Ransom: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Dark Desires Book 1)

by Amy Starling

It was clear what he meant by that.

  When they were gone, I turned to him. He was staring out the window at nothing in particular.

  “You're not gonna hurt his family, are you?”

  He snorted. “You've killed how many people, and suddenly you're worried for them?”

  “This is different.” I frowned. “They're women.”

  “Son, that makes no difference to me, and nor should it to you.” He clapped me hard on the back. “If you're gonna run this family one day, you can't let yourself be so easily swayed by a nice pair of tits.”

  Yeah, I was a hitman, and yes, I'd taken out more people and disposed of more bodies than anyone else in the family. But killing women?

  It just seemed wrong somehow.

  “You shouldn't have given him all that money. He's not going to win; you know that.”

  “Doesn't matter. One way or another, we'll come out ahead.”

  I failed to see how.

  Chapter 3 - Ceci

  “Ceci, you need to get laid.”

  I laughed at Emily's declaration and studied myself in the mirror.

  “As if it's so easy. Have you seen the rings from lack of sleep under my eyes? Real attractive.”

  From somewhere down the hall, I could hear mom and dad arguing again. Ugh, I couldn't wait to finish school and move out of this house. Living with my parents in my mid-twenties was no fun whatsoever.

  “That mystery man sure seemed to be into you.”

  I hadn't told her the truth about Alec. Not about how he kissed me, or how close I was to letting him screw me right there in the middle of a hospital. What was I thinking? How could I do something so unprofessional?

  I couldn't think straight around him. Even now, when his handsome face flitted into my thoughts, I wanted him desperately.

  But for some reason, I feared him at the same time.

  In the background, a bunch of Emily's friends were laughing about something. I held the phone away from my ear until they stopped their hooting.

  “We're going to Wanton in an hour,” she said. “And you're coming too.”

  “Oh, am I?”

  “Yep. Brenda just graduated nursing school, so we're celebrating. Since you never do anything fun, I thought it'd be the perfect chance for you to take a load off – and maybe find a man, too.”

  Ever since Alec made out with me, it was like a switch had been flipped. I couldn't stop thinking about sex and wanted it so bad, it was beginning to distract me from school.

  It might have been relatively easy to hook up with some stranger at the club. I didn't look that shabby in a skirt and some makeup.

  Except the only man I wanted right now was Alec, and I didn't think anyone else would do. Too bad I hadn't seen him since that night, almost a week ago.

  Probably for the best. That guy was trouble, and I couldn't control myself around him. Bad combination.

  “So get yourself dolled up and come meet us,” Emily insisted. “I'll even buy you a drink.”

  Getting drunk didn't sound too bad right about now. It'd be nice to take the edge off my stress, if just for a few hours. Of course, if I showed up for class with a nasty hangover tomorrow, the professors would be none too pleased.

  “All right, fine.”

  She cheered. “Don't worry. We're totally going to find you a man before the night's over.”

  “I can find my own man, thanks very much.”

  I hung up, moved to put the phone back, and tripped over a stack of textbooks. I still had a ton of reading to do for an upcoming exam. Guess it'd have to wait until some other day.

  As I showered, I dreamed of Alec. He said he'd come find me again soon. Would he just pop up out of the shadows or show his face at the hospital again? Hopefully he didn't bring a gun next time. I tried to think of reasons why he'd need one, but none were very good.

  The house was silent as I got dressed. In the kitchen, I found dad on the phone.

  “Are you sure? Yes, I... I have it. That's been taken care of.”

  I lingered in the hallway. What was he talking about so suspiciously? Sounded like something he didn't want us to hear, given his hushed tones.

  He hung up with a heavy sigh. I peeked around the corner.

  “Dad, you okay?”

  He jumped and let out a yelp. “Oh, Ceci! Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just making a business call.” His eyes narrowed. “Where are you going dressed like that?”

  “Out with Emily.”

  “That skirt is far too short. You know what men will think when they see you? There are a lot of creeps in this town, honey. Lot of bad guys.”

