Mafia Protection (Tomassi Series Book 1)

by AA Lee

  “The Sandy Shores,” she read. Ella looked through the first page, quietly turning to the second and all that remained. Then she looked at Angelo. It completely took her by surprise. He had been so protective that she never thought he would want to give her that freedom. He must have thought a lot about the idea. She did not know what to say.

  “Thank you.” She looked down at the table and put all the sheets back inside the envelope. “It’s a beautiful gift, Angelo. You know how I miss Santiago’s, but I would like to move forward. After everything with my parents, sometimes it is best to leave the memories behind.”

  “There’s something else that bothers me, though,” he said. “I would really like to work on a family. How am I supposed to protect you and anyone else who comes along if you are not with me? I know that you need to do something besides staying cooped up all the time, but it’s really hard for me to send you out there alone.”

  “I know you want a family, Angelo.” Ella looked away. That was the reason for his mood. He was afraid for her protection. “I don’t want my child being lonely. I don’t want to have to lock my child up all day. I had that life. You had that life.” She shook her head and looked down.

  “Ella, I can only give you a certain degree of normal. You will always have to have someone with you when you go to the restaurant. Look at what happened earlier. If I had come unarmed, Miguel would be dead right now. That easily could have been us. We aren’t ever going to be able to go out in public without a gun. We won’t ever go to the park like another family can. We can’t go to the grocery store. We will have to watch and see who gets out of the car next to us. We will have to be aware of everything around us always.”

  Ella scratched her head and looked at him. Angelo did not skirt around the truth. She thought about having a baby. The dangers around them still had nothing to do with whether or not the child would be lonely. “I know about the dangers,” she said. “That’s not what concerns me the most. I don’t want you being so caught up with the group that you miss your child’s first steps…or first words. It’s about that, Angelo. I don’t have to have perfectly normal, but I don’t want to raise my child alone.”

  “Children,” he corrected. She almost huffed at his remark. If she had not been serious, she might have smiled at him. “I’m going to turn on the Jacuzzi; you are more than welcomed to join me if you’d like,” he hinted. Angelo stood and walked around the table to her. He gently laid his hand over her cheek. His brown eyes looked the most relaxed and sincere that she had seen all afternoon. “I would never leave you alone to raise our children, and I would like you to stop taking the pill. I will leave that up to you, though.”

  She believed him. He was not his father and he was not hers. Angelo wanted a family that he could enjoy. He would invest his time into their family no matter what. She knew he would.

  Ella imagined holding a baby in her arms as the jets started to swirl the water in the tub. She would love to have a child to love and care for—a baby that she and Angelo would raise together. Having a family would add meaning to her life, too. She also wanted to make Angelo happy. He deserved to become a father since that was what he always wanted.

  She scooted out of her chair and started with the buttons on her blouse, followed by the zipper on her skirt. Then she walked to the back of the suite where she heard the jets of the Jacuzzi. Angelo did not hear her come in. He was lying down in the tub with his eyes shut. He looked at peace with himself. The water bubbled around him and shined off his torso in a gorgeous show of his muscles. She could not resist him and that view. Ella secured her hair on top and then stepped into the front of the tub. She lowered her body around his. Her legs slid around his hips with ease as she rested her hands on his chest.

  “Are you sure a baby is what you want?” She wanted to hear his answer again.

  Angelo looked directly in her eyes and did not hesitate with his answer. “I never decide on anything without careful consideration. Of course, I want a baby. Many of them.”

  Ella moved her wet fingers through his dry hair and gently squeezed the strands. “I quit using birth control after my last cycle,” she said. “I thought about starting them again after everything that happened, but I know you will make a great father.”

  “You did that for me?” he asked.

  Ella slowly nodded her head and leaned against his chest. “You have everything else, Angelo. The only thing I can give you that you don’t have is a family. You are important to me. I love you.”

  Angelo closed his eyes again and was silent as he thought about what she had said. “Then let me show you how important you are to me,” he whispered and pressed his lips against hers in a beautiful, affectionate gesture that was meant only for her.

  CHAPTER 51

  Angelo enjoyed his time with Ella on the cruise, but he was ready to move forward as soon as they returned. It took another two weeks before the police department closed the investigation. His ties with Donnie finally helped to end that and clear his name. Donnie was not necessarily a crooked sheriff. He was more against the group who caused a bigger threat to decent citizens. Right now, Bonadio was worse than the rest, and Angelo wanted to stop him. Helping Angelo was the better choice. It made sense.

  He set up a meeting in the conference room as soon as his group was cleared. The situation with Bonadio had to end. He would not let it affect his life with Ella anymore. All he could think about was protecting her and the family he wanted to have. There would always be danger, but Bonadio would not be a problem in the future.

  Angelo was waiting for Ella to come in. As long as she had an escort, he did not worry about her that much while in the hotel. He purchased a new phone for her. It was the least he could do after smashing her other one. Her phone benefited him more anyway. She needed a way to keep in touch with him at all times.

