by Ella Jade
He sat on one of the high-top stools at the counter that separated the kitchen from the family room. “I didn’t expect anyone to be here.” I set the laptop on the table, realizing how silly I would look if I turned around and went back upstairs.
“Working?” he asked.
“I was going to take a look at something.” I sat at the counter with him. “Some research.”
“Where is my brother?”
“Sleeping.” I wished I’d stayed in bed. “How come you’re here so late?”
“Gianni and I thought it best to stay the night.” He stretched out his legs. “With this meeting looming tomorrow we have to anticipate every move.”
“What move are you anticipating and from who?”
“Franco is on edge right now. He knows you didn’t disappear on your own. They know why we called the meeting and that gives them time to plan. They probably think we’re up to something.”
“Oh?”
“I’m not leaving Vince out here alone in the woods.” He got up and went to the cabinet to get a mug. “Franco knows he was the last person you were with. I don’t like the position that puts my brother in.”
“The position I put him in.” I pushed the computer away. “Do you think there will be trouble?”
“I always think there will be trouble. That’s why I’m good at what I do. I expect the unexpected.” He poured from the pot he’d just brewed. “Would you like some coffee?”
“It’s almost midnight.”
“Gianni is sleeping the first shift. I need to stay awake.”
“Where are the others?”
“They’re doing their normal thing but Gianni and I are an added measure.”
“You really think it’s necessary?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think so.” He sipped his coffee. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“You wish Vincenzo wasn’t involved at all.”
“He shouldn’t be here.” He stared at me for an uncomfortable few seconds. “I understand why he is.”
I rolled my eyes over his assessment.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he clarified. “You inadvertently put him in an awkward situation. He feels responsible for you. He’ll see this through because that’s the type of guy he is.”
“You would have liked it better if he let me come here with Gianni.”
“That would have been the best solution.”
Not for me.
“What’s done is done. Now I have to do whatever it takes to protect my brother.” He paused for a moment. “And you.”
“Thank you.” I brushed the hair from my face. I must have looked like a hot mess. Sex hair and all. “I was fortunate to cross paths with your family.”
“Hmm...” He thought for a moment. “That was all so strange, wasn’t it?”
“Very.” I shifted in my seat. “Vincenzo was right there as I turned the corner. I didn’t think I could run any further.” Regardless of what I suspected about my heritage, Vincenzo was an unexpected surprise.
“Then it worked out for the best.”
“I hope you’re still saying that tomorrow.”
“Whatever is supposed to happen will happen. Even if we have to nudge it in our direction.” He continued to stare at me, I could almost see his wheels spinning and it made me uncomfortable.
“Is something wrong?”
“Your eyes.”
“Huh?”
“They’re rare especially with your skin tone and dark features.”
“You want to talk about my eyes?”
“No, it’s just that I’ve–”
“There you are.” Vincenzo joined us in the kitchen as Dominick sent a quick text to someone. “What are you still doing here? I thought you’d left.” He waited for his brother to answer, standing there in nothing but his pajama bottoms.
Why aren’t we still in bed?
“Gianni and I decided to stay.” Dom shoved his phone into his pocket. “As a precaution.”
“Thanks, but I’m sure it isn’t necessary. How many men are here with us?”
“I’ll leave the real estate transactions to you.” He smirked. “You leave everything else to me.”
“Fine.” Vincenzo rubbed my back. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“I didn’t have dinner so I thought I’d get something before bed.” I slipped off the stool, an uneasy sensation came over me. Who did Dominick text so fast? “I’ll leave you two alone.”
“No.” Dom took his coffee. “I’m going to play cards with some of the guys.”
“You don’t have to leave,” Vince said.
“If I don’t see you in the morning, I’ll call once the meeting is over.” He opened the back doors that led to a path where the guards hung out. “Don’t leave the property until you hear from me. And for the love of God, don’t send Tommy for pizza. He stays with you.”
“I got it.” Vince shook his head. “Talk to you tomorrow.”
Once Dominick was out of my view, my nerves settled. Maybe it was Vincenzo’s presence that calmed me. There was something about Dominick that put me on edge. It was almost as if he knew. That wasn’t possible. Even I didn’t know for sure.
“I’m thirty years old.” He leaned against the counter, facing me. “I don’t need my brother telling me what to do.”
“Didn’t you tell me he looks after you? That’s his job.”
“What are you, Team Dominick now?” When he smiled, my anxiety diminished. “I know he’s concerned but we’re safe here. That’s why we came.”
“After what I witnessed the other night, I should be more afraid but being here with you has helped.”
“Are you saying you feel safe with me?” He lifted me onto the counter, stepping between my legs.
“I do feel safe with you.” I traced my fingers across his lips. “What happened tonight...”
“The explosive sex?” He trailed his hand down my neck.
“Yeah, that.”
“You’re not going to tell me you have regrets, are you?”
