ROQUE: A DARK MAFIA ROMANCE (THE SALVATORE SYNDICATE Book 1)

by Jax Hart

  “Nothing. Just some party games. You in?”

  “With these two?” Hot athlete looked us both over.

  “I’m gathering more.”

  He shrugged and moved out of the way and I let out a breath not seeing a bed. Instead the room was filled with books, a couch, and a blazing fire. The only strange thing was a door made of rough wood and iron so large it went from floor to ceiling where it rounded at the top. It was straight from a medieval castle. And out of place.

  I took a seat on the couch. “It’s Le Blanc. The baller I was telling you about,” Tati spoke in a hushed whisper as she sat next to me.

  “We need to leave. We’re trapped in here.”

  “Nah, he won’t mess up his chances of going pro by doing anything illegal at a party. Just stay close.”

  I disagreed. I didn’t trust anyone except Zio and I knew shit was about to go down, but couldn’t say much as the door banged open and a group tumbled in. The air around me changed in an instant.

  It was him. He waltzed in with his arms around two giggling blondes with boobs a million times bigger than mine and hair the color of straw. Their makeup was on point and so were their designer clothes. It was so cliché I wanted to hurl. Instead, my fists balled so hard my nails bit into my own skin.

  Our eyes met.

  My heart beat like a war drum.

  His brow lifted sardonically, “Is she the best you could find, Johnny?” Before the beefcake mob bosses son could reply, the door banged open again.

  Hot damn.

  The man who walked in was almost as terrifying as Roque in a completely different way. This guy… was tall, built, lean but with wide shoulders and eyes that matched the warm whiskey Zio likes to nurse on cold nights.

  His eyes gleamed with appreciation as they took me and Tati in. His lips curved wickedly as he winked and sauntered closer. He bowed and his long, tan fingers wrapped around my slim wrist as he tugged me forward. “And what could your name possible be besides… perfect?”

  Rolling my eyes, I yanked my arm away. “You’ll have to do better than that to impress me,” I drawled, yawning.

  Roque and Johnny burst out laughing. Tati leaned forward, “Go for him. That’s Rafael a.k.a Rafe. His dad practically runs Wall Street.”

  “Not impressed,” I shrugged.

  “Come on, Let’s go. This party is boring as fuck.”

  “Oh sweetheart,” the devil grinned. “You’re wrong. It’s just about to get started.”

  Startled that Roque actually spoke to me, I popped a shoulder and nonchalantly focused my eyes directly above his head. I felt his powerful gaze on me. He knew there’s something off about me and I could practically see his mind working, trying to figure out what it could be.

  “Are we playing or what?” One of the blondes hanging on his arm asked as she trailed her fingers up his chest.

  He grabbed her hand sharply, flinging her off. “Oh, I’m playing tonight, baby girl, just not with you. Out.”

  She shrunk away as if slapped, “…but—”

  “Out. Now.”

  Johnny opened the door. She knew better than to talk back and left. I knew we were trapped in a den full of lions and Tati and I were their next meal. I just had to find a way out.

  Johnny slid a bolt across the door. Rafe flicked off the lights. Moonlight and the soft glow from a streetlight filtered through the room. It was on. My heart beat in overdrive. My breath became shallow. I was tense and on alert while also fighting some serious hormones waking up to scream at me that these dudes were a trifecta of sex and sin too good to pass on.

  “What kind of game is this?” Tati asked trying to sound confident.

  One by one the guys moved chairs into a circle. Rafe dropped an empty bottle in the middle of the wood floor pointed to me and said, “Spin.”

  “Are you kidding me? Frat boys playing spin the bottle? Lame.”

  The guys pinned their hard gazes on me. “You came to our party. Broke our rules,” Johnny crossed his arms looking almost bored as he stated our punishment. “Now you must pay to play.”

  “This is so stupid…juvenile….,” I muttered. Huffily, I tried to ignore the sweat on my palms as I reached out and flicked my middle finger up before hitting the bottle in protest. Everyone watched it spin and spin, rolling across the floor like a car spinning on black ice… out of control and careening as gravity forced its course of direction.

