by Stone, Piper
Heart racing.
Goosebumps popping.
Everything about this was evil but no man had ever brought me this much pleasure.
There was no doubt he was close to coming, his breathing ragged, his pace quickening. I slapped my hands on the bed, arching my back and closing my eyes.
And in the next few seconds, he erupted, spilling his seed into my womb. At that very second I made myself a promise, a commitment that I would honor no matter how long it took.
I would never surrender to his charm or his demands. He might force me to accept his brutal actions, but he would never get inside my mind under any circumstances.
I was much stronger than him and at some point, he would be forced to accept that I would never be his possession.
No matter what I had to do.
Chapter 3
Michael
What the fuck was wrong with me?
I’d lost control with Daniella, taking her like some vicious animal. While the spanking had been required, her attempt at escaping surprising the hell out of me, fucking her had been a ridiculous decision.
However, I couldn’t resist her.
Not. One. Inch.
My mouth watered just thinking about her, my cock aching from the agonizing need to take her all over again. She was a fighter, much more so than I’d anticipated. Was it possible she was telling me the truth?
I paced the back deck, swirling my gin and tonic, staring at nothing. While it was early in the day for alcohol, I was unsettled as fuck. Not only from taking the lovely teacher like some animal, but also from struggling to determine who in the hell would dare make an attempt on my life.
I closed my eyes, my cock aching. Daniella’s scent lingered, the light floral bouquet a powerful aphrodisiac. I’d been unable to keep my hands off her, sullying her body in my attempt at forcing her to confess her sins.
Sins.
I would certainly know something about immoralities. I’d fallen into the quagmire of darkness that had fully formed after the death of my wife.
Correction, the murder of my wife.
There wasn’t a day that went by when I didn’t think about Cassandra or the fact her killer had never been found. I hadn’t thought about another woman since her death, immersing myself in the day-to-day operation of the Throne Room as well as the family endeavors in Key West. I’d gotten very good at masking every feeling, with a few exceptions.
My children were the loves of my life, the only reason I hadn’t gone on a killing spree after the damning experience.
When I heard the thump of a tail against the open door, I couldn’t help but smile.
Elle. The Golden Retriever had been a constant companion, protective of the children but by my side every time I returned to the house.
Which wasn’t nearly often enough.
I’d allowed work to interfere with family life, the pain of sharing life with them often too difficult to bear.
Elle whined as she brushed against my leg, her insanely gorgeous hazel eyes staring up at me with the kind of unconditional love that always sliced a knife into my heart. “Hiya, baby. How are you?” I crouched down, allowing the pup to drag her long tongue across my face. She’d been a gift to Cassandra on the second birthday of the twins, a surprise that had brought my wife to tears.
I rubbed Elle’s neck as she wiggled, her expressive tail always giving me a smile. “I know, baby. I’ve missed you too.” I moved to one of the deck chairs, consuming a good third of my drink before placing the glass on the table and leaning forward. As I absently brushed my fingers through her fur, I tried to piece together the timing of exactly what had occurred.
While I hadn’t planned on eliminating not only one but several of our enemies, I couldn’t allow the King territory to be hijacked. And the slick Miami assholes had thought they could pull one over on me. Something about the entire experience still didn’t add up, yet I couldn’t put my finger on why. There were several drug cartels using Miami as a landing spot, but only one who would have the nerve to come after us. Still, the Santiagos should know better than to cross our family on any level.
As Elle settled between my feet, my thoughts drifted to Daniella once again. Was it possible she was completely innocent in all of this? Maybe, but the coincidence was too excessive to believe. She could be nothing more than a damn good actress, even though she’d been Isabella and Alessandro’s teacher from day one.
They’d spent quite a bit of time talking about her, their jabbering conversations precious. Daniella had made quite an impression on them. “What should I do with her, Elle?” I asked absently, reaching for my drink once again.
Elle’s single woof forced me to shake my head. I had no business keeping her, but if she was working for the asshole responsible, she could be valuable in several ways.
“Boss. You wanted to see me?” Carlo walked out onto the deck, taking a few seconds to bend over to pet Elle. As with almost everyone else, her tail thumped wildly from the attention.
“What did you find out about Daniella Zimmerman?”
“I’m not sure you’re going to like it.” Carlo moved in front of me, immediately shoving dark shades over his eyes even though a canopy covered this portion of the deck.
“Spill it, Carlo. I’m in no mood for antics.” I took a quick look at my watch, exhaling. While I trusted the children’s nanny explicitly, Sara was already fifteen minutes late. The young woman knew how regimented I was, loathing tardiness from anyone.
He didn’t bother sitting but he was antsy. “Daniella checks out. She’s been a teacher for three years, securing the job at the academy a little over a year ago. I was able to confirm that she’s been let go, along with two other teachers who were low on the totem pole, if you know what I mean.”
Grimacing, I could only wonder what the damn administrators were doing with the money I’d donated, certainly not refurbishing the ancient building. “Go on. What else?”
