Hostile Takeover: A Just Business Mafia Romance

by Kiera Silver

  Connor nodded, his expression regretful. “You have to understand it was quite the rivalry by then, and I loathed him. Euan wasn’t too fond of him either.”

  Euan snorted. “He’s a pretentious dick, and I hated him. Still do.”

  She smiled at both of them. “We share the same opinion of Victor Croft. What happened with the car?” Surely they hadn’t kidnapped her and held her hostage because of a three-year vendetta over a damned racing car?

  “He came to the garage the next day and tried to buy it back. We were both stubborn assholes ourselves, and we wouldn’t sell it back to him. After three attempts, Victor started getting frustrated and violent. He had his goons mess up our dad’s shop one night, vandalizing everything.”

  “That only made us angrier, and Euan and I came up with a plan.” Connor closed his eyes for a moment, as though overwhelmed by the memory. “We stripped his damn car down and started mailing it back to him a piece at a time. We let that go on for about a week until we’d had enough and crushed the rest of it. We sent him the cube, along with the pink slip, as a big ol’ ‘fuck you’.”

  She braced herself, certain Croft wouldn’t have taken it well. She barely knew him, but he seemed like he wouldn’t have accepted what he would have perceived as disrespectful actions from the two men seated across from her. “What did he do?”

  “He kidnapped our father,” said Euan. His expression was haunted, and his skin was pale, as though he was reliving the moment again.

  “He started sending pieces of Pop back to us, six in all, like we had sent his car to him. The last delivery, number seven, was the rest of our father’s body.”

  She gasped, horrified by what she’d heard as she clamped a hand over her mouth to hold back a surge of nausea. “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”

  Euan and Connor nodded as one. “So were we,” said Connor. “If we hadn’t pulled the stunt with his car, or if we had just returned the thing to him or let him buy it back, none of this would have happened.”

  She frowned. “I hope you aren’t blaming yourself for his psychotic actions. The stunt with returning the car was immature, but kind of funny. No one could have foreseen he would kill your father over it.”

  Euan shrugged. “It might feel that way logically, but we were definitely responsible for the escalation. After he killed our father, he destroyed everything Dad had worked for, forcing the garage out of business. He got the cops involved, and they broke up the illegal racing ring. Thankfully, that happened on a night when we weren’t racing, since we were still grieving for Pop. We went to ground for a while, and Victor seemed to have moved on.”

  “What about the police? Did you call them when he killed your father?”

  “He was good, and there was no proof. He’d made sure to scrub away any sign that he’d been engaged in racing, and since we had returned the pink slip with the remnants of the car, we had no proof at all. They listed our father’s homicide as unsolved, and no one seemed to care much either way. We figure Croft probably dropped a couple million in the right pockets, and that was the end of that.”

  “Once we had admitted to illegal racing, we came under scrutiny from the cops too, but since they didn’t have any proof and hadn’t caught us in the act, they eventually backed off. After about a year, everything had settled down, and the street racing began again. Of course we’re racing, same as ever, and we haven’t seen Croft on the scene. We’ve been watching.”

  Euan nodded. “We’ve been watching him as much as possible, following him to get a handle on his usual routine. We were looking for his weakness, and we found it.”

  “Me,” she said in a thick voice, struggling to swallow the last bite of the breakfast sandwich that seemed to stick in her throat. “What’s the deal with the pictures then?”

  “We aren’t going to kill you, so returning you a piece at a time to him wasn’t an option.” Connor looked away from her for a moment before his gaze returned. “We’d planned to send him a series of increasingly explicit photos, hoping he’d get careless, and we could draw him out. He has too much security to touch at the moment, since he’s a paranoid bastard.”

  She nodded, not revealing any of the emotions swirling through her. She tentatively identified anger, along with a surprising dose of empathy. She understood what motivated them, though it angered her to have been dragged into the middle of it, especially when she wanted nothing to do with Croft. “What do you plan to do to him?”

  Euan looked slightly uncomfortable as he made the admission. “We’re going to kill him.”

  Connor was more sanguine about the whole thing. “Slowly and painfully if it’s an option. Either way, I’ll settle for just putting a bullet through his brain and ending him.”

  “Good. He sounds like he deserves it.” She laughed at their openmouthed shock. “What, you thought I’d disagree? Did you think I’d try to defend him or beg you to see reason and let go of this?”

  Euan and Connor shared a look that spoke volumes before Euan looked at her and nodded. “Yeah, we kind of thought that would be the outcome.”

  She laughed again as she reached for the unopened box of orange juice, taking a moment to drink half of it as she enjoyed the shock and surprise in their expressions. “You really have no idea who I am, do you? Or where I come from?”

  Connor lifted a shoulder. “We followed you a little bit, but mostly just to learn your pattern. You were staying at your grandfather’s house, so it was easy.”

  She shook her head. “Your hearts are in the right place, but you guys aren’t very good at this. Have you ever heard of the Moretti family?”

  The men looked at each other again before shrugging. “I don’t know. It sounds kind of familiar.”

  “They run this town. The Moretti family is the mafia family in this area. I’m sure they know all about your illegal racing or anything else that touches on the underbelly of the city.”

