Witness: A Dark Mafia Romance (Romano Brothers Book 2)

by Samantha Cade

  We take Lily’s car over there, though I insist on driving. I can’t take the chance of her trying anything funny. I trust her, at least, I think I do. Still, I can’t let my guard down. Leo and Vince would never let me forget it.

  Tyler’s house is a lot like Lily’s, nearly identical besides a different color paint. When I was a kid, they started throwing these houses up, constructing whole neighborhoods out of nothing. Before then, this was home to the working class, people who didn’t have money to waste on perfectly symmetrical hedges. With these neighborhoods came a new class of people. I went to school with a lot of them, Lily included. We commingled well enough, but we weren’t really integrated. It’s not that the new WASP kids looked down on me. They were too scared of me to do that. They just kept their distance.

  Lily was like that, polite, but detached, until we were paired together in Chemistry class that fateful day, and got to know each other. She had a weird sense of humor hidden beneath her shyness, and I loved prying it loose. She had a different way of looking at the world, and it intrigued me. It helped that she was good looking too. We’d sit at our table in the back of the classroom, whispering to each other. It was a game. We tried to make the other one laugh so they’d get in trouble.

  This was also just after Nico, my cousin, who was really a brother, was murdered by a rival family. I never saw myself buddying up with a chick like Lily before, but it felt good to have a friend again. And, of course, me being me, I put the moves on her underneath the bleachers after school. I thought she’d slap my face. I was shocked when she kissed me back.

  Lily knocks on the door. Jenna answers, her face long.

  “Jesus, who died?” I say, followed by a snort.

  Jenna blinks up at me. “Mateo. I didn’t expect to see you.” She smiles at Lily.

  Lily’s eyes twitch, and she clenches her hands into fists. “Yeah, we’ve been hanging out,” she says, not at all convincingly.

  I slip my arm around Lily’s shoulder, and smile confidently. “We’re dating.”

  Lily’s back straightens beneath my arm. The look on her face is priceless. She’s trying to stay calm, but I can tell she’s freaking out inside.

  “Lily Barnes,” Jenna says, nudging Lily. Jenna’s face goes serious. “For your information, Mateo, Tyler is still recovering from his traumatic experience last night. He needs our support.” She gives us a hard look, then leads us into the house.

  We walk into the living room, and there’s Tyler lying on the couch. He’s covered in a blanket, and there’s used tissues all over his lap.

  What the fuck?

  “Thank God you’re here, Lily,” Tyler says, looking up from the phone he’s clutching. “And Mateo, I don’t know how to thank you for saving my life. I’m so grateful.”

  “Don’t mention it,” I say, waving my hand.

  “No, seriously. I owe you,” Tyler says.

  “Don’t say that if you don’t mean it,” I tell him seriously. Tyler’s face goes white.

  I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Does Tyler really think that what happened to him last night was a big deal? I’ve had plenty of near death experiences, and I always got on with life the next day.

  “How you doing, Ty?” Lily asks, stroking his arm.

  “I’m okay,” Tyler says, nodding softly. “It comes and goes in waves.” He pauses to take a deep breath. His voice cracks, and he buries his face in his hands. “I just keep getting this feeling, like, my hands start sweating, my heart, absolutely pounding. I hope you never experience that, knowing your life is in danger, being sure that you’re going to die.”

  I squint my eyes at Lily, wondering if she’s really taking him seriously. She ignores me.

  “It was really scary, Ty,” Lily says. “But you’re here now. Don’t let it bother you.”

  Tyler scoffs. “Do you hear what you’re saying? I almost died.”

  Lily rubs the back of his neck, shushing him. She rolls her eyes quickly. I’m satisfied to see she thinks he’s as full of shit as I do.

  “What is this?” Tyler asks, gesturing at Lily and me with a tissue. “What’s going on?”

  “Mateo and Lily are together,” Jenna says. “Isn’t that great?”

  Tyler clutches his chest. “That’s amazing. It’s so much comfort to know that my horrific experience brought two people together.”

  Lily blinks rapidly. I can almost feel how uncomfortable she is. I smile thinking about all the shit I can give her later.

