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

by Jax Hart

  In about twenty seconds, I was back up the stairs and entering the den of sin. I shook my head in disgust and crossed the room. Johnny carelessly left the key on the floor and was too busy getting head in a dark corner to notice me taking it and unlocking the closet. “Time’s up.” I knocked twice before opening the door.

  “Can’t be…”

  “Sorry, Romeo,” I reached past him, practically dragging Tati out. Her shirt was above her armpits, her bra was unhooked, but I didn’t care as I whisked her away from Le Blanc and out the door we were marched into an hour earlier.

  “Wh-at? Why D? I don’t want to go.”

  “Fix your clothes. We’re out.”

  “I was having fun. I didn’t even get a chance to exchange numbers.”

  “You exchanged plenty. Let’s go.” I didn’t slow my roll, as I dragged my protesting friend down the stairs, through the crowded room and out the front door.

  I feel his searing gaze at my back and walked faster. “Hurry Tati!” I looked back over my shoulder, meeting the thunderous gaze of the man I scorned and left to burn. The dangerous heat in his laser-like gaze and purposeful gait as he moved after us promised sweet retribution.

  Thinking fast, I raced around the bonfire straight into the thick smoke the wind made turn and headed back around to the other side of a crowd. Slowing to a walk, I tried to blend in as I dropped to the ground pretending the lace of my shoe was untied. I knew if I moved to the street, he’d make us.

  “What the fuck, D?”

  “Shut up, Tati. Just shut the fuck up and let me think,” I hissed.

  I half crouched, seeing the back of Roque’s wide shoulders as he jogged toward the road, right where I left the Explorer.

  Grabbing Tati’s hand, we moved to the back of the house. “Are we staying or going? Make up your mind.”

  “Listen Tati. I know you don’t want to hear this, but all those guys are bad news. Dangerous criminals. Their families kill for the sport of it. We don’t want to be on their radars, trust me.”

  “Seb isn’t like that.”

  “Seb? I’m saving my eyeroll until after we get out of here.”

  “Whatever. Maybe I’ll be the mystery girl he won’t be able to forget although something tells me that’s you, not me for someone else.”

  “Le Blanc totally wanted you Tati. That was obvious.”

  “Wanting is easy. It’s the keeping that’s hard.”

  I didn’t reply. Johnny burst out the backdoor with his cell pressed to his ear. Rafe wasn’t far behind. The two men studied the crowd, searching.

  “Shit. We really need to get out of here.”

  “Hey.” Tati curled her hand over the bicep of a guy waiting to play cups.

  “Hey,” he grinned down at her.

  “I’m cold. Can I borrow your coat?” The dude had it off and wrapped around her in seconds. “My friend is cold, too.” His friend offered me his hoodie and I smiled sweetly as I yanked it on.

  “Now what?”

  “Hair. We need to cover it.”

  “That cap is so cute.” She touched the bill facing backward on frat boy’s head. He takes it off and plops it on hers.

  “Looks cuter on you.”

  Now my eyes definitely rolled. The guy was so bombed he had no idea how stupid this whole conversation was.

  “Thanks.” Tati tucked her hair into a bun under the cap before she pulled it down low.

  “What about me?” I wailed sounding totally annoying and giggly, but they ate it up.

  Frat boy number two handed his over. I followed Tati’s lead and hid my hair inside.

  “Ooh, I gotta pee so bad! Be right back!” Tati blew a kiss and grabbed her crotch, distracting the two dunces as she walked backward.

  “Slow. Walk slowly like we don’t care where we are going.” Luckily, a group of friends were walking the same way. Right under their noses, we made it to the road and I let out a huge breath as we reached the Explorer.

  Climbing in, I started the engine and slowly pulled out, all the while checking the rearview.

  Tati took off the cap, rolled down the window and chucked it out. “Okay. What the fuck was all that?”

  I shook my head. “Destiny. That was destiny.”

  “Then why did we run?”

  “Because sometimes your destiny isn’t always a good one.”

  Tati rolled her eyes. “Ralph Smith was fucking hot, D and totally into you.”

