“I’d hate you if I didn’t admire you so much,” Nic deadpans. “Wait”—he raps his knuckles on the table loudly— “she was the blonde Langdon heard?” Jake shoots Nic a look of disbelief. It fucks with me, though, because firstly, he knows me well enough to not be questioning my skills, but secondly… Nina. I like to fuck. I’m a man. So be it. But I somehow feel dirty that she now knows, and I’m not entirely sure why.
I’m so distracted by their bickering that I almost miss the figure on one of the monitors. “Hey, back that frame up,” I snap, pointing at the image in question. Jake immediately stops speaking midsentence and turns to see what has my attention. Nic and I get to our feet and move closer as he hits the play button once again. A figure slides out feet first from one of my apartment windows. When they make contact with the small platform connected to the fire escape, they stand, holding on to the railing while looking down at something. They’re clothed from head to foot in black and are small in stature. “Can you zoom in closer? If they look up, we might get a better view.” Jake makes the necessary adjustments, and we all wait with bated breath, hoping for anything that gives us a clue who the intruder is. They’re moving down the stairs now, and their head is almost out of sight when they pause for a moment and look up. Jake freezes the shot without being told, and I stare in disbelief.
It can’t be.
What the fuck?
“I’m just going to go ahead and put it out there,” Nic mutters dryly, “but that sure resembles a certain houseguest you have. Might not be the world’s clearest picture, but toss in the size and the face, and that’s enough to make you ask questions.”
“She wouldn’t,” I croak. “There’s a big drop at the end of those stairs. She’s gonna break her fucking neck.”
Jake appears to be running through the footage from another angle, and a few minutes later, he points at the second screen. “Unbelievable,” he says dazedly. I can’t believe my eyes when she swings from the bottom rung and grabs the drainage pipe. Then she shimmies down the remainder of the way and leaps neatly to her feet before disappearing down the alley and out of sight.
“At the risk of being stabbed,” Nic interjects, “I’m strangely turned on right now.”
“That makes two of us.” Jake waves a hand, before dropping it quickly when he sees my frown.
“Check the rest of the footage and see when she comes back.” I’m blown away that she was not only that brazen but also that damn stupid. Has she completely forgotten the reason she’s staying with me? Did running around alone in the middle of the night not set off any kind of alarm bells for her?
Ten minutes later, Jake drops into a chair, and the rest of us follow suit. “I would have never believed it,” he says. “She’s done the same thing every night since then. And it’s mostly the same scenario. Gone a couple of hours, then she crawls up the drain and leaps over to the fire escape stairs.”
“She’s going to give me some fucking answers,” I hiss as anger churns through my veins. She could have broken her fool neck, and I wouldn’t have known it for hours. Where the fuck is she going?
I have my hand on the doorknob when Nic stops me. “If you show your hand now, you might never get the truth. I know you’re pissed, but if you go charging in and attack her, she’ll lockdown. Keep your shit together and follow her little Houdini ass tonight. Let’s see what she’s up to. None of us want to believe it, but she could be in this mess up to her pretty neck. As angry as she is at you, she damn sure isn’t going to confess to anything, Mr. Moretti.”
“As much as it pains me to admit it, he’s got a point,” Jake agrees ruefully. “I’ll go back and watch all the footage again to make sure we didn’t miss anything else. But it’s doubtful she met anyone close enough to the building for us to have picked them up on camera.”
It’s not typically something I do, but I say, “Let’s keep what we’ve seen in this room to ourselves for now. She’s in enough danger without us bringing more attention down on her. There are those who don’t like or agree with our decision to offer her sanctuary because she’s a Gavino. This could be a smoking gun for the wrong person.”
“Agreed,” Nic says without hesitation. He might not get along with Minka, but he has a soft spot for Nina. Why does that bother me so much? “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t buy it for a minute that she’s anything other than her usual—in the wrong place at the wrong time. But she can’t expect us to put our asses on the line to cover hers if she’s hiding shit. I knew the moment she held a gun on my dick that she was no timid spinster. But, gotta say, climbing up and down the side of your building is more than I would have given her credit for. Did you notice that there was no hesitation at all? She’s agile as a fucking cat. That wasn’t her first time doing it.” He shakes his head before adding, “Bet she gave old Franklin a stomach ulcer, the little hellion.”