  What the fuck, Mateo? You’re supposed to be watching her. She’s not your friend. And she thinks you’re an evil monster.

  “What do you need, honey?” Lily asks Tyler.

  Tyler lies back on his pillow, pulling the blanket up to his chin. “I’m just glad you’re here. Actually, could you make me some tea?”

  “You got it,” Lily says.

  “I’ll help,” I say, jumping up and following her to the kitchen.

  I watch her closely as she fills a kettle with water and puts in on the stove.

  “I’m not even allowed to leave the room?” Lily asks. “Do you think I’m that sneaky?”

  I lean against the counter, crossing my arms. “Nah, I just wanted to leave the pity party. Can you believe this jackass? He didn’t even get hurt.”

  Lily puts her hands on her hips, curling her lips angrily. She’s so hot when she’s mad.

  “You know, some people aren’t used to almost dying,” she says. “Not everyone is desensitized like you.”

  “Come on, are you buying this act? It’s a little dramatic. Don’t you think?”

  The kettle whistles. Lily turns off the stove.

  “That’s just Tyler,” she says.

  “You don’t have to play along with his delusions, you know,” I say.

  “It’s what I’ve always done.”

  Lily slips a teabag into the mug, and pours hot water over it. Steam billows in her face, making her bat her lashes.

  Fucking beautiful, I think.

  I walk behind her. When she turns around, I block her way, trapping her against the counter.

  “Let’s go somewhere,” I say.

  Lily gulps. “I shouldn’t leave Tyler.”

  “I don’t want to be here any longer.”

  “I told you, you can leave anytime. Could you get out of my way?”

  I shake my head, slowly. “Don’t lie to me and say you want to be here too. Let’s go to the beach.”

  “What? It’s cold outside.”

  I step closer to her, and grab the counter behind her. Her hips are between my arms, but I’m not touching her. I lean in, getting my face close to hers.

  “Your big strong boyfriend will keep you warm,” I say. I’m well aware that I’m only half joking.

  Lily’s gaze freezes on my eyes, then she suddenly scrunches her face.

  “You’re such an asshole,” she says, squeezing past me.

  “So, you in?” I say.

  Lily stops at the entrance. She turns to me, looking defeated. “Yeah, I’m in,” she snarls.

  ————————

  I question my own motives as I drive us to the shore. Usually, I take a girl to the beach for one reason, and one reason only. It’s a romantic area, especially this time of year when no one’s out there, which makes it easier to get into their pants.

  Is that what I really want from Lily? Whether I want it or not, I shouldn’t do it. Leo warned me not to let her get to my head, and I think he’s right.

  Still, here I am, driving her to the beach.

  We walk down the steps to the shore. Lily stops. I look back and see her take off her shoes and socks, then nestle her toes into the sand. She closes her eyes, parts her lips, and takes a deep breath.

  “Been a long time since you’ve seen the ocean?” I ask.

  Lily looks into the distance, her gaze falling on the distant horizon. Her expression is shaky, raw. “I just wish I could… I wish I could forget.”

  “About what?”
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  As soon as the words leave my mouth, I feel like an idiot. Of course, she’s talking about last night, when she saw a man die for the first time. Maybe she’s right, I am desensitized.

  I realize how callous I’ve been towards her, expecting her to just brush it off. I feel guilty, and I hate that fucking feeling.

  I walk up beside her, then carefully touch her arm.

  “You will,” I say. “It just takes time.”

  She looks up at me, and I see there’s tears in her eyes. “Is that true? Is that how it is for you?”

  I nod, then grab her hand. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

  We walk a half mile down the beach until we come to the pier. We sit beneath it, watching the waves wash in and out. Lily’s leaning forward on her knees, tracing lines in the sand. I can only imagine what’s going through her head right now.

  “Have I told you about my nephew?” I ask.

  Lily looks up at me in confusion, processing the question. “I didn’t know you had a nephew.”

  “You haven’t heard about the great Nico?” I say, pulling out my phone. I flip to a picture of him wearing a cape made from a bed sheet. “Here he is. He’s Leo’s kid.”

