by K. L. Myers
Once again, I find myself in my study staring out over the water. The same spot I sat in when I decided what I would do for the auction. It’s been three months since that day. The August skies are gloomy as the rain pours down outside my window. The leaves on the trees started to turn early this year. Normally, it’s October before they start to change, but this year, it started to happen earlier. I sit here taking in the breathtaking view when I hear the patter of little feet coming down the hall.
“Uncle Wuv, we here.” The sound getting closer to my door pulls me from my reverie. “Dare you are, Uncle Wuv,” Peanut exclaims as he jumps into my lap, hugging me tightly.
“Well, look at you, Peanut, stronger than ever, I see.” I feign as if I’m choking from the strength of his grip around my neck.
Peanut releases his hold around my neck. “You silly, Uncle Wuv. I not choke you.”
Bethany stands in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. “What did I tell you, Peanut, about running? We need to wait until Dr. Copley tells you it’s okay to run and play.”
My eyes quickly snap to Bethany’s. “What did you just say? Doctor Copley? Isn’t Lil— I mean, Doctor Vicci his cardiologist?”
A sly smile crosses Bethany’s face. “Were you going to call her Lillian, Love?”
I look away from her prying eyes, placing Peanut on his feet, then stand from my chair.
“Oh my God, you were going to call her Lillian. Is there something you need to tell me, Love? Are you the reason she left Virginia and went back to New York?”
“What are you talking about, Bethany?” My heart is beating in my chest faster now. “When did she leave for New York?”
Bethany is skeptical for a moment. “You really didn’t know she moved to New York? I assumed you knew. She left a month ago, just after the last time you were in town.”
“No, Bethany, I had no idea she moved to New York. If I had, I wouldn’t have asked you when she moved.” I know I’m being an arrogant prick right now, but Lillian didn’t say a word to me when we were together, and all this time she’s been close to me, and she hasn’t reached out once. “Did she tell you why she decided to move?”
“Actually, she didn’t tell me she was moving. A week ago, I got a call from her office informing me that she had turned her practice over to Doctor Copley for an indefinite period of time, that something pressing with her family came up.”
“I see. Well, let’s go get a clean bill of health for Peanut, shall we?” I place a smile on my face when I want to do anything but smile right now.
Chapter 18
LINCOLN
Night has fallen outside, the sky as black as my soul right now. How could she leave and not respond to my message? If she didn’t want to talk, she could have texted me a goodbye. Hell, a ‘Fuck you’ if that’s how she felt. Something feels off about the whole situation. My instinct has always gotten me through and not been wrong before, so I have to trust it now when it says that this whole situation is wrong. It’s time to find out a bit more about Lillian Vicci.
My fingers type the words ‘Doctor Lillian Vicci’ into my search engine. Multiple entries regarding her medical practice come up but nothing about her personally. I recall her saying she grew up in the Bronx and moved to Brooklyn, so that is my next search. Page after page of information comes up regarding the Vicci crime family. Yes, it’s a name that rings out throughout New York City, but it never crossed my mind that the Vicci crime family would be related to my Lillian. But there it is in the headlines from several weeks ago.
MAFIA HEIR TO VICCI CRIME FAMILY SAVES THE DAY.
The sole heir and daughter to the Vicci crime family returned home to save the day and her father. Francesco Vicci suffered a major heart attack while dining at Sicily’s earlier this month. Though the heart attack only hospitalized the crime family godfather shortly, we have it from a secret source that the princess heir has returned home to perform her father’s open-heart surgery.
The young mafia princess once escaped the confinements of the family to become one of the nation’s top pediatric cardiologist surgeons. It seems that the family has drawn their daughter back into the lion's den to save the family. Francesco Vicci was released days after his heart attack with Salvatore Mangano by his side. At a time when the leadership of the family is crucial, the crime family is set to name Salvatore Mangano as its new godfather.
Mangano, a native New Yorker whose lineage reaches back to Sicily, is a descendant of the Mangano crime family, once one of the largest Cosa Nostra organizations in the 1920s in Sicily. Mangano’s great-grandfather left Sicily to expand operations into the United States but found sanctuary with the Vicci family. Over the years, the Vicci family has risen to be one of the strongest of the five families here in New York. Salvatore, who rose from underboss to Consiglieri to Francesco Vicci over the years, is the definite choice, says an insider. Does that mean that Lillian Olivia Vicci will soon become Mrs. Salvatore Mangano, or will she once again find her way out of the limelight and away from the family’s long reach once her father is better?
It all becomes clear to me now. The uneasy feeling Lillian demonstrated as we landed in New York, the evasive answers when I asked anything about her family. These were all ways to avoid talking about who she truly is. She once escaped the family to find her own independence, just to be pulled back into the mess that is the Vicci crime family.
One thing is for certain. I need to find Lillian and speak with her. If she thinks ignoring me will make me go away, she has another thing coming. It only took one night with her in my arms for me to realize that all these years of running away from commitment weren’t because I was afraid of settling. No, it was because I hadn’t found the right woman. Lillian Vicci is the right woman for me, and living without her isn’t an option. She needs to know that for the first time in my life, I’m ready to settle down. Now, all I have to figure out is how to get to her and get her alone.