“And she seems so sweet on the surface,” Jake muses. “Like a pretty china doll with a banging—” He stops abruptly when Nic makes a chopping gesture.
“Why is it all right for you to say stuff like that about her and not him?” I ask in exasperation.
Nic appears to give it serious thought for all of five seconds. “Well, I’m older by a few years, so there’s seniority, plus you know I’m merely kidding. I’d never try to poach your goods.” His attempt to reassure me just pisses Jake off. I swear, he doesn’t connect all the dots before he opens his mouth. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he says. “You know what, let’s just sideline this particular topic. Our time would be better spent putting a plan together for tonight. I’ll even take first watch if you two will stop your fucking whining. Swear to God, when did everyone become such sensitive bitches?”
Grinning despite myself, I do as he’s suggested because he’s right for once. This isn’t the time for high school drama. I’ve trusted these men with my life more times than I can count. Their loyalty to me is unquestionable. I damn sure have no reason to be jealous or suspicious. Yeah, because the woman in question hates you. Doesn’t belong to you—never will. I motion for them to join me at the table once more. “All right, let’s tail her tonight. Jake, reposition the cameras to scan as much of the surrounding areas as possible. Hell, install another in the alley if necessary to cover it fully. The timestamp on her excursions shows her leaving just after midnight and returning around two. I’ll make up some excuse and meet you both in the lobby at twenty-two hundred. Jake will keep eyes on the fire escape.” I motion to Nic as I say, “We’ll spread out a mile in every direction to see if anything looks out of place.”
Jake remains behind to continue reviewing the footage while Nic and I walk down the long hallway that always feels a bit like a crypt to me. Probably not the best of comparisons right now. “Is it just me or is everything falling apart around us? I know we’ve been in a lot of tough spots before, but there’s just a different feeling in the air. Know what I mean?”
You have no fucking clue brother—not an inkling. “Yeah.” I nod, then search for words of reassurance that are slow coming. “Guess it’s the fact that there’s so much coming at us with damn little time to recover in between. Remember when Anthony had all that shit going on with his uncle? Shit will mess with your head after a while.”
“It’s a mindfuck all right,” he replies. “It has me suspicious of my own blood and the guys I grew up with. Some are assholes or morons, but I trust them because I never had a reason not to. Now I look at them twice, wondering if we have a traitor in our own fucking house.” He continues speaking while I fight the urge to puke. Logically I’m aware he hasn’t a clue what’s really going on behind the scenes, but still, he’s thrusting a knife in my gut and turning the handle with every word he utters. “I mean, I don’t know Langdon personally, and the Gavino casualties are tough, but it’s the nature of the beast. That attempt on you, though, I still can’t get that out of my mind. It was so fucking close to taking both you and Nina out.”
We’re standing in the middle of t
he courtyard now. Men are moving around in the distance, but none of them appears to have any interest in our presence. “You said it yourself, Nic, it is the reality in our world. Doesn’t make it suck any less, but it’s far from the first or last time there’ll be unrest among the families—or even within our own.”
“I feel you”—he shakes his head— “but what it’s really brought home to me is how lax we’ve become with our lives. Hell, last year when you were poisoned, that should have been a wake-up call. And yeah, we doubled down and added extra security where we were vulnerable, but we’ve gradually relaxed, and someone slipped through the cracks in our foundation. Which one of us must die for us to finally accept that we’re not invincible? Unless there’s something I don’t know, none of us has been blessed with immortality. A bullet to the head will drop the toughest motherfucker out there. Goddamn, even Nina has been sneaking out of your place for a week and going who knows where before letting herself back in. She’s a chick with no real mafia survival training, yet she bypassed our guys easily. Hell, she was probably standing in front of them waving her hands and sticking her tongue out. A fat lot of good it would have done. We survived for a long time on our reputation and that of Draco’s. We show enough brute strength at the right times to keep the wrong people at bay, but they’re getting braver and a fuck of a lot more brazen. We have got to make sure our house is in order and that the Morettis are protected on all fronts.”
