Morally Decadent (Morally Questionable Book 3)

by Veronica Lancet

  I frown. Seeing my expression, she cracks a joke.

  "Maybe he is into children," she giggles, but I don't. Not when the reality of the issue hits me in the face.

  "And who is your future husband?" I probe further, disgusting scenarios already building up in my head.

  "I don't think you know him," She tilts her head thoughtfully, "Achille Franzè." She doesn't even finish saying his name when I freeze.

  Franzè, one of the most feared leaders of the 'Ndrangheta, but also a known pedophile.

  Fuck!

  Allegra's attention is back to her food, but I'm just staring at her in shock. She doesn't even know how close to the mark she was with her joke.

  "So you've been starving yourself?" My voice is lower, softer, because I can only pity anyone who's going to meet her fate. Franzè is not one to take lightly, and his many dead wives are a testament to his ruthlessness. Because I doubt they all died of natural causes.

  She raises her eyes to meet mine, and she releases a breath, "I just eat what I can." The words are spoken carelessly, but I can read the subtext — she's not given any food.

  I don't reply, mostly because for the first time, I find myself speechless. Based on her last name, I'd immediately assumed the worst about her — that she was a spoiled rich girl looking for a good time.

  I almost laugh to myself. Considering how awful Leonardo and Cristina Marchesi are, it doesn't surprise me that they'd abuse their own daughter to reach their goals. And certainly, Franzè will be a wonderful resource as a son-in-law. He'll be the opening they so want into Europe.

  Leonardo was never supposed to become capo. The youngest of four sons, his pastime included whoring, gambling, and more whoring. He dedicated his time solely to the pursuit of pleasure. When his father and brothers suddenly passed away in a plane crash, he'd been the only choice for the Marchesi line to continue. But Leonardo didn't have a clue about leading a business. And so the family's enterprises had slowly turned to dust. I'm guessing that's why he's been so keen on becoming in-laws with Franzè.

  After she's had enough, Allegra gulps down on a glass of water and leans back in her chair, a look of pure contentment on her face.

  I take out a cigarette and light it. I take a drag and move my head a little so the smoke doesn't go in her direction.

  "Is that good?" Her eyes are fixed on my cigarette.

  "It's an acquired taste." I shrug.

  "The guards are always smoking at home," she purses her lips, deep in thought. "Can I try it?"

  My eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

  "You want to smoke?"

  She nods enthusiastically, and rising up, she quickly comes next to me. Before I can say anything, she takes the cigarette out of my hand and brings it to her mouth, parting her small lips to accommodate the tip.

  Fuck. Me.

  She sucks in her cheeks in an attempt to inhale, but nothing happens. She has this look of pure concentration on her face that's just adorable.

  "How do you do it?" She finally asks me.

  "Just like that," I start, taking the cigarette in my hand. "You put it in your mouth," I pause as I do that, "and then you suck, inhaling at the same time." I demonstrate it and she's watching attentively.

  "Ok. I can do that." She's impatient as she grabs the cigarette and wraps her lips around it, inhaling. All too soon she starts coughing, like I knew she would.

  "How can you do that? It's vile." She sticks her tongue out and makes a disgusted face.

  "Acquired taste." I struggle to keep a straight face, her expression too funny. And just to rile her further, I feel the need to add. "You realize we just shared an indirect kiss."

  She stops, and her eyes go wide.

  "Ew!" She bursts out loud, wiping at her lips with the back of her hand. "Gross."

  I don't know how I expected her to react, but certainly not this vehemently.

  "You're a pervert!" She screams at me, turning around and running back towards the living room, but not before palming some more bread and ham.

  From open mouth outrage at her outburst to an amused smile, I don't know what it is about this girl, but she's damn endearing.

  Shaking my head, I go to the control board and make the switch from autopilot to manual. A quick look at the map tells me it's another half an hour until we reach the port.

