Screwing the Mob (The Mob Lust Series Book 1)

by Kristen Luciani

  I let out the snicker that’s been building in my throat. “Oh my God, that was awesome. I’ve never seen him cut down like that.”

  Kat smirks. “I figured you’d like that.”

  “But you must have known he wasn’t a threat.”

  “Maybe. But it was fun anyway. I needed to get my fix. Sometimes a good chokehold does the trick and brightens my mood.”

  I gasp as the steaming hot slices of pizza are set down in front of me along with my calzone. “Thank God! Can you guess what has just brightened my mood?”

  Nico

  “Where did you find her?” My blood pressure has to be through the roof right now. Why is Shaye purposely trying to evade Rocco? Does she want to end up like fucking Carlo? I slam my hand on the steering wheel, glaring at the red light hanging over the intersection. I shouldn’t have told her about the watch. I know she didn’t wear it on purpose to prove a point.

  There’s a lot of static on the line, and Rocco’s voice is fading out. I swallow hard. This isn’t a game. I’m trying to keep her safe by keeping one of my best guys with her.

  “Katarina Ivanov.”

  That’s a step in the right direction. At least I heard that.

  “She was with Kat?”

  “…lunch…pizza…bitch…chokehold…”

  I furrow my brow and turn into the parking lot outside of my dad’s office building as I piece together his words. “Fuck! Did someone come after her? Did you need to take someone out? Rocco, what the fuck happened? I can’t hear you for shit right now! Where is Shaye? Is she okay?”

  Suddenly the line clears and the static fades away. “Dude, relax, it’s fine. That chick she was with put me in a chokehold, okay? She swoops in from outta nowhere and attacks me. Fucking crazy bitch.”

  Despite the panic that set in seconds before, I let out a chuckle, thinking about Kat subduing Rocco, big, bad Rocco who is probably twice her size in mass and muscle. “What did you do to make her think you were a threat?”

  “Do you really think she needed an excuse?”

  “Knowing Kat, probably not.”

  Rocco lets out an exasperated sigh. “Look, maybe I got in Shaye’s face a little, but it was only because I was pissed off that she left without telling me. I’m doing this little babysitting gig as a favor to you, but your girl doesn’t seem to want anything to do with it. I can’t watch her if she disappears.” He snorts. “Besides, I don’t think she needs me when she has her own private bodyguard.”

  I collapse back against the leather bucket seat and let out a deep breath. “Yeah, Kat can be pretty brutal.”

  “Thanks for letting me know Shaye was hanging out with fucking Nikita.”

  “I would have loved to be a fly on the wall.”

  “Fuck off. I’m going back to work.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you later at the club.” I click off the phone and push open my car door. The stress knots are back in force, and my neck is stiffer than a fucking week-old corpse right now. Something tells me shit’s about to get worse. I sidestep Tony Oriani’s sleek black Jaguar and let out a groan. Why the hell did Dad need to call that douchebag? I wanted to have a private conversation with my father first, before Tony hears the story and goes off the deep end, which is his typical reaction to most situations, the one that put us all in this position in the first place.

  Motherfucker.

  I stab the Up button next to the elevator after checking in with security. The building looks like a normal place of business, but what visitors can’t see are the automatic weapons stored behind the polished wood reception desk or the concealed weapons on the bodies of the ex-military security guards. Nobody knows that with a simple push of a button, this whole place gets locked down like a maximum security prison and if somebody is trying to pull a job on the inside, rest assured that person won’t ever make it out.

  The elevator creeps up to the fifth floor where my dad’s office is tucked away into a corner. I step out of the elevator once the doors open and walk through the expansive reception area. It’s empty, thankfully. I don’t really feel like dealing with—

  “Nico…” A low, female voice purrs into my ear. “I haven’t seen you here in a long time. Something keeping you away?”