  Lily smiles, and it’s the sweetest thing I’ve seen all day. I flip through my camera roll, and show her a video of Nico doing summersaults.

  “You seem like a good uncle,” she says.

  “The best.”

  Lily bites her lip thoughtfully. “Nico. He’s named after-“ She stops talking abruptly.

  “Nice, huh?” I say. “Nico and I used to come here all the time, to this very pier. I can still see them over there behind the columns, his hand up some girl’s shirt.”

  I laugh, expecting Lily to do the same. But she’s quiet.

  “You never talked about him back then, even though it had just happened,” she says.

  I heave my shoulders, not wanting to get into this heavy shit. “Well, you know, I didn’t exactly know how to deal with it. I still don’t talk about him much, if you want to know the truth.”

  “You should.”

  “What’s the point? He’s gone. In my line of work, no one’s guaranteed the next day. But Nico was gone before I understood that, so it really affected me.”

  I keep my face hard, determined not to show any emotion. What the hell am I doing? Why am I opening up to her?

  I flip through a few more pictures, but Lily’s not looking at the screen, she’s looking at me. Lily’s face is an open book. I can tell just how she’s feeling, no matter what she says. Right now, she’s sad. But it’s not her sadness, it’s mine. Normally I wouldn’t want someone pitying me, but for once, she’s not looking at me like I’m just a coldblooded killer.

  A few seconds pass, and I realize I’m still staring at her, looking deep into her eyes. I have the urge to be closer to her, and I can’t think of anything else. But she doesn’t want me to kiss her. She looks down on me, hates me even.

  Lily opens her mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Instead, she raises her hand, and lays it against my cheek. This sparks something inside of me. All I can see is her. Nothing exists but her and her pink, heart shaped lips, and her cheeks tinged with coldness. I move forward a bit, just to test the waters. She doesn’t back away, so I keep going. At the last second, she closes her eyes, and cranes her head back.

  I grab her hair at the back of her head, and crash my lips against hers. Lily’s lips are rigid at first, but soon, they open. I slip my tongue inside of her mouth. Her taste makes me growl, and I kiss her deeper. Lily’s hand lays delicately against my chest. I swallow the moans that fall from her mouth.

  I’m so wrapped up in her, it takes me awhile to notice the cold water rushing into my lap. I pull myself away from her lips and watch the foam gather around us.

  “The tide’s coming in,” I say, my voice as strained as my pants. “Do you want to move?”

  Lily blinks up at me, her eyes bright. “No.”

  I grab her by the hips, and pull her into my lap. She sinks against me. I kiss her again. The sea swirls around us, pushing us closer together. I can feel Lily’s skin through her wet clothes. I curl my arms around her, pressing her hard against me, cradling her entire body in my arms as I explore her mouth with my tongue.

  Usually, I don’t spend much time kissing girls. By now, I’d be inching my hand up her shirt, and plotting how I was going to get her pants off. But right now, her warm, open mouth, and the flutter of her heart against my chest, is enough. Though I know it won’t be for long.

  “You’re shivering,” I whisper wetly in her ear.

  Lily clutches at my back. She doesn’t notice that she’s freezing. I stand, picking her up with me.

  “Let’s get you home,” I say.

  I hold my arms around her, keeping her close to my side as we hurry to the car. Once there, I leave her, hugging herself and shivering, to search the truck. I find a folded blanket. Lily’s back is against the car. I open the blanket and hold it in front of her.

  “You’ll be warmer if you take off those wet clothes,” I say.

  It sounds like a line, but it comes from a place of genuine concern. Her lips are blue, and her teeth are chattering. All I can think about is getting her body temperature back up. Still, I can’t help but peek while she undresses behind the blanket. Her white bra and panties are wet, and completely see through. My eyes graze over her nipples, hardened against the wet fabric, and the dark triangle dipping tantalizingly between her thighs. I remember back in the broom closet, and I can taste her on my tongue, spicy and sweet.

  I speed back to her house, staring unflinchingly at the road ahead. I need to have Lily, to sink my cock in her warm body, and fuck the consequences.

