Sweet Pain: A Dark Mafia Billionaire Romance (Amatucci Family Book 3)

by Sadie Jacks

  I opened my mouth to push the question out. Consequences be damned. She was mine. I was hers. We belonged together.

  “Ryker. You ready?” Mom called.

  I ground my teeth together. Fuck. “Yeah, Mom. Coming.”

  Willow’s lips quirked. “Just not the fun way.” She pressed another kiss to my chest as she patted her palms to my pecs. “Let’s go save your sister.” She turned.

  I grabbed her hand. “You’re going to marry me.” The words slipped out. I’d meant to tell her to be careful. To protect herself at the cost of everyone else. Including my mother.

  She blinked rapidly. Tipped her head to the side. “I am?”

  I grabbed my guts with both hands. It was out there. I wasn’t taking it back, and I wasn’t letting her turn me down. Better to just roll with the command I’d issued. “Yes. Start thinking on it.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me as her lips pursed into a hard, thin line.

  I returned her gaze. Had I screwed it up? Unquestionably. Didn’t mean it wasn’t going to happen.

  Her lips twitched as she fought off a smile.

  I felt the air rush back into my lungs. Thank fuck. She wasn’t going to make this torturous.

  Her eyes twinkled. “I am going to marry you. But I want you down on one knee. Flowers. Candlelight. Enough orgasms to put me in bed for a week of recovery sleep. And a ring.” She stabbed a finger at her naked left ring finger.

  I nodded. Opened my mouth.

  “Just say yes. We do have other things to do, you know,” Nico said in a tired voice.

  I flipped him off without looking away from my woman.

  She laughed. “Just so we’re clear.”

  I yanked her into my arms. Captured her lips with mine.

  “Ryker, I love you. Honestly. But for the love of the gods, Corinne?” Daphne said.

  I pulled back from Willow, tamped down the lust that always tried to swamp me when I had her body against mine. “Sorry. Coming.”

  Willow snorted as we both turned.

  “But still not in the fun way,” she said under her breath.

  My lips twitched.

  Until I saw how many associates the Amatucci brothers had brought with them. Mas was stepping out of the last car. Dressed in black pants and a black t-shirt, he looked like a Grim Reaper in the low light of the garage.

  He walked over, joined us. “I’ve got thermal imaging set up in the car. If you’ve got an idea on location in the building, we can use that to see if there is anyone in a bed with a host of medical equipment.”

  Nik trotted to one of the cars, slapped her gear bag on the hood of a black shiny car.

  Turo winced slightly. “Cricket, the paint.”

  She snapped her teeth at him. “I’ll pay to get it repainted. Don’t fuck with me, Turo.” She bent over her gear, her fingers flying over the keys.

  The oldest Amatucci went over and crowded against her back. I saw him dip his head, whisper in her ear. Whatever he said had Nik’s body trembling slightly. She hip checked him to get him to back up.

  His chuckle was low and predatory. I imagined I sounded like that when I was stalking Willow at any given time. Best of luck, fratello, I said mentally. Nik could stand to have a good man like him. And one she couldn’t run off.

  “I’ve got registered offices on floors one and two. Everything else is fair game,” Nik announced. She turned to face the group. Her cheeks were rosy.

  “Good job, cricket,” Turo said softly.

  She danced out of his reach. “Does that help, Mas?”

  Mas nodded. “Si, sorella.” He turned back to his car. His low whispered call to his group of men was just barely audible. He ducked into the backseat of his car, pulled out a large gun-shaped item and a connected computer that looked either very old or cutting edge techy.

  From Nik’s sudden inhale, I was going with cutting edge techy. “Is that the X3490?” she asked, her voice reverent.

  Mas smiled. Nodded. He gestured for her to join him.

  Turo’s lips twisted as he growled low in his throat. The men who had been pushing up into Nik’s space scurried back like frightened rats. He smiled at the amount of space around his claim.

  Mas, Nik, and the group of mafia men gathered around the computer and imager. My mom looked at the assembly. Shook her head. “I had no idea there were so many mafia in New Trenadie.”