  "Is this how you drive the boat?" Her voice takes me by surprise and turning back it's to see her gazing in awe at the view from the front of the boat. She still has a piece of bread safely ensconced in her arms, and she's slowly chewing some food.

  Still eating.

  "You're done sulking?"

  "I wasn't sulking," her eyes move from the sea to me and she frowns. "I was fuming," she corrects, and her eyes sparkle with mischief.

  "Fuming?" I ask, curious to see what she's going to cook up next.

  "A girl's first kiss is very important. Even an indirect one." From the corner of my eyes I see her cross her arms over her chest in indignation.

  "God, I stole your first indirect kiss. I took advantage of you, didn't I?" I play along, my voice taking on an innocent tone.

  "When do you not take advantage?" she asks drily, raising an eyebrow at me. "I don't think I've had a moment of peace since I met you. And it's only been a few hours."

  "You're hurting me, little tigress," I make a fake attempt at sounding wounded, but she just shrugs.

  "I wish," she says with a sigh.

  Why is it so hard to get a read on her? I don't know is she's playing along, enjoying the back and forth, or she actually hates me — which, honestly, would not be unwarranted. I've been a major dick to her. Not more than usual, but this time the receiver of my admittedly not so great temper had been innocent.

  Way to screw this up, Enzo.

  The girl's probably traumatized, but why is it I can't find it in me to regret it?

  Damn!

  I don't do feelings and I certainly don't do apologies. It's not as if we're going to see each other again after I leave her in Malta. I'll go my own way, and she will go hers. End of discussion.

  Maybe I'm suddenly feeling a little guilty because I've never met a woman like her before. Someone who is willing to defend her ideals and her dignity at the expense of her own life.

  Hell, I've known made men who cry like little babies in the face of death, and prefer to go the coward's way — betraying their core principles — just for one more minute on this earth.

  Not Allegra. She was bravely yet foolishly ready to meet her end.

  I have to admit to myself that something had shifted in that moment. I'd seen her almost blue skin, the way her teeth were clattering and her body was shivering, and yet her eyes still displayed a steely determination. She was halfway to the grave, but she'd have gladly taken a shortcut instead of submitting to me.

  On the brink of death, but still defiant, she'd instilled respect in me. I won't ever tell her that, but she may the first female I've ever given my respect to.

  And she had proven me right.

  She can give as good as she gets. And all this bickering between the two of us has been more than just me picking on her. I'd given her the opportunity to interact as equals, and she'd more than risen up to the challenge.

  The corners of my mouth lift up in a subtle smile, because as I watch her munching on her food, her eyes focused on the outside view and not on me, I can't help but feel sorry for her and the fate that awaits her.

  But it's not my business.

  I'll drop her at the ferry terminal and then she's off my hands.

  "What's this?" she leans down, her hair brushing across my face, and I catch a whiff of sea salt and another scent that is just her. Instinctively, I close my eyes, inhaling deeper.

  "Mr. big, bad and scary, are you listening to me?" my eyes snap open, and she's a few inches away from my face. An eyebrow raised, she looks me in the eye, holding the contact.

  I raise my hand, my thumb brushing across her upper lip. As expected,
she flinches, a fire appearing in her eyes.

  "You eat like a savage," I hold the crumb of bread I'd swiped from her lip and she rolls her eyes at me.

  "So?" she's already put some distance between us, her finger pointing at the screens on the control panel.

  "Some are for navigations, while others are for the video feed."

  "Why do you need that?"

  I press a few buttons and the screens come to life. One screen shows the rooms in the yacht, while another has the back view of the boat.

  "Wow..." she scrunches up her nose, looking in wonder at the feed. "This is us," she points to the camera that's angled towards the control room. The way she's looking at it, you'd think she's never seen something like it before. Slowly, she touches her finger to the screen, tracing it with the tips. The angle immediately changes and she jumps back.

  "They're touch screens," I add, and her eyes widen.

