Leave Me Breathless: The Black Rose Collection

by Dakota Willink

  Kristine wasted zero time as she slid into her chair, relishing the feel of a new keyboard under her fingertips and the advantage of an enormous monitor. She spent most of the morning creating templates and short cuts, taking notes on the accounts from Nina. She was mesmerized by the amount of money in some of the accounts and failed to hear when lunch arrived until the rapping of knuckles on the glass door jolted her back to reality.

  “I’m sorry, I thought you heard me.” A tall dark-haired man spoke from the doorway. “You must be Kristine,” extending his hand, the handsome middle-aged man crossed the room. “Names Tony, Sully asked me to stop by and get your grocery list. I meant to come by earlier, but Gino needed my help.”

  Kristine took the offered hand, “Nice to meet you, Tony. As for stocking the fridge, you don’t need to do that, I’m perfectly capable of running down to the corner store if I get thirsty.”

  Tony surveyed the young woman he’d overheard Gino talking to Niko about. While he couldn’t understand why Sully was giving her the keys to the bank accounts when Gino didn’t trust her, it wasn’t his place to question either one of them.

  “That’s fine, as long as you’re sure?”

  “I’m positive. Having a decent paycheck is all I need right now.” The image of the check from her granny’s life insurance flashed in her head, she needed to deposit it, use the money to get an apartment.

  “Speaking of money,” Tony reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a white envelope. “This is for you.”

  Kristine took the offered envelope. Lifting the flap, she nearly choked at the number of one-hundred-dollar bills inside.

  “What the…?”

  “Don’t worry, Kristine, you will still get a paycheck at the end of the week. This is just a little walking-around money.”

  “Walking around money? I can’t…” She trailed off, attempting to give the envelope back to him.

  Tony felt out of his element, he’d never had someone refuse money before. Noticing the confusion on her face, Tony assumed she thought this was her pay for the day and felt the need to set the record straight. “Listen, the boys like to take every opportunity to thank you girls for what you do here. Because without you, especially you and Nina…well, things would be different.”

  Kristine opened her mouth to argue when Nina stepped into the room. “It’s okay, Tony. I’ve got this.”

  Tony nodded his head, reaching into his jacket pocket and handed Nina a matching envelope before walking to the door and shutting it behind him.

  Nina turned to Kristine, her face devoid of any emotion. “Remember when I told you yesterday the boys like to spoil us?”

  “Yes, but…”

  Nina held up her hand, wordlessly telling Kristine she wasn’t finished.

  “And the rules for working here; no matter what you see, you keep your mouth shut?”

  “Yes, but I assumed you meant account numbers and passwords.” Kristine pointed at her computer, a chill of fear creeping up her spine.

  “I meant everything you see. From who walks through that door, to any unusual activities you see happening, you keep your fucking mouth shut.”

  Kristine was more taken back by Nina’s clipped tone than the implication she laid down.

  “Now, if you don’t think you can do that, I can have Sully put you on a plane back to Kansas. What’s your answer, Kristine, can you follow the rules or not?”

  10

  “Will I see you at the fight tonight?” Emilio inquired over the rim of his glass, enjoying the look of irritation on Gino’s face. He loved nothing more than pressing the young man’s buttons, using his position as Family leader to get away with it. Giovanni was a strong individual, and Emilio knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he would turn the disaster of the Vitale dynasty he was about to be handed, into something phenomenal.

  “Yes,” Gino acknowledged, struggling to keep the irritation out of his voice. “I have a vested interest in one of the boxers now.”

  “Oh, really? Jonathan was okay with this?”

  Shifting forward, Gino waits as the middle-aged waitress filled their coffee cups, before training his attention on the notorious Family leader. “My father’s interests haven’t been the prosperity of this Family since he took over after he married my mother. Had it not been for her quick thinking, and my uncle Joey’s connections, I’d be working at the gym instead of owning it.”

  With the rumors of his father’s affair, and subsequent birth of Sully, his uncle sprang into action, forcing his father to sign away any interest in the Atamo business and vast earnings, leaving the Vitale’s scrambling to pay their bills for several years.