“Quite the opposite.” I kissed the corner of his mouth, moving my lips along his jaw and whispering into his ear. “It was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Sliding his hand along my leg, he rested it on my inner thigh. “Coming here with you was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
“I wanted to let you know that I don’t sleep with every guy I bump into.” I inched closer to him, until my breasts brushed against his bare chest. “I’m not like that.”
“Do you bump into many guys when running from a mob enforcer?”
“You know what I mean.” Draping my arms over his shoulders as he caressed the insides of my thighs, made me lightheaded. “I don’t want to put any pressure on you but I don’t do one-night stands.”
He didn’t speak as he stared into my eyes and I wondered how often he slept with someone.
“I’m not saying we have to do serious once this whole thing is over,” I continued because I needed to explain. “What we shared tonight meant something to me. I didn’t do it because I was afraid or stressed out. I mean, that was a small part of it, you know? Taking comfort in your arms.” I babbled when I was nervous. “I don’t know where this could lead. I don’t even know where you are in your life but...” I took a breath, realizing what a lunatic I must have sounded like. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re adorable when you’re anxious.” He took my chin in his firm grip. “It’s only been a few days but there’s something about you that intrigues me. I wouldn’t have slept with you if I didn’t feel a connection. I have had one-night stands but that isn’t what I want with you.”
“It isn’t?” My heart raced when he dropped his gaze to my lips. “What do you want?”
“You.” He brushed his lips along my mouth. “I’m not sure where we’re headed but I know it’s not supposed to end tonight.”
Chapter Twelve
VINCENZO
I Know More Than You T
hink
“That’s it?” I spoke to Dominick who was on the other end of the phone. “No other precautions?”
“There are always other precautions,” he reminded me. “We’ll keep someone on her for now but I don’t think Franco will be a problem.”
“You’re sure? It seems too easy.”
“What do you know about these negotiations?”
“I’m just thinking–”
“No, don’t think, Mr. Harvard. Dad got you that fancy education for a reason. Don’t get involved.”
Everyone kept telling me not to get involved but it was too late for that. I smiled when Nadia waved from the pool. She looked worried but I’d ease her mind soon. Dominick was right. The last place I wanted to be was in the middle of the nightmare that was my father’s life.
“Then I guess I’ll see you for dinner tomorrow?” I said, but I had a nagging feeling he left something out. It was probably better I didn’t know what it was.
“Mom and Sal will be home.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Alone?” he inquired.
“I don’t know.” Sunday’s were reserved for family dinners at my parents’ house. The five of us only brought a guest if we were in a serious relationship. To my mother’s disappointment, that didn’t happen often. “I haven’t thought about it.”
“Well, I guess I’ll know when Tommy gets to the gate.”
“I guess you will.” I smirked, keeping him in the dark.
“I don’t like surprises but I’ll make an exception for you.”
“How generous.”
“See you then.”
“Dom, thanks for getting this resolved so quickly.”
“Dad did most of the work. I just have to make sure the plans stay in place.”
“Keep me informed.”
“Only if it’s important. You’re out of this now.”
As I watched Nadia swim the length of the pool, I wondered if I was really out of this. Our part in my father’s business may be over but could we move forward? I came into her life during a traumatic time. Could we endure the aftermath? What if it was the stress that brought her into my arms? She was worth getting to know. I’d have to convince her that we were more than a few nights in a safe house.
I ended the call with Dominick as Nadia came out of the pool. I processed my brother’s words, but they hadn’t sunk in. Something was off. My gut told me he wasn’t being completely transparent. That wasn’t unusual in the organized crime business. Secrets were inevitable. Most of the time I didn’t care. My father’s illegal dealings didn’t concern me. Except this time his world collided with mine in a way I never expected.
“The meeting?” she asked as she took my hand. “What happened?”
“It’s over.” Dominick had said everything went well but why didn’t I believe him? “Antonio agreed you were off-limits. He won’t pursue this.”
“Why would he do that?”
“My father and Dominick assured him that you didn’t see anything.”
“But I did. Franco knows I did.”
“They told him you heard the shots fired and ran. You were scared because Franco was chasing you. The fact that you haven’t gone to the police, tells them you have nothing to report. You’re under my father’s protection now.”
“That’s it?”
“There were negotiations over territory.” I didn’t want to think about what my father had to give up to keep Nadia safe but I knew enough about his business to know that her security didn’t come without a price. “I don’t want to go into it. The less you know, the better.” I didn’t even know that much and we were both better off that way.
“Franco is going to let this go?” I heard the skepticism in her voice. I couldn’t blame her since I wasn’t completely convinced myself but I had to trust Dominick and by extension, she had to trust me.
“He has no reason to pursue you. If his father tells him to back off, he has to back off.”
“He listens to his father?”
“Yeah, if you knew Antonio, you’d see why. He’s domineering and not always in a good way.”
“Oh?” She pressed her lips together and thought for a moment. “Is he a good father?”
