Anthony
Page 24
Lee casts a nervous glance in Jade’s direction before picking his son up and sitting him beside him on the chair. “It’s nothing, Victor. I was just paying your uncle Tony a big compliment.”
His little brow scrunches up before he stubbornly shakes his head. “That’s weird—“
“Oh look, Jacey has some ice cream,” I interrupt before the kid digs in his heels and starts with the rapid-fire questions. If he doesn’t grow up to be a lawyer or a judge, he’s missed his calling.
“Thanks.” Lee sighs. “That was a close one. I swear that boy slips around so quietly it’s unsettling. After a few awkward moments, we make sure our bedroom door is locked at certain times, if you get my meaning.”
I pick up my beer and tap it against his. “Loud and clear.”
“Where are Marco and Nic?” he asks as if their absence has just occurred to him.
“The big cook-off is coming up, so Nic is frantically trying to perfect his recipe. I swear if Tommy beats him this year I’m fucking moving to another state. He whines like a little bitch. And Marco is probably stalking Nina Gavino as usual. He’s asked her out repeatedly, but she doesn’t want anything to do with him. Says she wants a normal guy and not a mobster.”
“That’s harsh.” Lee grimaces.
Jade and Jacey join us with Victor trailing behind them. Jade hands LeeAnn to Lee, then perches on the end of his chair. “What are you boys over here gossiping about?” she teases as she swats Lee’s leg.
“If we told you, we’d have to kill you,” I quip, then roll my eyes when both women cringe. “Too soon?”
“You could say that,” Jacey mutters as she slides backward until she’s sitting between my legs with her head on my chest. Victor hands her his Popsicle, and she removes the wrapper for him. “Here you go, sweetie.”
“Thank you, fucker,” he deadpans, and there is complete and utter silence.
Jade turns to Lee with narrowed eyes while Jacey whirls around to stare at me. “Which one of you?” she asks. But we’ve been down this road before, so Lee and I keep our mouths shut, presenting a united front. As she huffs and lectures me under my breath, I know I’m actually the luckiest fucker in the world.
Once upon a time, I had a dream that would one day change my life. The woman in my arms isn’t the same girl I dreamed of, because she’s better in every way. She’s a warrior, a lover, a friend, my equal, and most importantly, she’s mine. Forever.
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Coming Fall 2018
MARCO
I sit in my car outside of Nina Gavino’s apartment as I’ve done so often in the past year. Only this time, things are different. There is unrest akin to panic in the Gavino organization, and it’s no longer safe for Nina to be on her own. I have been fixated on the beautiful little minx since she quite literally rescued me from a pile of dog shit after I’d been poisoned. I’ve pursued her to no avail, but she wants nothing to do with the mafia. She had enough of that as the stepdaughter of the recently deceased, Franklin Gavino—head of the Gavino Family. And considering I am the son of the head of the Moretti Family, I’m completely entangled in the life she is so determined to avoid.
But none of that matters any longer. Franklin and his son, Frankie Jr., were murdered last night, and now no one is safe or above suspicion. The Morettis might be allies of the Gavinos, but my word alone will not stop them from harming Nina should they decide to. And thanks to Frankie Jr’s obsession with his step-sister, there are many in the organization who know her name all too well.
The only way I can ensure her safety is to claim her publicly. And that is exactly what I intend to do. It’s a drastic step to take for someone who is essentially a stranger. Especially one who wants nothing to do with me. Why you might ask, would I do something like that for her when there are so many willing women out there? Because I want her more than I’ve ever wanted another woman. And…I feel responsible for the predicament she could well find herself in. After all, I killed Franklin and his son. Did I forget to mention that?
Acknowledgments
My amazing editors: Marion Archer and Jenny Sims with Editing4Indies. Love you ladies!
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Melissa Gill for my beautiful cover.
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And to my blogger friends, Elizabeth Swain, Catherine Crook with A Reader Lives a Thousand Lives, Jennifer Harried with Book Bitches Blog, Christine with Books and Beyond, Jenn with SMI Book Club, Chloe with Smart Mouth Smut, Shelly with Sexy Bibliophiles, Amanda and Heather with Crazy Cajun Book Addicts, Stacia with Three Girls & A Book Obsession, Lisa Salvary and Confessions of a Book Lovin Junkie.