by Cora Reilly
Fabiano snorted. “I was never good and definitely not goldilocks.”
“I should get dinner ready. Can you help me with the mustard jar in the kitchen? I can’t open it,” Kiara said.
I nodded toward Fabiano. “He can help you.”
Kiara shifted nervously, her eyes sliding to Fabiano then back to me. My eyebrows shot up. I got to my feet.
Fabiano gave a small shrug. “Leona will be here in five minutes.”
I followed Kiara into the kitchen and took the mustard jar she held out to me. “I didn’t think I’d live to see the day that someone was less scared of me than of Fabiano or anyone else for that matter.”
Kiara flushed. “I know I’m safe with you,” she said quietly.
Fuck, she was. I held out the open jar. “Here.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re safe around Fabiano as well,” I told her.
“I know,” she said. “But it takes a bit longer for the message to get through to my brain.”
“You should be wary of a brain that makes you love my brother and trust me, Kiara,” I muttered.
She laughed. “It’s not my brain, it’s my heart.”
I narrowed my eyes then turned on my heel and walked out, not in the mood for emotional nonsense.
CHAPTER 9
SERAFINA
I wasn’t sure if it was Remo’s plan to break me by letting me stew with my own thoughts all day. I had nothing to do except relive this afternoon’s kiss, torn between guilt and a flicker of terrifying excitement, because that kiss had been unlike anything I’d ever felt before. And every time that realization hit me, my guilt doubled. I knew I wasn’t supposed to enjoy it—not only because Danilo was the man I was supposed to be kissing, but also because Remo was the last man I was allowed to kiss.
Whenever Samuel had returned from a night out with friends while I was stuck at home, I’d be overwhelmed by a wave of longing and jealousy. I wanted to be free to party with him, but that would have been my ruin—even if Samuel had been at my side to protect my honor. I couldn’t be seen in a club, dancing the night away. We’d had a few secret house parties, which had been exhilarating even if Samuel had been glued to my side every second so none of his friends got near me. Not that any of them would have dared. They were all Made Men or on their way to becoming one. My father was Underboss. My uncle was the boss of the Outfit. My fiancé as good as the underboss of Indianapolis and my brother a Made Man. No guy ever looked at me twice, at least not the guys allowed near me. I could have been naked and thrown myself at these guys and they wouldn’t have batted an eye ... from fear of losing it—and their life.
And I had been okay with it, had accepted it because we were bound by the rules of our world. It wasn’t as if I wanted to sleep around like Samuel, even if the few stories he’d shared with me in the beginning when he was overexcited about losing his virginity had made me curious.
The lock clicked and I quickly sat up, bracing myself. I wouldn’t allow Remo to catch me by surprise again.
My eyes widened when Fabiano stepped inside, carrying a plate. I stood. Why was he here? Would he help me after all?
Fabiano regarded my face then shook his head as if he could read my mind. “I’m bringing you dinner.”
He came in but left the door ajar, and I wondered why he did it. I doubted it was so I could run. Was he worried of being alone in a room with me?
“Here,” he held out the plate with steaming mac and cheese to me.
I glared. “Do you remember how you, Samuel and I played together? Do you remember how you and him pretended to be my protectors? Do you remember that?” For a moment we did nothing but stare at each other, but he didn’t allow me to glimpse behind his emotionless mask.
With a sigh, he walked past me and put the plate down on my nightstand.
“You should eat,” he said firmly.
I whirled around to face him. “Why? So I stay healthy just so Remo can break me?”
Fabiano glanced down at my arm and grabbed it, inspecting the wound closely. “That’s Remo’s doing?”
“Who else enjoys slicing up people?”
Fabiano’s mouth switched into a wry smile. “Pretty much every man in the mob, Fina.”
He touched the wound lightly. “It’s not deep.”
“I’m sorry that my wound doesn’t fulfill your high standards. Next time maybe you should cut me.”
Fabiano shook his head. “Remo cuts deep. Hits hard. Kills brutally. He doesn’t do half-assed cuts like this.”