  I twist around to find Janelle, one of the accountants here at the firm. Her bright red lips are twisted into a pout, her shirt unbuttoned about three too many. She flips her long wavy hair and sticks a hand on her hip. “You don’t call anymore.” She leans closer, eyes narrowed. “Did you get tired of me, Nico? Did you get tired of fucking me?” She taps a finger against her mouth and pretends to think about her own question. “I let you do anything to me that you wanted. I tried to make you so happy, and you just disappeared. Why?” Her voice has taken on a pretty damn menacing tone, and I berate myself again for ever getting involved with this crazy bitch. Christ, over the years I’d let my dick make way too many decisions for me…fucking bad decisions. Thank God those days are over.

  I grasp Janelle’s shoulders to hold her in place. She’s getting too close, and I don’t need my father, or worse, Tony, to see the whole scorned lover scene playing out here. I glance around the room. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if this woman had a camera set up somewhere, capturing the whole sordid episode.

  “Look, I’m sorry. It was never a good idea for us to get involved. You work for my dad. It was fun, but it’s over.”

  I feel like I say the same thing to her every time I show up here, vocalizing it over and over again after she manages to corner me. I wish she’d just quit.

  Her lips stretch into a straight line. “You’re a fucking womanizing asshole!”

  “Look,” I hiss. “I never made you any promises. It’s done, okay? Just move the fuck on.” I really hate being such an asshole, but every time she sees me, it’s like she forgets we’ve already had this conversation a thousand times before. It gets old, but no matter how I put it, she’ll no doubt air her grievances again the next time I show up here.

  I have to start meeting my dad for lunch instead. Fuck this office visit shit.

  Her nostrils flare, and without another word, she spins around and stomps down a hallway. I let out the breath I’d been holding. Fucking Stage 5 clinger. I know I’m good, but still…this is a little extreme.

  Christ, I have made some shitty decisions in the past.

  I straighten my shirt and walk in the opposite direction as Janelle since my dad’s office is clear across the room. Thank fuck.

  The door is closed, so I twist the handle and pull it open. Six pairs of eyes hit me at the exact same time, and they are full of questions. And accusations, judging from Tony’s death stare.

  “Why didn’t you go after that motherfucker and stuff the barrel of a gun down his throat?” Tony jumps up from his chair and closes the space between us. I don’t back away. I stand by my decision. Besides, no one besides Shaye knows about that note. It’s in my pocket, and I guess that’s where it’ll stay since present company is already all over my ass to make a move.

  “Tony, relax,” my dad says, rising from his position behind the desk.

  “Don’t tell me to relax, Joe! My daughter is at risk now.” Tony turns to me and points a finger between my eyes. “You put her in the line of fire, Nico. You were the reason why she got snatched the first time, and now she’s a target again.”

  “You don’t think she’s always been a target, Tony? Because of the stupid ass decisions you’ve made?” I lean toward him, refusing to back away. “You’ve put her in worse situations because of your fucked-up priorities. Or are we just brushing them under the rug right now because you think you found a new scapegoat?”

  “Dad, calm down.” Max lets out a deep sigh and rolls his eyes at me. “Shaye is fine. From what Rocco told me, she’s got her own personal bodyguard tailing her right now.”

  “You took unnecessary chances, Nico.” Tony growls through clenched teeth. “What’s your big plan this time? Sit on your ass and wait for someone else t
o be fucking mauled on your watch?” He turns to my father, eyes blazing. “Grandpa Vito would never have let this go without taking swift action. But you have Mr. CEO here, who finally found an organization he has no idea how to run. This isn’t a sex club, Nico. This is our fucking livelihood. If you don’t do something to show strength, the other families will stop doing business with us. And you think the Russians will have your back? Fuck that! Nobody wants to be part of a sinking ship, Nico. Nobody!”

  Dad gets up and walks over to the large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking a lush green park down below. It’s ironic how tranquil this area is, how peaceful and quiet our surroundings are, especially when there is so much toxicity within these walls. Somehow, though, it never leaks to the outside.

  At least, it hasn’t just yet.

  “Tony, I trust Nico’s judgment on this. He knows what he’s doing, and I respect his decision.”

