Nina looks devastated, and I kick myself for leaving her on the fucking floor naked to endure this. This has gone on too fucking long. “Mom, could you please make yourself comfortable in the living room while Nina and I dress?” She knows me well enough to understand that my question isn’t really a question at all.
“Oh, what was I thinking? Of course, darling. Nina, please forgive me for being so terribly rude.” Nina nods, then sags weakly when my mother leaves, closing the door behind her.
“Oh my God,” she groans as she buries her face in her hands. “Your mom caught us practically humping each other. And to make matters worse, I sat here like a dolt letting it all hang out.” She lifts her head and turns to glare at me. “Why in the world didn’t you do something sooner? I was clearly in shock, but what’s your excuse?”
I toss the blanket aside and get to my feet, before stooping to help her up. “I have none,” I say honestly. “I’m not used to this kind of unannounced drop-in. She usually calls or at the very least, comes later in the day. I was just as surprised as you were.”
I reach over to kiss her, and she hand-blocks me. The fuck? “Don’t even think about it. We can’t be trusted, and you know that. If our body parts so much as touch, we’ll be going at it like rabbits. Then your mom will barge in right as I demand you choke me or something similarly shocking. It’s a risk we can’t take.”
I try, really, I do, but I can’t contain my laughter. She, however, doesn’t look amused at all. She crosses her arms over her chest as her foot taps furiously on the floor. “Er… sorry?” I murmur contritely.
“I’m going to use the shower in here because there’s no way I’m going down the hall until I’m fully dressed.” When I move in the direction of the bathroom, she grabs my arm, halting me. “Nope, you’ll use your room. But before you shower, bring me my suitcase.”
“Gee, I thought I had at least a few weeks before the bossy, non-sex part of the relationship kicked in. Fucking Google sure lied about that one.”
“Excuse me?” she says, putting her hands on her hips as she glares at me.
Oh shit, now I’m the one thinking out loud. Big problem for a man like me. Let’s hope it’s a weird thing that only she brings out. Considering she’s typically not much of an exhibitionist, I’m betting she forgot about being butt naked. Little hard for me to take her anger seriously when those luscious tits are only inches away. And that ass—the things I’m gonna do to it. Fuck me. I give her the dumbest look I can muster, which isn’t that tough since all the blood in my body has rushed south. “Just going over my to-do list for the day. Important mafia stuff and all that.” That ass of yours is number one, sweetheart. “I’ll go get those things you need now.”
I give her my sweetest smile as I stroll past. And she gives me one in return, only hers is more of a full-body leer. “Oh, and baby?” I pause, taken aback by the endearment. She follows it up with a wink as she says, “You might want to cover that thing up. God willing, it looks a little different than it did the last time your mommy saw it.” She places a fingertip on her chin as if pondering something of the utmost importance before adding, “Well, unless she was here for longer than we’re aware of earlier.”
Crash and burn, baby, crash and burn. We’ve got a total loss of manhood here.
Thanks for that, Mom.
I shake my head as I locate the pants I wore last night and put them on. “That was pure evil, Belle. Never mention a parental figure while my dick’s hard. That’s a hard limit.”
“Of course, Mr. Moretti.” As usual, she manages to get in the last word. Well, maybe it’s not so bad this time. I like that version of “Mr. Moretti.” We can work with it—later. “As long as you keep your mommy out of the bedroom while you’re bumping uglies with me.” Ding, ding, winner by knockout!
She’s in the bathroom with the door shut before I can think of a response. Hell, probably for the best. We’d be here all day trying to one-up each other. I gather her things and leave them for her before showering and dressing. I’m sitting on the bed strapping on my ankle holster when my phone rings. I see my father’s name and grin. “What’s with you and Mom today? I promise I’m not feeling neglected.”
There’s silence before he says, “Glad to hear it, whatever the fuck you’re talking about. But I need you at Cypher now. There’s been an attempted hit on Ray Gavino. He’s hanging on, but one of his guards is dead. Have Jake take Nina to the compound. She needs to be off-grid until we know more.”
