“I needed this done yesterday,” he grumbled.
“You should have sent somebody else then. Yesterday I was cleaning up the shit storm at Cavelli’s,” I snapped. Just two days before, some of the Rossi men under my father’s instructions had turned over a local grocery store. Mario Cavelli was delayed in making some payments that he owed my father.
“You didn’t need to fucking do that. You’re not his mother,” dad snapped. He’d started walking away and I followed him.
“He was going to call the cops on us! Someone from the family needed to go there and appease him,” I thundered. Dad stopped in his tracks and turned to me. I could see the rage bubbling under the surface.
“You think we can’t handle a few lousy cops?” he hissed.
“We need to stop drawing attention to our business,” I replied, trying to keep calm.
“You’re just a little pussy. My son, the little pussy!” he raged.
I clenched my fists on my sides. Hearing your own father calling you a pussy was not a great way to start the day.
“I’m the only one thinking clearly here,” I grunted. If this was anybody but my father, he would have a bleeding nose and a punctured stomach by now.
“You’re the only one too afraid to get the job done. That is what the truth is,” he snapped.
“Make me in-charge of some of the operations. Let me figure out how we can keep rolling in money so that nobody gets hurt,” I tried. I needed him to see reason. This wasn’t just a screaming match to me.
“Make you in-charge?” he scoffed. “You! In-charge of my operations!”
“It’s a family business remember? I should have some role to play in this too,” I hissed.
He flipped away from me again. I wasn’t about to give up. I kept following him as he entered the barely constructed structure.
“Dad! You need to give me some responsibilities. I’m not going to be the errands-boy anymore. I refuse to do that shit!” I growled after him.
He stopped again. This time he only looked over his shoulder, refusing to turn to look at me fully.
“As long as you are a pussy, that’s all you’ll be. An errands boy. Grow a pair of balls, son, and then we can talk,” he roared.
I could feel the cold heavy metal of the gun. It was stuffed in my belt on my side. It would only take me a second to reach for it and shoot a bullet through his back.
Then what would that make me? A man who killed his father.
I glared at him while he walked away. Quickly resuming the hushed conversation with the contractor again.
My father didn’t trust me. He didn’t think I was worthy of handling responsibilities. He thought I was a fucking coward!
I stormed out of the structure, heading for my car again.
How long was this going to go on? How long was I going to be pushed to the sidelines while my family continued to carry on violent atrocities? I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t fucking ask for a life of crime. This was what I was born in, and I wanted out.
I sat in my car and looked over at the construction site.
The first man I killed was when I was just twenty. I’d done it to please my father. To prove to him that I could do it. That I could be just as much of a man as he was. Back then, I still wanted to prove myself to him.
The violence and the crime had continued. I got better at it. I got better at hurting people. By now, everyone who knew the Rossi family knew what I was capable of.
But I didn’t know if I was capable of it anymore.
I’d seen too many broken families. I’d been the cause of many of them.
And what for?
So our family could make more money? Grow richer?
If it was just about laundering money and beating the system, it wouldn’t be such a problem for me. The problem was that people were getting hurt because my father was greedy. Because he already had power over people and he wanted to keep it that way.
Then my mind drifted to Kennedy. Who I’d left sleeping on my bed earlier. What did she think of me? Had she seen the violence and corruption in my eyes?
I’d left that note for her on a whim. I’d invited her to dinner. I didn’t even know if she was going to turn up.
She didn’t know what I was involved in. She knew nothing about my life. The lie I’d told her about my granddad being sick was eventually going to come out, if I spent any more time with her.
Maybe I shouldn’t go to dinner?
Maybe I should cancel?
But then I realized that I didn’t have her number. I had no way of contacting her. And I wasn’t going to keep a lady waiting. I wasn’t going to stand her up.
Chapter 8
Kennedy
I was nervous when I got out of the cab outside Luigi’s. I didn’t know what to expect.
Was I overdressed? Was this even a date? Had Nico changed his mind? I had no way of reaching him. What if he was going to stand me up?
He didn’t exactly have the best track record of showing up or keeping his word. I was anxious to see him again though, nervous about how I looked.
When I stepped into the restaurant, I saw him immediately. He’d picked the best table in the place, right by the bay windows and romantically set up. This was beginning to feel more and more like a date every second.
I didn’t feel overdressed when I walked into the place. It was a sophisticated Italian restaurant, teeming with well-dressed people. Nico was in a casual suit today, forgoing the tie. And he looked handsome. He was the hottest guy in the entire establishment.
The hostess led me to the table and I followed her. Nico stood up when he saw me approaching. I noticed the way his eyes swept over me. This dress was a good choice. I could see that he was pleased with what he saw.
He was quick to pull out my chair and I sat down.
“You look beautiful, Kennedy,” were his first words. I tried not to blush.
Nico was being the perfect gentleman and I was determined to behave like a lady too. And not the giddy immature girl I’d been the previous evening.
“You clean up well yourself, Nico,” I told him but he didn’t pay much heed to my compliment.