I tugged my arm free. “So what? Maybe he wants to save the bloody fun for later.”
Fabiano’s blue eyes searched my face with a small frown. “Maybe.”
For some reason, his scrutiny annoyed me. “When people said you were a traitor who ran off with his tail between his legs, I didn’t want to believe them, but now I see they were right.”
Fabiano leaned down, and the look was one I hadn’t seen on his face before, one that reminded me that he was now Enforcer. “I didn’t run. I’m loyal.”
I huffed.
He took a step closer, and I backed off. “I am. My fucking father sent one of his men out to kill me. That man couldn’t go through with it and dropped me off in Bratva territory so they could finish the job for him. Without Remo, they would have succeeded. I’m alive because of my Capo, because of those four Falcone brothers who stood together when the world was against them and against me.”
I blinked, utterly shocked by his words. “Your father tried to kill you? Why didn’t you tell Dante?”
He glared. “I’m not a fucking snitch. And the Cavallaros have stuck with my bastard of a father for too long. I don’t give a fuck if your grandpa thinks highly of him. My father is a disgrace.”
“My grandfather is very sick. He probably won’t live much longer.”
“Good,” Fabiano said fiercely.
I swallowed. “Even if my grandfather doesn’t hold a protective hand over your father anymore, Dante won’t give him to the Camorra. He’ll deal with him.”
Fabiano smiled sadly. “Dante will hand my father over. Trust me.” He took a step back. “I only wished you weren’t the one who’s going to make it happen.”
I touched Fabiano’s arm. “I know you can’t help me escape, but at least let me talk to Samuel, Fabi. I miss him so terribly.”
“That’s not his decision,” Remo said in a low voice as he stalked into the room. Fabiano gave a terse nod, exchanging a look with his Capo that I couldn’t read. Then he walked out without another look at me.
“Trying to talk my Enforcer into betraying me?”
“Unfortunately, everyone I’ve met so far is loyal to you.” It was true and they couldn’t even blame it on fear. Despite his reputation, the people close to Remo seemed to tolerate him, maybe even liked him. Remo left the door open as well, and he kept a few arm lengths between us. Something about him was off, and it set my alarm bells off.
“Let me talk to my brother,” I said. I couldn’t bring myself to say please.
Remo tilted his head, his expression assessing. “What about Danilo? Don’t you want a chat with your fiancé? After all, he’d be your husband by now if it weren’t for me.”
“Samuel. I want to talk to Samuel.”
His eyes narrowed briefly before they traveled the length of me. “What do I get in return for allowing you to talk to him?”
“I’m not a whore,” I snapped. “I won’t give you that in return for a call.”
Remo approached slowly, like a predator. “You will give it to me for free?”
“Hell will freeze over before that happens.”
He backed me into the wall. The violent vibe he gave off was even stronger than usual, and it was starting to make me nervous. I wasn’t sure what had him on edge like that, but I knew to be wary.
“Isn’t your brother worth a kiss?” he taunted.
“My brother wouldn’t want me to give away a kiss for him.”
; “You already gave away your first kiss, Angel. What do a few more matter?” His dark eyes raked over my face until they lingered on my lips.
I scowled. “One kiss and you’ll let me talk to my brother? Tomorrow?”
“One kiss,” he agreed with a dark smile.
I pushed to my tiptoes, gripped his neck to pull him further down, and smashed my lips against his for a second before drawing back. “There you go. One kiss.”
Remo shook his head, his face still close to mine. “That wasn’t a kiss.”
“You didn’t stipulate the details of the kiss. I kissed you. Now fulfill your part of the bargain.”
Remo cupped my face, caging me in with his body. “I showed you what I consider a kiss. I won’t settle for less.”
I glowered, but trying to stare Remo down was a ridiculous notion.
“Not brave enough?” he murmured.
