The maid’s eyes moved to his, probably thinking the smile was for her. “Do you need me to ... relieve you?” she asked, giving him the impression she wanted to. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes clouded over, the woman’s desires written across her face.
“I told you to keep your eyes above my waist.”
“I couldn’t help it; it’s so big and so hard.”
Despite his bad mood, he laughed. “From annoying to amusing. How about you just do your job instead of eyeing up my cock?”
“Again, it’s not intentional, and if you need release, I won’t object.”
“It’s pointless, I won’t feel a thing.”
She frowned. “You must feel something if you got hard.”
“No, it’s purely a biological reaction.”
“Does that mean you can’t feel an orgasm?”
“That’s not a question you should be asking.”
“I’m just curious.”
“Why? Do you want to taste my cock?”
She bit her bottom lip, giving him the impression she did. “Yes,” she finally said. “You’re very attractive.”
“You have a warped sense of attraction.” He moved his hand through the bloodied water. “This alone should put you off me.”
Her eyes moved to it. “I assumed you got hurt.”
“It’s not my blood. I murdered a man tonight, mutilated him so badly his face was unrecognizable and his body broken. I then lashed out at my brother, beating him until his twin stopped me.”
Her eyes widened. “You hurt your own brother?”
He nodded, the thought painful.
“Why did you attack him?”
“I don’t remember doing it. When my anger breaks through my medication, I go into a blind rage. Even if a loved one was standing in front of me, I wouldn’t see them.”
“Everyone has flaws.”
“My flaws are deadly.”
“Everyone has good qualities too,” her eyes lowered down him. “Yours is your body,” she looked back up, “and your beautiful face.”
His eyebrows rose. “My eyes have been called beautiful, but never my face.”
She smiled. “It is. You have an amazing aura.”
“Aura?”
“You exude masculinity and power in every line and curve: your jaw, your lips, the sweep of your brow. That to me is beauty.”
“Beauty belongs to the D’Angelos, not the Santini. We’re men, not women.”
She laughed. “I’m sure the D’Angelo Don wouldn’t appreciate hearing that.”
“I was referring to Jagger and Thierry.” His mind went to Brando. “And calling a man beautiful is insulting. Call me handsome, that’s more accurate.”
“You’re very sure of yourself.”
“My eyes still work. Though, I forget I’m attractive when people tremble or run from me.” He lifted a brow. “So, why don’t you tremble before me?”
“I only tremble with desire not fear, in regards to you.”
“You have a flowery tongue and a warped sense of romance if you desire me. Take another look at the bathwater. That would put off any normal woman.”
“I’m not a normal woman, I’ve seen more bloodshed and death in my lifetime than I care to remember. Bloodied bathwater is nothing when you’ve worked for a man such as the Black Russian.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Salvatore never mentioned that.”
“I didn’t put it on my application form. I thought he’d turn me away if I did.”
“Without a doubt. So, why tell me?”
“I have the job now. Also, I’m not with that evil bastard, which tells you I’d rather be working for you than him.”
“But no one leaves his employment alive.”
“That’s what he wants people to believe, but rest assured, I know of others who have escaped him.”
“So, you move from one evil to another?”
“You’re not evil.” She cupped her hand and scooped some water into it. “If you were, the blood in here wouldn’t be watered down.”
“What are you on about?”
“I’ve seen a lot of horrors while working for the Black Russian, one of them being a bathtub filled with blood. He is evil in its purest form, with perversions even the Devil would shy away from. He doesn’t have an ounce of humanity in him. He holds no guilt, whereas you obviously do. It was written all over your face when you mentioned hurting your brother.”
His eyes dropped to the bloodied water. “Just because I feel guilt doesn’t mean I’m not evil.” He looked back at her. “And if you know what’s good for you, don’t ask to suck me again.”
She frowned. “I didn’t mean to offend you, Don, and I only offered fellatio since you were hard. Most men wouldn’t turn away sex.”