  He looked around the room at the members he ordered to come. Rafa, Jim, Ray, and Brett sat in the seats around him. Sammy and Thomas stood behind the sofa. A couple of newer members climbed the ranks. Ian and Vin were not sure how to react and leaned against the wall.

  “So,” Angelo started. “Jim and Ray, you will be in charge of one group. You will also be showing Ian and Vin what we are about. I want you to choose ten men and bring them to the warehouse tomorrow by ten. Brett and Sammy…” He stopped when Ella walked into the room. All of his men instantly looked at the door. She seemed startled, but Angelo directed her attention to him. He patted the seat beside him and motioned for her to sit.

  “Brett and Sammy,” he started again. “You will take Thomas with you and also choose ten men to bring to the warehouse. I want all of you to pick members who are good long-distance shots. We will want those skills when we enter the Gregorio ranks. It will be a dangerous situation. I will test their speed and accuracy at the warehouse. We can’t afford anyone who does not have those skills.”

  Ella was fidgeting again. Angelo could see her thinking. He knew she was a good shot. He had no doubt about it, but there was no way he was bringing her to Orlando. That would be a stupid move. They would do far worse to her than shoot her if they caught her. She started to look at him when he flat shut her down. “The answer is no,” he whispered. “I know you are good—probably better than some of my men, but it is too dangerous. Can you bring me some coffee while I finish with this meeting?”

  He had to ask her to do something to take her attention off him, but she did not like his request. Ella huffed off the sofa as his members talked among themselves about whom they would bring to the warehouse. When she returned, she held out a cup to him.

  “There is no reason for me to be here,” she whispered. “I don’t know why you wanted me to come.”

  “Then go if that’s what you want.” He gave her the choice but it would have been better if she stayed. If she thought about it, sometimes her presence took the edge off the dangerous matters that he and his men faced. Having her in the room lessened the tense air of the atmosphere. Women were often
the support behind these situations. If she had looked past trying to prove herself, she would have realized that they needed her in a much different way. Everything they planned to do would protect her too.

  “I will see you later then,” she said.

  “Not if you leave, you won’t.” Ella sighed and looked at him for a second. She started to open her mouth and say something else. Nothing came out. With complete disregard for his words, Ella simply walked out.

  Angelo glanced at Rafa and shook his head as he gave a few final instructions to his men. “We will meet outside the warehouse tomorrow morning at ten sharp. Don’t be late or you will look at a demotion. This is important for our group. Got it?” he asked. When they nodded, he waved them out of the room. “All right, all of you can leave.”

  “Fuck,” he mumbled as the door shut behind his men.

  “You should tell her how to act,” Rafa said. “Right now, I don’t think she understands.”

  Angelo looked up at the door and breathed a disgruntled breath. “I thought I told you to leave.”

  Rafa walked around the sofa and sat down in front of him. He did not follow instructions either. “Why do you let everything she does get to you? She doesn’t know how all of this works yet.”

  “Tell me what I don’t know,” he huffed, “but I should not have to spell out every damn thing.”

  Rafa slightly grinned. “She’s too close to the source to think about the situation logically. That’s what happens when the heart is involved.”

  “What do you know?” Angelo scoffed. “Since when has your heart been involved in any of your decisions?”

  Rafa looked away. Angelo could not pin the look in his eyes, but it looked like he remembered something from his past. Then his usual expression returned. “I became heartless when I met you,” he countered.

  “Sure you did,” Angelo said. “I’m not in the mood for your sarcasm right now. Unless you have something useful to say, then leave me alone.” Angelo stood up and straightened out his jacket.

  “All you need to do is talk to her. Is that really so hard for you?”

  Angelo could not help how he felt. He was willing to risk it all. Was it all for nothing? Would she never give him the respect that he deserved? He was trying to see it from her standpoint. She wanted to feel important, but she was important in other ways. He would not involve her in his affairs. He had to stop bringing her to his meetings. That was his fault. Not all women wanted to be the quiet support. What else was she supposed to do but want to prove herself? He needed to get that restaurant finished so she could occupy her time elsewhere. That was his only answer to the problem.

  “I don’t want to see her tonight. I can get that kind of treatment from people I don’t care about. She can stay in the room by herself like she chose,” Angelo said.

  CHAPTER 52

  Ella could wait no longer to see Angelo and had searched for him for the last half hour. He might have been upset with her, but she did not want him in some other woman’s bed either. Having girlfriends on the side seemed common for his ranks but not for him—not if she could help it.

  She checked the banquet hall and both conference rooms. There was no sign of him there. The casino was the last place for her to check. The bouncer did not hassle her this time. He also seemed apologetic for their last encounter. This was the second time that she went to the casino to look for someone. One day, maybe she would get to enjoy the games instead.

  She found Angelo. He was sitting at a table behind the bar. It was dark there. The ceiling above him had no lights. Only the flashing lights around her reflected in the small corner space.

  There were also two women sitting with him. She immediately loathed them both. One had dark curly hair and wore a blue outfit. She leaned over the table to Angelo, squeezing her breasts out of her low-cut top. The other had short blond hair and wore a tight black dress. She did not make moves on Angelo but she was guilty for simply sitting there.