It’s probably the most serious and impassioned speech I’ve ever heard Nic deliver. If he’s this worried, then we’re on a whole new playing field. That’s the bad thing about fear and unease; it spreads like the fucking plague. Overthinking can kill just as surely as underthinking. I don’t disagree with what he’s said. How could I? It’s true. And changes must be made. But while we’re doing that, it’s imperative we project confidence to our men and our enemies. The Morettis don’t run, nor do they fear anyone. “You’re not wrong, brother. But it must be handled with discretion. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you need to remain the cocky fucker you’ve always been when others are around. We’ll meet with my father soon, but in the meantime, keep it casual. Fight smarter and not harder, right?” I bump my shoulder into his. “Turn that frown upside down, cupcake.”
He chokes on the endearment, but his smile is back in place. “I know you’re having problems with your woman, but I don’t fly that way, dude. You got a hankering to bat for the same team, you should hit up Jake first. I’ve always wondered about him. I swear his last girlfriend looked just like our uncle Albert. You ever notice that? When she smiled, there was that same freaky dent in her face.”
“Pretty sure those are called dimples,” I point out diplomatically, but it’s hard not to agree. She had been a touch masculine. She thumped me on the back once and damn near sent me sprawling.
He raises his brows skeptically. “You can call them what you want, but you know where I’m coming from. Personally, I think he was afraid to dump her ass. Figured she’d kill him. Was a smart move to let her break it off. But man, that had to be humiliating being dumped by a chick that goddamn ugly. That’s a big blow to your pride. No wonder he hasn’t gotten back out there yet.”
At some point, we begin walking again, and we’re standing next to our vehicles when he finishes outlining Jake’s love life. “I’d keep that insight to myself if I were you,” I advise wryly. I open my door, then turn back to say, “Meet me in the garage tonight. I’d rather Nina not see you hanging around. It might spook her into calling her midnight stroll off. Oh… how are things going with Minka?” It hadn’t occurred to me before, but it’s kind of strange that he hasn’t said a single word about her. Fuck, I hope he hasn’t lost his shit and killed her. That would likely be the other way around.
He shrugs nonchalantly. “Same ole shit, different day. Kind of like a badass rash that never heals.”
“That’s a step up for you two.” I smirk. “That’s damn near a declaration of love. She’s hot in a serial killer kind of way. Keep your distance, though. She’d probably make Jake’s ex seem tame in comparison.”
“You got that right.” He grins but doesn’t add anything more. Normally, this would have him off on another tangent, but he doesn’t go there. It’s possible he’s still dwelling on our earlier conversation. Hopefully, I can put his mind at ease tonight.
We get into our matching black Escalades, and I pull out ahead of him. I drive slowly to intentionally delay my arrival home. This shit with Nina has shaken me more than I let on to Nic and Jake. In a weird way, I feel almost betrayed, which makes zero sense because she’s basically a stranger to me. Yeah, I’ve known her for a while now, but I can’t even call us friends. She could be fucking Wonder Woman, and I’d be none the wiser. Hell, maybe she is. She certainly navigated her way down from four floors up without so much as a pause. I couldn’t name another female off the top of my head who’d attempt that. Plenty of men would balk as well.
The thought has crossed my mind that she might be involved with someone. She was smart enough not to invite them over to my place, so sneaking around would make sense. What kind of pussy would let his woman put herself in danger for a hookup? Might not even be about sex but seemed a bit like a booty call. When I find out who he is, I won’t kill him. I’ll just make him wish he were dead. Things that psychos say for two hundred, Alex. Maybe I should lay off watching Jeopardy. Swear to fuck, she’s driving me insane. She’s been living with me for all of a week, and I’ve turned into a jealous fool. Which is sheer torture. She won’t speak to me, but my entire place smells like her. That makes it so much worse. I can’t escape her, and I’m surrounded. Just imagining another man having similar thoughts is enough to send my blood pressure skyrocketing. Mine. I’m beginning to think I should stay at the apartment and have Jake take my place. I’m honestly afraid I’ll lose it if I find her with someone else. I have no claim at all, yet in my mind, she’s belonged to me since that day she found me in the woods. I’d been convinced I was dying, and opening my eyes to see that beautiful angel filled me with a strange kind of peace. If her face was the last thing I saw before I checked out of this world, then I couldn’t ask for much more than that. Of course, seconds later, I puked all over both of us, thus effectively ruining the moment. Months have passed since then, but my desire for her has only gotten stronger. Yeah, I’m obsessed with fucking her, but that’s not all. I want to possess every part of her. For Nina, I’d do the dog and pony show. Flowers, some mushy stuff, whatever made her look at me as a man and not a mafia thug. And there’s why you feel like a bastard for fucking Rayna last week. Nina was right to hate me, and I doubt that will ever change now, asshole.
