The Skull Crusher

by Penelope Sky

  “How’s business?” Since the company had been run by the Cardello family for generations, sales had always been strong. Italians respected our family lineage throughout the years of business.

  Case suddenly turned quiet, looking at the folder like there was something hidden inside.

  I knew my brother so well that I could spot his unease in a heartbeat. I knew when he was hiding something, because he hardly ever hid anything. “What is it?”

  Balto chimed in. “Just tell her. She can handle it.”

  I stared at the man I was sleeping with, having no idea how he was involved in this. “Case, what’s he talking about?”

  Balto stared at Case, wearing that impenetrable poker face.

  Case held his gaze before he lowered his chin to the table.

  My eyes glanced back and forth between the two men.

  “Get it over with, man.” Balto grabbed the bottle of scotch in the middle of the table and poured himself a glass.

  I looked at my brother, waiting for whatever secret he’d been hiding from me. “Case.”

  He swallowed a shot of scotch then wiped his mouth with the back of his forearm. “Alright. Dirk and I have been running a side business right in this factory.”

  I expected something a lot more scandalous than that. “Another business?”

  Balto stared at me.

  “Yeah,” Case said. “It’s been going on for a few months. It’s had tremendous success, and we’re going to keep doing it.”

  “Well, that’s great,” I said. “What’s bad about that?”

  “It’s not the most respectable kind of business,” Case said. “It’s the reason Balto and I know each other.”

  “Okay…” I stared at Balto for a moment, seeing the same cold expression. “What kind of business are we talking here?” If Balto was involved, then I could only assume it was criminal. Case was clean-cut and smart, so I was surprised he would get involved in anything besides the family business.

  “Drugs,” Case answered. “Dirk does the cooking. We make an exceptional product. We sell it throughout the country. Balto found out what we were doing and threatened to kill me if I didn’t pay my taxes.”

  Balto held up his glass before he took a drink.

  Being with Balto taught me how terrible the world could be, but I never expected my brothers to be involved in something like that. “But the pasta business is already successful. Why would you risk everything to sell drugs?”

  “Because it makes a lot of money,” he said bluntly.

  “So?” I snapped. “You already have a lot of money.”

  “Not like this,” he countered. “We make more a month than we do in an entire year with just the pasta.”

  Case and Dirk both had beautiful homes in the countryside. They drove nice cars and had luxurious lives. Why would they risk that simplicity for something so dangerous? “Money is just money, Case. You can’t take it with you. I suspect you’ll be leaving this life sooner than expected, to top it off.”

  Case took another drink.

  “Mother and Father would be disappointed…” They’d left their children with a viable company that would provide for them, but it wasn’t enough. Case and Dirk wanted more even though they didn’t need anything else.

  Case sighed. “Cassini—”

  “This stops now. No more, Case.”

  Case shook his head slightly. “There’s nothing you can do—”

  “You wanna bet?” I challenged. “Balto will end this if I ask him to.”

  “Balto?” he asked blankly. “He’s the one who profits from it.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” I was so disappointed in my brother. “Stop this operation now, or I’ll make Balto do it.”

  Balto stared at me, still giving nothing away.

  “Balto can’t stop me,” Case argued. “And he doesn’t want to stop me. There’s nothing to worry about. Dirk and I know what we’re doing.”

  “No, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” I snapped. “I’ve been a prisoner to Lucian, a horrible man who does horrible things. I’ve been with Balto, a man who rules an underground world. He crushed a man’s skull with his boot not long ago. And you want to get involved in that?”

  “I’m not involved in that,” my brother argued. “I make a product and I sell it. That’s it.”

  I rolled my eyes. “If that’s really how you see it, then I’m even more worried. It’s not that simple. It’s certainly not that easy. You’re gonna get yourself killed.”

  “That’s what Balto is for.” Case stared at me, apology in his gaze. “He keeps business running smoothly. Someone steps on us, he steps in. Cassini, I get that you’re upset, but this is what Dirk and I want to do.”

  “It’s dangerous,” I snapped. “What would I do if something happened to you?”

  “Cassini…” He shook his head slightly. “You weren’t involved in anything criminal, and you ended up as a slave to Lucian. Now you’re Balto’s prisoner. Life is risky no matter what we do. You’re never safe. You can live in a house in the middle of nowhere and never interact with anyone, and you would still be at risk. So let this go.”

  I lived a normal life until Lucian. Evan got involved, and I laid down my life for his. Ever since that day, nothing had been the same. I changed handlers, but that didn’t make me less of a prisoner.

  Balto watched me for a long time, the sympathy in his gaze. His fingers rested around the glass as he stared at me. Wordlessly, he comforted me, told me that an argument was futile. “I take care of my men, Cassini.”

  “But shit happens anyway,” I whispered.

  “Yes,” he said in agreement. “But rarely.”

  I didn’t want to sit with my brother for another second, not when I was this irritated. After everything I’d suffered, the last thing I wanted was for my brothers to suffer in the same way, to get mixed up with the wrong people. They deserved a quiet and peaceful life making pasta. I ditched the chair and stormed out. “I’m ready to go, Balto.”