The saga continues in the Love At Last Series…
Book #2
LOST IN L.O.V.
By K.L. Myers
Prologue
I was just eighteen when my father became the underboss to the Vicci crime family. Anthony Rizzuto was a name every capo feared in the organization, and rightfully so. He’d earned his place at the top when Salvatore Mangano stepped into the Consigliere role. I was a soldier under my father when he was Capo, and during that four years, I learned how to be a ruthless killer. I killed for the family when it was needed, never gave it a second thought and slept like a baby at night knowing that what I did protected those who were important to me. Francesco Vicci knew I was loyal to his family, and that was all that mattered.
On my twenty-second birthday, Mr. Vicci requested my presence. At the time, I couldn’t have imagined that he would bestow such an amazing honor on me. “Angelo, my boy,”—his voice was deep and booming—“you’ve proven to the family that your loyalty knows no bounds.” His hand clasped my shoulder as he walked past me to take the seat to my left. “I’ve got a job for you, son. It is the most important job that I would ask of anyone. Do you want to know what it is before you accept or decline?”
I knew better than to ask questions. When Francesco Vicci calls you into his office personally to tell you he has a job that he only trusts to you, you don’t question it; you accept it and be damn proud that a man like him trusts you. “No, sir, you don’t have to explain whatever it is. I’m your man.”
Francesco stood, moved around his desk, and took a seat in his chair, reclining back slightly. His dark black eyes bore straight into mine, almost making me a bit frightened about what he was going to ask of me. “Angelo, my daughter, Lillian, is at that age where she’s getting to be too big for her own britches. You, my son, will watch over her from here on out.” Francesco’s eyes narrowed on me. “With your life, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Vicci, I understand. I’m honored that you believe in me. With my life, sir, I will protect Lillian.�
� I remember the words as if it were yesterday.
“Eccellente, now go enjoy your last night of freedom. Starting tomorrow, you will be available to Lillian twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I will have the housekeeper make up a room for you across the hall from Lillian’s. She is your ward now. Now go.” And just like that, with a whisk of his hand, I was dismissed.
My first week with Lillian was less than pleasant. That girl was a handful just as her father said she would be. If I said the sky was blue, she’d argue that it was red. When I told her to wait for me at the door, she would push right through it. The two of us were going to have to find common ground if I was going to keep her safe and stay alive myself.
On her twelfth birthday, she stood before me, her tiny hands on her hips, and declared she didn’t need me as a babysitter. “I’m sick of you, Angelo,” she barked loudly at me with an angry scowl on her face that would have had me shaking in my shoes if I weren’t ten years her senior and one hell of a badass myself. I knew then my life was going to be turned upside down, and it did in more ways than I could have imagined. I’d lay my life down for hers—and trust me, there were several times when it almost came to that. Being the daughter and sole heir to Francesco Vicci made Lillian a prime target for his enemies, but there was no way in hell she’d die while being my ward.
In the four years that led up to her sixteenth birthday, Lillian stopped hating me along the way. She was not only my ward, but I became one of her closest confidants. It was hell keeping her little secrets from her father. I thank God that I’ve never been put in the position to have to lie to Mr. Vicci. That is something I would never do, and luckily, they were mere teenage pranks that she and Ashlynn got into and easily dismissed or covered up.
As she grew into a vibrant sixteen-year-old, she also grew bolder. Lillian found it amusing to constantly taunt me with her body and sexual suggestions. She wanted me to notice her as more than a child, and she was doing a damn good job of it.
I remember the night of Lillian’s birthday as clear as day. I stood off into the dark, watching her. All the families were present to help celebrate the girl turning into a young woman. I hadn’t heard her sneak up on me until her voice became a whisper in the air, floating to my ears.
“Aren’t you going to wish me a happy birthday, Angelo?” The twinkle in her eyes warmed my heart.
“Happy Birthday, piccolo ragazza.” I knew she hated when I called her little girl. It made her crazy because in her eyes she was a woman.
“Ah, come on, Angelo, you know you want to kiss me. Just one little kiss, please.” She was pushing my buttons, and she knew it. Her index finger twisted a piece of her mahogany locks in circles as she winked at me.
I leaned down and kissed the side of her cheek. “Like I said, Happy Birthday, piccolo ragazza.”
I’d been there for every milestone in her life. I’d accompanied Lillian and her mom on the day they’d bought her first bra at age fourteen. She’d stepped out of the dressing room wearing her jeans and only the bra. “What do you think? Does it fit right, Mother?” But her eyes had been trained on me.
“Dio mio, Lillian, get back in that room and stop showing yourself to everyone,” Isabella had barked at her daughter.
When Lillian had gone through the changes in life, I had been the person she’d confided in. “Ang, something’s wrong with me. I’m bleeding to death.” Her face had been frightened as she spoke.
I was a trained killer; I wasn’t cut out for this shit, but I did have a younger sister, so I took the time to explain what was happening and suggested she confide in her mother.