  “What does that have to do with you?” asked Euan.

  “Did you bother to learn my last name?”

  Connor was starting to look a little nervous, but also a tad defensive. “There was an announcement, or the draft of one, in Croft’s house when we broke in, looking for information a couple weeks ago. It was an engagement announcement prepared for the newspaper. You’re Sophia Thorne.”

  Perhaps she shouldn’t be enjoying this as much she was, but they deserved to suffer a bit, since they had terrified her, at least in the beginning. She giggled. “Thorne is my grandfather on that side of my family. I don’t know why Croft used that, unless it was at my grandfather’s behest, but my name is Sophia Moretti, and you two have managed to kidnap a mafia princess.”

  Chapter Six

  Stunned silence dominated for a moment, and though she found their expressions amusing, she managed to hold back another laugh. She could practically read the thoughts on their faces, as they went from denial to acceptance to resignation, as though both were preparing to face their deaths. She enjoyed keeping them off balance, so she asked, “What do you have in mind for today’s set of pictures?”

  “What does it matter? Obviously, it’s not happening now.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Because you found out who my father and brothers are?”

  Euan shook his head. “No, though that’s not exactly welcome news. We figured after last night that we couldn’t keep doing this to you. You’re free to go.”

  His answer mollified her, because she would have been angry if they planned to continue using her in their kidnapping scheme after sleeping with her, but had backed down because of who her family was. Since they had done the right thing, reaching the decision of their own accord before she ever mentioned her family ties, she decided to give them a reward. “What if I don’t want to go home?”

  Conner and Euan both seemed surprised. “What do you mean?” asked Connor.

  She shrugged. “I mean, what if I want to stay here with you and help you fuck with Victor Croft? Are you going
to kick me out?”

  Connor scowled at her. “Do you really have to ask that after last night? You think we’re just going to fuck you and dump you? We’re trying to do the right thing, though belatedly.”

  She smiled at him, unable to completely contain her amusement, partially at his expense. “I’ll say. You guys have really fucked this up. It’s a good thing for you I have a forgiving nature, and I don’t intend to tell my family that you kidnapped me. I will definitely inform them you helped me escape Croft though.”

  Euan looked relieved. “Thanks. That’s more than we deserve.”

  She stretched in a slow, exaggerated fashion. “Undoubtedly, but I’m feeling generous. It’s all those orgasms you gave me. Now, what picture do you want to send Victor today?” It was amazing how the perspective of twenty-four hours could change things. Yesterday, she’d been almost physically ill at the idea of him seeing a picture of her breasts, and now she was up for just about anything they might stage. Knowing what she did about Victor, combined with what they had revealed, made her anxious to get her own dose of revenge.

  It wasn’t on behalf of their father necessarily. It was simply because Victor was a disgusting human being, and the world would be better off without him. She personally would be better off without him if he really was obsessed with her, and she had little reason to doubt their honesty. They had been forthcoming with everything to this point, and she doubted they’d thrown in a little fiction about finding a room full of pictures, since they had no idea at the time they might have a chance to get her to cooperate.

  Connor went from stunned to accepting in the briefest amount of time. “We have some equipment.”

  She arched a brow. “Equipment? Like what, a backhoe?”

  Euan grinned at her. “Not that kind of equipment. Want to take a look?”

  She nodded, getting to her feet and following them down the hallway to the large room at the end. She’d been in there before, while searching for an escape route, but hadn’t taken time to really look around. Other than the king-size bed with another air mattress on the floor that indicated the men were sharing the space, it was a fairly non-descript room.

  The bed took up most of the space, but there was another door leading off to the left, and one to the right. She opened the left door and discovered a bathroom before closing it again. The right door revealed a closet, and she was surprised the tiny house had a walk-in variety. It was so small on every scale.

  She stepped inside, waiting to see if they would join her, but they hung back. Sophia flicked on the light with her elbow as she looked around the small space. One closet rod held their clothes, along with a set of shelves built into the wall. The other side was a revelation, and she gasped. They had myriad items devised for sex games, from ball gags to a harness system. There was a small rack of whips, and she caressed a flogger closest to her. She shivered at the idea of having it on her skin, but not entirely with fear. She turned to face them. “I think you did this part right.”

  Connor winked at her. “I guess we’re good for something.”

  She cocked her head slightly. “So what are you doing to me today?”

  “We planned to just send him a naked picture of you,” said Euan.

  She rolled her eyes. “I assume you’re going to send him six increasingly lurid shots, with the seventh being something truly awful…or at least decadent?” At their nods, she clicked her tongue. “You’ve already wasted two photos, so you really need to up your game if you want him to get increasingly desperate. He probably went out of his mind when he saw my breasts yesterday, but it’s not really going to amp him up that much further if it’s just me naked today.”

  Connor crossed his arms over his chest, his tone one of challenge. “You have a better idea?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. Let’s find out.”

  She’d been so preoccupied with planning that she had failed to grasp just how nerve-racking it would be to actually entrust herself to them, relying on their good intentions solely as guarantee that they would release her and not take advantage of the situation. Posed as she was, on her knees with her hands cuffed to her ankles behind her, a spreader bar keeping her feet wide, and wearing only a leather corset with cutouts for her breasts, so it did nothing to really hide her body, she couldn’t have been more at their mercy.

