Devil You Know: A Dark Mafia Enemies to Lovers Romance (The Diavolo Crime Family Book 2)

by J. L. Beck

  22

  Celia

  I honestly can’t believe I asked Nic to lock up his own brother. Maybe part of me believed he wouldn’t do it, and he hasn’t, but he says it’s because Lucas will hate me if he finds out. But also because he wants to repair his own relationship with him.

  I get it, but it doesn’t make it any easier to hear. Whenever Lucas comes to the house to deliver something to Soo or briefly fight with Nic, he ignores me completely as if I don’t exist. I can’t figure out why he’s so adamant about not speaking with me. Obviously, it’s likely because of my parentage, but to be fair, it’s his parentage too, and I don’t hold that against him.

  I’m standing in the closet surveying my clothing. Nic told me I didn’t need to dress for dinner, which means we likely aren’t going out. Come to think of it, he hasn’t let me out of the house, even on the lawn, since our honeymoon. Not that I’ve asked to go anywhere, but it seems curious. My safety is his top priority. He’s made that very clear since I arrived. But I also can’t let him keep me locked up, or he might never let me out.

  Things have changed so much between us, so much so that he seems proud of me. Proud that I’m helping in his plans, that I’m part of his world, or at the very least, no longer running from him. I crave the looks he gives me when he thinks I’m not looking: part sheer need and part awe. But the ones filled with hope and pride are the best.

  I’m tangled up inside about this even while I want his hands on me every minute and his soft whispers in my ear. Even now, I’m staring at my clothes fucking mooning over the man. I need to get my shit together; it’s not always going to be like this. Once he has whatever he wants from me, once he’s satisfied his lust or his curiosity, he’ll put me up in a penthouse somewhere and forget I exist. I know how this world operates. No one has a happy marriage, and I refuse to be some sort of prize for his misdeeds.

  I leave my clothes alone and decide to wear the leggings and sweater combo I already have on. Nic won’t care, as long as he can strip it off me when we’re done eating. Sometimes, he can’t wait and will even start during dinner. If it’s been a long day, and he hasn’t been able to touch me in a while—like waiting is too much for him to bear.

  My heart flutters at the thought of him bending me over the polished wood of the dining room table. Again. He ignites things in me I didn’t even know were there. Whenever his hands touch my skin, I can’t think about anything else. Maybe that’s how he likes it, and he’s trying to keep my head muddled by lust, so I don’t notice what’s going on around the house.

  I sit on the bed and wait for Nic to come find me. He’s been late the last couple of nights. He and Soo have been planning some mysterious activities. When I asked about it, all he said was it had to do with the five families and not specifically my father, so I don’t need to worry about it.

  He obviously doesn’t know me well enough yet if he thinks I won’t worry just because he ordered me not to.

  Nic enters the bedroom a few moments later, and it takes everything in me not to reach out for him and have him wrap me in his arms.

  “Are you ready to eat? I think Sarah said the food is done and on the table. We won’t be disturbed.”

  I nod and take his offered arm. He leads me to the dining room, sits me in the chair next to his before taking his own seat. There are only two plates covered with trays, silverware, water, and wine sitting out. Good. I’m not in the mood to deal with anyone else at dinner tonight.

  “Are you all right?” he asks, lifting the tray off his food and setting it aside.

  “Yes, I’m just thinking about whatever it is you and Soo are working on. I just worry, and yes, I know you told me not to, but I’m going to do it, anyway. Will you share your plan with me, or are you guys keeping it all to yourselves?”

  I’ve forced cheer in my tone, and I know he hears it. It can’t be helped. I lift the tray off my food and tip it over, so the condensation doesn’t escape all over the table, and set it beside my plate. As usual, Sarah’s team made a delicious dinner. Chicken, vegetables, and a small salad.

  I grab my fork and eye the food, hoping Nic will answer my question so I don’t have to ask him again or try a damn lifeline to get it.

  I spear some of the chicken and nibble on it. He’s eating with relish, he always does, beside me, and I shake my head as I swallow my food.

  No, he’s not going to answer, and I’m going to have to try a different tactic to get it. I place my fork on the table and stare at him until he lifts his gaze to mine.

  “Please, don’t do this to me. Don’t shut me out.”

  He drops his fork to his plate. “Princess,” he warns.

  “Do you have a plan together?”

  Grinding his jaw, he finally answers me. “Yes, Soo and I came up with a plan. We decided that in order to bring your father down, we need to destabilize his base of power first. We need to use the other families to bring him down, and then we can conduct a more focused strike against him. So right now, we are reviewing the families for weaknesses to see who we can hit first and with minimal setup.”

  I go back to eating, my chest lighter now that he’s talking to me. “Do you already have one in mind? Do you want my suggestion?”

  Now that I’m back to shoveling food in my mouth, he resumes eating his own meal. After he swallows, he nods. “We decided we don’t need to hit all five—we just need the majority of three to ensure we have what we need to take him down. Once we get three families to side with us, we’ll be able to finish him off.”

  I pause in bringing my fork to my mouth. “Side with you? You’re going to try to negotiate with these people? I’m not sure if you know this, but they are all liars and criminals. They will say one thing and do another.”