Over those four years, I could tell Lillian was developing feelings for me, and at first, it was adorable, but now, as she’d matured, I knew she needed to stop because I could only be tortured so far before I broke. Only God knows that if I were ten years younger, she wouldn’t be safe with me, so lucky for me, I was much too old to act upon any thoughts she might have put in my head.
The night before Lillian’s eighteenth birthday, last night, she stood before me in nothing but a wife beater and a tiny pair of shorts. I’ve loved her from the moment she became my responsibility, but I can’t pinpoint the exact day when I fell in love with her. I’d known on her sixteenth birthday I was in trouble when she’d asked me for that kiss. I’d known she wouldn’t let me do my job without pushing her way into my heart, and as much as I fought it, it still happened. Her nipples stood erect, the color of her areolas showing through her white paper-thin tank top, and my traitorous body realized just how much she’d matured.
“I’m going to be eighteen tomorrow, Angelo. You know what that means, right?” Lillian lifted to her tiptoes to whisper in my ear, “I’m going to be a woman. I want you to be my first.”
I stepped back, away from her, placing a good two feet between us. “Not going to happen, piccolo ragazza,” I told her, but my dick was screaming “Holy fucking shit!”
I’d managed to keep her at arm’s length every time she’d flirted with me over the years and implied that she wanted more, but never had I ever expected her to say those words to me. As much as I loved to lean down and kiss those pouty, perfect lips, I knew that could never happen; she was just too young for me, and our families would kill me for even having the thoughts that were running through my mind. God help my soul that I can survive Lillian Olivia Vicci.
Chapter 1
ANGELO
Lillian’s Eighteenth Birthday
Lillian turns eighteen today. She’s been my responsibility for the last six years. Not a day has gone by when I haven’t been impressed by the young woman she’s become. I was twenty-two when her father declared I’d be her protector, and in the last two thousand one hundred and ninety days there hasn’t been one single day when she hasn’t made keeping her safe a challenge. She’s strong-minded, independent, and has grand ideas of what her future will be. Unlike the other daughters of the families, Lillian doesn’t want to be married off; no, she fantasizes about going to college and becoming a doctor. I’ve been privy to every one of the conversations between her and her dad, and each of them ended with a slamming door after her father gives her a firm NO.
If I were a betting man—and I’m not—my money would be on Lillian. She has her father so wrapped around her finger that even though he’s said no, I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t win in the end. I raise my finger to the collar of my neck and slide it between my skin and the knot of the tie, pulling at it slightly. I hate wearing a suit and tie, but tonight’s event requires that I fit in with all the others. “Hey there, handsome,” Ashlynn, Lillian’s best friend, says as she walks past me, slapping me on the ass. Between her and Lillian, I’m not sure who is worse. I don’t find Ashlynn as attractive as Lillian, but she, too, has shown her interest in getting to know me better over the years.
“Watch it, Ashlynn, you’re still small enough for me to turn you over my knee and spank the crap out of you, and I know your father would love to give me the honors.” I didn’t mean it to sound creepy, but as I watch her smile and lick her lips, I know exactly how she took my statement.
Both Ashlynn and Lillian have had childish crushes on me for years. Neither of them sees the bigger picture; their fathers would rip me limb from limb if I even looked twice at either of them. Mr. Esposito has nothing to worry about from me; Ashlynn isn’t remotely my type. But Lillian declaring she wants me to be her first last night has my mind wandering in many directions. None of them I’d ever act upon, but it didn’t stop me from fantasizing about her in my dreams last night.
The Vicci estate is packed tonight with members from all the families, here to celebrate and break bread. Anybody who's anyone is here because no one would ever think to turn down an invite from one of the most powerful men in Brooklyn. To say no to Francesco Vicci would be like signing your death warrant. Lillian descends the staircase in a pale pink strapless dress. She may be eighteen, but she looks like a woman in her twenties. She commands attention as she e
nters the room and silence takes over. Her tits peek over the top of her dress, teasing me with visions of what could be if I gave in to my desires.
“Welcome, everyone!” Mr. Vicci walks to stand beside Lillian. His voice is loud, causing every person in the room to immediately quiet down. “Tonight, we celebrate my beautiful Lillian. God blessed me eighteen years ago with her presence, more than a man like me deserves. Let’s raise our glasses and toast my darling Lillian.”
Glasses are raised around the room in acknowledgment of Francesco’s toast. I, however, keep my eyes trained on the crowd, watching for anything out of the ordinary. Tonight would be a prime night for a rival family to strike. It’s not the Italians I’m worried about; it’s the Ukrainians. They are so unpredictable that I wouldn’t put it past them to advance their position by trying to take out the heads of the families in one night. I would gladly welcome killing any of them if it came down to it.
Several times tonight I’ve caught Vincent Esposito looking way too long at Lillian with what I’m sure are dirty thoughts; it’s written all over his face, and I can see it in his eyes. She’s of age now, a time when two families could strengthen their bond by binding a son and a daughter together in marriage. It’s no secret that the Esposito and Vicci families have already started to plan a marriage of the two families; only Lillian has no interest in Vincent, and I would love to break his legs and arms for even thinking what I know he is thinking. After all, I am a red-blooded man, and I’ve had those same thoughts about her lately.
