Hero: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance

by Lara Swann

  “Valentini…fuck, I didn’t want to start a war. You know that. This wasn’t your doing, and I kept you out of it. You can distance yourself - I didn’t use your guys—”

  “You’re in my fucking safe house, Jason!”

  I paused as that hit me, almost looking around as if to confirm it.

  How the hell hadn’t I thought of that?

  Taking a deep breath, I nodded once, curtly - and proposed the solution that had been circling in my head ever since that explosive argument with Lottie.

  “Yes, damn, I should have thought about that.”

  I ran a hand through my hair and started pacing, too distracted with the plan that was forming to worry about going toe-to-toe with him any more, just glancing back to meet his eyes with each key point.

  “We’ll leave. And, Fabio - I’ll leave for good. That’ll fix at least some of this. You can openly disown me, state I acted outside of your orders - hell, make an act of sending your own guys to look for me. Approach Jorge and end the violence - then go back to everything we were working on.”

  It was a good suggestion, a good approach. And ever since Lottie had told me to get the hell out of the mafia, I’d been thinking about it - wondering if maybe that was the right thing to do. I’d hated how her words had struck me, the truth behind them hitting hard even as I fought to deny them.

  She wasn’t completely right - not about my family, or about Xero…but she hadn’t been all wrong either. I didn’t belong in the mafia. It had been a means to an end, but since meeting her it had been harder and harder to sustain or justify to myself.

  And now leaving it offered a different kind of solution. I stopped pacing and looked at him, trying to work out how he’d taken it.

  Valentini held my gaze, measuring me as he weighed the idea.

  “No contact or support.”

  I knew that. It still hurt to hear it - but I was closer to Xero than I’d been in months now, and I could continue searching on my own. I just nodded.

  It was a small measure of how much he’d come to rely on and value me that he hesitated now. I was pretty sure he’d come storming in here with the intention of wringing me out to dry and throwing me out on my ass, but now that I’d offered it…he didn’t want to let me go.

  Finally he nodded sharply, his next words coming on a harsh breath as he met my gaze for what was possibly the last time, the last of his anger escaping.

  “Fine. Get the fuck out of here, Jason - both of you. We’re done.”

  He turned and left without another word.

  Chapter Twenty

  Lottie

  Jason and Valentini didn’t try to keep their conversation quiet, and I heard every word from the bedroom down the hall. By the time Jason came back, I was dressed and ready to go, my pulse beating hard from the intensity of everything that had happened next door.

  The news about the gang warfare had caught me off-guard, and had me wincing at the idea that I might have caused the very thing I’d worked so hard to avoid. But I let myself trust in Jason’s plan - it made sense, and if they could get things back on even ground with Jorge…then maybe it would all work out.

  I was still distracted by the idea that he had really left - left - the mafia he’d been so embroiled in for so long. I didn’t quite dare to hope that meant his vendetta was over, but it made me think that maybe he was finally ready for another life.

  The tension was still riding through him when he walked through the door, but at the sight of me his mouth curved into a smile.

  “You heard?”

  I snorted.

  “It would have been hard not to.”

  He moved forward for a quick kiss, then cast around for his shirt. I was suddenly reminded of the fact he’d pulled on his jeans sans underwear, and had the silly urge to delay us in favor of more naughty activities, but managed to restrain myself, even if I did press up against him and run a finger down the seam of his jeans.

  The response I felt underneath had me grinning, even as he grabbed my hand and swatted me on the ass.

  “Later.”

  But his eyes were sparkling and - despite everything that had just happened - I felt freer than I had only a few hours ago. We were done with the mafia, gangs and mobs. Both of us.

  As he started throwing the little we’d brought or found into a bag, I sobered slightly.

  “Where are we going to go, Jason?”

  I thought of my parents home, of the family still waiting for my call, and felt a wave of guilt. I couldn’t reach out to them - not yet, not when everything was still so risky. Later, when Jorge’s rage died down, or been diverted, or…

  I didn’t know when.

  Pushing away the discomfort that came with that thought, I refocused on Jason as he spoke.

  “My place.”

  I paused and realized that I had no idea where he lived - no mental image to provide a picture at his words. As I couldn’t help smiling at the idea of that, he laughed and shook his head.

  “You’re pleased now. I can assure you, it’s nothing like what you’re used to.”

  He gestured around at the impressive interior of Valentini’s house and I just grinned.

  “Yeah, don’t worry - this is not what I’m used to.”

  The fancy hotel rooms and nice places had never been me - I’d pick my parent’s worn, cozy house anytime.

  He gave me a slightly bemused look, but took my hand as we headed down the stairs and locked the place up again. My heart thrilled at the little gesture and I wished I could stop feeling so giddy about simply being with him. I should really be focusing on all the other issues we needed to address.

  He insisted I wear the lone helmet again as we got the bike out, and I settled behind him with a smile.

  “Right, lets see whether we can excite you this time.”

  “Huh?”

  “You accused me of lulling you to sleep last time you were on this thing.”