  Her parents are home, so she can’t go in through the front door completely naked and soaking wet. We sneak around to the back of the house. I hoist her up to the first foothold, and climb close behind her on our way to the window. She’s shaking with each step. I don’t know if it’s from the cold or fear. I remember her vulnerable state, and wonder if I’m pushing her too hard.

  I thrust the window open, and we climb inside. Lily stands numbly in the center of the room. I stroke her wet hair, whispering her name. Her lips melt into a smile. She turns to me, grabbing my shirt at my chest.

  “That was exhilarating,” she says.

  I slowly wrap my arms around her waist, thinking, Just wait, baby.

  The blanket drops to her feet as I slide in for a kiss. Lily loops her arms around my neck, softening her lips against mine. My hands roam over her exposed flesh. I’m eager to feel my bare skin next to hers. I rip my shirt off, tearing the collar in the process.

  As I kiss her, I feel myself changing, my brain chemistry switching. Her scent, the way her wet flesh feels in my hands, brings out my primal instincts. Right now, she is mine, and I’m going to claim her.

  I grab big handfuls of her ass, then lift her from the ground. Lily grinds her pelvis against me, and whimpers when my rock hard cock rubs up against her clit. I wonder, idly, if I’ve ever been this hard before. All I know is that if I don’t get inside of her, I’m going to explode.

  I throw her back on the bed with a growl, then leap on top of her. I pin her wrists to the mattress as I cover her neck, chest, and the tops of her tits with wet kisses. Even though I’m dying to fuck her, I want to take my time, to savor her. Lily writhes underneath. I’m holding her down with my body weight. Every movement she makes ripples against me, driving me crazy with lust.

  I stand up on my knees and pull my cock out. It’s hot and throbbing in my hand. I lay it heavily on her lower stomach, causing Lily to spasm. Pre-cum leaks from the tip, wetting her skin. I rub the head in circles, just below her belly button, swirling the moisture around. With my other hand, I yank her bra up and grab her tits.

  Lily’s eyes are half-closed, and she breathes softly. She strains her neck to look up at me from the pillow. I grab her hair, and push her head softly back d
own. I need her to trust me, so I can take complete control over her.

  I hold my shaft, drag the head over her wet panties, then press it into her clit. She throws her head back, and I feel her pulse against me. I grind harder into her sensitive nub. Lily’s head lulls back and forth. The way her face scrunches in pleasure is a huge fucking turn on.

  I push her panties to the side, then rub the head of my cock up her slit. It’s so warm and slippery, I nearly collapse on top of her. My balls tighten, telling me to get inside of her soon. I climb up the bed, kissing her stomach along the way, until we’re face to face. She lifts her knees, pressing them against the sides of my hips, and holding me in a vice. She needs me as much as I need her.

  The head of my cock flirts with the opening of her pussy. I stare into her eyes, and realize, the soul sickness that’s plagued me for so long is gone. I haven’t felt it since the night before, when Lily walked into that club. The stakes are higher now. This isn’t a one and done situation. I’m fucking falling for this girl. I can never let her go. I never should have in the first place.

  I thrust my hips forward, plunging inside of her. She’s so fucking wet. The walls of her pussy hug tightly to my cock. I stare into her eyes as I rock back and forth on top of her. Her eyelids flutter, and she moans with no control. Still, she holds my gaze. I tangle my fingers roughly in her hair, holding her head back to show her my power. This isn’t a game. She’s mine now.

  I stand on my knees, throwing her legs over my shoulder, and start to pound her. I press my thumb into her clit, and her moans grow louder.

  “Shhh,” I remind her, covering her mouth with my hand.

  Lily bites her lip, trying desperately to be quiet. Her eyes fall closed, and her pussy pulses around my cock. I know she’s coming. I fuck her harder, turning one orgasm into two, then three. I fall forward between her legs and take her nipple into my mouth. Now that she’s had hers, I can have mine.

  My balls throb, sending heat throughout my body. I pull out of her at the last second, and explode all over her stomach. My arms clench with jerking spasms, and my vision fills with dark, floating circles. I don’t think I’ve ever come that hard. Maybe it’s because I’ve never wanted someone so much.