  Case’s voice sounded from behind me. “Cassini.”

  Balto trailed behind me until he caught up with me. His arm circled my waist, and he pulled me close.

  I pushed him away. “Don’t touch me.”

  He grabbed me by the arm.

  I twisted out of his grasp and spun his arm away. He was so easy to disarm that he must have allowed me to do it. I looked up into his face, seeing the hard lines that looked like the cliff face of a mountain. “You knew, and you didn’t tell me.”

  “Not my secret to tell.”

  I yanked my arm back and slapped him across the face. “I’m fucking you every night, and it’s not your secret to tell?”

  He turned with the hit and closed his eyes momentarily. When he turned back to me, his cheek had started to redden and rage had entered his gaze, but he was still as a statue, cold and devoid of emotion. “Do you want me to tell them that we were having an affair before I took you? That we were fucking for a month before I made you mine? Is that my secret to tell?”

  I pulled my hand back and prepared to slap him again.

  He grabbed me by the wrist and shoved me against the wall. His body crowded mine and kept me in place, pinning me against the wall in the hallway. “I gave you a freebie. But you won’t get another one. Slap me and see what happens.” He released my wrist and stepped back. “Men want money. They want power. They want women. All men are the same. You can be pissed at your brothers, but this is their decision. Let it go.”

  “No. You’re going to stop them.”

  “I have no control over what they do.”

  “Yes, you do. Now make them stop.”

  He shook his head. “They make a great product, and they do it quickly.”

  My eyes narrowed to slits. “I don’t care. This is my family.”

  “I keep all my men safe. The only thing they need to worry about is pissing me off. I’m the biggest enemy they could have.”

  I threw my arms d
own. “Do this as a favor to me. Please.”

  His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked into mine. “What do you expect to happen? I tell them to stop, and they just listen? If I won’t work with them, then they can just work with someone else. They become more vulnerable that way, then they’re at a disadvantage. Working for me is the best thing for them. The only way to make this stop is if they abandon this business for good, and I’m telling you, that’s not going to happen.”

  I felt so powerless. I wanted to protect my family but had no idea how to do that.

  “You want to know how the real world works?”

  I cocked my head to the side.

  “The closer you are to danger, the safer you’ll be. Because you always know exactly where the biggest threat is. If anything, your brothers are in less danger than they were before. All the big players know exactly who I am, and if they’re under my reign, they’re untouchable.”

  WHEN WE RETURNED to his building, I went into my room and got under the covers.

  I couldn’t believe how stupid my brothers were.

  All I wanted was to get away from this lifestyle, but I was sinking deeper into it.

  I hadn’t been in this bed for a long time because I spent my evenings with Balto, but now, I wanted space. The two men knew each other even before I met Balto. That made me feel stupid—and clueless.

  I stared at the other wall without really thinking about anything, just letting my mind wander to my childhood. Life was so much easier when my parents were around. I never needed someone to protect me, but now I needed someone who could guide my family in the right direction. My brothers were drug dealers, and I was a prisoner of a man who would hand me back to my original tormentor.

  What would Lucian do once he got me back?

  Would he kill me right away? Or torture me first?

  The bedroom door opened behind me, but I didn’t turn around to look at Balto. I just lay there, ignoring him.

  His footsteps filled the bedroom as he stepped farther inside the room. He must have known I wasn’t asleep because he didn’t bother to be quiet. He grabbed the sheets and yanked them off me before he snatched my ankle and pulled me to the edge of the bed.

  “What are you doing?” I kicked his grip away.

  He grabbed my hips and pulled me to the edge of the bed before he got my jeans loose.

  That was when I noticed he was naked, six-foot-three of pure skin and muscle. His dick was hard despite my melancholy, and he wanted me even if I didn’t want him.

  “I’m not in the mood.”

  He yanked my jeans off then pulled my panties free.

  “I said no.” I tried to kick him away.

  Effortlessly, he gripped the insides of my thighs and pinned me wide apart as he entered me.

  My eyes closed as I felt him sink inside me, meeting no resistance because I was somehow wet despite my rage.

  He pulled me farther off the bed until he was completely sheathed. “I know my baby. When she’s in a bad mood, she needs sex.”

  “That’s not true—”

  He gave me his slow and even thrusts, hitting me deep and hard every time.

  The words died in my mouth, and I didn’t protest again.

  His arms hooked behind my knees, and he leaned over me as he pounded into me, his pretty blue eyes watching me come apart. He studied the way I bit my bottom lip with pleasure, the way my eyes fluttered when the pleasure felt so good between my legs. “I know what my baby needs. Don’t worry, I’ll give it to you.”

  23

  BALTO

  I spoke to Brutus over the phone. “Who is she?” I sat in the living room while the TV was on mute. Cassini was down the hallway in the bedroom, and she’d been there for almost an hour.

  “They call her Miss Lightning.”

  I grinned. “Interesting name.”

  “She said she’s earned it…whatever that means.”

  “So what does she want?”

  “Wants you to meet her. She’s been taking care of her girls for a long time, but lately, men have been knocking the girls around. When they get scars, they’re worthless. The men aren’t paying either. She’s interested in protection.”