  I laughed lightly at the memory, and then we were off, with a little more speed than was probably necessary. My heart leapt and I grinned against the wind billowing at my clothes.

  Okay, that works.

  The way he revved it and showed off as we tackled corners and the side roads of Cleveland had me grinning and holding on tighter, trusting him to get us wherever he was planning safely. There was something between us now - some crazed, light-hearted, head-over-heels in love feeling that I had no idea what to do with. But it made me want to laugh and dance and sing and play. All my life, I’d worried over one thing or another - I’d tried so hard to do the right thing, to make life better for those I cared about. For once, it was nice to just be with someone and do things that I didn’t have to worry about.

  By the time we pulled up, we were in yet another rough neighborhood - but I could only find my inability to escape them amusing as I slid off, eyes shining from the ride.

  “Okay babe, that was exciting.”

  He grinned at me, helping pull the helmet off and letting me look at the small box house.

  He was right - it was nothing fancy. In fact, it was pretty much the opposite of that, and as he led us up to the door and inside, I couldn’t help notice the complete lack of anything more than perfunctory furnishings. I’d pictured a dozen different places he might live, but nothing quite so…empty. No personal touches or effects. Just a house with a few pieces of furniture.

  Realizing something, I glanced back at the door we’d just entered through.

  “You don’t lock it?”

  This wasn’t exactly a safe neighborhood, but he just shook his head with a small smile.

  “Nothing in here worth stealing. And in this area, the lock would just be a target.”

  Then he paused, looking me up and down deliberately before stalking closer.

  “At least, there wasn’t anything in here worth stealing before. Now…well, maybe I do need to get a lock and key.”

  Heat blossomed within me at the possessive tone, and I leaned in to meet
his kiss before nipping at his lower lip. I wasn’t the kept kind of girl, even if I loved that he held that sentiment.

  “You just try, baby.”

  His eyes sparkled.

  “No? Maybe I’ll just have to find another way to keep you here then…”

  He pressed up against me, and that was all it took to have me on fire with wanting him. I moaned and his eyes shone with triumph. After a deep, enticing kiss, he pulled away and glanced around.

  “So…what do you think?”

  I looked at him, and tried to keep the slightly dubious note from my voice as I responded.

  “It’s a little…bare. You really live here?”

  His amused glance told me he didn’t take offense, and he just shrugged in response.

  “No, not really. Valentini always put me up when I was on business…which was most of the time. I used to live here - when I was in the army.”

  Oh.

  Somehow, I liked that even more. This place had more significance than just a hole to rest in. It was a window into his previous life. And I was here. The thought warmed me.

  Raising my hand to his cheek, I met that hot gaze and said what I’d wanted to all morning.

  “I heard you left Valentini. His mafia.”

  He nodded, not hiding the significance of that. I stepped closer to him and welcomed the feel of his arms around me as I finally decided to voice the warm-fuzzy feelings that had been bubbling up in me over the last few days.

  “I’m glad, Jason. I love you. I want to have a life with you - take you home to meet my family, do silly stuff without hiding from the world…build a home…”

  His arms tightened around me and I could feel the tension in him - but whether it was from resistance or the sudden echo of my desire, I didn’t know. His words made it obvious.

  “Me too, Lottie. I want you. In my bed, yes, but - on my arm too, by my side. I love you, and I want the world to see it.”

  My heart stuttered in my chest and I melted against him, using the strength and power of his body to hold me up as I let the warmth take me. There was a future for us. He saw it too, wanted it as much as I did.

  When we finally broke that deep kiss, I looked up at him, not sure it was possible to feel any happier than I did in that moment. There was only one thing…

  “So what do we do about it all? How do we get that?”

  He sighed a little before kissing me again.

  “I wish I had a good answer for you, Lottie, but I think we just have to wait. With everything you’ve given us already, Valentini will close in on Jorge soon - and when that happens, we can stop hiding out here. You can see your family again, and we can have all of that.”

  I bit my lip as I looked up at him, thinking back to what I’d heard that last day between Jorge and Alfonso. I still hadn’t told him. If I was right, that was the last piece - that could end it all.

  I needed to tell him - I knew that. And I would. I’d decided that right at the beginning - regardless of my concerns about Jason, what they were planning sounded bad. They’d talked about some girls in a way that had freaked me out, and I wasn’t going to allow innocent people to get hurt when I could stop it, no matter how worried I was about his reaction to the news.

  But…his eyes were shining so brightly, with the same happiness that was reflected in mine. He’d only just opened himself to the idea of a future with me, was just starting to look beyond his long hatred.

  Whatever they were planning wasn’t happening for a couple of weeks. There was time.

  Maybe it was selfish, but I didn’t want our chance together destroyed by whatever that news did to him. I didn’t want this happy, laughing Jason to be replaced with fury and death and destruction again - not when it was still so fragile. I wanted him committed to the future before I sent him chasing after the darkness of his past.

  I wanted him to come back to me.

  “Lottie?”

  I’d been silent too long, but he misinterpreted it.