I pull into the parking garage and cut the engine. I can no longer put it off. This is one time it’ll be a plus to be ignored. If I can avoid interacting with her now, it’ll make keeping it together easier. Because if she provokes me, I fear all reason will flee, and I’ll ruin our chances of finding out where she’s going every night. I wonder if that’s not really what I want. Jack Nicholson said it best in A Few Good Men. “You can’t handle the truth.” It might have been a different scenario, but it damn well rings true for me.
I slip the key in the deadbolt and unlock the door, before pushing it open. It takes about five seconds to know I’m fucked. I may not be the best at reading women, but when one greets you with a smile after ignoring your very existence for days, you’re in trouble. If I had any sense at all, I’d run, but instead, I close the door behind me and wonder why I feel as if I’m going to war.
Nina
I bite my tongue to keep from grinning as Marco shifts uneasily. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud of the fact that I’ve maintained my silence. I planned to be bitchy and snide after he cut me off so rudely that night, but Minka suggested a different approach, and I’ll admit, it’s been successful. He hasn’t caved and called me out on it, but it’s obviously bothered him—a lot. My mom often did the same thing to Franklin when she was angry, b
ut I’ve never been one to play games. To me, if that was necessary, then the relationship was over before it ever started. What relationship? I silence that pesky voice in my head with the rationalization even friendships fall under that category. There is some unique factor that exists between you and the people in your life. And if any of them requires deceit, then you’re better off without them. What do you call sneaking out every night? That wouldn’t be necessary if I wasn’t under lock and key here. You do still have your phone. Ever heard of texting or calling? Damn, I hate the stuff that goes through my mind. What makes me a good writer also makes me a big over analyzer. I can argue ten different points with myself for hours. All sides have an opinion, and none of them ever agree. I realize I’ve been quiet for too long. I wanted to unnerve him, not have him perform CPR on me. On second thought… “How was your day? Things go well at—work?” Kill or torture anyone, dear? I have to commend myself on delivering that last question with a straight face.
He blinks, then does it again before saying slowly, “It was fine. Nothing out of the normal. You?”
“Oh, just great here. I hope you don’t mind, but I had one of your men pick up a few things for me at the supermarket.”
His face reddens. God, he is blushing, and it’s so hot. He looks down at his feet as he murmurs, “Um, yeah, no problem. I know you needed… some girl things.”
I draw a complete blank. What’s he talking about? He probably has me confused with one of his women. I open my mouth, ready to deliver a scathing comment when it hits me. The note. That was one of my finer moments in my campaign to torture him. I laughed so hard when I wrote it. There aren’t many men out there who want to shop for or talk about your period. It had been a toss-up between that and diarrhea. I figured either would freak him out. Plus picturing him in a store shopping for tampons was too good to resist. Wait—speaking of. I almost let it go, but wouldn’t that throw my credibility in question? I frown, attempting to appear concerned. “I—I thought you were bringing those home. I didn’t ask Matt for… that. I would have been too embarrassed.” I wring my hands together, the picture of anxiety. I might be overplaying this a bit. “I used my last tampon today. It’s going to be a long night.” He flinches when I ask, “Do you have a mattress protector? Oh, and maybe extra toilet paper?” He stands rooted in place for a full minute. I’m tempted to poke him to see if he’s in some kind of trance. Then he spins on his heel and leaves the apartment.
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