  Ella walked around the bar and watched. From where she stood, she could hear the women talk. She did not like their voices or anything else, but she wanted to hear what they said. She also wanted to know how Angelo would react.

  “So it is true,” the woman wearing blue said. “You do have a girlfriend.”

  Ella was happy that Angelo seemed annoyed. He was quiet and did not answer right away. It looked as though he wanted people to leave him alone. No wonder Rafa was not with him now.

  “Yes, I have a girlfriend,” he said. Ella would rather he said they were married, but then the woman would have blasted the news around the casino. He could not risk Bonadio finding out about the marriage. Letting out that secret would put everyone in danger.

  “Are you really unavailable, though? Aren’t you still allowed to explore?” Angelo looked up. The question did not seem to surprise him. Ella worried about the sudden attention he gave to the woman. Maybe she really could convince him to go with her.

  Instead of replying, Angelo lit up a cigarette and inhaled. He still looked at the woman with dark hair. He could not help it with her breasts on display. When he exhaled, the woman touched his arm and whispered something that Ella could not hear. Ella immediately turned around.

  “Do you want a drink?” the bartender asked Ella.

  “Just give me a glass of water,” she said. She was not in the mood to drink. It would make her act against the women and cause a scene.

  “Good evening.” A man walked up to her and placed his hand on her waist. Ella picked up her glass of water and stepped away from the man. He was taller with black hair and a business suit. She looked at the black chain around his neck as he lifted the teardrop pendant around hers. Ella pushed his hand away.

  “You shouldn’t assume that you can touch a woman just because she stands alone at the bar. Please keep your hands to yourself,” she said.

  “Really,” the man replied. “I would say that a beautiful woman who stands alone at a bar shouldn’t be surprised when a man walks up to her.”

  “I am taken,” she declared.

  “You seem available now,” the man countered.

  “I am definitely not available,” Ella confirmed, but the man would not take no for an answer.

  Ella looked around the bar for help and saw that other men also stared at her. The man she was talking to knew this, too. He wanted her. He approached her first. He started to touch her hand when Rafa walked beside her and shoved his hand away. Then he grabbed her arm and took a step back.

  “You do know that this is Mr. Tomassi’s girlfriend and he is sitting right over there.” The man looked at Angelo. His face grew pale with the realization, and he did not bother to grab his drink. He left as though he was never there.

  “Love,” Rafa addressed with one of his typical nicknames. That was how Rafa was sometimes. Ella reasoned his endearments were more like the ones she would expect from an older brother instead of an actual show of interest.

  “Those women sat down at the same time that you stopped at the bar.”

  Ella glanced back at them. “Those women must be better company than me, though, or he would have made them leave.”

  “Sweetheart, those women hold nothing on you. You are the only woman who Angelo wants to sit with him.”

  “He’s mad at me. I shouldn’t be here.”

  “What do you expect? He’s trying to keep you alive and you walked out on him.”

  “Yes, I left,” she said. “He didn’t need me in there. All I was good for was getting him coffee.”

  “Do you really think that was all he wanted you there for?” Rafa asked. “I thought that maybe he needed your support before going to risk his life with your father’s ranks.”

  “I told him I was leaving. It’s not as though I just walked out.”

  “It was a matter of respect, Ella. You should have just stayed. You can’t walk out like that on him.” Rafa let go of her arm and held his other hand to Angelo. “Go show those women that he’s taken. Even if he
’s mad, he still wants you. Then maybe I can stop watching out for him and go to bed.”

  Ella looked at Angelo and back at Rafa. He nodded at her to go. She was almost to the table when she heard Angelo speak to the dark-haired woman. “You are completely wasting your time with me.”

  Her voice grew more flirtatious. “Then what is it going to take to convince you otherwise?” She ran one finger over the sleeve of his jacket as Ella stood next to the table and looked at her.

  “He’s taken,” she said and sat straight down on his lap. As intimidated as the women made her feel, Ella would not let them think they had a chance for long. Then she remembered Angelo and looked at him.

  “I thought I told you that I didn’t want to see you,” he said in her ear.

  Ella wondered if it was true, because he did not shove her away or bother to tell her to leave. Maybe Rafa was right. She slid her nails against the skin behind the two open buttons of his shirt. She liked that he let her touch him like that. She also wanted the two women to know where she stood in Angelo’s life.

  “I’m sorry that I walked out on you earlier. Please come back to the room with me.”

  “Why didn’t you think I needed you there? Don’t I always have a reason for everything I do?” he asked. He pulled out another cigarette but put it back away again. Maybe he thought better than to smoke with her there.

  Ella turned around to see if the women had left. Why were they still there? She did not appreciate their disrespect at all and smiled at them. It was not meant to be friendly. They needed another example of who she was. She wrapped her hand around Angelo’s neck and gave him a deep, intimate kiss. She enjoyed the movements of his mouth when he kissed her back. Her eyes stayed shut even after he pulled away.

  “Leanne, isn’t it?” he asked the brunette.

  “You know her name.” Ella frowned.