  “Your mother is one of the most beautiful women to walk the planet, next to my Nicole, God rest her soul. Still calls me once a week to check up on me.”

  Something pulled deep inside Gino from the buried emotion in Emilio’s voice, a level of love foreign to him.

  “Nicole was her friend, just as you are mine…” Gino trailed off. “Despite my father.” Gino added, all too familiar with the lack of love lost between Jonathan and the man across from him.

  “Listen, Gino, I understand why you hate Felicia. She’s my niece and even I can’t stand to be in the room with her longer than a few minutes.”

  “And yet you gave your permission for me to pursue her.”

  “No, I gave my consent to the only available avenue to unite our Families.” Emilio returned, thinking of his late wife and her longing for a child, the lack of an heir yet another way he’d failed her. “Gino, I’m sure your father told you, death doesn’t sever the ties solidified by the union. Besides, I’m sure one of the dozens of women who flock to you would be happy to help you forget the annoyance of the ball and chain waiting at home.”

  Gino wasn’t surprised at Emilio’s suggestion to have Felicia killed. She was a product of her upbringing, having parents who willingly gave in to her every desire.

  “Enough talk of getting married, old man. Join me at the fight tonight, we’ll find you a young woman willing to suck the dust out of your decrepit dick.”

  Pulling into the office, Gino parked his car beside his brother’s convertible, the bitter wind hitting him square in the chest as he climbed from his car. He’d need to send Gazelle, his personal shopper, a request for a heavier jacket if the New Jersey winter continued to be this brutal. His eyes landed on the sign attached to the side of the building, one of the many companies he and his mother owned together, and the single source of revenue the pair allowed Jonathan and Sully to benefit from.

  Making his way to the entrance, Gino greeted the handful of men working the lot, moving cars on and off the transport truck, flashing the luxury cars around right under the nose of various law enforcement agencies. Cars came into the port disguised as various other legitimate commodities, where they were off-loaded and put on a truck. A handful were loaned to the women who work for Sully, their VIN numbers as fake as the tits of the girls behind the wheel. When a new shipment came in, the cars the girls drove were exchanged and sold at a profit. Vitale’s, like most syndicate Families, had their hands in various businesses in order to launder the money made from the illegal shit. Amato Luxury Rentals was one of those companies. Gino was looking forward to getting away from it the minute he took over the Family, something his father stood adamantly against. With his mother’s help, he’d taken steps to secure the Family’s financial future by purchasing several failing businesses he could launder money through.

  Entering the building, Gino lowered his sunglasses to check the room. The new receptionist made her presence known by standing from her seat and rounding the desk, spreading her legs wide enough for Gino to appreciate her bald pussy lips. She tossed him a seductive smile and a glimpse of her tits, which required their own zip code. Clearly, this was another one of Sully’s hopefuls, and if she was still there at the end of the day, Gino would gladly toss her over the desk and fuck her senseless.

  Inside his office, Gino tossed hi
s sunglasses to the desk beside him, an oversized piece of history purchased at an auction by his grandfather, who he was named after. Gino hated everything about this office; from the desk to the art Nina hung on the wall, ugly pieces of shit she came across when she was fucking some art dealer. He much preferred the space at his condo in the city, the absolute silence he found there centered him and shielded him from the chaos of his world. Staring hard at the New York skyline, Gino let his mind drift off to thoughts of disappearing into the sea of people walking the streets, melting onto the nothingness of millions.

  A knock at the door behind him pulled him back to reality, the one where he had responsibilities and a shitload of people counting on him.

  “Hey, Gino. I have the new girl, Kristine, here to meet you.” Gino caught Sully’s reflection in the window, a Cheshire grin on his face as he pushed on the partially open door, revealing the woman in question.

  Gino spun on his heels, the image of her in his memory fell short of the real thing. Long dark hair framed the angel face with the big, blue eyes, causing his breath to catch in his throat and all rational thought left his mind.