  I patted his back reassuringly. “I'm an adult. No need to remind me how to dress.”

  Dad had his car keys in hand. Where was he going, and why did he seem so jumpy? He gave me a funny look as I pulled a bottled water from the fridge.

  “You didn't, ah, hear all of that conversation just now, did you?”

  “No,” I said slowly. “But what if I had? Something the matter?”

  He wrung his hands together and paced back and forth. Something was wrong with him. Had he started drinking again? Cheating on mom, maybe?

  Quickly, he stuffed his keys into his coat pocket. When he pulled his hand back out, a little blue slip of paper floated to the floor. It was printed with numbers and the words “Nevada Downs” on the top.

  He fumbled to grab it, but too late. I slammed my fist into the table and glared.

  “Dad, no. Don't tell me you're betting on races again.”

  Ticket in hand, he folded it into a square and shoved it into his jeans, blushing madly. “No, I mean... This is going to be the last one, honey, I swear.”

  Damn it! He promised he was going to stop the gambling months ago, after mom found the emergency fund drained. She needed the money to fix the car, but dad took it all out to bet on the horses.

  “No more after this. I promise.”

  “But you said you were going to stop.” I shook my head, disgusted. “Does mom know?”

  “Don't say anything to her,” he stammered as he backed toward the garage door. “I'm just asking for one more race, okay? This is a big one. It's going to make me a lot of money.”

  He offered me a nervous kiss on the cheek, then darted out to his car. I stood there, shocked and angry, as he pulled out of the driveway and vanished around the bend.

  Upstairs, mom had the TV on loud enough to shake the ceiling. I should have told her what he was up to, but...

  A text message blinked onto my phone, from Emily.

  Hurry UP! Some super hot guys here tonight ;)

  I'd only intended to have a couple of beers at the club. After what just happened, I decided a few Long Island iced teas might serve me better.

  That, plus some drunken sex to go with it. If Alec were here right now, I'd stand no chance against him. He was dangerous, yeah, but maybe I needed a bit of danger in my life.

  I sped off toward Wanton, the whole way there thinking filthy thoughts that made me squirm.

  Chapter 4 - Ceci

  Wanton was a flashy, loud place nestled in the heart of downtown Summerset. I'd never been inside, but was no stranger to the thundering music that shook my car as I drove past.

  But this time, I wasn't passing on by the club. I was actually going in it.

  Boy, did I feel out of my element.

  There was a line to get in streaming out the door. I got at the end and scanned the parking lot for Emily. No sign. Guess she and her friends had already made it inside.

  “Twenty dollars, please.”

  The bouncer's voice caught my attention. He was a big, burly guy that could probably beat up two people at once.

  The guy a few feet ahead of me paid the cover, and the bouncer lifted the rope for him. Next up was a girl wearing a miniskirt. He only charged her five bucks.

  It made me nervous. What if he charged me twenty because I looked like crap? I hadn't any time to dye my hair or layer on the makeup, like she had.

&
nbsp; The line moved up. Almost my turn.

  “Well, never thought I'd see you here, Ceci. I have to say I'm very pleasantly surprised.”

  That voice! It couldn't be – but it was.

  Behind me stood Alec, his lips lifted into a grin that lit up his whole face. Oh God, those lips...

  “Ah... Alec,” I stumbled over my words. “How's the, uh, injury healing up?”

  He carefully touched the spot on his side. “Very well, thanks to your handiwork. I was thinking of switching from Dr. Gray to you from now on.”

  My gaze fell to his hip. It wasn't difficult to see the outline of the gun hiding beneath his suit jacket.

  The line moved again, and I was carried along with it. When I reached the front with Alec, the bouncer looked me up and down. Then, he cast him a curious glance.

  “This a guest of yours, Mr. Ciarello?”

  I stiffened as he slipped his arm around my waist. Immediately, a rush of desire coiled through me.

  If Alec was such a dangerous man, then why did his touch make me feel so safe?