  “He’s not Ralph Smith. He’s the devil. And I want no part of him.”

  “Yeah you do. You want every part of him.”

  I couldn’t answer.

  She was right.

  I wanted every last little piece of him, tied-up, bloodied and at my mercy. The problem is I might want more before I got him to that point.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Damn, bro. I’ve never seen you lose your shit like that,” Johnny exhaled blowing out rings from his Cuban.

  My hands tightened on my lowball as I raised it to my lips, letting the bootleg rum slide through. Courtesy of Johnny’s outfit, the illegal Jamaican rum was of the best quality; stocked in all Manhattan bars bought off the docks not the liquor distributors. It was tax free and smooth but did nothing to quench the rage billowing through me.

  “You fucking kissed her.” My eyes cut to Rafe holding a bag of ice to his swelling cheek.

  “Why wouldn’t I? We were in the game room. We all agreed if we liked a girl, we’d never bring her in there.”

  “I told you it was over. The game. You should have listened.”

  He shrugged, “Whatever. Her kiss did nothing for me. I like curvy girls, not the delicate things you like to break.”

  A hiss escaped before I could reign it in. Lifting my gaze to the night sky speckled with stars, I shuddered remembering the feel of her in my hands as I touched her in the dark.

  Something was brewing between us. Something so strong it blew my mind. She was a storm, raging in my arms as we kissed and touched. She made me feel more alive than I have in years… I haven’t felt such emotions whipping through me like a tornado since that day in the woods when I almost killed the Fiorelli girl.

  Ever since that day, I found myself partial to slim, redheads with barely any breasts. I fucked them hard. Sometimes slow, while circling their throats with my palms as I drove into their small bodies on fire for mine.

  But none of them seared me with the heat the girl’s eyes had.

  That was a lifetime ago and yet that sick day shaped my life. That she-devil of a girl’s taunt never left me. I almost stole her life and in return she never leaves my mind. Her spirit as it faded bled into me. I brought her back to life only knowing I’d have to take it again.

  But this girl tonight. She was fire. The hottest fire that stoked the flames the other girl a lifetime ago lit.

  This girl was thin but strong. Surprisingly full of muscles for such a petite frame. Her nipples practically made up her whole breast and my mouth watered knowing all of her would fit into my hot mouth.

  I wanted to ram my cock inside that tight, little, piece of ass. Feel her take it all. Hell, if I hadn’t lost my head, she wouldn’t have gotten away, and I’d be tearing up the night with my high school girl right now.

  “I’ll find her.” Johnny, slapped my back

  “It was my fuck up. I’ve already put my security on it,” Rafe chimed in.

  I nodded, feeling my throat tighten. “All I wanted was four years to be normal… just a guy in college. But despite the rugby team, the classes, the girls, the whole fucking scene—none of it ever felt normal… not until tonight…in the closet with her.”

  “That’s because normal is fucked to us and the fucked-up to everyone else is our norm.”

  “Well said,” Rafe dipped his head to Johnny.

  “Fuck. I love you, assholes.”

  “Love you too, bro. We’ll find her. She’s local. Only a few high schools around the suburbs. Besides, we have cameras on the streets. Every car, e
very person would’ve been captured.”

  “Did you have the night-vision cam on in the closet?”

  “Fuck yeah, I did. I rubbed one out watching you with her.”

  I cocked a fist and swung in Johnny’s direction. The bastard was too full of liquor and himself to move.

  Downing the rest of my rum, I wound up and let the glass fly into the dying flames of the bonfire. It shattered into shards, they burned. Leaving them behind, I entered the woods nodded to Shane, our head of security as I passed.

  I might have a room at the frat house, but I didn’t live there. None of us did. We kept up appearances while living double lives. The walk through the backwoods took five minutes. Slipping out the other side along a back road, I took out my fob key and unlocked my ride. The black Bentley purred as I got behind the wheel and drove north to the quiet gated mansion Johnny, Rafe, and I shared. Inside those walls I could shed Ralph and be Roque. Roque Salvatore, devil, mob ruler, and heir to the Salvatore throne of pain, punishment and mayhem.