  “That’s fucking insane! An eye for an eye! Why the fuck aren’t we on the move to take that asshole down?”

  “Because he has a whole army on his side!” I shout, the panic bubbling in my chest. I struggle to keep my voice even, but it’s damn hard. I know what this motherfucker is capable of, and if I go after him, guns blazing, I’d better be sure I have the backing to deal with the fallout. I need to make sure Viktor Ivanov has my back. That’s why I initiated the whole deal with that fucking horse farm, to solidify a partnership with him. Viktor’s got a shit ton of drug money that needs to be laundered, and the farm is a perfectly legitimate front for it. I’m giving Viktor more reasons to stick with the Salesi family. More ways to make money, to clean said money. The other families fear Luca because his father made sure he had his claws embedded into all of their drug dealings. His influence runs fucking deep. The Russians are our allies. They’ve proven it once before. I just need to make sure they’ll be there for us again before I take action.

  That’s why I haven’t gone after Luca. I’m fucking scared for my crew. Scared for Shaye, for my family. I trust so few that I don’t have the confidence we’ll be able to withstand a full-blown war. And that’s exactly what this will become. Money can buy a lot, but fear buys much more.

  And right now, Luca can afford way more than we can.

  I clench my fists, struggling to keep my voice even. “Look, Tony. I know what the fuck I’m doing.”

  “Well, it doesn’t look like you do…that either of you do. You think your grandfather would be deep in this shit right now? He’d have already taken care of this threat to his family, and there are plenty of people who’d have had his back, who would have followed his command without a second thought. Because he was that strong. He was a fucking leader!”

  “Dad, relax and let them do—”

  “Don’t tell me to relax, Maximo!” Tony shouts at Max. “There’s a lot at stake here, and we’re facing a war none of us has the confidence to fight, much less win. So, how does it feel, Joe? To be the captain of a sinking ship…a ship that was once king of the fucking fleet!”

  The mention of Grandpa makes my gut clench. And what Tony said is true. Grandpa was revered. There was no shortage of people who would do anything for him. He did a lot of favors, and he made a lot of friends in the process.

  Dad and I don’t have that luxury. Our favors come in the form of hard-earned money, and people are more confident about the leaders who grant favors in the form of protection. It gives them hope. It empowers them. They may never be rich, but they know they will be safe.

  Tony is an example of someone who wants both, and he sees my dad and me as two obstacles holding him back from attaining either.

  Fuck him. Fuck them all.

  I inch closer to Tony, to my girlfriend’s hulking, sneering father, and narrow my eyes. “If you want any part of this family, you’d better remember who you’re talking to. Don’t fucking challenge me again. We are handling this, and you? You’re fucking lucky to be here in the first place after the shit you pulled. Let’s not forget that we’re here because of you, Tony. You fucked all of us, so consider yourself lucky to be standing in this room, in my presence.”

  “Don’t you fucking—”

  “I’m not finished!” I bellow. “You have a job. You’re running a construction site for a new strip mall. I suggest you do your fucking job and stay the hell out of mine, or else you might find yourself in a very different position very soon. You get me, Tony? Because I’m done dealing with your bullshit.”

  “I want you to stay the fuck away from Shaye,” he growls, glaring at me so hard I’m convinced he’s trying to smoke me from the inside out. “I don’t trust you or your plans, and I don’t want my daughter caught in the middle again.”

  “She’s a big girl. It’s her choice, not yours.” I fold my arms. “Besides, you didn’t seem to give a shit about her getting caught in the middle when you were playing both sides of the fence with Cappodamo. Let’s be honest. You want her as leverage.” I shrug. “She’s not a pawn in your fucking game, to strategically move at your whim. And trust me, there is no amount of leverage that will help you, Tony.”

  Max springs up from his chair. “Dad, let’s get to the construction site. We need to meet with the contractors in half an hour.”

  Tony doesn’t move a muscle. He just stares me down, his eyes dark and menacing. Kind of like his soul. If there was anything behind that anger, he’d be a force to reckoned with. But he’s a fucking pussy. He talks about strength, which is ironic because he’s got none. He’s just a manipulative fuck who talks out of both sides of his mouth, and I’m done with this asshole.

