by Lux Miller
Kyle nods at me, but the look on his face tells a completely different story from the confidence in his voice. His expression is silently begging me not to pry into his story right now and to accept it at face value, but his voice is calm and collected like it’s no big deal.
“Thanks, Mike. Yeah, we function in similar capacities, depending on what’s needed from us. With the loss of Matteo…” Kyle performs the sign of the cross before me, then continues, “...the ladies were essentially under locked-down house arrest, so my services weren’t needed as often. With Luca loosening the reins a bit, he’s asked me to come on under a near twenty-four hour detail similar to Mike’s, so you’ll be seeing a lot more of me in the coming weeks.”
I nod my head slowly as the fakest smile I’ve ever managed blooms across my face. “Oh, goodie…”
My face must be screaming that I don’t buy any of it, because Mike slips around Kyle into the room and gently, but forcefully grabs my arm, nodding toward the door with his head. “I think we should, erm, I uh, need your help in the other room again. With… things.”
Glancing up at Mike, I can instantly see the bullshit all over his face, though he stoically attempts to disguise it as worry. Well, maybe he is worried, but it’s isn’t about whatever the hell is in the other room. As soon as we clear the door to Noemi’s room, Mike pins me against the wall, his hand still wrapped almost-painfully around my bicep as the wall bites into my back.
I squirm against his grip and am just about to open my mouth and say something I’ll likely regret when Kyle steps out of Noemi’s room and pulls the door shut quietly behind himself. He stands beside Mike, both of them dwarfing me ominously. Kyle may not be as big as Mike, but he’s still intimidating. The look on his face is about five seconds from murderous.
“You can’t tell her,” he states simply, his voice agitated.
I glare at him as I continue to struggle against Mike’s hold on me. “I can’t tell her what? Is it some big secret that you’re a c—”
Mike shakes his head and firmly plants his hands over my mouth. “Yes, that. It is. You can’t say a word to her.”
I jerk my head away from Mike, anger boiling inside me as the full weight of what they’re asking me to do crashes over me. Shaking my head, I hiss at the men like an angry cat, “So you want me to lie to her? She literally just started not hating me. She might even trust me a little bit. And you want me to smash it all to bits by lying to her? Hasn’t she been lied to enough in her life?”
Mike shudders at my tone, but clamps his hand right back over my mouth, this time leveraging the weight of his body against mine to keep me pinned against the wall. “It’s not so much lying as it’s withholding the truth. It’s a necessary evil mandated by my Boss.”
Mike narrows his eyes at me to make a point and continues, “ I don’t know what code you followed before, but my code is simple… stay loyal to my leader and follow his orders.”
Kyle speaks up, reconfirming Mike’s statement. “She doesn’t know, okay? And there’s a good reason she doesn’t. I know you’ve no reason to, but you’re going to have to trust me…” He motions to himself and Mike, then continues, “...trust us on this. Bianca doesn’t know either. And we’d like to keep it that way.”
I struggle against Mike, twisting against his firm hold, but there’s no escape until the man wants to let me go. He’s simply too powerful for me to wriggle free. With the way Kyle is staring me down, I wouldn’t make it far even if I could somehow get free from Mike. Kyle has the audacity to chuckle as I continue to struggle, “I can see why Luca likes her. She’s feisty.”
Mike nods, a low rumble vibrating in his belly as he suppresses most of a laugh. “Likes is the understatement of the year. And this is nothing, Givens. Given the right circumstances, she’s as dangerous as he is. She pulled my own gun on me and held me at gunpoint.”
Kyle shakes his head, a surprised look crossing his masculine features. “No way. Wait, you’re serious? Somebody got the better of the Beast?”
Mike shrugs and pulls his hand off my mouth, ignoring Kyle’s retort. He looks at me hard and admonishes me, “They don’t know for a reason, and it involves their safety. And before you even consider asking, yes, Luca knows. He’s the one who discovered Kyle was an undercover. Instead of abiding by the mafia code and exterminating the rat, Luca granted him clemency, much to Matteo’s chagrin.”