  His tone is icy when he says, “Princess, I’m a liar and a criminal. I’ve dealt with my kind before, and I know how to ensure they won’t double-cross us once the plan is in motion.”

  It’s a warning and a reminder in case I ever forget what kind of man he is. I straighten my shoulders, put my fork on the table, and shove my chair back. “I’m not hungry anymore. I think I’ll go up to bed.”

  I only make it to the door before he stops me by grabbing me around the hips and carrying me back to the table, settling me on his lap. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he orders.

  Tears are building, and I’m not even sure why. “You’re keeping the details from me, and then you say that you’re a criminal and a liar like you need to remind me constantly that you aren’t a perfect man. You don’t think I know that?”

  He tugs me into his embrace, and while I resist, he wins. He always wins. I let my arms hang by my side as he hugs me tight to his chest. “I wasn’t trying to deliberately keep anything from you. We are targeting the Marino family first. Based on the information you gave us and Soo’s spy network, we’ve discovered they are the most unstable.”

  I nod against his chest, happy at least the tears didn’t win and embarrass me further. “When is it all happening?”

  “Tonight,” he says.

  I jerk from his grasp to look up at him. “Tonight? What? When?”

  “We set a meeting with both the Marino boys and the DEA agent who helps their father run guns through trade shows. If we can come to an arrangement, we can set it up so that they walk away with their family’s power, and we walk away with an alliance.”

  I’m still not understanding how they could have put this entire plan into motion already. We were just talking about him and Soo checking on my information this morning. Why the urgency? I don’t have the courage to ask or pry further, though.

  “Eat. You look a little pale, and I know you didn’t eat much at lunch today. Don’t make me force you.”

  I glare at him. “How do you know what I did or didn’t eat at lunch? If Sarah is reporting on my eating habits, she and I are about to have an uncomfortable conversation for both of us.”

  “No, but watch your tone before I decide you need another lesson
in respect. We may be married now, but that doesn’t mean you can let that bratty mouth run free.”

  He deposits me in front of my plate again. “I’ve just been stressed out about you plotting and planning, and me not knowing what the hell is happening. I don’t enjoy being out of the loop about things. It makes me feel like a prisoner all over again, especially since you haven’t taken me anywhere in a while or let me out of the house.”

  “I’m only trying to keep you safe. You don’t need to know every detail.”

  I take a huge bite of my roll and chew, so I have time to think of a tactful response to that. Will I be safe after he brings down the five families? Or after my father is dead? Or maybe at some other random point in the future that he hasn’t disclosed for me? I don’t doubt he cares for me in his own way, but I also fear being locked up in his house until I die because he doesn’t want anything to happen to me.

  “I appreciate you wanting me to be safe, but I’m not fragile, and I’m not going to break. I also doubt there are snipers on the lawn or anything, so maybe let up so I can at least go outside the house?”

  He chews his own food and stares me down. “No. Not until the threat has passed.”

  His tone is hard and leaves no room for argument. After that, we finish our meal relatively quickly and in silence. We’ve only been married for around a month, and I already feel like our meals are those of an old married couple who have been together all of their lives.

  He tries to hold my hand as he escorts me back to our bedroom, but I rush ahead of him, knowing he’ll make me pay for it later. Once inside, I sit on the edge of the bed and watch as he prepares for his meeting. He changes his suit and cleans up his hair. He’s too fucking beautiful.

  Worry claws at my chest again. “Soo is going to be there with you, right? Will you have more back up? Do you have a plan for when things go south?”

  He chuckles as he adjusts his tie until I throw up my hands and stalk toward him to help him myself. Once it’s perfect, I smooth my hands down his lapels and use them to drag his face more level with mine. I kiss him and pull away. “If you ever want to touch me again, you’ll stay safe and come back in one piece.”

  The edge of his mouth turns up into a wicked grin. “Are you worried about me, a common criminal, princess?”

  I glare and shove him away again, going back to sit on the bed. That’s when I notice a little black box on the covers I didn’t see before.

  “Open it,” he says, “it’s a gift.”

  Inside is a sleek black hand radio. I turn it over in my palms, inspecting it. “What’s it for?”

  “It’s because I know you will be worried from the second I walk out the door. This way, you’ll be able to listen to the team’s communications about what is happening.”

  The gesture loosens something near my heart. Fuck. When did he get so thoughtful? And why does it make me want to strip his clothes off?

  A moment later, Soo knocks on the door, and both men leave.

  I curl up on the bed with the walkie-talkie next to me on top of the pillow. The plan seems relatively simple by what I hear as the night progresses. They set one meeting with the dirty DEA agent and bribed him so that he will only work with the Marino sons. After that, they set another meeting with the Marino boys to make sure they are on board with the plan.

  As I listen to the security team rumble back-and-forth, it truly hits me just how well organized Nic’s teams really are. It gives me some sense of relief about how his plans might go. Especially the ones that will eventually involve my father.

