The whole table went silent.
“You’re leaving me,” Maria blurted out in horror, too upset to worry that she was speaking in front of everyone.
“Yes, Maria. I’m running away to join the circus.” Angie said but seeing that her answer had hurt Marias feelings clarified with a roll of her eyes. “I need to go to my apartment to get a few things. I didn’t exactly pack to visit.”
Maria’s relief was like a living thing. “That’s OK; I can share. You can have whatever’s in my closet,” she said hurriedly. Which was sweet, considering that she’d rather run over an old woman than share a pair of her shoes.
“Darling, I’m not going to spend the next few days with you giving me the stink eye every time I go near your closet,” Angie said jokingly, earning a massive shake of Maria’s head which was so fast that she thought that it might snap right off her neck.
“No, I’ll share with you. I’ll send Sal out to buy you whatever you want if you need something I don’t have. He’ll even go to your apartment to get your stuff. Right, Sal, you’ll go? Tell her you’ll go.” Maria’s desperation dug into Angie along with her nails, which she was using to latch onto her arm.
“Maria, stop,” Angie said softly but firmly. Grabbing the glass of wine in front of her, she forced Maria to take a few sips and waited until the shuddering had passed. “Nico and your brothers are going to watch movies with you while I’m gone.” Stopping her before she could start again, Angie added, “There’s a musical marathon on AMC, and you can torture them and eat the snacks I made that are in the kitchen. I’m going to go to my apartment and run a few errands and then I’ll be back.”
The poor kid looked at Angie like she’d kicked her puppy. “Why are you going to be gone so long? Your place is less than an hour away.”
“Because I need to run a few errands, like go to the store. You’d think with so many people in and out of here the kitchen would be better stocked, but to tell you the truth, I’m not surprised with the way you cook.”
There it was, her pride. “Hey, I’m not a bad cook. Maybe you’re a bad teacher,” Maria grouched, referring to the time she’d almost poisoned us and Sal, during her cooking lessons. Getting up, Angie grabbed her plate and Lucca’s, bickering with Maria to keep her attention away from her leaving. They worked together to clear the table before going into the kitchen.
…..
Lucca watched Angie as she cleared the table, it was hard not to be impressed. She’d managed to get Maria out of her room and keep her at the table. Then, to top it off, she got her to spend time with her brothers, effectually blocking him from following her. Yeah, she was good, and that was the problem. She knew exactly what Antonio was doing and planned to challenge him on it. Lucca had personally seen people pull shit like she had and get killed for it. Hell, he’d killed or beaten half to death enough guys who thought they could get smart with him. She needed to be broken before someone broke her for good. As he watched her reach for his plate, he moved, forcing her to lean over him. Lucca knew she knew he was there, though she tried to ignore him, especially when he rubbed her leg under the table. Nothing changed in her face, but Lucca felt that little shiver move through her that she couldn’t stop.
When Lucca heard Maria screaming earlier, he had followed Dom up the stairs, worried about Nico. Lucca knew his family thought that he was completely cold, unfeeling, and indifferent, but it’s what he’d had to be. As underboss, if any weakness is sensed, it’s as good as a death sentence. He’d earned his place through some brutal and harsh acts. One day his two brothers were gonna serve under me. Dom was already well on his way to earning his place in the family, so it was better that they understood how it was now. When the screaming stopped, it was almost worse than the sound had been. Nico and Maria were just standing there, staring at the bathroom, when they burst in. Seeing them, Maria ran to the bed, crawling up to the headboard where she buried her face into her knees, trying to make herself as small as possible.
Lucca had turned to Nico for answers, and it took a few minutes to make out what had happened. Telling Dom to take Nico out of the room, Lucca went into the bathroom to check on Angie. He sure as hell didn’t expect her to be in the shower. Frozen like some kid who had never seen a naked woman before, he was mesmerized as the water cascaded down her back. She thought Lucca was Maria, so she kept showering, and he kept watching. He had to grip the vanity to stop himself from climbing in with her. When she stepped from the shower and looked at him, he knew right then that he’d have her. Lucca knew that it was a dick move, but the only way she was getting a towel to cover herself with was if he put it on her. He had to feel what was his.