  Fate is cruel and twisted. Just as it always was meant to be for us. The bottle finally halted its momentum and of course could only point in one direction.

  His eyes gleamed in the dim light, giving away the truth he tried to hide earlier. He wanted it to be him. Carefully, we assessed each other, mentally sizing one another up in this new game of play.

  “Ten minutes.” Johnny announced, taking a long, old-fashioned key out of his pocket. Obviously one that fit into the keyhole lock on the solid wood door across the room.

  “Ten? Can he even last that long?” My wit drew quick howls of laughter. But my bravado was all faked. Roque straightened and pointed to the arched wooden door. “Get in and wait.”

  I lifted my chin. “I wait for no man. You get in and wait.”

  Tension ran thick and hot. I felt it just as strong as I did that day in the woods a lifetime ago, and yet it rushed back as if the two of us never left that moment.

  His lips thinned; his jaw clenched—his eyes promised payback. His left cheek ticked as he stared me down. Wordlessly, he cut through the circle, yanking me into his arms. My chin tipped up, despite my every effort not to gaze into the handsome face of the man I loathed. His breath had mint with a hint of the gin and tonic on it. “You shouldn’t have entered the lion’s den tonight high school sweetheart.” His fingers circled my wrists.

  I wanted to fight, take out the blade in my back pocket and feel it slide between his ribs, cutting him deep. So deep the pain would never go away.

  But I couldn’t.

  Not yet.

  The pain I wanted him to feel wouldn’t be quick. I wanted my slow burning vengeance to come on slow and build until this man begged for mercy that I’d never give.

  I lowered my head and played submissive, desperate to hide the fury simmering under the surface. It was a good thing the closet was dark because I knew my eyes would give me away.

  “Good girl,” he muttered huskily as he led me toward the door of doom.

  “Tame her!”

  “Make sure she has something left for me! I want a taste!” My cheeks heated at the hoots and crude remarks flying at us from all directions.

  Did he really think I was going to fuck him? In a closet? I heard these parties could get crazy, but I never really thought I’d ever get myself into a situation like this.

  He opened the door. My hands trailed over the thick wood, grabbing it as if I could stop the inevitable. The heavy oak door was at least five inches thick. It swung shut behind me. Then the key was inserted into the lock, the sound of it clicking sealed my fate.

  It’s always the dark with him. He brings it out in me. And as I stood there waiting for him to make his move, I realized I’m so tired of dwelling in the dark with him. All these years…he’s never left me. His presence. His spirit. He permanently left his mark on me and I wished my fate wasn’t determined by it. I wished I never went with Papa to the funeral that day.

  He stood between the only exit. My only escape.

  “I’m into girls.” I shrugged in the dark, squared my shoulders with a huge smirk on my face I knew he could feel.

  He was silent. His stare heavy. I could barely make out his shape. “I’ll still make you scream,” he uttered low. His words curled around me like a cloak.

  “You get off by hurting women?”

  “Sometimes. But you’re hardly a woman. You’re more girl. Angry and hurting and out tonight trying to prove someone wrong… am I right? So, who is he? A stupid ex-boyfriend who dumped you for the head cheerleader? A step-daddy who thinks he can order you
around?” He moved closer as he questioned me and I found myself backing up until I hit a wall.

  “None of the above.”

  Up close, he was one big shadow looming over me. A huge presence you couldn’t see only feel. Like the worse nightmare you’ve had where your trapped by some unseen presence locking you in place.

  He pressed closer. Hips met mine. Arms caged me in. My chin was yanked up and warm, determined lips landed on mine. His tongue was surprisingly tentative as it lightly teased past my lips. “Mmm, you taste like sin and wine.” He paused before thrusting deeper into my mouth.

  I let him kiss me.

  Let him think he was winning.

  I moaned under his assault of my senses. His hand moved down over my back, lifted my butt flush to his shaft pressed hard against his pants. His hand moved up my front to palm my small breast and he moaned deeply into my mouth. “High school sweetheart, you’ve got a body I could break. So soft. So small. So completely delicate.”