  Kristine felt nauseous from the adrenaline pulsing through her. Standing not ten feet from her was the man Nina had warned her about. It surprised her to learn this man, who everyone seemed to fear, was the same man who tripped over his own feet, nearly landing on his handsome face. Unwilling to allow Nina, or this man who felt the need to be larger than life, scare her out of a quite lucrative job, she squared her shoulders, extended her hand and crossed the room in his direction.

  “Hello, Mr. Vitale. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Gino stared at the tiny woman with her hand extended and the confidence of a raging bull on her face. Having never encountered someone so blatantly ignorant of who he was, her courage both thrilled and unnerved him.

  “The pleasure is mine, Ms. Smith.” Wrapping his fingers around hers, the connection created a sensation he’d never experienced. Gino hoped the genetics his parents gave him worked as well on Kristine as they did the bitch downstairs, affecting her a tenth as much as she did him. “My door is always open if you need anything.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Vitale. Sully and Nina have made me feel welcome, and I can’t wait to get started.”

  Gino drifted his eyes to Sully, his lip curling into a half-smile. “Careful what you ask for, my brother is known to work his girls to exhaustion. You come see me if he steps out of line.”

  Needing to separate himself from the beautiful woman who was messing with his focus, Gino grabbed his glasses. “If you will excuse me, I have a meeting I’m late for.”

  “Giovanni, you should know, your father called me not a second after I hung up with you.” Nona Vitale admitted from the passenger seat of Gino’s car. She was dressed in a beaded jacket and satin pants, her hair in the same perfect coif she’d worn since Gino could remember. “He wanted to know if you came to see me and was quite surprised to hear you were on your way to pick me up.”

  Gino followed his father’s instructions by sending a bouquet to both Antonia and Felicia but added his own spin, requesting them to each be a dozen carnations, knowing they would turn up their noses and toss them into the trash. He called Felicia and invited her for dinner, however, she declined when he suggested they go to a diner not far from his office. So, he did what any single Italian man would do, he called his Nona.

  “He’s jealous I stole your company before he could.”

  “I don’t think my company is what he’s craving this evening.” Nona tossed, the disappointment in her eyes too much for Gino to bear. Nona Vitale took him under her wing when his father separated him from his mother. She intervened when things became heated between Gino and her late husband.

  Entering the restaurant, Gino helped his Nona into her chair, tipping the young man who took her coat a hundred bucks to make sure it was hung the way she wanted. He loved this woman, nearly as much as he did his mother and, like Chiara Vitale, he would do anything she asked of him.

  Pulling his chair out to join her, a man approaching their table caught his attention, bringing a smile to his face.

  “Would you look at this?” Emilio Vittorio called as he and a handful of his men stopped beside the table, his delighted voice captured Nona’s attention who turned in her seat. “Had I known there were such beautiful women in this restaurant, I would come by every night.”

  Resting his hand on Corrine Vitale’s back, he leaned over placing a kiss to her soft cheek.

  Shifting his eyes to Gino, a smirk decorated his lips. “I was under the impression you had a business meeting at Leo’s.”

  Standing, Gino extended his hand to Emilio, an equally smug grin on his face as he greeted the Family leader. “When Felicia declined my offer to join me, I called my Nona. She offered to take the sting out of the rejection by bringing me here.”

  “Smart and beautiful, a deadly combination, Corrine.” Emilio praised, creating a blush on her cheeks. “Leo’s is a great place to grab a cup of coffee or chase away a hangover, but not to enjoy the company of a lady such as this.” Picking up her hand, Emilio sent her a wink as he placed a gentle kiss to her soft flesh. Turning his head toward Gino, “I’ll see you later.”

  Returning to his seat, Gino unbuttoned his jacket, covertly adjusting the gun on his side.

  “Your father tells me you had a pleasant visit with your mother. How is Chiara?”

  Allowing the waiter to fill his Nona’s wine glass before answering, “Wonderful as always. She and my uncle are building a school; one the church won’t have their hands in.”