  Too wired to sleep, I unlocked my office using a retinal scanner and got to work finding out just who my mystery high school sweetheart could be.

  I logged into the secure network and started scrolling through the recordings from the cameras hidden under trees or tucked into obscure spots around the frat house.

  “There you are,” I eyed the screen appreciatively. The first shot I had of her was when she is walking with her friend through the front yard. At least I knew which direction she came. I picked up my cell and called Johnny’s crew. His father’s men had this whole part of New Jersey under lockdown since Johnny convinced his father that an Ivy League degree would make their business appear more legit when he took over someday.

  I had no doubt I’d know who she was soon. My finger traced her face zoomed in close on the screen. If I were a man worth any shred of conscience, I’d let her go. She’s young maybe sixteen or seventeen. But I had a taste for forbidden, beautiful things. And my thirst for this one was growing each second I stared at her face. There was something about her that was so familiar. If I were a romantic, I’d swear I loved her in another life. But love is something I’d never give a woman. No woman will wield the weapon of my own heart against me. I have too much to lose and I’ve only just begun to build the Salvatore empire back to the respect my name deserves.

  CHAPTER NINE

  LETTING OUT THE BREATH I’d been holding since we left the party, I shut off the engine and let my head fall against the wheel. It was after two in the morning. Tati was too wired to go home so we went to a twenty-four-hour diner and ordered some food. Although, all I did was push my pancakes around and around my plate.

  With heated cheeks, I kept replaying my time in the dark with him. My first kiss. Anger came back in spades. I gave him too much of me as it was over the years. All my hate, all my loathing, most of my thoughts and now I gave him that?

  “Fuck!” I lifted my head, slapping the wheel. I’d never get my first kiss back, but I’ll be damned if he’d be the one to get any more of my firsts.

  “In my mind’s eye—I pictured that smirking devil with the sea-green eyes. The man who consumed me. I wouldn’t rest until he’s been banished from this earth into the pits of hell itself. If not for what he did to me and my family, just for making me want to feel the things I felt when he touched me.

  Zio was still asleep in his chair. I picked up the remote and clicked off the tv. The smell of Roque clung to me. Shaking my head, I entered my bathroom feeling nothing but self-loathing.

  How could I let him do this to me again? How does this devil always seem to win?

  Undressing quickly, I entered the shower practically scrubbing my skin raw. I needed to get better at this whole male and female thing. I’d been training in the art of espionage and self-defense, but my flaw was not knowing how to protect my female nature from seduction. I wouldn’t let it happen again. I’d need to learn that sex is just sex and not let hormones ever make me weak again.

  Turning off the taps, I quickly towel dried and went back to my room to get into bed. It was very late, but sleep was elusive. His brilliant eyes. They’re all I saw.

  One time. I’ll allow myself to give in to what happened just this once and then never again.

  My fingers crept into the waist band of my panties. My fingers moved faster and faster. I felt his breath in my hair… his low growl of approval as I let him win—let him conquer me.

  “Salvatore!” I gasped, coming in waves of disgust and loathing.

  I was hunting him, but I was the one trapped by my very own prey. His laser-like eyes somewhat blue, mostly green always haunted me. No matter where I went. No matter how much time passed, I was still stuck in that moment somewhere between life and death. No matter what, it’s always the two of us in the locked together in the dark. Tonight, was no different.

  In some sick way, we might belong together. Me, the girl he practically killed just to be re-born.

  “Ugh!” I slammed my fist into the mattress wishing it was his smug face. Disgusted at how much he wins even though he doesn’t know I’ve started playing our game, I bounded out of bed and washed my hands. Steeling, myself, I raised my head and met my own eyes in the mirror. “War. I must become Diana the goddess of war. Romina is the girl he hurt. Diana is the woman who will bring him to his knees…”

  With resolve, I turned on my desk lamp and opened my laptop. Since sleep wouldn’t come anyway, I might as well start preparing for battle.

  ***

  “Again.”