  He wanted me. Desired me. Maybe Zio was right. A woman can burn a man, bring him to his knees simply by just being a her.

  “Break me, then.” I taunted against his mouth as we panted in the dark. My legs were brought up hard and wrapped around his torso. He dry fucked me into the wall while his teeth scraped along my neck before nipping down on my collarbone.

  My hands roved over his shoulders to the back of his head. My nails scraped his neck, drawing blood.

  “Fuck,” he hissed, dropping me.

  I brought my fingers to my lips. Then kissed him so he could taste the tang of his blood with my kiss.

  He answered by pulling back and biting my lip. So, I bit his.

  We growled and hissed and kissed like lost, jealous lovers finally reuniting after years of pain and heartache.

  It was just a show I was acting in, I kept telling myself as we both became lost in lust. The tang of our blood coated our tongues as we kissed in the dark. He was drowning in me. I’d finally pulled him under, dragging him into the middle of my storm. While his mouth was fused to mine, I struggled to clear my senses enough to remember what I was there for. Running one arm down his back to my ankle hooked around his waist, I reached inside the top of my sock for the bug device and grasped it tightly between two fingers. Then my hand found his back again and ran down his firm ass, dropping the fucker right into the back pocket of his pants.

  He grunted with surprise at my bold touch. I kneaded his ass as he kneaded mine.

  That’s right baby. Burn for me. I thought, although I was the one going up in flames. “I hate you,” I breathed, unable to stop the words from spilling past my lips.

  He lifted his head a few inches from mine and stroked the back of my head with his hand. His fingers brushed through my hair until his hand settled on the small of my back. “Liar.”

  “Time’s up!” A heavy fist pounded on the door.

  I pushed against Roque’s chest, feeling his pecs tighten at my touch. “Don’t go far,” he warned.

  I spun on my heels, feeling confident as the door’s unlocked and light trickled inside where he had me at his mercy. Or was he at mine? I shook my head, confused and angry that despite my loathing of him at every level, he still made me feel desire. Crazy, sick desire.

  “Why would I?” I played, “when I haven’t tasted your girl?” I nodded to the blonde behind us, looked at her over my shoulder and winked. Her eyes slayed me, her fists curled, and I just knew if she were to open her palms the telling sign of crescent marks would mark her skin. She wanted what I just had.

  He chuckled low in his throat, his chin dropped on top of my head as he pulled me close and whispered into my hair, “She tastes of desperation. It’s a boring flavor. Nothing like yours.”

  “Sit back in the circle.” Johnny ordered.

  “She’s done playing.” Roque growled back.

  The two men glared at each other. I smirked knowing I won tonight. I practically brought Roque Salvatore to his knees and all it took was ten minutes of mad kissing and groping in the dark.

  “House rules, Smith.” I whipped my head at Roque and tried not to scream that he’s a fraud. There’s nothing common about him and yet he chose the most boring, common last name to hide behind.

  “I made the rules. I can break them.”

  Johnny moved his gaze from Roque to me. “She was that good, eh? You’ve never cared before.”

  I gasped as Roque slid his arm around my waist, snagging me from behind pulling me into his body. “She’s mine for the night.”

  I was tempted to sag against him. Wishing just for one night I could pretend to just be a normal girl at a party… to let myself get seduced and kissed until the early dawn came and turned me back into the girl I’d become.

  “But I want to play.” I taunted, lacing my fingers over his before turning in his embrace. I raised a hand to his cheek. Slaying him with doe eyes, I stood on my tippy toes tricking him into expecting a kiss. “You didn’t even let me come,” I whined, sounding like valley girl pissed that her daddy chopped her Amex card.

  The room erupted with hoots and hollers. Roque’s eyes turned into the killer I knew he was. “Careful. You don’t know who you are playing with.”

  “Actually, I do,” I replied smartly, before spinning on my heel and sitting back down on the floor.

  The anger radiating off him singed my back. But I didn’t dare peak over my shoulder at him. “Who spins next?” I lifted my cup from the floor where I had left it and try to replace the taste of Roque in my mouth. But the lukewarm wine did nothing to diminish him.