“Fuck. I’ll be there in twenty,” I mutter as I stand and make quick work of loading my second gun into the shoulder harness. With all the shit going on, I should probably be wearing a vest as well, but there’s no time. I stride to the front door, texting Jake as I go. He meets me in the hallway as I hit send, and I quickly bring him up to date on Ray. “Listen, I need for you to take Nina to Tony’s.”
He looks behind him before lowering his voice and saying, “The kid is with me. He was having a rough time of it this morning, and Wade didn’t know how to deal. Let me take him by the office and then I’ll drop Nina off. Too soon in the game for him to know the setup at the compound.”
“Son, I’ll take Nina. I have two guards downstairs. She’ll be safer with me right now than one of your men.” Fuck, my mother has always moved around as quiet as a ninja. It’s damn unsettling—and more than a little impressive. “Go,” she prompts when I appear undecided. “For God’s sake, I managed to keep you alive for eighteen years. I think I can handle your friend.”
I don’t want to, but she’s right. No women have been targeted, so in theory, Nina is safer with Mom. And I have no time left to ponder it. I mutter my thanks and take off at a fast clip. I’m in my vehicle and halfway to Cypher before it hits me. I forgot to say goodbye to Nina. Not only that, but I also left her alone with my mother without warning. I’m fucked. If some nutjob doesn’t kill me, she likely will. I’ve always known relationships are dangerous for men like me, but I’ve broken my rules at the worst time possible. Another hit that we’re not responsible for. I can’t relax my guard for a moment. Because now, Nina is mine, one of my people to protect. And I know if anything happens to her, I’ll never recover from it. I became jaded to death long ago. Yeah, it bothers me, and it fucking sucks for those left behind, but it’s the reality in my world—both of them. And even worse, innocents die a hell of a lot more than the bad guys. Collateral damage. Sacrifice a few to save many. Blah, blah. I’ve heard that dozens of times in varying forms. Simply put, everyone is expendable to someone. You just have to hope the someone who wants rid of you is never in a position to call the shots.
I push it all aside as I slow to make the first of a series of turns that leads to the entrance to Cypher. Everything else must take a back seat because I’m not only Moretti mafia here, I’m Marco Moretti, FBI agent assigned to a joint task force with the ATF and DEA. Oh, and my father is not only the head of the Moretti family, but he’s also the SAC or Special Agent-in-Charge of the North Carolina FBI Organized Crimes Division. And this is where things get complicated. It’s my job to let the small fish go in favor of the much bigger catch. As fucked up as it sounds, it also gives the Morettis a certain amount of immunity from law enforcement, with ironclad agreements in place that both ex-family members, Lee and Tony, are exempt from any past, present, or future actions. It’s tricky and requires finesse and not a small number of downright brawls between the power players on all ends, but it’s worked so far. Only now, a new player in town is causing upheaval, and none of us can rest until we find and eliminate them. After that, I’ll go back to doing my job and trying to figure out how the fuck I can keep Nina when I’ve done nothing but lie to her—and that’s not something I can ever change.
Nina
He is so dead when I get my hands on him. I hope he enjoyed the sex because it’s over—maybe that is a tad drastic…
Apparently, there was an emergency, and he’s taken off. Would the two minutes it would have taken to tell
me this himself really have made a difference? And there’s been another hit on a Gavino. Minka’s father, Ray. I want to call her, but since I’ll see her in person soon, I decide to wait. I have no idea if Nic told her, and I certainly don’t want to do it over the phone.
Jake gave me a sympathetic look before discreetly dragging his finger across his neck while Angelica’s back was turned. He arrived a few moments ago to walk us down to where a black Mercedes waits at the curb. Two men hopped out of the front when we approached and Jake fist-bumped the rather large one called Moose before repeating the gesture with the thin, wiry one called Jimmy. “You know the drill. Make sure you check in when you reach the compound. Keep your eyes open and take care of the bosses’ ladies.”