  "You mean they react to my touch?" her voice is barely a whisper, so amazed she is by the technology. Almost reluctantly, she swipes her finger on the screen again, and the images change once more. She keeps on doing it until I feel the need to step in. My hand closes around her finger, and I stop her.

  "You've never seen something like this before?"

  She shakes her head, her eyes still focused on the screen. My hand is still on top of hers, and she seems to suddenly notice it because she pushes me off with a huff.

  "Keep your hands to yourself," she mutters under her breath, taking a step away from me.

  I guess we've ascertained one thing — she really doesn't like me.

  "What's that?" Allegra comes closer once again, and my first thought is that she's going to try to play with the screens again. But when I see what she's pointing at, I curse out loud.

  "It's another ship." I note the distance between us, but also something else. I quickly zoom in, and the glint of steel shines even in the deep of the night.

  I thought I'd have more time.

  But I hadn't calculated the trouble with my little stowaway.

  Shit!

  When I'd seen the amount of forces these people had mobilized at the airport, I'd been sure it wouldn't be the last I'd see of them. And so I'd decided to complete the delivery as soon as possible, even though technically I have until Wednesday, two days from now.

  I can't even tell how many people are on the ship, and with Allegra on board, I don't know how I'm going to manage.

  "Allegra," I start, addressing her by her first name for the first time. She notices the difference too, as well as the seriousness of my tone, because she turns to face me, waiting.

  "We're in danger. That ship doesn't have good intentions." Her eyes widen a little, but she doesn't say anything. I stand up, and grabbing her by the hand, I take her to where I'd stored the weapons.

  "Have you ever fired a gun?" She quickly shakes her head.

  "It's not too hard." I take a couple Glocks out and lay them on the table. I quickly show her how to load the gun.

  "Now," I step behind her, nestling her to my chest as I raise my arms to guide her. "Make sure the safety is off before actually shooting." Covering her finger with mine, I press on the trigger. Since the gun is empty right now, nothing happens. "You want to hold yourself straight and put strength into your upper body. The moment the gun fires, the force of it will knock you back." She follows my steps attentively.

  "Do I have to kill someone?" Her voice is small as she asks this, and I have to remind myself that for all her spunk she's not like me.

  "Little tigress," I turn her around, my hands on her shoulders. Looking her in the eye, I try to make her understand just how serious this is. "Those people are killers. They won't think twice about shooting you. Now, you either want to survive or you don't. I can't make you kill someone, but I can show you how to fight."

  She gives a brisk nod.

  "Why are they after you?" She asks as I watch her assemble and load the gun as I'd shown her.

  "They want something I have." I say cryptically.

  Back at the control room, the screen shows the ship approaching, and I know time is of essence.

  "I'm going to take the helm on this, little tigress, and I'm going to manually get us out of here. I need you to be my eyes, and if they get too close, shoot. You think you can do that?"

  I don't know what to expect of her. From everything I've seen so far, she's been extremely sheltered. What can a coddled little girl like her do with a gun? I have to admit to myself that I have little confidence in her actually shooting.

  But hey, a man can hope.

  She gazes back at me, all the incertitude from before gone. With a slow nod, she gets into position — just as I'd taught her.

  And I start the ship at full speed.

  Chapter Five

  I HOLD MYSELF STILL, my palms sweating over the steel of the gun.

  I can do this!

  But I can't. Not really. I'm just a regular girl. One who's never even been in the outside world until today. And now? I suddenly have to deal with so many things I'd never thought possible.

  Starting with the handsome devil. My lips curl in disdain the moment I think about him and his suave tactics. I'm pretty sure he'd expected me to fall to his feet and worship him. I'd seen his smug expression when he'd thought he had me, and how it had dropped when I'd gained the upper hand.

  I might not have been out in the world much, but I know his type well. He's just like my family, and my future husband — a bully who gets off intimidation.

  I'd resolved not to give him the satisfaction of getting to me, and so I've been on my guard at all times.