Kyle nods, then adds, “Matteo was a man of unwavering loyalty and duty, but his princess was his top concern. When Luca proposed that I take on the detail position, it wasn’t really a choice. I was more valuable to them alive than dead. Seems to be a running theme, wouldn’t you say?”
Mike nods knowingly and looks at me as it dawns on me that Kyle was essentially given the same choice I was, but in a different capacity. Clearing my throat, I ask quietly, “So… is it always Luca’s reaction to finding a potential leak to plug it with an ultimatum?”
Narrowing his eyes at me, Mike shakes his head. “Truth be told, the only two people Luca has ever spared from the law of the land and instant death… are standing in this room right now. In appreciation for the pardon, Kyle wisely transferred his loyalty. He’s still otherwise employed under the guise of being undercover. But he’s undercover for us, and keeps us abreast of investigations that are getting a little too close to home. His continued employment with the city is under Luca’s discretion.”
Kyle nods solemnly, “And if I’m caught, I’ll be tried for treason for crimes against the city. The city may largely turn a blind eye to the underground, but they won’t be forgiving to find one of their own embroiled in its ranks.”
“While Noemi is a sweet girl, she’s a bit clueless to how the real world works. Plus, she has a big mouth. If she knew about my duplicity, I don’t think she’d be able to keep it a secret. Furthermore, let’s be honest here... she still sees her father as a shining white knight with few, if any, flaws. He’s the man she put on a pedestal as perfect. And his stance on police was clear. He had no use for them in any capacity.”
I squirm against the heaviness of Mike’s body pressed against mine, and he relents, taking a step back so I can finally breathe. I could bolt if I could distract him, but it won’t do me any good. Kyle’s standing less than five feet away, and he dwarfs me by over a foot. He could probably throw me over his shoulder effortlessly and that would take us back to square one.
And then I’ll have to listen to a lecture from Luca about how I shouldn’t run from his hired guards, no matter how badass I think I am. That I’m no match for the emerging threats that may be linked to me.
I inhale and stare at Kyle. I know that I’m giving him the stink eye, but it’s a necessary evil to find out his game. I chew my bottom lip and ask the question that’s been burning in my mind, “So let me make sure I understand… Luca gave you a choice?”
Kyle nods, a heavy sigh coloring his response, “He let me choose which end of the gun I wanted to be on, yes. But you and I both know, it wasn’t really a choice. As I’m sure you’ve discovered, there is much that goes on underground that the ignorant folks of New Orleans know nothing about.
“The rules of the game dictate that there be a line in the sand, but the truth of the matter is that neither side is wholly right and neither side is wholly wrong. There’s deception on both sides. There’s black and there’s white and in between there’s the rest of us in varying shades of grey. Those of us who toe the line between this side or that are the ones who will decide in whose favor the game ends.
“Do I regret my circumstances? Sometimes. I’m sure we all do. Do I regret my choices? No, because they’re mine. I could have laid down and accepted defeat, but instead, I chose to rise up above my circumstances and make a difference. I’ll never regret accepting a job that protects innocents like Noemi… and you… from the likes of—”
Kyle’s cut off by the sound of Mike clearing his throat very loudly. I glance over at Mike just in time to see a curt shake of his head offere
d in Kyle’s direction. Kyle casts his eyes at the floor for a swift moment, before looking back up at me with a quick nod.
The seriousness on both Mike and Kyle’s faces fades as Noemi’s door pops open. She pokes her head out into the hallway and tilts it sideways as she looks at the scene in front of her. “What are the three of you doing out here? Luca says today is it for me getting my stuff.”
Kyle’s face breaks into an easygoing smile as he shrugs and walks back down to where she’s half-hanging out of the room. He brushes her arm gently. “Nothing that can’t wait. Do you require assistance with anything?”