I shivered at the low vibrato of his voice. Gripping his shirt, I tugged him down violently. Our mouth clashed but Remo held himself still, waiting for me to make the next move, daring me to do it. With a burst of indignation, my tongue nudged his lips and despite the heat rising into my cheeks, I held his dark gaze. My moment of control was ripped from me the second Remo deepened the kiss. He took the lead, demanded with his mouth and tongue for me to surrender. I had trouble keeping up. His scent and heat sucked me in, made my body spring to life in the most terrifying way possible.
Remo’s hand touched my waist and then it moved up, closer to my breast. My reaction was instinctual, instilled by defense training with Samuel; I jerked my knee up. Remo’s reaction was quick, his hand shooting down, but the momentum still made my knee graze his groin. He growled and I stilled, frozen with fear because of the look in his eyes. He breathed harshly, his gaze burning me with its intensity. Yet a flicker of relief filled me because I doubted I’d have found the strength to end the kiss.
“You shouldn’t touch someone without their explicit permission or they might try to defend themselves,” I said, because obviously I didn’t know when to shut up.
“I don’t ask permission for anything,” Remo said sharply.
Despite my hands trembling, I pressed my palms against Remo’s chest and pushed. He didn’t budge, cocking one dark eyebrow. I held his gaze, and he took a deliberate step back, finally letting me free. My eyes darted down to his hands, curled to white-knuckled fists at his side then back up to his face. I shivered at the harshness of his expression and without thinking about it, I looked away and walked toward the window, bringing space between us.
He followed and his breath fanned over my ear as he leaned down. “I’d better leave now. Tonight isn’t a good time to be around you. Goodnight, Angel.”
His fingers brushed my hair away, and he pressed a kiss to the side of my neck, the tender spot between my shoulder and throat, making me jump in surprise. I clapped a hand over the spot, stunned by the tingling.
The door closed with a soft click then the lock turned. I shuddered out a breath and braced myself against the windowsill. Would Remo allow me to talk to Sam now? I should have asked, but I had been too overwhelmed by Remo’s presence.
This game was getting dangerous in more than one sense. The only question was who would lose control of it first?
REMO
I stayed in front of Serafina’s door, fingers clutching the handle in a death grip. I had half a mind to walk back in and see how much else I could coerce from Serafina with her brother, but I resisted the urge. Taking a deep breath, I leaned my forehead against the wood. That was how Nino found me.
I saw his legs out of the corner of my eye, and even without looking up, I could imagine the analyzing expression he was giving me. “How did things go with Adamo and Harper?”
I straightened and as predicted, Nino was regarding me with that quiet scrutiny that drove me up the wall. “Dante called. He wants another word with you. He seems to be losing his patience,” he said.
“He won’t risk an attack, not if it means I could kill Serafina.”
Nino inclined his head. “Still ... we should start making demands.”
“Maybe you’re right. Think of some ridiculous demand he won’t possibly agree to; I’m not done playing yet. Ask him for Indianapolis or Minneapolis. I don’t care.”
A muscle in Nino’s jaw tightened, a clear sign of his annoyance with me. “Alright. I’ll send him a message.”
“Tell him that I’m allowing Serafina a video chat with her brother tomorrow. He better be ready at eight a.m.”
“You’re cutting it close. Adamo’s initiation starts at eleven.”
“Enough time,” I said then frowned. “You didn’t tell me what happened with Harper.”
“As expected, she used Adamo to supply her with drugs. The moment he told her he couldn’t give her anything, she dropped him and admitted to fucking around with that other guy. Adamo is crushed. He takes these things too personal.”
“Is he angry?”
“Angry at Mason, not at the girl.”
I smiled. “That’s enough. We still need someone Adamo can deal with tomorrow. Tell Fabiano I want him to bring Mason to the initiation.”
Nino looked thoughtful. “Maybe it’ll work. Jealousy and a broken heart are good motivators for brutal acts.”
“Where is he?”
“Outside, smoking. I allowed him one cigarette.”
“I’ll go talk to him.”
“I’m not sure he’s the best dialogue partner at the moment.”
“Nor am I.”
“That’s the problem,” Nino said with a twisted smile.