  “It’s not that bad, you know. And hopefully it won’t be long.”

  I took a deep breath, nodding up at him.

  Later. I’d tell him later.

  Instead, I let myself enjoy the way he looked at me - the warm love and hope that was almost tangible between us.

  “Lots of waiting, huh?”

  He nodded reluctantly, but I pressed up against him with a different kind of smile.

  “Well, in that case…I can think of a few ways to pass the time.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jason

  I hadn’t known what taking Lottie to my house would be like, but within only a week I was convinced it was one of the best decisions I could have made. Since I’d cut my ties with Valentini, something had changed between us and, for the first time, I started to dare to hope for more.

  For life again.

  Lottie chafed at not being able to leave the house, but while it was relatively safe within Valentini’s territory for me, I didn’t want to chance anyone seeing her and getting word back to Jorge - who probably had more of an eye out for her than me. A little paranoid, perhaps, but if it had a better chance of keeping her safe, I wouldn’t accept anything else.

  Valentini had committed to my plan and now we were just waiting for the subtle balance of power in Cleveland’s underworld to tilt far enough in his favor to make it safe for us again.

  He had declared me persona-non-grata and claimed to be searching for me on Jorge’s behalf, but since I was pretty sure he knew where I lived and no one had shown up yet, whatever anger he had left at me didn’t seem to extend that far.

  And now that I was no longer working for the mafia, with Lottie around me every day to remind me of everything that was perfect in the world, I was finally starting to look forward to the future we’d started openly discussing.

  In truth, although I wanted an end to the secrecy and risk, I was loving simply having Lottie stay with me. She’d decided that since she couldn’t do much else, she’d spend her time decorating my old house. I’d never needed much - preferring the bare military life - but now that we had a comforting tattered rug along the floor, flower pots decorating the doorstep, and a few cushions scattered on the sofa, I was starting to come around to her way of thinking. The place felt more like home now.

  My Mom would have been pleased - she’d always been on at me to do something with the house.

  The first time that sort of thought had surfaced, I’d tensed up, bracing myself for the wave of pain that was sure to follow. But where I’d expected sharp daggers and an open wound, instead all I found was a dull ache, a fond memory and a wistful sadness. It had brought momentary tears to my eyes - but when Lottie had asked what was wrong, I’d found myself smiling too. And I’d told her - to see the same slightly sad smile on her face too.

  So for the first time since I’d been given that crushing news, I started letting myself think of my family again. Talk about them. Remember.

  As much as part of me resented the thought, I was starting to move on - and reluctantly, I admitted that maybe Lottie had been right.

  I still kept up with my old contacts, trawling the places it was safe for me to go for any news of Xero, but it was becoming more and more half-hearted. I hadn’t forgotten Lottie’s words - if you throw this away, then he wins, Jason. And I was beginning to get a small glimmer of understanding.

  I wanted Lottie. I wanted the things we talked about together.

  Xero still deserved to die, and she’d been wrong - it wasn’t just for my family - it was to stop him ever hurting another person like that again. But…if I had to give that up for the future she was slowly showing me - maybe that’s what my family would have wanted all along.

  It was enough that I almost decided to turn my bike for home instead of hitting up my last source. It wasn’t like they’d had any information for months anyway…

  My phone buzzed and I frowned as I opened it up.

  The Oriental.

  Valentin
i. The hairs rose on the back of my neck and I scowled at the brief message. No detail, just the place. That meant the time was now. And that it was important.

  Not sure what to think, I turned my bike in the direction of the hotel that Lottie and I had spent so much time in together, trying not to jump to conclusions.

  The ride was quick and adrenaline was pumping through my body by the time I came to a halt in front of the fancy hotel. I walked into the lobby with a confidence that belied the fact that I didn’t have a clue where I was going - and wasn’t surprised when a guy I vaguely remembered approached me.

  He didn’t say anything as he led me up to one of the top floors in the elevator, and I didn’t bother trying to recall his name - my mind was completely on Valentini.

  Before I entered the suite, a couple of men on the door frisked me, finding both the knife I carried in my boot and the back of my belt, and giving me a moment to be insulted - Valentini hadn’t done that with me for a long time. I’d had full access to him, and the trust that went with it.

  Sure, I shouldn’t really care about either of those things, but it reminded me briefly of what I’d given up.

  Something you never liked, for something so much better…

  That was enough to get me over the strange feeling, and I walked in cautiously.

  He glanced up from the desk he was working at, then stood up - which was more of a reaction than my entrance usually got.

  “What’s this about, Valentini?”

  “Jason.”

  His voice was neutral as he regarded me.

  “I got news about Xero - he’s here in Cleveland. You were right about his connections to the 55th Streeters. They’re planning something big. I’ve heard that from several sources over the last 24 hours but I don’t know what yet. Or where. Word is that whatever it is - it’s happening tomorrow.”

  My blood turned to ice as I stared at him. I could hardly believe it. After a year of searching, he was here?!

  He’d come back to Cleveland.

  My disbelief must have been obvious, because Valentini nodded at me in confirmation.