I see Angelica’s mouth tighten slightly at Jake’s inclusion of me, but it’s gone so quickly, I wonder if I imagined it. “You got it, chief.” Moose nods agreeably as he opens one of the back doors for Angelica. Jimmy motions for me to follow him to the other side and does the same for me. Even though the Mercedes is roomy inside, it still puts me in very close quarters with Marco’s mother. As uncomfortable as she makes me, I can’t help but admire her. She’s a beautiful woman, one who could easily pass for someone my age. Her hair is the same shade as Marco’s. It appears to be about waist length, and she’s wearing it in an elegant French twist. She’s taller than me with a trim, athletic figure, which is shown to perfection in tight skinny jeans, black knee-high boots, and a cowl-neck sweater. I was proud of my mom when she attended my school events, but Angelica’s the type of mother who all the kids would stare at. Mine was pretty, but Angelica is perfection. And she saw me naked, sprawled on her son’s floor about thirty minutes ago.
I’m startled from my reverie when she says, “I never thanked you for saving my son. I know you were the one who found him. You could have easily chosen not to get involved, but you took the lesser-traveled path. For that, you have my gratitude.”
“That’s really not necessary. I’m sure anyone would have done the same.” Especially if they were female. A picture pops in my head of Kathy Bates in Misery. Poor Marco could have ended up tied to a bedpost. I think we’ll try that next. Hot guy at my mercy. Begging. Pleading. Promising me anything to release him. Oh shit, back away from the light, Nina. His mother is right here. Don’t blush, don’t blush—she’ll know. God, I hope we’re close to our destination. But I’ve only been to the compound once, so I have no idea.
She’s staring out the window, seemingly lost in thought. I think she’s going to let my comment pass, but a few moments later, she breaks the silence. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But I fear most of us lost touch with our humanity long ago. We’ve strayed too far into the darkness to even recognize the light should it find us.”
I shrug, not knowing what to say. Her musings are almost lyrical, making me feel as if anything I say will be gauche by comparison. Which is absurd since I’m a published author who makes a good living with words. If the subject were cock, you’d knock this out of the park. But this is like some Bob Dylan shit. Then I open my mouth and say something that will probably offend the hell out of her. “If not for the bad people, how would we learn to appreciate the good ones?” Dear God, her whole family is mafia. And now she thinks I’m a judgmental bible thumper. Aces.
I regret what I’ve said almost immediately. Especially when she shifts until she’s sitting in the corner with her face angled toward me. If I thought it was bad before, it’s even worse now that she’s entirely focused on me. Hell, she appears almost intrigued. I don’t know her at all, but I sense that you don’t want to be on this woman’s radar. Unlike some who would get their way by pretending to be sweet and subservient to their family, she’s the opposite. Marco and Rutger, heck, even Nic and Jake as well, have all commented on how scary she can be. But I have never really taken it seriously. Aren’t all boys in awe of their mothers? I have to say, though, I get it. There’s a backbone of steel under that cashmere sweater. Maybe it stands to reason that a man as powerful as Rutger would be attracted to and marry an alpha female. No wonder Marco has an overload of testosterone. “That’s just it, Nina, there is truly no good or bad. Those terms shouldn’t even exist. People are what others perceive them to be. A truly evil person may appear almost saintly if they act the part well. And the noblest of creatures can be deemed a monster if another knows where and how to plant the seeds of doubt.”
Wow. Talk about a Negative Nancy. She is scary enough calm and composed. I certainly never want to see her lose her shit. “Um, yeah I guess that’s one way to look at it,” I concede.
“I can see why my son’s infatuated with you,” she muses. The random subject change has me struggling to keep up. “You back down when the conversation gets uncomfortable. A word of friendly advice for you, my dear. If that continues, he’ll soon grow tired of it. My husband and my son are powerful men who are feared by many. They’re used to being in charge and having others defer to their wishes. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a man being a man, but without boundaries, they’ll trample all over you without even noticing. It’s something only a mafia wife could truly know.”
Her show of concern doesn’t fool me. This woman has no desire to see me with her son. I don’t know what her end game is here, but it’s not to help me out. Although, strangely enough, what she’s said is the truth. And there’s a big difference in me biting my tongue to keep the peace and being her son’s doormat. Screw it. She already hates me. Might as well go for broke. “Mrs. Moretti, I can assure you that I am not now nor will I ever be Marco’s punching bag—physically or verbally. A fact he’s more than aware of, believe me. But you’re right, I’m not a mafia. My last name might be Gavino, but that’s on paper only. Whatever this is that I have with your son is between us. And although I appreciate your advice, I think I’ll be fine. I may not be from your world, but I’ve been on the outskirts of it for many years as the stepdaughter of one of the city’s most powerful men. Both he and his idiot son made damn sure I didn’t suffer from weakness.” May have taken that a tad too far. Sunday brunch is probably off—forever. “So anyway, I’m good.”
