are both married to successful men and they have kids. Two each, and Jade has another on the way. They see me as the free spirited maid who’ll get left on the shelf. I knew they agreed with what Mom said too that it was my fault that William ditched me. They always agree with her no matter what and no matter how I feel.

  I think the scare I got today snapped me out of the funk I’m in with Mom and I’ll call her back as soon as I’m able to. I won’t put it off any longer. What I won’t do either is allow my trust issues to get the better of me ever again. That and what people might think of me.

  I’ve always been this person who thinks she doesn’t care what people think, but I have. I truly have.

  That brings me to what I’m supposed to do about my feelings for Donny. Am I supposed to just forget?

  He basically told me he loved me. Since I feel the same way too, it’s going to be hard to just walk away from this. Definitely not when I don’t want to.

  I was so eager to run away from him, now I want him to keep me. I know though it won’t be as simple as that or he wouldn’t have ended things between us before they began. And we wouldn’t be here now.

  I close my eyes but open them again when a warm hand smooths over my waist and runs across my belly.

  I turn and face Donny and find him staring at me.

  In the soft amber glow the light mimics the same outline the moon would make if we were standing outside beneath the night sky.

  My lips part as I take him in and the warmth of his gaze but he places a finger over my lips and traces over my mouth.

  “You’re here…” he whispers and I nod with a little smile.

  “Right next to you.”

  His fingers brush over my cheek and when he moves to my lips I go to him too. Our lips meet for a slow, gentle kiss that soon becomes the fast needy kissing I’ve grown used to with him. I forget right and wrong, what we are and what we aren’t. All I know is what I feel for him.

  He stops kissing me and catche
s my jaw. “I want you.” He husks and his eyes darken to a molten steel.

  I want him too. I need him.

  “I need to be inside you,” he adds and arousal grips me making me wet instantly. My body misses his, misses his touch. I miss the feel of him inside me, claiming me.

  “Your head.” I remind him.

  “I want you, Willow,” he insists and reaches forward to tug on the hem of my shirt. “Take your clothes off.”

  My eyes never leave his as I shuffle to sit and take off my top. His gaze, heated with desire, burns straight through me as I take off my bra and my breasts bobble out invitingly toward him.

  He catches my left nipple between his thumb and forefinger and leans forward to suckle on my right breast. His mouth on me sends a shiver of delight racing through me and I shudder.

  He alternates his suckle from one breast to the other driving me insane with pleasure that sweeps through my body. It feels so good, I don’t ever want him to stop touching me.

  He moves down my stomach trailing hot greedy kisses all along my skin until he gets to the waistband of the yoga pants. I stop him there as an idea forms in my head that makes me greedy too.

  “Don’t stop me Bella,” he says with an edgy smile.

  “I’m not. I just want to taste you.”

  He straightens up and picks me up so I can straddle him. “Did you miss the taste of me Bella?”

  I cup his face and smile. “I did. I want to suck your cock.”

  “You’re too perfect.”

  I want to taste him and remember him, the way he feels, everything.

  I slide down his legs and pull at the waistband of his joggers. He helps me out by lifting his hips and easing his pants and boxers down his legs so his cock can spring free. I take hold of his cock gripping the base while he lays back to rest against the headboard and I hope that Armand doesn’t come to do any final checks on us. I’m actually enjoying this too much to care. The sight of Donny, with all his muscles and tattoos on show, and his massive cock in my hands is something I always want to remember. Just like everything else about him.

  I lower and take his cock into my mouth, licking the tip first then swirling around the fat mushroom head with my tongue. I taste the saltiness of a bead of precum and swallow it, relishing the taste of him as it hits the back of my throat.

  He groans and runs his fingers through my hair, encouraging me to continue so I do. I suck harder, working him with my mouth until he starts moving his hips so he can fuck my mouth. When his cock pulses I know he’s near climax, so I’m not surprised when he reaches for me and positions me on my hands and knees.

  “I want you like this,” he tells me as my hair falls forward over my face. “Hands and knees while I take you from behind.”

  He pulls down my pants and panties, shedding my clothes for me and licks over my pussy lips before he lines the fat head of his cock with my entrance. Gripping my hips hard, he plunges into me, deep. So deep the impact jolts my body forward and I gasp, grabbing on to the bed sheets.

  His cock inside me feels so good I come instantly. I moan out so loud with the raw pleasure of need and the craving for more comes to claim me with a vengeance. When he starts pumping, hitting me with one blast of pleasure after another I see stars. They speckle my vision first then blind me as my head feels light.

  The pleasure seeps into my veins, heating my blood as it works its way through my being on a wave of vicious energy. He gives me more, pumping into me with his own need. Our bodies slap together and ecstasy sings through my veins.

  As he starts to fuck me hard I feel like I’m going to faint. We’re both moaning and groaning now from the wild sensation that overpowers us. I come again when his balls slap against my mound. My walls grip him and he pounds into me in a rapid rush of need, filling me with hot cum as he comes too.

  He doesn’t let go of me when we calm down. Instead he pulls me into his arms and holds me close to his heart. I shuffle to face him and his lips come crashing down on mine once again.