  And now? I stare with incredulity at the gun in my hand, still hardly believing that this is the reality I find myself in.

  And whose fault is it?

  Pursing my lips, I shake my head and try to focus. Will it make a difference if I die now instead of an hour ago? The way things are going, I must be fated to meet my end today.

  "Ready, little tigress?" he asks me, and I give him a nod. That nickname again. If I'm going to die today, I wish he'd at least stop calling me that. It just makes my skin crawl.

  A shiver goes down my back at the thought, and I remind myself to keep my head in the game.

  I take my position at the window of the vessel and Enzo starts his maneuvers. The ship quickly shakes as he turns it around to evade the enemy. We're gaining speed, and for a moment I feel giddy, the wind in my face, the chilly night making me feel.

  But then I open my eyes and I see the other ship right behind us, the distance shrinking by the second. Right when they get closer to our boat, a storm of bullets starts raining on us.

  "Little tigress," Enzo calls out, his voice tense.

  I will my trembling hands to obey, and I settle my fingers on the trigger. Tuning everything out, I focus on the incoming ship and I shoot.

  "That's it. You can do this, little tigress." I think I hear him say from behind, but I don't stop. Maybe it's the adrenaline, or maybe I suddenly want to live, but I keep going. I don't know if I hit someone, and I try to not think about actually killing a person.

  No, this isn't me harming another human being. This is me defending myself, and by extension the handsome devil.

  A smile stretches across my lips even through the height of my concentration.

  He will have to thank me.

  The thought of having this proud man bow down to me makes me even more determined to do a good job.

  The gun is soon out of bullets, and I quickly pick another one up, continuing to shoot at them.

  "This isn't working." Enzo mutters under his breath, and the boat makes a sudden move to the right, almost making me lose my balance.

  "What's happening?" I yell at him, my fingers still on the trigger.

  "We're getting hit," he pauses, turning to me. "I don't think the boat will last much longer." Just as the words are out of his mouth, the sound of an explosion makes me trip, backing away from the window.

&
nbsp; "What..." I start, my eyes wide as I catch sight of a fire.

  "Shit! This is exactly what I was worried about. They fucking hit the reservoir." He pushes a few buttons before standing up.

  He takes out a box from his pants and opens it to reveal a ring.

  "Who would have thought this little thing would bring me so much bad luck," he shakes his head, pursing his lips. Reaching inside his shirt, he takes out a necklace and quickly slips the ring on the string and around his neck.

  I just stand there, watching him, the sound of an engine approaching becoming louder, with more and more bullets hitting the boat.

  "Here," he comes around, undoing my vest and taking it off me. I stare at him, but I can't find it in myself to react.

  What's going on?

  Before I know it, he's slipping another vest over my arms — a life jacket. He does the same for himself before taking my hand and leading me to the edge of the boat.

  "Do you trust me, little tigress?" His green eyes glint in the moonlight, and in my shocked state I just nod.

  "Didn't expect that one," he chuckles, bringing me to his chest and holding me closer.

  "I'm sorry for this. I really am," he says right before jumping into the sea.

  We hit the surface of the water hard, but the jackets keep us afloat. Enzo's arms are holding tightly on to me as he starts swimming away from the boat.

  "Why?" I croak, the cold of the water already affecting my body.

  "It..." His words are muted by a huge explosion, debris flying in the air and into the water.

  Enzo cradles me closer and shields me with his body, turning me away from the burning vessel.

  "How did you know?" My words come out as a whisper as I stare at the flames engulfing the boat, or what's left of it.

  "It was only a matter of time," his voice is grave as he answers, his gaze focused on the slowly departing ship.

  "They left... just like that?"

  "Maybe the ring wasn't what they were looking for. Maybe they just wanted to kill me," he says playfully, and I want to smack him. How can he even think to joke at a time like this?

  Using my elbow, I push against him, the current of the sea holding me back from actually injuring him.