Grabbing her, Lucca did what he had just threatened Dom he’d beat the shit out of him for if he ever did it again. He pulled her into his arms. When she freaked, he knew something was seriously wrong. He didn’t think she even realized she was screaming at him in Italian, telling him that she didn’t belong to him, that she would kill him. Over and over, he kept telling her that it was Lucca, and eventually she pulled herself from whatever shit had gripped her. When she relaxed into him, all Lucca could think was that he had to get her out of Maria’s room so he could fuck her, so Lucca told her that he’d give her another room so she could sleep. Torturing himself as much as he dared, Lucca walked out, needing to get away before he came in his pants from her touch.
When the girls went into the kitchen with the last of the dishes, Lucca looked at Sal and Paulie. “You two follow her and see where she goes,” Giving them a look as cold as ice so that they’d understand what would happen if they failed. “Make sure she comes back.”
Chapter 6
Looking through the surveillance tapes at the house across from the coffeehouse, Angie checked her watch. She’d have to get back soon or her shadows would know something was up. The fucker who had been leading Maria on had been smart enough to get the tapes from the coffeehouse and the businesses across the street. The only reason he’d missed this one was because the old coot who lived here was a survivalist and hid it like it was a diamond. You’d never have a clue you were being taped. Smiling as she found what she was looking for, Angie pulled out her phone and taped it, making sure to get a close-up of his face and license plate number and thanked the man for his help. He was only too happy to get the fucker off the streets. Giving him her phone number and a thousand dollars, she asked him to call her if he saw the scum bag on the tape again, but not to approach him or tip him off, and to forget her face if anyone came asking about her.
Rushing to her spare car, Angie headed back to her apartment, making some calls as she went. Her contacts didn’t ask questions and they got the job done. For the amount of money she paid them for the information they knew, it had better be accurate, and they’d better forget they ever saw it, or else they would disappear with the fuck she was about to bury. Parking in the garage where she kept the car, Angie stayed in the shadows and made her way the last four blocks to her apartment on foot. She had already packed everything she was taking from her place before she left. It would be the last time she went there. Instead, she’d move to one of the other places she rented around town. Hopefully, he’d think she’d left town if he tracked her here, knowing that once she left a place, she move on. Any other time it’s been true, but now she had Maria to take care of until she was well enough to function on her own. She was trapped here, and every day became more dangerous.
Climbing through the window, Angie locked it behind her. Moving through the place, she turned off the lights and grabbed her bags. Leaving the key on the table when she left, she made her way to the car parked out front, ignoring her shadows, parked up the road. Getting in, Angie turned up the music and floored it, wanting to fuck with them. She could have lost them at any time, even going so far as to just get out of their sight, forcing them to speed up, then slam on the brakes when they saw her. Pulling into the grocery store parking lot, she was laughing to herself as she went in. She could practically
hear them cursing her.
Angie was probably the only woman in the world that hated shopping, so she rushed through the store. What would have taken the average person over an hour for the amount of stuff she hauled out of there she got done in a little over thirty minutes. There was no way she was fitting everything in both these carts into her car, so she waved to the guys. She swear, steam was shooting out of their ears when they got out of the car.
The two of them stared daggers at the poor guy who had helped bring out the carts because he was flirting. They told him if he didn’t leave, they were going to make sure he couldn’t. Angie laughed as the poor kid disappeared back into the store, tripping over his own feet in his haste. Turning to her, Sal told her to get the fuck in the car as they loaded the groceries. Deciding that she’d given them a hard enough time, Angie meekly did. As the last door slammed, Sal came over to her window and rapped his knuckles. Rolling it down, she tried not to laugh at the dirty look he gave her. “Do the speed limit,” he barked before turning around and getting in his car. And that’s what she did; she drove the speed limit all the way back.