  Turo smiled, his dark eyes dancing. “And we would just as soon have you forget.”

  My mom nodded. “Yes. Once I get my baby girl back, I’ll go back to my ignorance with a blissful state of mind.”

  Turo nodded. “I do believe you are the second woman to call me stupid.” He turned to look at me. “Where have you been keeping all of these strong, beautiful women, fratello?”

  I snorted. “Strong is such a nice word for them.”

  Willow and my mom both slapped me. “Rude.”

  They turned to each other and smiled.

  I rolled my eyes. “Weakness doesn’t last well in my world,” I said to Turo. “The weak tend to be culled pretty quickly. Only the strong and resilient remain.” I pulled Willow into my side. Pressed my lips to her hair.

  Again the thought that she was mine, that she was really here, slid through me like a sigh. I would never take for granted her touch. Her body against mine. She was my true anchor to this life.

  “We’ve got a visual,” one of the gathered Amatucci men with Nik and Mas announced. He waved us over. Average height with dark hair and dark eyes, he looked like just another random guy on the street.

  The look in his eyes though…those told another story. One of pain, duty, honor. If he wasn’t a top man in his unit, he was well on his way to becoming one.

  We assembled around the hood of the last car. Mas and Nik had a section of the building across the street highlighted on their screen. A bed with a familiar form on it was nestled in the top floor, corner room. At least three pieces of machinery were plugged in and pulling power if the heat image was anything to go by.

  “That’s her. I’d recognize her languid sprawl anywhere,” Mom said as she pointed to the motionless reddish orange section of the person in the bed. She looked like a starfish most times. Today was no different

  I smiled. A fierce pride welled within me. She was still here. Still hanging on. Now we just needed to get her out of there and back to the hospital.

  “What’s the plan? We need to get her back to the hospital as soon as possible,” Mom said. Her voice was trembling as she crossed her arms to hug herself.

  Mas outlined a plan in his broken voice. “Unless they are complete idiots, they know their leader and at least three soldiers are missing. If they have any sense whatsoever, Nia would have set up some form of check-in to be completed after the…target had been hit.” He looked at each of us.

  I fought not to look at my mom. I wasn’t sure I could stand to see the accusations on her face. She’d been careful so far, but I wasn’t really willing to risk it. Not this close to getting Corrie back.

  “Nia?” Mom asked, her tone full of confusion. “Wait. Is your name Massimo? I know Nik called you Mas.”

  Mas turned, looked at my mother fully. He dipped his head once. Kept his gaze on hers.

  My mom’s blue eyes widened before I saw a familiar glint enter her eyes. “I need to speak to you privately after this is all over. And everyone needs to forget I just said that.”

  Brows furrowing as I looked between Mas and my mom, I ran over a variety of possibilities in my mind. The fact that mom even knew Antonia de Silva before this incident was telling. Which meant de Silva had contact with the state of New York’s family court system. Antonia had made some deathbed confession about having a kid of Mas’ that he knew nothing about.

  Oh shit. If my mom had even an inkling of where Mas’ kid might be…I left the thought unspoken, even in my head. We’d cross that bridge when we came to it. Even if I had to stand between my two families to make it happen.

  Mas studie
d my mother for a long moment. Nodded. “We also know that Cavendish was a partner of Nia’s.”

  “Was?” Mom asked. “Is Antonia de Silva missing or dead?” she asked in blatant, no nonsense fashion she was known for the courtroom.

  None of us answered.

  Mom turned to me. “Please. I have to know.” She reached out, her hands trembling. “That monster has my baby girl.”

  A broken sound escaped Mas at her words.

  I winced. “Mom, we literally can’t discuss it right now. But as soon as we get Corrie back, we’re all going to be having a sit down. I can promise you that. Can you keep it together or do you need to stay here with someone to keep you here?” I made my voice hard. We were out of time and her questions and interruptions were slowing everything down.

  Mom’s eyebrow raised high at the bite in my voice. Her upper lip curled for a brief moment before she schooled her features. “I’m going in there. But we will be discussing this.” She crossed her arms and looked pointedly at Mas.