“Ah... I suppose.” Why did that matter? “He has three kids and they all seem to like him.”
“Three? I didn’t know that.”
“How could you?”
“We’ve only talked about Franco...” She fidgeted with her hands. “And the baby he had with the mistress. So, he has four kids.”
“That we know of.” I laughed because Antonio had quite the reputation when it came to women. “Maybe it’s best if you forget about the Collandra family. It’s better to pretend you don’t know anything about them.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“I’m always right.” I took her hands in mine. “It’s over.”
“I can go home?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
She glanced at the house and back to the pool. Her expression sullen almost disappointed. I got it.
“It’s Saturday.” There was no rush for us to leave. “We could stay one more night before we have to get back to reality.”
“Really?” Her smile lit up her whole face. “We can stay?”
“If you want.” I grabbed my phone. “I’ll shoot Dominick a text and tell him we’re staying the night.”
“The guys won’t mind?”
“They get paid really well and this gig is a sweet one.” I motioned toward the property. “Besides, since we’re out of danger they can take it easy.”
“Thank you.” She kissed my cheek. “I’ve been so stressed these past few days. It’ll be nice to relax and know that things can go back to the way they were before I met Franco.”
Now that she met Franco, me, and my family, I didn’t think her life would ever go back to the way it was but I’d make sure it was a normal as possible.
“Is everything okay?” she asked. “You don’t look as relieved as I feel.”
“I’m fine.” I stroked her cheek. “I’ve been dealing with this type of stuff my whole life so I’m cautious. Optimistically though.” I grinned before kissing her. “You have nothing to worry about.” I believed that was true. I had faith in my family. Dominick and my father wouldn’t let their guard down.
“I hope this doesn’t cause problems for your family.”
“Don’t concern yourself with any of that.”
“What should I concern myself with?”
“Me.” I circled her in my embrace. “How does a romantic dinner, overlooking the lake sound?”
“It is a gorgeous property.”
“I’ll have the guys order something in for us. We could have a five-star meal cooked by one of Manhattan’s top chefs delivered here in a few hours.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“A few well-placed phone calls. I know people.” More people than she could ever imagine.
“You can let them come to the safe house?”
“There may be one or two of them who have had to seek shelter here over the years. I know who I can trust.” My family had a reputation for protecting people and in return they provided us with their services. “I’ll take care of it while you shower and get ready for dinner.”
“Can I ask a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Could I borrow your phone so that I can call my mom? She’s probably worried about me. I don’t usually go off the grid for three days.”
“Of course.” I handed her my cell. “Take as long as you need. I’ll use Tommy’s to arrange dinner.”
“Thanks.” She kissed my cheek as she took the phone. “I’ll have to get a new one on Monday.”
When she tried to step away, I brought her back to me. I found that I liked having her close to me especially when we slept together. I wasn’t sure how I’d fallen so fast but it happened and now I wanted to go with it.
“I thought you w
anted me to get ready for dinner.” Her soft giggle made me realize that was the first time since I’d met her that she didn’t seem to have those protective walls up. It was a welcomed change.
“I do.” I took her face between my hands. “I want a kiss before you go.”
“Kissing leads to other things.”
“Very true.” I kissed her softly. “But I’ll let you shower and call your mom.”
“We’ll do the other things later?” She skimmed her fingers along my chest, eliciting a scorching heat from deep within. Now I really wanted to do those other things.
“As many things as you want.”
“Perfect.” She slipped on her shorts and headed toward the house. “I won’t be long.”
“I’ll get dinner situated.”
“See you soon.”
As she went into the house, I couldn’t help but focus on her firm ass and tanned, lean legs. It had been a long time since I was in a serious relationship. My job kept me busy and my family was constantly front and center. I worried about Dominick and Gianni and the dealings they did for my father. When I was younger, I didn’t stress over my father as much as I do now. With people like Franco out there, how long could we keep the peace and play nice?
Santino and Salvatore didn’t require as much of my energy as my other two brothers did. Sal did a fantastic job with managing the vineyards and running the wine business. I mentored Santino but he had his own ideas and opinions over what he wanted to do with his life. I had a feeling he wasn’t going to follow in my real estate footsteps when it came to his law degree. He’d been more intrigued with the criminal defense aspect. That was too many conflicts of interest for me, but he would have to make his own choices. He’d also have to deal with my father. Being stuck in the middle of my two older brothers and my two younger ones wasn’t always the easiest place to be. Perhaps that was why Nadia was such a pleasant distraction.
Either way, we had to get back to reality on Monday, so we needed to enjoy tonight. I made my way to the house to find Tommy. He’d be able to help me pull off a dinner in a matter of a couple hours. When I came through the foyer, I noticed the front door ajar. That was strange. This place was high security. Doors were rarely left open. Windows were bullet proofed and locked and no one got through the front gates without a guard knowing it.