  Roque never returned to the circle. Instead he stood behind me. Almost daring me if I tried to get up and return to the closet with anyone other than him.

  Johnny took the bottle next, giving it a quick spin. I held my breath. If it landed on me, my knife was coming out. But the bottle slowed, stopping on the blonde. She practically squealed and hopped into Johnny’s lap. Her sloppy kisses covered his mouth.

  Roque was right. She was desperate with a capital D, hoping that he’d care her tongue was down his friend’s throat.

  “Who needs the closet?” Rafe snorted, grabbing the bottle and letting it fly. All eyes were glued to it as it went round and round, stopping squarely at me.

  “Oh shit!” Le Blanc uttered as he looked behind me at Rafe.

  "What about it princess. You in?” Rafe asked, holding out a hand to me.

  I lifted my cup, taking a measured sip. “Only if she comes.” I nodded to the blonde, hoping to piss Roque off even more. I wanted the man to break in front of his friends… lose one shred of that icy composure of his.

  “It’s against the rules.” Johnny fingered the key in the palm of his hand. “Besides, I like her just where she is.” I was too busy watching the spinning bottle to notice the girl’s hands in the fly of his pants stroking him openly.

  I started to stand when a large hand pushed me back down. “Game’s over.”

  “The hell it is,” Rafe moved forward, jerking me across the circle and into his embrace.

  Roque growled and grabbed me by the waist. I was sandwiched between to alpha males and just tried to breathe.

  I looped my arms around Rafe’s neck, surprising everyone by gifting him my kiss out in the open, in front of everyone. His mouth opened undermine. He was good but there was no rush of danger as his tongue danced with mine. The hairs on the back of my neck stood. Hot breath moved against my hair, “You will pay for this,” Roque whispered, as his friend kissed my mouth. I heard the door open, then slam so hard the window rattled.

  “My turn.” Le Blanc’s huge hand gripped the bottle, but he never let it go. Instead he moved it in a circle, deliberately pointing it at Tati.

  “Cheat,” giggled.

  He grinned wickedly and stands holding a hand to her, “You coming?”

  “I hope so.”

  I rolled my eyes at how pathetic she was. They moved past and Johnny took out his key, inserting it in the lock behind them. He sn
aked an arm around the blonde and cupped himself ordering her to take care of him. Getting up, I walked to the window disgusted by everyone, even myself.

  “Who are you?” Rafe asked, joining me at the window.

  “No one.”

  “Yeah, right,” he snorted. “No one, wouldn’t get under Ro—Ralph’s skin like that.”

  “Ralph?” This time I snorted as I lifted a finger to the glass tracing my finger along the cool pane.

  “Are you a freshman?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Transfer?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Don’t be all coy. You know who he is… who Johnny is… who I am.”

  “Yeah I do,” I finally lifted my face from the fray below, “total players.”

  “Guilty.” He raised his hand, trying to decide if I was just some stupid girl or something more.

  Thankfully, his thoughtful gaze on my face was interrupted when three giggly, sorority type girls entered the room with flushed faces and bright eyes.

  “He’ll be back. You better stay put and be good,” Rafe warned as he welcomed the fresh meat and sampled them one at a time.

  “Can I leave to pee?”

  “By all means,” he gestured toward the door. I didn’t waste time leaving. I needed to plant more surveillance. No one was up here. It’s as if there was an unspoken rule that this level was off limits to guests. But as I peered around the corner and down the bannister of the stairs, I spotted a beefy looking goon that definitely looked as if he was a part of the Lamatti crew.

  Pretending to be stumbling and looking for a place to go, I tried each doorknob, but all the rooms were locked. I decided to go down the stairs and tapped the goon on the shoulder. “Hey. I need a refill, but I intend on rejoining the game.” I wiggled my brows and pointed behind me. He nodded and I made my way to the kitchen. Any good bit of gossip always goes down in a kitchen. I reached up on my tippy toes, pretending to grab a roll of towels from a top the fridge and dropped my listening device. Then, I ditched my warm wine for a bottle of water. It was time to grab Tati and go while we still could.