  Mas nodded. “My unit will go through the elevators from the parking garage. Nik, I’ll need the detailed schematics of the building. As close to current as you can get them.”

  Nik nodded, turned back to her gear. Her fingers started tapping and ticking at the keys. Turo turned to keep her in his sight lines.

  Mas turned to his adopted sister. “Willow, you’ll go through the parking garage with us, and using this,” he slapped a small black box into her palm, “you’ll open the service elevator.”

  “Ryker, you, Turo, and Nico can go in the front doors. Make as much noise and commotion as possible. We need them distracted enough for Willow to slide past them into the service elevator.”

  “Why the service elevator?” I asked, my fingers digging into Willow’s hip. She was being sent in a different direction. Away from me. Out of my control.

  “Because I need someone holding the door to the only elevator big enough to hold a hospital bed. Usually it’s locked down from the main console. Which I’m assuming is under the control of Nia’s men.” Mas winced slightly as he scratched at his neck. He gave me a steady look.

  I exhaled as I understood he was sending her in, but to the one part of the building that would be clear. I gritted my teeth. Nodded.

  Willow slid her hand down my side, tucked it into the back pocket of my jeans. Pinched my ass. “I’ll be fine,” she said softly.

  I just hugged her tighter. She was putting herself in danger for my half-sister. Simply because Corrie was related to me. Because Willow loved me.

  “After we get Corrie out of there, all non-family personnel will leave,” Mas said. His low whispered voice left no room for compromise. No give. Harder than granite and all the more menacing for its scratchy quality.

  “Mrs. Sheridan, you will be waiting in the parking garage with Nik. Nik, you will have a private ambulance from Good Shepherd on standby. Tell them to circle the block, no sirens, until you call them again. We need to be prepared for any physical situation we might find Corrie in.”

  My mom and Nik both nodded.

  “I’ve got those schematics for you, Mas.” She pulled him towards the car’s hood. He grabbed his team and they had a small conference.

  Mom pulled me to the side. “What the hell is going on, Ryker?”

  I shook my head. “We’ll get to all that. Keep your head in the game, Mom, or I’ll have someone from security down here and you can sit this one out.”

  She opened her mouth.

  I shook my head. “Don’t test me. Not today.”

  Willow reached around me. Grabbed my mom’s hand. “Daphne, I can’t imagine what’s running through your head right now. But I give you my personal guarantee that we both will answer all of your questions as soon as we have Corrie back. Don’t put us in danger by splitting our focus. Right now, you have one job. Stay in the parking garage with Nik. Be ready to ride with your daughter in the ambulance.”

  Mom’s lashes lowered as a single tear streamed down her cheek. She nodded before turning away.

  Willow looked up at me. A question easy to see in her mossy green eyes. “Was that too harsh?”

  I shook my head. “Considerably nicer than I would have been. No. Mom just needed someone to lay it out for her. She’ll be fine. Other than you, she’s the strongest woman I know.” I pressed my lips to Willow’s hair.

  I could feel the adrenaline pumping through me. The pace of my heartbeat was picking up as I got ready to leave Willow’s side and prayed nothing went wrong while she was away from me.

  The meeting of the criminal and technical minds broke up at the farthest car’s hood. Mas came back over. “We’re heading out. Give us four minutes before you enter the front doors.” He held his hand out. Looked up at me. “I’ll protect her, Penn. She’s precious to me as well.”

  Everything inside me balked at the idea. Bucked at the very thought of having Willow outside of my personal protection. But I couldn’t not let her go.

  Willow reached out, took Mas’ hand. “Safe as houses, hero. I’ll be waiting for you when you get done causing a ruckus.” She pressed up to her toes, lifted her mouth to me.

  I swooped down and took it in a fierce kiss. Prayed to her goddess and any other deity out there to keep her safe.

  Mas cleared his throat. “Now, Penn.”

  I let Willow slide away from me. Saw her engulfed in a sea of black clothes, dark hair, and efficient deadly movement. If she was going to be away from my side, at least she was with the literally deadliest members of the Amatucci Crime Family.