Noemi nods as she wrinkles her nose and stands up straight, motioning him into the room. “I need help with these books. They’re incredibly heavy and there’s no way I can lift the box that she packed…”
She points down the hallway at me and I shrug innocently. “Luca said you could bring ten boxes of stuff. I was trying to maximize space. Besides…” I walk down to where Kyle is standing outside Noemi’s door, waiting for her verbal permission to enter the room. I smirk as I run my hand slowly over his bicep, then pat his forearm as I keep my gaze focused on Noemi for her reaction. “...with all these big, burly men around, I’m sure one of them can manage the only slightly-heavy box. If not, I’ll get it.”
Kyle narrows his eyes at me before brushing past Noemi and disappearing into the room. I hear a strained grunt from somewhere inside the room and moments later, Kyle reappears with the box in question loaded in his arms. He’s clearly straining from the weight of the box, but when Mike makes a move to offer assistance, Kyle shakes his head. “I got it.”
I raise my eyebrow questioningly as Kyle stumbles past, his biceps and forearms bulging from his effort. Though the box is clearly too heavy for him, his back is ramrod straight, and he refuses to show any weakness, despite the fact that his brow is beaded with sweat.
He stumbles down the hall as Mike watches him, sadly shaking his head. “Young people these days are so stubborn. And they do incredibly stupid things for incredibly stupid reasons.”
I nod blankly at Mike. “Uh huh.” I agree with what he’s saying, but while his attention is focused on Kyle teetering back and forth down the hall, mine is focused elsewhere - on a young girl with saucer-wide eyes who’s watching the same scene as Mike.
She’s trying to be discreet about it, but it’s obvious to anyone who’s paying attention that her gaze is focused squarely on Kyle’s ass. As Kyle disappears down the hallway and out of sight, I elbow her hard and whisper hoarsely, “Does your brother know that you look at your personal guard the way a hungry animal looks at a steak?”
Noemi blushes softly and shakes her head, “I wasn’t… I do not…”
Chuckling softly, I brush past her and count the boxes on the floor and on her bed. As I’m cataloguing the contents in my head, she approaches me from behind. “I wasn’t meaning to…oh, God... please don’t tell Luca…”
I shake my head softly and motion at the box at my feet. “This one is full. And do you think I’m insane? There’s no way in hell I’m telling Luca his seventeen-year old sister is undressing one of his men with her eyes.”
Noemi pouts at me as she crosses her arms over her chest. “I’m not doing anything wrong. Have you seen the man? He’s gorgeous.”
I blink at her in surprise and shake my head. “Have you met your brother? For that matter, I should say brothers… They’re fucking crazy!”
Noemi nods quickly, making a wild motion at me to keep my voice down. “I’m aware. It’s not like I’m trying to seduce him, Emily. Besides, it’d be a total waste of my time. I’ve purposefully dressed provocatively around him dozens of times, and he’s never so much as flinched. I could stomp out there in my underwear, and he’d still look straight through me. Hell, I could prance around naked, and he’d ignore me and my trivial attempts at seduction. He’s about as interested in me as I am in having my brother give me another one of his freaking lectures.”
TWENTY
It takes everything in my power to not barge into the bathroom where Luca’s showering and demand ten minutes of his time. Over the last week, we’ve spent maybe ten hours together, not counting the half a dozen hours of fitful sleep each night. Luca’s been getting up with the sun, and he’s gone the whole day, arriving home long after the sun has set, and often after everyone else in the house is soundly sleeping. And he’s not the only one.
Though Mike and Kyle have been present at the house at all hours of the night and day as promised, Dante’s presence has become as scarce as Luca’s They’re no doubt embroiled in something serious, but it doesn’t make it any easier for me to accept the fact that Luca’s been neglecting his relationship with me. I know I sound like a spoiled brat that’s whining, but accepting the complete secrecy of both my boyfriend and best friend’s business dealings is taking its toll on me.