  I listen to the radio until the teams say they are heading home. And then I take it with me when I go down to the foyer and wait for them to walk in. Soo enters first, and I ignore him. When Nic clears the threshold, I launch myself at him and wrap my arms around his neck. He lifts me up in his arms so I can hug him tighter and wrap my legs around his lower back.

  He doesn’t say anything to Soo, only walks me up the stairs to our bedroom, where he gently eases me down to the bed. “It’s late. You shouldn’t have waited up.”

  I swipe at his chest. “You know damn well I wouldn’t have been able to go to sleep until I knew you returned home safely.”

  He leans in and nibbles my bottom lip. “Well, princess, I’m home safely. Now let me show you what I’ve been thinking about since the moment I walked out the door tonight.”

  Then he sinks to his knees on the floor and spreads my thighs.

  23

  Nic

  I know she feels confined in the house, but I can’t allow her to leave. If anything happens to her, I don’t know what I will do with myself or the blinding rage that would follow in the wake of her loss.

  Now that the plan is in motion, I feel even more possessive of her. If any of the families get word we are making a move. If Ricci gets word… it might mean they take the offensive. That would put her even more in danger. Soo is careful with his information. It’s the security teams I always worry about. They have been fully vetted, paid well, and are loyal to Soo and me, but Soo is the only person I trust. Unfortunately, he can’t take on everything alone like the old days when we were first building our empire.

  I know Celia is worried for me, and yet, all I can think about is her safety. If she truly knew how close I am to putting her on a jet and locking her in a big house on the other side of the world, she would be furious with me. The thought only crosses my mind about a hundred times a day.

  Celia walks into my office in another little sundress, and I watch as she treks from the door to my chair. If she sees the hunger in my eyes, she doesn’t comment on it.

  “You wanted me to come talk to you after breakfast?”

  I settle her on my lap and shift her so I can look into her eyes when I speak. When she leaves my office today, I need to be very sure she understands everything I’m about to explain to her. “As you are very aware, we’ve started our plan to take down your father. Now, I also need to ensure you always remain safe. That no matter what happens, no one can get to you.”

  I hate the fear in her eyes as I talk. Even more so, knowing that once I finish, she has the means to leave me forever. I’ve gone out of my way to make sure she understands that she can’t escape me. And now, I’m just going to hand her the knowledge and ability to do so.

  I just have to hope that she’ll keep her word and stay with me.

  She shifts on my lap. “Whatever it is, just say it. You’re scaring me.”

  “Some time ago, I put in motion a plan to ensure your safety if somehow your father succeeds in killing me.”

  Her hands rush up to grip my cheeks. “Don’t say things like that.”

  “As much as I like to think about our success. I also have to think about our failure, and the ultimate failure would be to let the five families take you after I’m gone.”

  Again, she shakes her head frantically. “I don’t like this. What are you saying?”

  “Only that there are a few things you need to be made aware of. The first of which is the tunnel system under the house. It leads out about a half-mile to the edge of the property. If something happens, and the house is taken, you can escape via that route. There is a vehicle parked at the mouth of the tunnel that will have everything you need for your escape.”

  She stares at me wide-eyed.

  “I need you to nod or acknowledge that you understand what I’m saying.”

  When she doesn’t, I lift her by the hips up onto the edge of the desk and shove my chair back. At this angle, I can look into her eyes better. And she can see how serious I am.

  “I hope you will never have to touch this option. But I need you to understand that they are in place for your safety. Now be a good girl and tell me you understand.”

  After a heartbeat, she nods. “I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand.”

  “You don’t have to like it.”

  I gently pick her up and lower her to the floor again. Then I lead her out of my office, through
the house, and down the basement steps. We pass the laundry room, and she stares around until we stop at a heavy wooden door on the other side of the basement.

  “This is the door you will use to make your escape if you need it. It stays locked, but the keys are in the safe in my office. Along with the keys, you’ll find a passport and money, anything you might need to make a clean getaway.”

  This time I don’t have to prompt her response. She nods, and I hug her tight to my chest.

  “I’ve written down the access code to the safe and a phone number to someone I know outside the city who can help you if you need it.”

  I hate everything about this. The thought of losing her is like taking a knife to the gut. But I don’t know how to tell her what she means to me without scaring her.

  We walk back up to the main house and into my office. Once inside, I guide her to the hatch in the floor behind my desk and explain how to open the safe. I have no doubt she will be able to figure it out on her own, but instructing her makes me happy, so I carry on.

  Once I’m finished, I turn to her, knowing that she is going to be angry with me in a few seconds. “In a few hours, I’m going to be leaving to meet with Bianci.”

  “What?” Her gaze widens. “I should be there with you.”

  My insides twist. “I can’t have you there. The risk of word getting back to your father is too high.”

  “Word about what?”

  “What do you think your father will do if he gets his hands on you after you married the man targeting him? He killed your sister for less.” I feel like a dick for reminding her of what she lost, but she needs to take this seriously.

  She considers my question for a moment, and her pretty brown eyes fill with confusion a second before she answers. “I think he would try to use me against you.” Her voice deflates completely as understanding of what may happen sinks in. A deep frown mars her face. “I just hate the thought of you out there alone.”