  Once his mother learned of his father’s betrayal, she went to the church to petition for divorce but was turned down. His parents haven’t laid eyes on one another since the day Jonathan was tossed on a jet and sent back to the States.

  “She’s a smart woman, too good for my son.” Taking a sip from her glass, the marriage between the two a sore subject. “Every time I drive by our old house, my blood boils at the stupidity your father showed toward your mother.”

  Gino clenched his fists as he listened to the pain in his Nona’s voice. After the affair was discovered, the Amato’s demanded the Vitale’s repay them for the expenses of the wedding, forcing Nona to sell her home and several properties.

  Reaching across the table, Corrine grabbed Gino’s clenched fist, gripping it tightly and shaking it steadily.

  “I don’t care what my son says, Giovanni, do not marry Felicia. She will ruin this family even more than your father did.”

  “That may be easier said than done, I’m afraid.”

  “You hear me, Gino. If you listen to your father and marry that woman, you will spend the rest of your life questioning if she is telling the truth as to the paternity of any children you have.”

  Gino shifted his body forward, looking deep into his Nona’s eyes. “You have my word, Nona, I won’t marry Felicia Vittorio.”

  “Good, now let us spend some of that money you’ve earned. Your father may be blind to your twisted ways, but I still have a handful of loyal people who keep me well informed.”

  Hours later as Gino sifted his way through the crowded gym, Kristine’s boldness remained with him. Surely she knew of his reputation. Nina took every opportunity to boast about her proximity to him to anyone who’d listen. Naturally, he’d assumed she shared with Kristine. Yet this girl was fearless, taking his hand as if she were the head of a Family and smiling as if she knew a secret. Gino didn’t care for the way her skin felt against his, all warm, smooth, and perfectly proportioned. Or the way his heart leapt into his chest at the sound of her voice and the tingly sensation it left behind.

  “Hey, Gino,” Nina’s breathy voice called to his left, a second before her feminine hand caressed the lapels of his suit. “I was hoping to see you here.”

  Dropping his gaze to her face, her lidded eyes reflected at him. He wasn’t surprised to find her here. She, like most of the women in the room, had an ag
enda to be seen, not to watch the fight. Parading around in ten-thousand-dollar dresses with their talons polished and sharp, ready to sink into the next highest man in the ranks.

  “Nina,” Gino responded, his tone reflecting the boredom he felt toward her. “Can’t say I feel the same.”

  “Oh, come on, Gino,” Nina purred, tucking herself tighter against his body. “You know I can—”

  “No,” he snapped, loud enough to cause her to flinch and capture the attention of several men standing around them. “I’m tired of fucking repeating myself. Get rid of those ideas of the two of us being anything other than a business arrangement. Now, if you have something to say about work, I’m all ears, if not, crawl back to the poor bastard you came with.”

  Nina’s eyes shifted between his, her lower lip trembling slightly before she squared her shoulders. “You’re right, I’m sorry, Gino. I came with Kristine tonight, an apology for snapping at her in the office today.”

  His pulse quickened at the mention of her name, his eyes shifting to the crowd, ignoring the curious stares. He searched the faces for the girl he couldn’t shake. After a second sweep of the room, Gino found her sitting in one of the aluminum chairs on the opposite side of the room.

  “Why?” Gino questioned absentmindedly, keeping his eyes on the dark-haired beauty.

  “Why what?”

  Dropping his gaze back to Nina, Gino realized his error in showing interest. Needing a quick cover, “Why did you snap? Is she fucking up already?”

  Nina tossed a look over her shoulder, finding Kristine talking with some suit she didn’t recognize, despite the casual look she had going on she was turning heads. “Tony came in with a payout and she tried to refuse it. I set her straight.” Nina recalled the bold way Kristine stared back at her before agreeing she could handle the rules. “She won’t be a problem.”

  The lights overhead dimmed, as the announcer stepped into the center of the ring signaling the beginning of the event. Needing a minute to collect himself, “Better not be,” Gino threatened. Pushing past Nina, he made his way to the far corner of the room.