Angie had barely gotten out of the car when Maria came barreling out of the house. Trying to hide her relief that she was back, Maria made like she’d come to help, grabbing a bag to bring in. reaching to grab some of her own, the guys that had followed Maria out nudged Angie out of the way, taking them. These guys, Angie had learned at dinner, were Dominic’s crew, probably kids of other made men he’d grown up with. Most of the other guys she’d seen were only here in shifts or not at all. There’d probably been a meeting going on the night she got here. They were all hot, but this one was model hot and he knew it, pushing back his blond hair and batting his baby blues. “Hi. We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Markus.”
Smiling in amusement, Angie leaned against the car, but before she could say a word, Lucca was there, looking as cold as she’d ever seen him. “Get the fucking bags into the house,” he said.
Rolling her eyes, Angie left the two of them and popped the trunk to pull out her suitcases. She went to set them on the ground but they were pulled out of her hands by Lucca. Shrugging her shoulders, she closed the trunk and went into the house. She only made it as far as the stairs before Lucca’s growl stopped her. “Follow me.” Normally, she would have ignored him, but Angie knew by his tone that it wouldn’t go well if she did. Following behind him through the hall, he stopped at a room near Maria’s, pushing the door open. Going in behind him, Angie moved to the open balcony doors, smiling as she looked down at the garden below. It was beautiful. Turning around, she stopped short as she slammed into Lucca. Putting on her best disinterested-bitch look, Angie raised her gaze to meet his. His hand reached deep into her hair, holding her tight as his lips locked to hers.
Shocked, she pushed at him and kept her lips tightly locked, which only got her backed into the closest wall. Angie couldn’t do what she normally did when she was touched like this, so she kept pushing him, but he just stepped closer, trapping her hands and gentling his lips, taking small nips at hers. Warmth spread through her like in the bathroom, and she relaxed into him. It was stupid, especially with a guy like him, but she wanted to feel.
As if sensing her surrender, Lucca raised his lips from hers enough to tell her to open her mouth. Slowly, Angie relaxed, opening it slightly, and he took full advantage, plunging his tongue in. After a moment, she tentatively did the same, earning a deep groan from him. Getting the hang of it, she began to give as good as she was getting, losing herself in the feeling. Freeing her hands, she slid them up his chest, over his shoulders, and into his hair. It was short, but long enough to run her fingers through it, so she grasped the silky threads with her fingers. Moaning into his mouth, Angie tried to get closer, needing more.
Instead of giving her what she wanted, he ripped his lips from hers, staring down at her with heated eyes that had liquid running down her thighs. With his forehead resting against hers, she closed her eyes, trying to get control. Taking her hands from his hair, she placed her palm on his chest, curving it over his heart, which pounded underneath it. It felt amazing. Her body was alive and boiling, basking in the feeling. She should have known it wouldn’t last. With four little words he ruined it for her, turning her heat to ice. “You belong to me.”
Just like that, everything was gone. Pushing hard, Angie took him by surprise. Moving quickly to the door, she turned back, seeing he hadn’t moved, ignoring the rage on his face. She told him what she’d told every man who’d thought they could own her. “I belong to me,” she said venomously, saying it the same way she told the bastard who hunted her.
Helping Maria put away the last of the groceries, Angie nodded her head, not really hearing what she was saying. Who the fuck did he think he was, saying she belonged to him? She didn’t even know the bastard and he thought that because he touched her twice that meant that she was his property. Just because he made her feel like the hundreds of tramps who probably crawled into his bed didn’t give him any rights to her. As if she’d ever belong to a man like him. She knew his type. He’d want to own her, control her; she’d be his possession until he tired of her. Never was she going to willingly let anyone have that type of power over her. She was going to hit the bars and find a man, now that she’d experienced that, she wanted to finish it before she died. Angie was a virgin by choice, not because of that bastard’s threats. After everything he had done to her, she just never responded to guys like that before. Honestly, she didn’t think she was able to, but now that she knew that she could, she was going to find someone to give it to her. Someone she could lose herself in. Someone to take away the pain, if only for an hour. She deserved it.