“Go fuck your wife and stop pissing me off.”
“You haven’t been to the Sugar Trap since you brought Serafina here.”
I sighed. “Maybe I’m not in the mood for whore pussy. I’m taking a few celibate days.”
“You haven’t done that since you started fucking.”
“Stop analyzing everything, Nino,” I growled and stalked off before I punched him.
I found Adamo on a lounge chair beside the pool, scowling into the dark, the cigarette dangling from his mouth giving his face an eerie glow. He didn’t look up when I sank down beside him.
He took a deep drag of his cigarette, and it took every ounce of my almost non-existent control to not rip the fucking thing out of his mouth.
“I hate it,” he muttered.
“Hate what?”
“Hate that with our last name people always want something from us.”
“You shouldn’t have tried to make friends by giving them drugs,” I said. “We’re not Santa Claus. We’re selling the shit, not handing it out for free, and we never fucking take the shit ourselves.”
“When will people ever like me for myself and not for what I can give them? They only see my name. That’s all they care about.”
“You’ve got people who care about you,” I said roughly.
Adamo glanced at me.
“You’ve cost me millions so far with the cars you crashed and the drugs you let disappear. What would I do to anyone who stole something from me?”
“You’d torture and kill them,” Adamo said quietly.
“I would and have.” I paused. “But here you are, safe and sound, and you know you will remain that way until the day I take my last fucking breath.”
Adamo lowered his head.
“Tomorrow you’re going to swear loyalty to the Camorra. You will take the oath and the tattoo,” I ordered.
“I don’t give a fuck about the Camorra,” Adamo whispered, and my anger rose, but then he spoke up again. “But I will swear loyalty to you because even if I hate what you, Nino, and Savio do, you are my family.”
I straightened up then looked down at my brother for another moment. “Don’t waste your energy on another thought of that girl. She’s worthless. There are many more girls out there. She used you. Maybe now you’ll start using them as well.”
Adamo frowned. “I can’t help how I feel.” He swallowed
audibly. “She’s been fucking him the entire time.”
“So what? You fucked her. He fucked her. You move on.”
“I didn’t,” he said quietly. “We didn’t get that far.”
“Please tell me she at least gave you head,” I muttered.
Embarrassment flashed across Adamo’s face. I sank back down.
“Can I ask you a question?” he said quietly.
I had a feeling this was turning into the sex talk I’d avoided with Savio by throwing him a freebie with two whores; he gladly accepted.
“How long does it take to get control?”
“Control?” I echoed. I didn’t bother controlling myself during sex, but I had a feeling Adamo didn’t mean that kind of control.
Adamo tossed his cigarette to the ground. “To hold back, you know? I kind of ... you know ...”
“Shot your cum the second she put her mouth on you,” I provided.
Adamo grimaced and looked away. “Yeah.”
I chuckled.
Adamo scowled. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“I’m not,” I said. “You’ve never been with a girl, so it’s pretty normal.”
“Did it happen to you too?”
“No, but I fucked out of anger. That gave me better control.”
“I bet Mason and Harper had a good laugh behind my back,” he said miserably, then added in a low voice, “I want to kill him. Mason.”
“I know.”
Adamo’s eyes widened. “You’re going to make me kill him tomorrow.”
“You will have to kill someone in front of our soldiers. It’s either him or someone you don’t hate. Mason is a dead man either way. He can die by your hand or Fabiano’s.”
I regarded my brother. He was biting his lip, staring down at the pool. “I’ll do it.” I touched his shoulder, and for once he didn’t try to shake me off.
CHAPTER 10
SERAFINA
I was still in bed when the lock turned and didn’t have time to sit up before Remo stepped inside the room.
Feeling vulnerable lying in the bed, I pushed into a sitting position. Remo regarded me with an intent expression. I was only in a chemise and shorts and was acutely aware of how little the fabric covered. Swallowing my nerves, I got out of bed, not wanting to show weakness. Remo’s eyes followed my every move, lingering on my breasts. My body betrayed me as my nipples hardened in the cool air.