“She lives in a small apartment, nothing special. I checked it out and there ain’t nothing there that would indicate she’s working with anyone. The girl lives paycheck to paycheck, no large deposits going back several months.”
I was losing patience. “Get to the point, Carlo.”
“She has a connection to Emmanuel Santiago.” He sucked in his breath after issuing the words.
Emmanuel Santiago. The ruthless bastard was little more than scum of the earth, but he had a firm hold on a significant portion of the drug trade operations out of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. My instincts had been right. Now there was no doubt he’d been responsible for the attempted hijacking of our ship before reaching the port in Key West. The chill running through my veins had everything to do with the need for revenge. “How?”
“Her brother works for him, or at least that’s what I heard from an informant.”
“But you’re not certain?” I glared at him. Why the hell would a low-level informant know a name of one of Santiago’s soldiers, unless there was a serious issue with the guy? The concept that Daniella had lied to me was becoming a probability.
“Not entirely, but I will find out for certain, boss.”
I polished off my drink, rising to my feet, Elle barely moving from her slumber. When I swaggered in his direction, a single bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. “Yes, you will. By tomorrow. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir. Absolutely.”
“It would seem you were correct about our hostage.” And it was entirely possible that she was of significant importance to Emmanuel. That put the ball squarely in my court. Revenge was best served cold. I would take my time before using my sweet possession in my favor.
“I’ll continue searching,” Carlo said before heading for the door.
“Have you heard from Sara?”
He stopped short. “No, boss. Do you want me to send Titus to find her?”
I mulled over the thought. “Not yet.”
“Let me know, boss.” I turned my attention to the
garden, inhaling the scent of whatever the hell flowers had been planted. Everything was perfectly manicured, not a single weed to be found, the mulch recently turned over. The landscaper made certain that the little garden was stunning at all times. Even though I owned a good portion of land, the small area had been hand selected by Cassandra years before. He’d made the mistake once of allowing several plants to die.
That had been his first and last blunder, his punishment a permanent reminder that my orders were to be followed to the letter. Hearing the sound of my phone did little but create a snarl in my throat. Cristiano had already called me twice, requiring an update from the trip.
While I was closer to the oldest sibling than my other brothers, the fact he’d become more merciless since being released from prison had become irritating.
After grabbing my phone, my iPhone lit up, a picture appearing on the screen. Instantly, I reached for my weapon, storming inside as I glared at the photo.
Of my children.
Swinging at their favorite playground.
The timestamp?
Fifteen minutes earlier.
A second photograph followed.
This time the shot was clearly from outside the school, taken through a window.
The sender?
Unknown.
“Carlo. The children. The asshole has threatened my children!”
“Boss. What the hell?” Carlo huffed as he raced into the room.
I grabbed my keys. “I’m going to hunt the bastard down.”
“Whoa, boss. Let me go with you. Hold on.”
“Over my dead body.” No one messed with my kids. My God, I’d been such a fool to think they could have a normal life. They were far too special, the only weakness that I had. I was sick inside, already torn apart by the possibilities. Shaking, I took long strides to the door.
“Boss, what the hell is going on?”
I pulled the Glock into my hands, checking the ammunition clip. I had enough. All I needed was a single bullet through the asshole’s head.
When I was within three feet of the door, it was swung open, the sound of giggling and laughter floating into the foyer. I reacted instantly, shoving the weapon in my jacket and turning my angry gaze in Sara’s direction.
She instantly stiffened, her face devoid of color.
Woof. Woof!
Elle rushed past me, her tongue hanging out as she waited to be greeted.
“Daddy!” Isabella ran toward me as I hunkered down. When she threw her arms around me, I said a prayer of thanks, crushing her against me. The rush of adrenaline was almost crippling, dragging me into the darkness that I’d fought to eliminate.
“Sara took us to the park. We had so much fun!” Alessandro continued, stopping long enough to place his arms around Elle’s neck. It was the first time I’d seen him smile in days and when he skipped away, I hugged Isabella more tightly against me.
“Did she now?” I asked, returning my gaze toward Sara. “Sara didn’t bother to tell me that.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t think you’d mind. They were sad their teacher wasn’t at school today. I thought it would cheer them up.”
“Isabella, why don’t you and your brother take Elle into the kitchen for a treat?”
“Oh, yay!” Isabella clapped her hands. “Come on, Elle. Daddy said you could have treats.”
I rose to my full height, inching closer to the nanny. She’d been a good employee, although I was beginning to wonder if I could trust anyone at this point. After taking a deep breath, I kept my voice low. “Sara, you need to let me know if there is a single change in plans. While you are free to indulge the children from time to time, I must know exactly where they are at all times. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry.”
I softened the hard edge of my voice. While the girl was highly intelligent, realizing exactly who I was, she’d remained loyal by not telling anyone who she was working for. “That’s all right. I am curious. Did you see anything out of the ordinary at the park? Did anyone approach you or the children?”