“I’m not like most men, and, woman, I don’t care what you look like; all I see is a maid. So finish your job, then leave me be.”
She nodded, her eyes disappointed. She pulled the plug, then stood, holding out the towel so he could step into it.
He remained lying in the bath. “Dry my hair first.”
She quickly went to her knees and toweled his hair off. Once she was finished, he pushed to his feet. The maid ran the towel down his stomach. He snatched it off her, the woman annoying him again. He wrapped it around his hips and stepped out of the tub, drying his feet on the bathmat.
“Put some after aftershave lotion on my face,” he said, sitting down on the chair by the washbasin.
She picked the bottle up and tipped some lotion onto her hand, then patted it on his face, wincing.
“Why are you wincing?”
“If you could feel, the aftershave would be stinging you badly.”
“I don’t need to be reminded.”
“Sorry.” She finished putting the lotion on, then sniffed her hand. “It smells nice.”
“Which is obviously why I get it. Now, I’ll need you here by eight tomorrow morning to help me prepare for the day.”
She nodded. “I would be honored.”
“No, you’ll just be doing your job. Now, leave.”
She left without any more trouble. He followed her out of the bathroom, his body too wound up to go to sleep. His eyes went to the east wall, Bianca’s room on the other side. The memory of touching her returned, of feeling her skin... He wanted to lose himself in the woman, so he couldn’t see the blood still painting his mind.
He headed for the door, praying she wouldn’t turn him away. The phone ringing stopped him in his tracks. He grabbed it off the cabinet, and clicked it on.
His mother’s voice came over the line. “I heard what you did to Vinnie!” she yelled.
He gripped onto the phone. “I’m truly sorry.”
“I also heard you attacked Brando, but you went too far with Vinnie. You cracked two of his ribs.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, guilt battering him hard.
She continued, “I warned you what I’d do if you hurt a member of this famiglia. You are no longer Don, I’m taking it back.”
He opened his eyes. “You’re taking nothing. I still hold all the cards, regardless of what I did tonight.”
“I won’t allow you to hurt another member of this famiglia. If Dominic wasn’t there you could’ve killed Vinnie.”
“I didn’t.”
“He’s in pain!”
“He will heal.”
“You’re a callous bastardo!”
He breathed out. “Are you finished with shouting at me?”
“No, and regardless of what you say, you are no longer Don. And if you dare tell Brando about him killing his own father, I’ll do everything in my power to have you sent to the psychiatric hospital, because, Ricardo, you forget one thing, I have the power to stop you from taking that illegal drug you seem to think gives you control. One word to the authorities and you’ll be cut off from it.”
“Don’t cross me, Madre, you’ll regret it.”
“Are you threatening your own mother now?�
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“If you take the one thing that keeps me human, don’t be surprised if I destroy everything around me.”
“Not if you’re in a straightjacket and a padded room.”
“You have to get me there first, and if you do, make sure all of the famiglia aren’t home, because there will be multiple deaths.”
She went quiet for a moment, then her voice came over the line, her words tinged with venom. “I love you, figlio, but sometimes I wish you were never born.” She hung up, leaving Ricardo clutching onto the phone, her words slicing through him. He always knew she felt that way, but to hear it ... it killed another piece of him. But she wasn’t alone, because he wished he hadn’t been born either. He wanted normality, not this sickness inside of him that attacked his mind and the people he loved.
He dropped the phone and headed out of the room, determined to see Vinnie, regardless of what Dominic wanted. Not caring that he was only wearing a towel, he descended the staircase and crossed the lounge, pushing through the back door. He cut across the courtyard and entered the twins’ studio without knocking, the door never locked. He stopped a few feet inside, staring across the small lounge at Vinnie, who was getting his ribs bandaged by a soldier. Vinnie’s attention moved to him, his expression lacking fear. He pushed to his feet, getting told to sit back down by the soldier.