“I’ll order the wine,” he stated and indicated to a waiter who turned up at his side instantly. I heard him place the order, he sounded grumpy. It seemed like he knew what he was doing though. I was more of a beer-drinker myself but it seemed like wine would be the ideal choice in a place like this.
When the waiter left, Nico finally looked at me and smiled.
“I wasn’t sure if you saw the note or if you were going to turn up tonight,” he told me.
His eyes kept drifting to my plunging neckline. I felt naked under his gaze…naked in a good way. My body seemed to be electrically charged at all times. Every time his eyes fell on me, I felt a little spark go off.
“Would you just have had dinner by yourself if I didn’t show up?” I asked and Nico shrugged softly.
“I eat alone here all the time,” he stated.
There was that threat again. He’d said it in a way like he was trying to tell me that he didn’t need me. He was fine by himself. I ignored that nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach and I smiled instead.
“It’s a lovely place. I can’t wait to try some of the seafood linguine.”
Nico was staring at me, like he was undressing me with his eyes. He wasn’t trying to hide the fact that he wanted me. That he had a very specific plan in his mind for us tonight.
The waiter returned with the bottle of wine, which Nico approved of. I waited till the wine was poured in our glasses and the man had left, before I spoke again.
“Where did you disappear to this morning? You work on Sundays?”
Nico sipped his wine expertly and picked up the menu.
“I work every day,” he replied curtly.
“You must be a very busy man,” I said. His eyes were flitting over the menu. It was almost like he wasn’t conscious of my presence at the table. There was a
change in him tonight.
I’d noticed the previous night, those flashes of a troubled man underneath the surface. Tonight however, those flashes were on full display. He seemed to be in a bad mood.
“It’s a family business, which means I’m on call all the time,” Nico replied and put down the menu.
It seemed as though every time we tried to speak about his work, Nico closed himself off.
“Are you having the seafood linguine too?” I asked chirpily, trying to brighten the mood.
“I’ll have the Marinara Risotto,” he said casually.
“Nico, is something bothering you?” I asked. He seemed unhappy about everything.
“Why do you say that?” he asked.
“You don’t seem present. You’re not really here. You don’t seem like you’re happy that we’re having dinner together,” I spoke quickly. I didn’t want to argue with him. That was the last thing I wanted, but I didn’t want to feel like he was doing me a favor either.
“I asked you to dinner tonight, Kennedy. I complimented you on how beautiful you looked. What more do you want from me?” he snapped.
Nico’s face had grown dark suddenly. He wasn’t just a man who looked unhappy, he seemed like a man who was enraged.
I put down my glass of wine and drew in a deep breath.
“I don’t want anything from you. This was supposed to be a casual dinner. I thought we had a good time last night. And you’re right; you were the one who asked me to dinner tonight. So, if you’re not in the mood for this, I can go,” I stated.
Nico was glaring at me, like he couldn’t understand a word I was saying. But he didn’t respond, so slowly, I stood up.
“Thank you for inviting me, Nico. But I think it would be best if I leave,” I said.
I picked up my purse and turned, I was about to leave but Nico caught my hand. I hadn’t even realized that he’d stood up. His hand on me sent shudders down my body again. I gasped when he turned me around, making the table shudder too.
“Please, Kennedy, sit down,” his voice had become softer. I was looking into his deep gray eyes. I would have still walked away, I had my pride—but I couldn’t.
This man had me under his sex-spell.
***
I sat down again. Nico’s eyes had softened. Under the table, I felt his foot graze against mine. If he could just be touching me at all times, I knew I would agree to anything. Just like he’d undressed me with his eyes earlier, I was imagining him naked too.
“I apologize, you’re right. I’m not myself tonight,” he said. He was peering into my eyes. It was like he knew that he could control my mind. All he had to do was turn me on.
This was a dangerous game we were playing.
“What happened today?” I dared to ask him.
Nico clenched his jaws. It was obvious that he didn’t like being asked that question.
“We don’t need to talk about that,” he replied and instead, reached for my hand on the table. It was just a gentle graze with his fingertips. He was just feeling my skin, but I could feel the goosebumps erupt on my skin. He had complete control over me.
“You know all those years ago, that night at the party…I really meant it when I said that I wanted to take you to dinner first,” he was speaking in a low growly voice. His eyelids were heavy, he was piercing me with his straight gaze.
“I believe you. But then you just disappeared,” I said huskily. His fingers were still on my hands. It was like he was touching me in an intimate place. Somewhere between my legs.
“Did you wait for me, Kennedy?” he asked.
My throat was dry. I could barely get the words out. It was strange that just a few moments ago, I was ready to leave.
“Yes…I mean, no, not really. I wasn’t expecting anything,” I stuttered with my words.
Nico’s eyes narrowed on my heaving breasts. The dress was designed to tantalize. It was tight on my chest and I could feel my breasts spilling out, the cleavage accentuated.
“I know I should have called you, said something,” he said.