She smiles, actually a genuine smile and not the fake ones I’ve received thus far. “I can see that,” she murmurs approvingly. “And I’m glad.” She turns away as if she’s no longer interested in the conversation, which suits me fine. “That makes it so much easier.”
“Pardon?” I ask, not sure I’ve heard her correctly, but she simply waves it off. Apparently, I’m not the only one here who does her thinking out loud. At least it wasn’t bitch. I think she’s warming up to me. I dart a quick glance in her direction and sag in relief when she pays me no attention. For a moment, I was terrified I did the same thing that she had.
The car swerves suddenly, and I’m pulled tightly against my seat belt. Angelica gives a squeak of alarm as well. “What’s going on?” she calls out.
The driver who Jake had called Moose turns slightly, indicating he’s heard her question. “It’s nothing major, Mrs. Moretti. We passed a fender bender a while back, and they hadn’t cleaned the glass up yet. I think we’ve got a flat tire. I’m looking for somewhere to pull over now. Shouldn’t take long.”
Angelica presses a hand against her chest and releases a breath. “Thank God, for a moment there I thought—”
“Shit. What happened?” My purse has flown from the seat during the commotion, and I lean down to pick up the contents. Great, more time with Angelica. You’re going to pay for this, Marco. I don’t care if you have a freaky, hot body or not—Ouch, what was that?
9
Marco
I can’t help but think that Nina would laugh her ass off if she were here now. After all, meeting the crew in an underground bunker built under a coffee shop was kinda gangster. Of course, in the movies, it was usually a Chinese restaurant or something along those lines, but when the FBI decided to build a front so their field agents had a secure meeting location, it had seemed logical
to pick a business where a person could reasonably be expected to patronage at all hours, instead of just the evenings. The owner of the place is one of ours and of course knows the score, but most of the employees don’t. They’re simply moved to other areas when we pass through the back to the cooler and the hidden panel behind it. “Cypher” is the code name for this long-running operation and stands for nothing. It’s safer that way. Should your identity be compromised, all the bad guys would find is a bunch of random information that links nowhere.
My father is leaning against a wall drinking a cup of coffee when I walk in. Normally, several agents are here but not today. Well, things just got interesting. The big man himself. Hawk Malone is as big as they come and even though he and my father are friends, he’s rarely seen in these parts. Instead, he’s the force behind the scenes at Quantico in Virginia. He’s always reminded me of Lee Jacks. Not in appearance—or his undisputed charisma—but in his abilities. He’s rumored to have an IQ off the fucking charts, but men like him and Lee have something extra that sets them apart. It’s that instinct, the intuition to pick one crumb from a pile of a thousand crumbs with no basis. Just a hunch—a feeling. These men are like a dog with a bone. Their determination and patience as they fixate on unexpected details—often resulting in a significant and unforeseen coup—is impressive. Awe-inspiring. That would, in theory, make Malone less than ideal to oversee the entire Southeastern division of the FBI, yet that’s exactly what he does. He personally selects his SACs using the same process with which he solves a crime. Instinct. Intuitively knowing which agent is born to lead and who needs to follow.
This operation would have never been possible without a Moretti in the driver’s seat. Because my father’s parents moved away from North Carolina many years ago, he didn’t grow up with his Moretti cousins. In fact, he was attending college in Upstate New York when Hawk Malone approached him. Draco Moretti came into power in the South almost overnight, and a much younger Malone was fascinated. He put feelers out, but Draco’s men were fiercely loyal to him, so there was no weak link to be found. And Malone already sensed that the operation he randomly named “Cypher” would be both big and long-running. My father had turned him down countless times until my grandparents had been victims of a home invasion gone bad. My grandmother had died at the scene of a gunshot wound to the chest, and although my grandfather had lived an additional five years after, my father said he’d never been the same.
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