  Chapter 12 – Willow

  In a crouching run that felt like I had a large chimpanzee on my shoulders, we made it into the parking garage under the building where Corrie was being held. Nothing obvious about us. Look away, random passersby. Just seven deadly assassins and a whiter than white chick racing across the street. Nothing to see here.

  I bit my lip to keep from giving into the hysterical laughter that pushed at my throat. Expanded my chest. I clenched my fingers into fists at my side as we stayed next to the interior walls of the parking structure.

  Adrenaline and life surged through my veins. No pain needed. Maybe I should look into a different career path. Saving lives was pretty exciting.

  “You stay here,” Mas said. He didn’t have to bother lowering his voice to a whisper. He pushed his nose to mine. “If you get even a single hair on your head hurt, I’ll blister your ass so hard you won’t be able to sit for a month. So help me God. Get me?”

  I nodded. “Sir, yes, sir.”

  He rolled his eyes. Pressed his cheek to mine. “Ti amo sorella.”

  “Ti amo fratello,” I murmured. “Be safe.”

  He pulled back. His dark eyes were alive in a way I’ve never seen. He winked at me before guiding his men to follow him farther down the row of the elevator banks.

  I looked up, saw the DELIVERIES and SHIPPING ONLY sign above the elevator door at my back. I shook my head. I hadn’t even noticed he’d dropped me at the right door, but I should have known he wouldn’t take any unreasonable chances with me.

  I waited out the last ninety seconds of the four minute countdown Mas had given Ryker and the front door team. As soon as I saw Nik and Daphne slide around the corner of the parking garage’s entrance, I pushed the button for the service elevator.

  The door dinged open immediately. Following Mas’ quickly whispered directions, I flipped the toggle switch on the black square in my hand. A blinking red light appeared. I stepped into the elevator car and slapped at the button for the seventh floor.

  The doors whisked shut, enclosing me in a chilly silence. Tapping my foot to cover the sound of the blood rushing through my ears, I counted off the numbers as they flashed on the black digital panel.

  Sweet goddess, this was the slowest elevator known to womankind! I wanted to shout and yell. I just prayed no one could see me on the screens. I looked up at the camera in the upper left corner.

  The red light below it was bli
nking.

  I looked down at the device in my head. Looked back up at the camera. Smiled. The red lights were blinking in time with each other. I just hoped that was what I was supposed to be going for with all of this.

  My tummy twisted as the car settled at the seventh floor with a mechanical groan of outrage. I winced as the doors seemed to open, hesitate, then fully slide open on a rough squeak. I stuck my head out, looked both ways really quickly. I sighed when I saw the hallway was clear.

  Now for the next stage of my own personal mission. I stood in the path of the elevator doors, put the borrowed device into the space between the two sets of doors. Hitting a chrome button on the bottom of the black box, I slowly stepped away.

  When the door held and no annoying buzz went off inside the elevator, I did a little victory dance. I’d successfully done my part. Suck on that, de Silva family bad guys!

  I heard a low snickering laugh from behind me. Mas and his top lieutenant were sliding into the hallway from the far elevator. Mas rolled his eyes and shook his head at me.

  How I’d managed to get to the seventh floor before them was a mystery.

  Until I saw at least three mangled bodies on the floor of their now empty elevator car. I shuddered. Watched all eight of them creep down the hallway to the far corner office.

  I began ticking off the minutes in my head.

  When I hit five minutes, I felt the beads of sweat form on my forehead.

  At ten minutes, my belly threatened to roll.

  Just before I hit twenty minutes, one of Mas’ guys stuck his head out the door and called for me.

  I raced down the hallway. Winced as my shoes slapped at the tile floors. Not nearly as quiet as the Death Squad who’d gone before me. I tried to tiptoe the rest of the way.

  The man who had beckoned me, shook his head very slightly right before I crossed in front of the window next to the room.

  I stilled.

  “Come in. We need your help with the girl,” he said. With his free hand, he pointed behind him. The motion raised the edge of his shirt. The butt of his gun was nestled against his abs.