  “I’m not a pimp.” I didn’t deal with prostitution. That was beneath my interest. I preferred real crime, arms dealing and drug trafficking. I preferred wars fought over money instead of wars fought over women.

  “She still wants to meet you.”

  “Still not interested.”

  “She seems pretty adamant. And she sounded like she had something good to offer.”

  I already had so many projects I had to attend to. I certainly didn’t need another—unless it was worth my while. “I’ll think about it.” I hung up then searched for Cassini, unsure where she’d disappeared to. We hadn’t discussed her brother’s new career since I’d come into her room and chased her thoughts away, but there was no doubt it was still on her mind.

  I moved into the bedroom and found her standing in a black dress. With a single strap across her shoulder and a high slit up her thigh, she was ready to hit the runway. Her hair was curled and pulled back slightly, revealing the beautiful skin of her neck and chest. Dark makeup was around her eyes, a smoky effect I found intoxicating. I looked her up and down and couldn’t decide on my first move. Should I dig my hand into her hair and kiss her? Or should I yank up her dress and bend her over the bed?

  She turned to look at me, several inches taller in her heels. She placed her hands on her hips and gave me a knowing look, as if she had the control in this situation—even though she was actually prey.

  “You could just put on lingerie if you’re trying to impress me.”

  “Wearing lingerie would get me kicked out of the restaurant.”

  “What restaurant?” I stepped closer to her, my hand wanting to reach for the zipper at the back and pull it down.

  “The restaurant we’re going to tonight. You’re taking me out.”

  “I don’t remember agreeing to that.”

  “Because I don’t need you to agree. Now get dressed so we can go.”

  This woman had just bossed me around, and it was my job to put her in her place. But I was too amused to do that. Cassini had laid down the law—and it was sexy. “Where are we going?”

  “There’s this fancy Italian place I haven’t been to in forever. I would really like to go there.”

  “Alright.”

  Her eyebrow rose slightly, as if she couldn’t believe my cooperation.

  “I’ll take you to dinner. But I want you to suck me off when we get home.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You know I would have done that anyway.”

  My cock thickened inside my sweatpants. “Yes. But now, you’ll make it really good.”

  I DIDN’T OWN a suit because I refused to wear one. Black tie wasn’t my style. A powerful man didn’t need to put on an image to be powerful. I could walk into any room buck naked, and people would recognize my authority. Only pussies wore suits.

  All I had was a black blazer, so I wore that over my gray V-neck. I wore dark blue jeans and kept my gun tucked in the back of my waistband. A man like me never left the house without being armed. I also had a blade stuffed into the pocket of my jeans. But instead of using a gun or a knife, I preferred my bare fists—and my boots.

  I drove to the restaurant and parked the truck along the curb. It was difficult to keep my eyes on the road when I kept glancing at her sexy legs in that black dress. In just a t-shirt and bare-faced, she looked phenomenal. But when she wore a tight dress and did her makeup like that, she was something else.

  I knew she thought I looked good too—because she kept sneaking glances at me.

  We entered the restaurant, and I was given a private table in the second room. I’d had a few business meetings here before, so the manager recognized me. Even men who didn’t directly participate in crime were somehow connected to it. They knew exactly who the big players were—and I was the biggest play
er of all.

  Our table had a short vase with a single red rose along with a small white candle. Classical music played overhead, and the sound of moving plates and clinking utensils filled the space. Conversations flowed from the other room, but they were muted by the distance.

  I sat across from Cassini at the small table and stared at her, finding her more alluring than any other woman in the world. I paid top dollar for the most beautiful whores to warm my bed, but they didn’t compare to this woman. Not even slightly.

  Her green eyes were so hypnotic, especially when they lit up in ecstasy. Two ethereal orbs, they shone with their own light. They were so expressive, showing her fear, anger, and lust. She could tell me so much without even trying. I rarely looked a woman in the eye during sex because she was usually on all fours, but I preferred looking at this woman, enjoying every little reaction she had to me. It was the most erotic part about her, not her endless curves or smooth skin.

  Her lips were my next obsession. So plump and full, they were made for kissing—and sucking. When she applied a coat of deep red lipstick, it only enhanced the curves of her mouth. Sometimes I couldn’t decide what I wanted more—to kiss her or feel her suck my dick.

  She picked up the menu and scanned the selections.

  I didn’t grab my menu because I was far more interested in her than food. Lucian must have spotted her somewhere and turned obsessive the way I had. He must have examined her perfect mouth and had the exact same fantasies I had. But the only way he could have this woman was through a lie.

  “Should we get a bottle of wine?” she asked, still looking at the menu.

  “I don’t drink wine.”

  “Ever?” She raised an eyebrow and peered at me over her menu.

  “You know I’m a liquor kind of man.” I preferred all the classics, scotch, gin, and vodka.

  “And I like beer and the occasional martini. But wine is the perfect pairing for Italian cuisine.”

  This woman was so beautiful that she could ask me for anything, and I would give it to her. She had more power than any person should, and thankfully, she wasn’t aware of it. “Pick whatever you want.”