Throwing away the last bag, Angie looked around. They were finally done. Noticing that Maria was looking at me strangely. “What?” She asked, not in the mood for games. She was too tense.
“Um, why are your bags in Lucca’s room?” Maria asked, trying to look anywhere but at her.
What the fuck did she mean, her bags were in Lucca’s room? Walking past Maria, Angie ignored Dom and his friends, who were sitting on the couch, eyeing her curiously, obviously having heard her screech, and headed right up the stairs. Looking for the room she had been in earlier, Angie threw the door open so hard that it bounced off the wall and closed behind her. A fresh-out-of-the-shower Lucca met her furious gaze. Stunned for a moment, her eyes traveled over his body to the towel hanging dangerously low on his hips before tearing away and going to her suitcases by the bed.
Moving to them, she reached out. Instead of getting the handle, she got a handful of a smirking Lucca. Pulling her hand back as if it had touched fire, she raised a frosty gaze to him. “Move,” She said, and he did, snaking his arms out. Somehow he moved them to the bed, with her underneath him and her hands pinned in one of his. Cradled between Angie’s legs, Lucca looked down at her broodingly, as if trying to figure something out. She could feel him against her, growing larger the longer they stayed there staring at each other. Growing uncomfortable but not wanting to show it, Angie tried to wriggle free, but that just brought on a hiss from his lips and his eyes darkening to a deeper blue, forcing her to stop. “Let me up,” She said quietly, knowing that anger was only going to make it worst. Instead of moving away, Lucca moved closer, burying his face in her neck and pressing his chest to hers so that he completely covered her.
Two could play at this game. In a quick move, Angie had them flipped over so that she was sitting on top of him, looking down at his surprised face. He couldn’t have been too surprised, though. Before she could get off him, his hands snaked out, grabbing her hips, he pressed her down as he pressed up. She couldn’t help the moan that passed her lips, or the way her back arched. Taking advantage of the new position, Lucca sat up, pulling Angie’s shirt and bra down so he could latch onto her nipple. Liquid dripped from her at each pull of his mouth, her body supersensitive to his touch. Leaning forward, she wrapped her hands around his head to pull him
closer as her hips rocked, creating a devastating, blissful friction between them. Each pull and nip he took at her breast seemed to send little shock waves to her core, causing Angie to ride him harder, faster. They were both breathing heavily when he released he breast and gripped her hair, pulling her lips down to his. It was brutal, the kiss all consuming, as they fought for dominance. His free hand pumped her breast and rolled her nipple between its fingertips. The harder he touched her, the faster she rode him, until her body tensed and liquid gushed in waves from her core. Breaking the kiss, she arched her body back as every muscle froze and blinding heat moved though her. Denied her lips, Lucca retook her breast, flipping them over so that he was back on top. He thrusted at her core once, twice, before he released her nipple and threw his head back in a satisfied groan. Falling over her, he rested his weight on his arms before rolling them over, pulling Angie’s sated body tightly over his. The small rubbing motions of his hand on her back made her eyes droop. Closing them, she gave in.
Chapter 7
Angie was avoiding Lucca, which was pretty hard to do since she was living in his house. That night she woke up wrapped in his arms, wondering how the fuck that had happened. Not the part about being in his arms; that she remembered with a clarity that, if she thought about it too long, she had to change her panties. No, the waking-in-his-arms-without-trying-to-kill-him part.
Her fucking stalker liked to tie her down and sleep with her, so naturally when anyone touched her in sleep she’d wake up fighting, hence the reason she told Maria never to touch her when she was sleeping. Out of everything that happened that night that one thing freaked her out more than what she did with Lucca. Angie’s other problem since that night had been Maria, and not in the way you’d think. Oh, no, Maria couldn’t be normal and be freaked out that she was with her brother for half the night; not her. No, Maria wanted her to go back and spend the rest of the night with Lucca. Angie swore to God, that the fucking girl was going to drive her crazy. After her second full week in this house, she could see why Maria was the way she was. Everyone doted on her, giving her whatever she wants. No wonder Maria thought she could bully her into being her friend. She’d been had.
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