  “Yes, she is,” he said without asking my opinion on the matter. “C'mon in. My treat.”

  I was confused as the bouncer opened the rope for us. Just who was Alec, and how was he able to waltz in here without paying?

  Inside, the peppy techno music played so loud I could practically hear my brain vibrating in its skull. Still, I had questions for Alec, and I wasn't going to let him slip away this time.

  Especially not when he held me like this. Not when I hadn't wanted a man so badly in years.

  “How did you do that?” I blurted, gesturing to the long line behind us.

  “Considering that this is my club, I'm allowed to invite who I like.” He led me off to the packed bar, with not a single stool empty. “Want a drink? That's on the house too.”

  “Wait. This place is yours?”

  He nodded and whistled for the bartender. The guy was at the other end, hustling to fill a cooler with beer, but he came over to us right away when he saw Alec.

  “Yeah, boss?”

  “Get her anything she wants.”

  I ordered myself a vodka and Red Bull in an absolute daze. What were the chances of Alec owning the most popular club in the city?

  Stranger still, why did he need a gun to run a nightclub?

  He led me to a darkened lounge while I sipped my drink, very grateful for the alcohol the bartender had loaded it with. I'd been fantasizing about Alec for days, and now that he was here beside me, it felt almost like a dream.

  Alec sank into the plush leather booth next to me, so close that we touched. He watched me drink with lust in his eyes.

  “I've been thinking about you, Ceci.”

  “You have?”

  “Yeah. Thinking about how I can get you into my bed.”

  My jaw fell. This man clearly wanted nothing but sex, and he certainly was brazen about it. I'd never been propositioned so boldly in my life.

  I liked it.

  What I wanted to do was throw myself into his lap and have another one of those amazing, toe-curling kisses of his. There was some other couple across the way doing exactly that, so it wasn't as if we'd be out of place.

  But still, years of being raised in a strict religious household took their toll on me. I couldn't do something so... so slutty.

  “You have a lot to answer for,” I muttered, “before I'd get in bed with you.”

  “So that means you're at least considering it, then.”

  My cheeks felt like they were on fire. Well, guess I walked straight into that one, huh?

  The booze in my veins was just enough to take the edge off my nervousness. Unfortunately, it also had the effect of making me even hornier than I already was.

  Not good. If Alec kept pushing, I'd be going home with him by the night's end.

  God, yes.

  No, wait, I couldn't possibly do that. Sleeping with a stranger? Especially one who packed a gun wherever he went? So stupid!

  “Sorry I didn't come back to see you at the hospital after. I was quite tied up with work and some family issues.”

  “Hopefully nothing that would get you stabbed again.”

  He chuckled. “I promise I'm being more careful from now on. Although come to think of it, I don't really mind taking a knife to the gut.”

  “You don't?”

  “Nah. I wouldn't have met you otherwise.”

  Alec knew how to lay the charm on thick. Lucky for him, it was working. My resolve to keep my legs closed around him was weakening.

  But of course, I never really had any resolve, did I? Nope. As soon as he sank his arm around me, it was all over.

  A guy wearing a fancy suit came to our table and dropped off a tray of drinks without a word. There was another one of what I'd ordered, plus a shot of what smelled like whiskey for Alec. He threw his down the hatch, wincing as the booze burned his throat.

  “Boy, I needed that.” He nudged my glass toward me. “Drink up. You hungry? Angelo whips up some mean appetizers.”

  I swirled the ice cubes in my cup. I'd gulped that way too fast, and with every sip, Alec kept looking hotter and hotter.

  “I came here to meet my friends,” I told him. “They're probably wondering where I –”

  “Ceci! There you are!”

  Emily's shrill voice could be heard over the booming bass. Behind her, friends Brenda and Jackie, also nurses, danced and laughed aloud as they flirted with any man who looked at them. Already, they were totally smashed.

  “You were late, and we looked all over for you, and...” She finally noticed Alec sitting beside me. “Oh, it's you!”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “It's 'me?'”