“You didn’t have my number. I’m surprised you even knew my name,” I laughed nervously. I’d pinned my hair up in a loose bun, but now some stray strands were falling around my face. I tucked them in behind my ears.
“I should have looked for you. I always thought myself as a man of my word,” he added.
The waiter interrupted us for our orders. We placed them with him, and now Nico wasn’t touching me anymore. I felt a cold rush of air return to my lungs. I could finally breathe again. When he wasn’t touching me, it felt like some order was restored to the world. My body reacted in a strange way to his presence.
“I apologize for my rudeness, Kennedy,” he said when the waiter had left.
“It’s okay. I just didn’t want to force you to sit through a dinner if you didn’t want to.”
Nico sighed and then looked away from me.
“You should know, I guess I should tell you—I have some things going on in my life. I can’t share them with you, but they’re keeping me busy,” he said.
I watched him as he spoke, at how hot he looked. I was lucky to be on a date with this man.
“That’s okay. We all have something going on in our lives. We’re all busy,” I replied. Nico met my eyes again.
“I’m sure you’re right,” he said.
“But you know, it’s always better when you share them with someone. I know we don’t really know each other well, but you can talk to me. If you want,” I said.
Nico was staring at me. Was he considering telling me something? I was hopeful that he might. I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to find out what made him tick.
But he changed his mind, his face darkened and he shook his head.
“I can’t burden you with my problems,” he said.
“It won’t be a burden. I promise. Trust me, I’m a good listener,” I told him, smiling nervously. We were so close to having an actual meaningful conversation. It was like I was desperate for him to give me a piece of himself.
“I can’t tell you!” he snapped. I clamped my mouth shut when I heard the tone of his voice. He hadn’t struck me as a violent man…but this side to him told me that he was a man capable of violence. Was he angry with me?
I looked down at my lap.
The waiter had returned with our food. It was served to us on the table. Once he was gone, Nico cleared his throat to speak again.
“I’m sorry about that, Kennedy. I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight.”
“It’s not your fault. I’m prying,” I murmured.
“Look, Kennedy. I can’t really talk to you about work or my private life. If you’re okay with that, then I would like to propose something,” he said.
I jerked my head up to look at him. What was he talking about? He must have seen the confusion on my face.
“I need you to tell me that you won’t ask about my private life,” he insisted. With my lips pursed together, I nodded my head. My cheeks were flushed. I was curious about his proposition.
“Last night was amazing,” he stated. Nico was casually eating his food as he spoke, like this conversation wasn’t strange at all. Even though the food in front of me looked and smelt amazing, I wasn’t hungry at all.
“I want you, Kennedy,” he added and looked up to meet my eyes. There was a firmness in his gaze. Like he was talking business. I could barely keep still from the tension that was rising in my bones.
“I’ve spent the entire day thinking about your body and the things I want to do to you,” he said and put down his fork. I was watching his lips move. I sensed my body growing hot. I hadn’t expected him to be so blunt and open about what was on his mind.
“But, I’m not that idealistic romantic from high school anymore,” he stated. My heart dropped to my stomach. I was nervous, I hadn’t spoken in several minutes.
“I want you, I want to keep fucking you because you’re gorgeous, but that is all I want,” h
e said.
My fingers curled on my lap. Every word that came out of his mouth had an adverse effect on me. He said he wanted me. He thought I was gorgeous!
“I can’t do feelings. Not right now, not with anyone. If we continue to see each other, it has to be a light and simple relationship. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Nico continued.
I gulped, staring at him.
I wanted him. I wanted to repeat what we’d done the previous night. What he was offering me was not ideal. How could I guarantee him that I wouldn’t develop feelings? I felt like I already had them anyway!
Nico’s eyes roamed over my body again.
“Trust me, Kennedy, you don’t want to get involved in anything serious with me,” he said.
I felt like I couldn’t speak.
He was offering me exactly what I wanted. He was offering to keep seeing me, to making me feel good, but an actual relationship was off the cards.
“Do you need time to think about it?” Nico asked.
I didn’t need time to think about it. I already knew what I was going to say.
“No. I’m fine with that arrangement,” I said.
I knew it was a dangerous decision. Nico was the kind of man who could break my heart in an instant. But he was warning me about it.
I was single, I was young…what did I have to lose? I’d been in and out of casual relationships all my adult life. How was this thing with Nico going to be any different? It was just sex. Really hot sex. Just the kind of sex every woman deserved.
Why was I worried then? Why was I nervous now when he smiled at me?
“Good. I was hoping you would say that,” Nico replied and went back to eating his risotto.
I drank some of the wine, and allowed the smooth taste to fill my belly.
“After dinner, you’re coming back to my place,” he said, but it was more like a command.
My heart and my body were both in his hands now. I had willingly given myself up to him. The truth was that I didn’t care what happened to me tomorrow or the day after. Tonight, I just wanted to be with him. I wanted him to possess me the way he’d done last night.
Girth (Marked Skulls MC Book 1) Page 37