  This is supposed to be us broken up yet I don’t know how I’m supposed to be without him.

  Or say goodbye again when the time comes.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Donny

  Look at her there asleep on the bed…

  She looks so blissful. Completely spent from the night we had.

  Last night unearthed all the emotions I’ve been trying to push out of my mind. It just dug them all up and now I find myself sitting here, by another window just like the other week, questioning myself and my actions.

  I gave away my secret by telling her loving her made me crazy. It did. It fucking does. I can’t see for shit when it comes to this doll and I honestly don’t know how I didn’t die when I saw her in the middle of the sea going down to her death.

  I look at her now and I can’t believe I swam against such a strong current after hitting my head.

  The current slammed me against a rock as I dived in. The sea was vicious enough, stirred by the onslaught of the storm, but the current was the real devil. It nearly took my oldest sister when we were little kids. It was Ma who saved her.

  I thank God I was able to save Willow. I don’t know what I would have done if I was a minute later. Even a second would have had an impact. I’m so glad I left the city when I did, getting here just in time.

  Pa had just ran out of the house to look for her. All he said to me was that she escaped through the window and went into the sea. I then ran with everything inside me knowing she’d be in trouble.

  Now, she’s in my bed once again and she feels like my girl. Once again I know I can’t keep her. I’m a mobster. I’m in the mafia, I work for a powerful boss who’s feared as much as he is revered. Things have come to that point again where reality has reared its ugly head repeating the same mantra to me.

  Willow doesn’t belong in my world.

  And… I don’t belong in hers. That’s what I need to tell myself so I can give her her freedom and set her free from my heart too.

  Yesterday terrified me because I nearly lost her, but I can’t be mad at her for trying to escape. Anybody in her shoes would have done the same. I kidnapped her.

  A knock on the door takes my focus away. I get up, open the door, and find my father standing in the corridor. His eyes go to Willow in my bed. Her bare shoulders with the silky sheet covering her breasts is enough of a tell of what we did in here last night.

  I don’t hide things like that from my father. I won’t stay inside the room either and wake her, so I join him in the corridor and close the door so we can talk.

  “You okay son?” he asks. Although his eyes carry a sheen of worry, there’s a sparkle in them for what he just saw.

  “I’m okay,” I answer. “I have to head back into the city today. I should have gone already.”

  Pa’s brows knit together. “Donatello, you took a real bad hit boy. You know you did.” He glares at me.

  I know. My damn head still hurts like a bitch and that’s after taking painkillers.

  “Pa, I got to sort this. I’m in charge. I have to act like it.”

  “I understand, but going out to battle when you aren’t a hundred percent is just asking for shit to happen.”

  “I know.”

  I managed to shoot Alex a message yesterday before I fell asleep letting him know what happened to me and that I wouldn’t be back until today. Other than a reply from him telling me he’d take care of things, I haven’t heard anything since so I’m assuming nothing’s happened.

  When we checked out the addresses the other day, Amadeo wasn’t at either, but there was activity at the larger house in Syracuse. Men secured the perimeters, guarding it. They’d only behave that way if they had something to protect. That told me that house might be Amadeo’s base and he’ll be back. We just have to be ready for when that happens. I have to be.

  “Please just do me a favor and take care of her,” I say to him.

  He chuckles. “My boy, it’s a g
ood thing I can see how much you care for her. She can give an old man a stroke. That’s what I nearly got yesterday when I realized she’d gone through the window.”

  “I know. Me too. But please, Pa… just make sure she’s safe. Make sure she stays put.”

  “I don’t think you have to worry about that Donny. I don’t think she’ll be going anywhere.” He gives me a knowing smile. “You… love her.”

  I bite the inside of my lip and glance down at the swirling patterns of the marble floor briefly then flick my gaze up to meet his.

  “Yeah. I kind of let that slip, didn’t I?”

  “Yes… but it’s far worse to keep a secret like that and never share it. It changed the tide in your favor because knowing that made her trust you. She loves you too, Donny.”

  A small smile inches across my lips but I stop it from forming fully. “It’s nice to know, but… it doesn’t change anything. It’s all messed up Pa. Look at the situation. We met, had this crazy romance then shit happened and I realized I shouldn’t be with her. More shit happened to involve her and I had to kidnap her to keep her safe. Lock her away where only you and I can find her. That’s messed up.”

  No one can tell me any different because truth is truth.

  Pa tenses his jaw and a line etches between his brows. He agrees with me but doesn’t want to accept it. I guess for him, it’s been a long time that he’s wanted me to find a woman and start a family. He knows what I speak though is truth and it would be wrong for me to pursue anything with Willow.

  He sighs and nods. “I’ll …take care of her. Keep me posted on what’s going on when you can.”

  “I will, and thank you father.” I only call him father in moments like these when I want to express my deep gratitude. He gives me a reassuring pat on my shoulder then leaves me.

  I open the door to find Willow sitting up in bed with the sheet covering her breasts. Her hair is tousled to the side in those sexy waves. A little smile lifts the corners of her mouth when she sees me and her bright blue eyes twinkle. This is a sight I would have loved to wake up to everyday. It makes me smile too.