Luca refuses to discuss anything about what’s going on, and I’m clueless as to why he’s suddenly adamant on radio silence. Sure, what he does is not something one should flash on billboards, but he’s shared important details with me before regarding business matters. Suddenly, it’s imperative that I’m kept completely in the dark. All of the women under close guard at the house have been kept on the fringes of what’s happening. We haven’t even been able to piece things together as none of us have been told anything.
I’ve gotten into the habit of toiling away the hours preparing traditional Italian meals under the tutelage of Bianca for the family. Though Bianca, Noemi, Mike, Kyle, and I have fallen into the habit of dining together like a normally dysfunctional family, the obviously open chairs around the table are a sore subject that none of us mention. After the first night of Luca and Dante not returning in time for dinner, I began leaving them covered plates in the stove.
Every morning, I’ve woken to find a cold bed and two empty plates in the sink, so despite the fact that Luca and Dante are coming home, they’re in and out as quickly as possible. I haven’t even kissed Luca in a week, and he’s yet to see the little surprise for him. It was hiding under the bandage the last time we had sex, following me making good on the promise associated with the strand of beads he draped around my neck. Though he showed an insane amount of curiosity in seeing it that night, he hasn’t asked again. It’s now been three weeks since we’ve done anything naked, and it’s the longest stretch of time since we became intimate that we haven’t had sex.
And right now, the man is buck-naked in a shower that’s hot enough to push steam under the closed door. It’s billowing out into the bedroom and making me extremely uncomfortable as I attempt to picture him on the other side of the door. As I close my eyes and lay down on the bed, I let my hand wander down my body, plucking at my taut nipple as my hand crosses over the flimsy t-shirt of Luca’s I wore to bed last night.
I moan softly, biting down on my lip as I try to imagine Luca’s hand on me instead of my own. As my hand slips further down along the curve of my stomach, I moan and tilt my head back. I slip my hand into my panties and inhale sharply as my fingertips make contact with my clit. It takes the slightest effort to slip my middle finger between my folds. As I do, I find that I’m already damp with a carnal need that I can’t satisfy, though I can try.
After several minutes of deftly working my finger inside of my slit, I find that I’m just more frustrated than I was before. I grunt softly and yank Luca’s shirt off, tossing it aside as I stand up off the bed. I shove my panties down my legs and kick them off, not even bothering to pay attention to where they land. Honestly, right now, I couldn’t care less.
I stalk over to the bathroom and grab hold of the doorknob, relief flooding through me when I find it unlocked. Pushing the door open, I wince as the steam swells around me and rushes out into the bedroom. I quietly push the door closed behind myself and let my eyes drift across the bathroom to the enormous doors that take up nearly half of a wall. The man spared no expense when building this bathroom. It’s luxury defined, and I’ve grown
accustomed to its size and splendor.
The frosted glass does little to obscure the muscular figure standing in the stream of hot water, nor does it disguise what he’s doing. My breath catches in my throat as my eyes follow the languid curves of his taut muscles. The outline of his figure shows that he’s tense as one arm rests against the wall of the shower. The other, well, at this very moment, I can see for myself that I’m not the only one hot and bothered by lack of physical contact. Except Luca very much seems to be enjoying himself. It’s obvious, even from my vantage point that he’s jerking himself off.
After a moment of standing there watching him like a voyeur, I snap my mind out of its lust-filled haze. I squeeze my legs together for a moment to stave off the moisture threatening to seep from my center. Then I tiptoe as silently as possible toward the shower. I open the doors just enough to slip my body inside and press myself up against the wall opposite where Luca is immersed in his own private rollercoaster ride, his primal noises fueling my fire even more.
With nothing between us except a cascading waterfall of hot water, I stand there and stare at his taut back. The muscles ripple across his broad shoulders with each movement, and it’s taking everything I have not to join in on his pleasure. I inhale a shaky breath and cross the distance, sliding my hands slowly onto his sides.