  She nodded excitedly. “Yeah, you're the guy who left a trail of blood all over the floor at the hospital. Us nurses have been talking about you for days.”

  Her friends stopped dancing and stared at her with wide, confused eyes. I gave a weak laugh as Emily slid into the seat across from us.

  “Em, really, now is not the time for –”

  “That was me, all right.” Alec grinned. “Turns out Ceci here has quite the healing touch. I think she'll be an excellent doctor.”

  Was that a hint of admiration I heard in his voice? Emily seemed to think so. She kept nudging me and giggling like some gossipy high-school teenage girl.

  “He's so freaking hot,” she whispered in my ear.

  Alec, who'd overheard her loud mouth, just smiled and shook his head. If I could have crawled beneath the table and hid from my embarrassment, I would have.

  “Can I get you girls anything to drink? It's on me tonight.”

  They were all stunned by his generosity, but gladly accepted. Alec shuffled closer to me as the girls went back to dancing with their beverages.

  His hand found my thigh. When I dared to meet his gaze, his intent was made obvious.

  “You look delicious in this skirt. When am I going to get you out of it?”

  “I like how you just assume I'm gonna put out.”

  His fingers moved upward, then beneath the hem of my skirt. I tensed, unsure whether to give in or push him away.

  His touch made me shiver. I'd not been so ready, so absolutely wet for a man, like this in my life.

  “Y-you've got some nerve, don't you?”

  He reached between my thighs and teased my slit through soaked underwear. Unable to stop myself, I closed my eyes and moaned quietly.

  “I have a hotel room next door,” he murmured. “You have no idea how bad I want you. I have to fuck you, Ceci.”

  Were I not half-drunk, I would have run away from this. I was a good girl, raised to keep my legs shut – not a whore who slept with any man who asked.

  But his touch felt so good and his words, so full of fire and need, easily melted my resistance.

  I gasped as he peeled away my panties and stroked my bare flesh. Oh god, he was doing this to me in public, surrounded by hundreds of people! What if someone caught us? This was s
o wrong...

  He entered me with one finger, then two. Oh, shit. I'd forgotten what it was to have a man inside me. School had caused me to shut memories of that pleasure out until I didn't miss it anymore.

  But now, thanks to Alec, new desire filled me. I needed his cock.

  “You want more than this, don't you?” His heated breath tickled my neck. “Oh, I'll give it to you. Something much bigger... And my hands on those sweet curves of yours.”

  Yes, bigger, that sounded perfect. To be filled up and stretched to my limit and screwed like a wild animal for hours until dawn...

  The beat of the music shook me to the core. Vibrations moved through me, each wave of sound and thrust of his fingers bringing me closer to orgasm. Could I really let go with everyone watching?

  Then his thumb rolled over my clit and I had no choice. Couldn't hold it back anymore.

  I tried desperately not to shake and moan at the release Alec gave me. He made me come so hard that I couldn't think, couldn't breathe. All I could do was cling to him and rest my head on his chest. His heart, I thought, was beating even harder than mine.

  “There's more where that came from, I promise.”

  Oh, I believed him – and he'd thoroughly convinced me. Any man who could do that with just his hands, well, I had no problem joining him in bed to see what else he could do.

  If that made me a whore, so be it. I was done letting those prudish childhood teachings rule my sex life.

  Alec's hand engulfed mine. I let out a contented sigh and leaned into him. For a moment, confusion crossed his face, but then he smiled.

  “There's something special about you, Ceci. You're like no woman I've met before.”

  “But you barely know me.”

  “I don't have to know you. I can just tell that you're different.” He gestured to the exit. “Ready to ditch this place? I can't wait to spend hours exploring this body of yours.”

  I was about to reply when a bawling woman tore past the bar and into the ladies' room. It was Emily!

  “Something's wrong,” I told Alec. “I have to help her.”

  He shrugged. “I understand. Come find me at the bar when you're done.”

  I thanked him and tore after Emily, terrified something awful had happened to her. In the restroom, loud sobs echoed inside one of the stalls.