  All that talking he does just makes him dangerous and stupid. Not strong.

  I peel my glare off of Tony’s face and focus it on Max. My best friend who allowed me to ambushed by his dickhead father. Is there anyone out there who can fucking be trusted?

  He averts his eyes and pushes past Tony to open the door. “Dad, we’re gonna be late. Let’s go.”

  But Tony isn’t one to follow orders. He’s going to leave when he damn well pleases, not when someone else recommends that he gets the fuck out of this office. Everything has to be on his terms. He turns back to my father. “Joe, let’s talk later about the building schedule. I’ll bring over the plans so that we can review them.”

  His glacial stare returns to me. I’m sure he’s disappointed that I don’t immediately fall into a deep freeze, but he has my blood boiling to the point where I could combust any second.

  He leaves the office without another word, slamming the door so hard, the walls shake.

  Cocksucker.

  I fold my arms and turn toward my father. “Was that really necessary? Did you need to bring him in here? I wanted to talk to you in private. I thought I made that clear when I called you.”

  “Nico, you know how he is. Max told him what happened, and he wanted to know how you’re going to respond. I can’t blame him. He’s worried about his daughter.” Dad runs a hand through his hair.

  I let out a snort. “He’s not fucking concerned about Shaye. He just wants inside knowledge so he can figure out how to exploit it for cash. Besides, you know I can’t give him the information he wants. I told you what needs to be done, and you agreed with me earlier. What the hell changed your mind?”

  “Nico, you’re putting all your eggs in one vodka-soaked basket. Are you sure this is the right path? Because once you get the ball rolling, there’s no turning back. You need to make sure Viktor has your back.”

  “Why are you doubting me all of a sudden?” My spine stiffens. “I know what I’m doing. Shaye is taken care of. Nobody suspects anything.”

  “And you really think that hooking her up with Katarina is going to cement your relationship with Viktor?”

  I slam a hand down on the desk. “We’ve been over this. I couldn’t train her myself. I’m too involved, and I won’t be able to detach myself to teach her what she needs to know. I needed someone else to handle it for me, someone she could trust. Kat’s a perfect shot, and it was
Viktor’s idea to get them together in the first place. If anyone can teach Shaye how to blow off someone’s head without so much as a blink, it’s Kat.” I sink into a chair in front of the desk. “Dad, I hate like hell that this is happening. I hate that I can’t have her with me all the time, that I spend most of my time worrying about her. And I fucking hate not knowing what’s coming next, knowing that I can’t plan my way out of it.”

  “Nobody ever said this would be easy. Things have gone to shit since Grandpa died and there’s a lot of rumbling within the ranks. Taking out Frank Cappodamo was a good short-term move, but the long-term effects can crush us if we don’t have the right backing. Does Viktor know about your history with Luca? The real reason for his vendetta against you?”

  “No.” I crack my knuckles one at a time. “It doesn’t matter. It’s all in the past.”

  “It might matter to Viktor.”

  “Why?

  “This is about trust building, Nico. If you want to keep Viktor as an ally, you have to offer him more than just money. Anyone can line his pockets. Don’t let him get blindsided, even if you think it won’t matter to him.” Dad looks at me and reclines in his chair. “We’re very vulnerable right now. I know you don’t like to hear that, but it’s true. We need a strong alliance with the Russians to be taken seriously. That will give us controlling interest of the top money-making businesses in the tri-state area. That loyalty won’t come cheap, but it will keep us at the top of the food chain. The Russians don’t need us, Nico. Don’t kid yourself. They can align themselves with any of the other families unless we offer them something that nobody else can. Give them a reason to stick with us. We need them if we’re going to survive this fallout.”

  Shaye

  “Do me a favor and just wear the damn thing.” Nico smacks the top of the steering wheel with his hand. “Yesterday could have turned out very fucking badly. That watch is meant to protect you.”