Ricardo rounded the couch. “Please forgive me, Vinnie, I never meant to hurt you.”
Out of nowhere, Dominic shot in front of him, yelling, “Back off!”
Ricardo took a step back, still not used to Dominic speaking to him like that—although he deserved it.
“It’s okay, Dom,” Vinnie said.
Dominic’s eyes flashed angrily. “No it’s not.” He pointed a finger at Ricardo. “It’s one thing to hit Brando when provoked, but another to beat up Vinnie. He was helping you.”
Ricardo exhaled loudly. “I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“You take fucking drugs strong enough to down a horse, yet you still can’t control yourself? Mamma’s right; you can’t lead us if you attack your own famiglia.”
“It’s not his fault,” Vinnie spoke up. “I shouldn’t have tried to stop him.”
“It is his fault,” Dominic snapped. “If he can’t control his rage, he has no right to be the Don. I’m retracting my vote. I don’t support him anymore.”
“But he’s the only one who can lead, and he still has enough votes.”
A voice came from behind Ricardo. “The vote will be taken again.”
Ricardo turned around, finding his mother standing in the doorway.
“Be in the lounge tomorrow at noon,” she said, glaring at him. “And Ricardo, the next time you touch one of my sons, I don’t care what you say, I will have you admitted to the psyche ward.”
Ricardo grimaced. “I’m your son too, so stop treating me like I’m not.”
“You won’t be if I disown you.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“You can threaten me with all the secrets you want, but I won’t tolerate you hurting another member of the famiglia you vowed to protect, and if you were a real Don, you would understand that.”
“A real Don never relinquishes control.”
“A man knows when he’s done wrong.”
He sneered at her. “So does a woman, Madre.”
Her eyes flashed. “You’re impossible to reason with. You truly are a madman.”
“A monster is closer to the mark.”
“I feel ashamed to call you my son.” She spun around and disappeared out the door.
Ricardo turned back to Dominic, who was still glaring at him. His eyes moved to Vinnie. “I’ll make this right.”
“You can’t,” Dominic said.
“I will, and I’ll never hurt any of you again.” He left the studio, heading back into the main house. He veered towards Lisa’s room, needing her to inject more of the drug into him—twice the dosage.
He knocked on her door, knocking again when she didn’t answer. He swore, realizing she was at a family function. He opened her door and strode to her cabinet, rooting through it for his medication. Finding it, he left her room, wondering where the maid was. Bianca came to mind. He headed up the staircase to her room, wanting her to administer the drug instead.
11
Knocking jolted Bianca out of her sleep. She opened her eyes, hearing someone calling her name, their tone almost pleading. She pushed out of bed, recognizing Ricardo’s voice as he called out again. She opened her door, freezing at what greeted her on the other side. Ricardo was standing before her, only dressed in a towel, his muscular torso laid bare for her. She breathed out, the man always leaving her dumbstruck.
He thrust out a box. “I need you to administer this.”
She took it, watching as Ricardo strode into her room, going for her bed. He lay down on the mattress as though it was the most natural thing to do. She remained stuck to the same spot, not knowing what on earth was happening.
He laid his arm over the side of the bed. “Please inject the drug into my arm.”
“I’m not capable, you need a nurse.”
“She’s not here.”
“I have no idea how to inject someone.”
“I’ll instruct you.”
“Why don’t you just do it yourself?”
“I don’t have enough control, since I can’t feel the needle. So, please, I need you to do this for me, it’s important.”
She shut the door and walked around the bed. He shifted over, allowing her to sit next to him. She opened the box, finding filled syringes stacked inside. She placed the box on the bedside cabinet and pulled out a syringe, then took a hold of his left arm, nervous as hell. He made a noise, pulling her attention to his face, which was bruised from the fight with Brando. He was staring at her, his eyes beyond sorrowful.
“What’s wrong, Ricardo?”
He slung his other arm over his face. “Just give me the injection.”
“You have to instruct me.”