  Sweat poured from my brow, threatened to blind me. My muscles screamed to stop. But I raised my fists and jabbed again. My trainer, Carlos was ready and blocked the shot.

  Spinning fast, my left leg lifted giving a swift kick at his ankles. He jumped over them and answered with a quick punch to my side.

  “Fuck!” I faltered back and he took the opportunity to plow me over, pinning me to the mat. But I squirmed like a snake, lifted my hips and let him feel the softness of my core.

  “Diana. Stop.”

  Carlos was a professional and since that night in the closet last ten days ago, I’ve been trying to practice my wiles on him. He was only in his mid-twenties though and a ripe young thing like me must feel good to him on some level. Instead of stopping, I wrapped my hands around his neck and let my tongue taste the sweat on his light latte colored skin.

  He flinched, vaulted off me and grabbed a towel. “Enough. If you keep this up, I can’t train you.” He picked up his water bottle, slammed through the backdoor and let it shake behind him.

  “Well shit.” Pushing myself up, I reached for my own towel. Carlos was the best. If he dumped me, I’ll never get better. Pulling my hoodie on, I followed him but gingerly opened the door to the alley.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He spun fast turning to face me. “What the hell is up with you girl?”

  I swallowed hard. “A guy.”

  He snorted. “No shit. But I ain’t him. You can’t touch me like that. For one it’s illegal and I ain’t gonna do time again. I chose a different life, you feel me?”

  I nodded. “Sorry.”

  He grunted, “Whoever this guy is he isn’t worth you, Diana.”

  “I know that…” I twisted the ends of my sweatshirt in my hands.

  “We’re done for the day. Cut this shit out and I’ll still train you, but we need to re-group. For now, we need to make your mind stronger, we’ll train your brain to fight… ignore the pain, ignore the emotions… in the moment when you face your opponent, you’ll morph into something else.”

  “…That’s what I’ve been trying to do. How? How can I get there?”

  “Not by doing time like I did. But I can share with you everything I learned when I was on the inside. I had to change in order to survive. You’ve never been a

  In a world like that. Where nothing exists expect for the instinct to survive.”

  “You don’t know that,” I whispered huskily, remem
bering the feel of Roque’s hands around my throat.

  “The fuck? Who? I want a name. Now!” Carlos’ fists ball.

  “It was a long time ago. I was a child.”

  “That’s even more reason.”

  I swallowed hard. “Thanks for the offer. But I want to take him down myself.”

  He studied me intently. “I get that.”

  “Good. I’m sorry for being a pain in the ass. But please don’t quit on me, okay?”

  “Fine. But no more bullshit. We’re gonna train harder than before mentally and physically.”

  I pushed off the brick wall. “Good. I’m ready. Let’s get back to work.” Lifting my chin, I turned around and open the door. He followed me back into the gym and this time when we grappled on the mat I was focused as hell. My mind was blank. All I thought about was how to take down my opponent…searching for weaknesses while trying to get in his head and find his next move before he makes it. The two of us sweat and spun, strained and shook. He might’ve outmatch me in years and weight, but I had heart and grit; enough to make him even wonder what hit him as I popped Carlos with a quick jab to his throat and smiled wickedly as he fell back.

  We called it a night and after a quick shower, my heart sunk noticing Zio waiting.

  “Zio?”

  “Get dressed. Quickly.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  He checked the locker room again to ensure no one else was here. When he did speak his hiss was low and full of fury. “What have you done? All this time we waited. It was almost perfect.”

  “I don’t—”

  “Silencio!” His weathered face was full of tension. “The Salvatore’s and The Lamatti’s are all over Princeton. They’ve descended like locusts. My connections have told me they’re looking for two high school girls. One with light skin and cork-screw curls. The other… small in stature with long brown hair and dark eyes.”

  My heart pounded furiously.

  “I-I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry? You’re sorry? If they find me…they’ll make the connection to you. We’re both supposed to be dead. The Fiorelli’s aren’t supposed to walk the earth unless they’re ghosts. And for decades we were living, breathing ghosts. You just couldn’t wait until it was time, eh? I trusted you, Romina. I trusted you not to fuck up.”