  That wasn’t entirely true, and she remembered the final piece of the costume as Euan brushed his fingers against her jawline, getting her to look in his direction. She wondered if her fear showed, because his fingers were gentle as they moved to her hair, caressing softly before he cupped her cheek. “Are you sure about this?”

  Just that he asked her banished the rest of her fears, and she nodded. “Let’s do it.”

  A second later, Euan fastened the ball gag around her face, lodging the round part carefully in her mouth. It wasn’t a traditional ball gag, since it allowed insertion of objects, and she knew exactly which object they planned to insert. She just didn’t know which brother would be behind the camera, and which cock would be in her mouth. She was almost embarrassed by how wet she grew at the thought and licked her lips as best she could. It was practically impossible with the thing lodged in her mouth, so she’d have to deal with itchy lips and a dry throat until this was over.

  She was pleased when Connor stepped up in front of her, his pants pushed down around his ankles. She’d already had a taste of Euan, and she wanted Connor now as well. Once again, she was almost embarrassed by how much she wanted them, and in how many different ways. They’d certainly had an unconventional start to their relationship, but she was trying not to let it damper her enthusiasm.

  So they’d kidnapped her. They hadn’t really hurt her, and they had good intentions. At least they had a noble reason for doing it. Well, sort of. It wasn’t entirely noble that they planned to debase Victor Croft’s fiancée, but she certainly understood their viewpoint.

  She’d grown up in a family who made no real attempt to hide what they did, at least from each other. It wasn’t like her father had shared violent details of his day around the dinner table when they were kids, and her brothers were just as bad about trying to shield her, but it was impossible to grow up in that lifestyle and not hear things others might not want you to know. She wasn’t as naïve as they believed, and she wasn’t as protected either. She let her father and brothers believe they had shielded her from the worst of it, but her mother knew the truth.

  It was an inappropriate moment to get all emotional, and she had to blink back tears as she thought about Avriella. Until the last year or so, when she’d learned Avriella hadn’t given birth to her, she’d been very close to her mother. During the past year, she’d come to think of Avriella as her stepmother, but that distinction was starting to erode. She was still angry that her parents had lied her entire life, and she wouldn’t have known the truth today if she hadn’t had an accident that revealed she had the wrong blood type to be Avriella’s daughter. That level of deception still disturbed her, but she was finding herself on the verge of forgiving them even for that.

  When she was done helping Connor and Euan plan their revenge, she intended to find her mother and reconcile. It didn’t really matter that Avriella hadn’t given birth to her. She’d helped raise her, and Sophia was probably the one who had drawn her back to Marco after Avriella divorced him when she learned about his mafia ties. They were a family, and it took exposure to Connor and Euan, who had lost their father, to make her appreciate what she had.

  That, and a strong dose of reality in the form of understanding the Thorne family wasn’t any great prize to claim. She wondered if her mother had been different from the rest of the Thornes, and she’d have to ask her father. She obviously couldn’t ask her grandfather, and she was certain Marco would answer any question she had about her birth mother. He’d been married to her for about a year, so he must know some things about her.

  Connor cupped her face gently as he brought his cock to her mouth. The device wa
s weird, but it seemed like a necessary touch. They wanted Victor to get the impression she was being forced to offer up her body, rather than a willing participant. If he was really obsessed with her, he’d probably react negatively either way, but there was a slight chance that if he realized she was voluntarily helping Euan and Connor, he would lose interest. If that happened, he wasn’t likely to make a careless mistake and allow himself to be drawn out away from his security.

  Once he was fully inside her mouth, the head of his cock pressing against her throat, she summoned all her acting ability, going for a horrified expression filled with anguish. She was certain she was convincingly portraying someone being forced to suck off a kidnapper, and she cast her haunted gaze in Euan’s direction, as though pleading for help from the camera when he snapped a couple of pictures. After he put away the iPhone, Connor pulled away, and the device in her mouth disappeared a moment later.

  She arched her back and stretched as she moved her jaw in a slow circle. “That thing was uncomfortable. I don’t see the appeal of it. What about you all?”

  Connor grinned at her. “I can see part of the appeal, but only from the male perspective. I imagine it was uncomfortable. Thank you for putting up with it.”

  She grinned up at him. “I’m certain there are ways you can express your gratitude.”

  He winked at her. “I’m certain we can think of something.” He started to tuck his erection back in his pants.

  She frowned up at him severely. “That’s not very nice.”

  He looked confused. “What isn’t nice?”

  “To offer me a taste and then take it away.”

  “I didn’t want to be presumptuous. If you’d like more, let me have Euan unfasten you, and you’re welcome to have all you want.”

  She was a little shy about making the admission, so she looked down when she said, “You don’t actually have to loosen this contraption yet. It’s kind of…fun, don’t you think?”

  She looked up in time to see his eyes widened with surprise as Euan moved closer too, clearly intrigued by what he’d heard. “I can see the potential, but don’t your knees hurt?”