“Find a vein in the crook of my arm and inject it.”
“I can’t do that!”
“Then inject it at the top of my arm, just below my vaccination scar. That’ll do.”
She gripped onto his bicep, causing him to shudder out a breath.
“Do it,” he croaked out.
Grimacing, she pushed the needle partway into his arm, worried she was hurting him, but he didn’t even flinch. Once she’d injected all the fluid, she removed the needle. Blood seeped from the puncture hole. She quickly grabbed a Band-Aid from the box and smoothed it over his arm, making sure it stuck properly.
He removed his other arm from his face, but kept his eyes closed, his expression upset.
“Please tell me what’s wrong,” she asked.
“I lost control again. I saw red, then the next thing...” He stopped talking. His breathing was erratic, the rapid rise and fall of his chest worrying her. She placed a hand on his chest and started rubbing it in circles, wanting to calm him down.
He opened his eyes, the emotion there, the pain, the... He surged up and grabbed her, pulling her to him, kissing her hard. She went stiff, the suddenness stunning her. He rolled her onto her back, supporting her head with his hand as he continued to kiss her. They were hungry kisses, demanding she return them—and she did. All the need and desire she’d felt for him kicked in. She grabbed his head and kissed him back passionately, their mouths clashing, their tongues dueling.
He seized the top of her nightgown and ripped it open. Breaking the kiss, he frantically removed the rest of it along with her panties, then whipped his towel off. His hard cock sprung free, his size exciting her. He lifted her further up the bed, then pushed her legs apart, the need on his face stark. He started kissing her again, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth, taking what he wanted. Then she felt his cock prod at her opening, pressing against her wetness. She knew she should tell him to put on a condom, or even to stop, that they shouldn’t be doing thi
s, but she couldn’t. She wanted to feel every fucking inch of him—and fuck the consequences.
He pushed inside of her, making them gasp in unison, the pure pleasure on his face incredible to see. He pushed further in, stretching her, making her cry out. She clamped her hands onto his ass, needing him to slow down.
“Bianca,” he breathed out, “I can’t believe what you do to me. I haven’t...” His words were cut off as he pushed in deeper. His eyes went wide, the man an erotic masterpiece, his body, his face, his everything. She wrapped her legs around him, wanting, NO, needing to be as close to him as possible.
He slipped his arms under her and picked her up, pulling her away from the bed. He stumbled to the wall, pushing her against it. “I don’t understand how I can feel you,” he said, staring at her with wonder.
She stared back, his violet eyes so captivating.
He started thrusting inside of her, his thick length sending sparks of pleasure through her body. “Tu sei un dono del cielo,” he said, telling her she was a gift from the heavens.
She grabbed his head and yanked his face to hers, giving him a kiss to match his words, pouring all her need and desire into it. She took from him as he took from her. She was still in disbelief that she was making love to Ricardo, someone she’d vowed to stay away from. He was everything she shouldn’t want. He was uncompromising, hard, his temper fiery, and most of all—he was violent, but she continued to kiss him, none of that mattering now.
She broke the kiss and ran her lips over his chin. He smelled so good and tasted even better. He moaned as she nibbled his flesh. He started muttering words of longing and of wonder, asking her how he could feel everything she was doing. She didn’t reply, more concerned with kissing than talking. She brushed her lips over his Adam’s apple, then kissed a trail up his neck, blowing a puff of air into his ear.
A shudder racked his body, Bianca almost slipping out of his hands. He gripped onto her tighter and turned to the bed, laying her back down on the mattress. He reentered her, sliding in one glorious inch at a time. His cock was long and thick—and he knew how to use it. He was six-foot-four of raw sex, someone she wanted to enjoy over and over again.
His rough hands moved to her breasts, rolling her nipples, his fingertips sending jolts of pleasure through her. Without warning, he pulled his cock out of her. She went to complain, but her words changed into a cry of pleasure as his mouth latched onto one of her breasts.
Ricardo Page 11