She took a few seconds to think about what I was asking before answering. “No, sir. There were a few parents there with their kids, but no one that seemed out of place. Is everything all right?”
I placed my hand on her arm. “It’s just fine. Why don’t you take a couple days off? Of course you will be compensated.”
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely.”
Sara brightened, giving me a respectful nod. “Thank you, sir.”
I waited until she’d left, placing my hand on the door and rubbing my eyes.
“Boss? What is going on?”
I yanked the phone into my hand, showing Carlo the photo. “A warning.”
“Ah, fuck.”
“Exactly. Given we have no understanding of who’s responsible, I’m going to need both you and Titus to remain here. Make certain the kids do not go outside and that Ms. Zimmerman remains in her room.”
“Are you certain that’s wise?” When I flashed him a look, Carlo held up his arms. “Yes, sir. I’ll protect them with my life. Should I call the other soldiers?”
“Yeah. Have a detail remain at the house until further notice.”
“Yes, sir.”
I opened the front door, holding back before walking out. “Tell the kids I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Of course, boss.”
As I walked out, I scanned the perimeter. The bastard responsible would soon learn that fucking with any member of the King family was an instant death sentence.
* * *
A family meeting.
I usually loathed them, but at this point, I couldn’t be certain that their lives weren’t in danger as well. Plus, I needed their help given the recent event. I’d filled Cristiano in after making the call, although he’d already been made aware of the issue with the shipment.
As I walked into Cristiano’s study, I still couldn’t shake the rage. Both Vincent and Lorenzo had already arrived, my excursion to the park keeping me longer than I’d anticipated. Although I’d found nothing of use, I knew the photograph had been taken from inside a vehicle. They’d likely been followed from the school.
“What the hell is going on?” Lucian demanded. He was always the caustic brother, even more aggressive than Cristiano.
“Are the children all right?” Vincenzo asked, the concern in his voice just as I would have expected.
“They’re fine. For now,” I huffed through clenched teeth. “But the bastard was able to get too close.” I noticed the Consigliere for the family standing in the shadows. Joseph Carello was a formidable man, my father’s longtime best friend as well as the family’s attorney. He also had made tenable connections through the years with some of the other mafia families, even tempering disputes when necessary. A voice of reason, his black and white methods often pissed me off.
“Does this have anything to do with the botched attempt on the cargo?” Cristiano asked. As of late, he was prepared to chastise my behavior.
“I have no idea. There’s no calling card for either the attempt on my life or the stalking of my children.”
“Whoa. Hold on. What did I miss? Someone tried to kill you?” Lucian walked closer, a glint of anger flashing in his eyes.
“At Sacred Heart yesterday after my return from Key West.” The entire day had gone to shit, my nerves shot. I headed for the bar, the fury keeping me on edge. “Then pictures were taken of my children and texted to me by an unknown source.”
There was a moment of absolute quiet behind me. I wasn’t known for drinking in the freaking middle of the day.
“It would seem we have a significant problem,” Joseph said as he walked closer. “An attempt made on your life must be taken seriously. To place the children in jeopardy means the parties responsible are desperate.”
“Agreed,” Cristiano said.
“What the hell is going on, Michael?” Lucian asked. “Or maybe I should ask, what
did you get yourself in the middle of?”
While I bristled hearing Lucian’s usual condescending tone, I waited until my drink was made before bothering to answer. “The cargo ship was attacked, the persons responsible almost able to take over control. Fortunately, I managed to get there in time. Every one of you was made aware of the situation, so don’t give me a second of fucking crap.”
“Who the hell is responsible?” Vincenzo asked.
“Who do you think?” I barked.
“Emmanuel Santiago,” Cristiano answered.
Joseph exhaled. “He is a ruthless leader, but to my knowledge hasn’t made an attempt on our territory.”
Lucian snorted. “The bastard should have been handled months ago. Why the hell would he risk coming to New Orleans to handle his retaliation?”
When I didn’t answer, Cristiano shook his head, answering for me. “Because, after ensuring the enemy soldiers received their penance, our brother held the leader in charge of the mission accountable.”
“Meaning what?” Lucian demanded.
“Meaning he killed Emmanuel’s only son, Diego.” Cristiano turned his head slowly in my direction, studying my reaction.
Joseph shook his head. “That wasn’t a wise decision, Michelangelo. We’ve maintained peace for years, including with the Azzurris. To incite a war isn’t in our best interest.”
The Azzurris. Cristiano had been the one to make a deal with enemies who lived and thrived at our back door. I, for one, didn’t trust them, but mentioning their names meant nothing in this situation.
“And not protecting our assets would indicate significant weakness, Consigliere,” I countered, giving Joseph a nasty glare. He refused to call me Michael, another reminder of my position within the family. While I hadn’t realized the asshole’s identity nor had I given a shit who I’d put a bullet into, I sucked in my breath. I’d inadvertently started a battle that could lead to a war.
“Fuck,” Vincenzo whistled. “I think I need a drink.”