The Tempted Series: Collectors Edition

by Janine Infante Bosco

  “I don’t expect you to answer,” he added. “I expect you to find out what it is—when you know for certain, then and only then, answer me. I’ll be waiting,” he said, leaning back in his chair as he pulled a cigarette from his cut. “I’ve got a job for you,” he offered.

  I raised an eyebrow, happy to change the subject.

  “Lay it on me,” I said.

  “I just came back from my visit with Victor Pastore,” he continued, taking a pull from his cigarette.

  Victor Pastore, AKA “Tony fucking Soprano.” If I never heard that name or saw those people again it would be too soon. Crazy gangsters.

  “He delivered me something that has been tearing me up trying to get. He gave me a gift and in turn I gave him peace of mind,” Jack said, thoughtfully. “Man’s going to rot away in that cell so his family could be free of his sins and he’s still worried about them,” he explained.

  “Sounds like a real gem,” I mumbled sarcastically. After that horrid night when I had to transport the Bianci family, a clan of nutcases, Victor turned himself in, confessing to a shitload of crimes. I didn’t feel sorry for the mob boss, he’s the idiot that turned himself in. Such an idiotic thing to do if you ask me. Man got away with every illegal thing he did for years only to confess like some sort of pussy. Word on the street is he did it to save his kids anymore pain caused by his lifestyle, they say it takes a lot of heart to do something like that…hmm.

  Heart.

  Then he delivered the blow.

  “I need you to look out for Bianci, keep him and his family safe,” he ordered, blowing out a stream of smoke. “A lot of moves are being made, power is being transferred from Vic’s hand to his underboss, and with Bianci trying to be neutralized, he’s fair game. So is his wife and kid, and that shit ain’t going to happen on my watch,” he declared angrily, before pointing his index finger at me. “Or on your watch, because you will be there making sure harm doesn’t land on the Bianci’s door step. They will be your heart for now until you find your own,” he said.

  “You’re kidding, right?” I asked. “You want me to babysit those lunatics?”

  “I want you to keep them safe,” he corrected, flicking the ashes of his cigarette. “And don’t you worry your pretty little head, his mother won’t be around to fuck with you.”

  I whimpered.

  Bianci.

  At least his wife was smokin’.

  Oh shit, the kid. I forgot about the little snot.

  His bat shit crazy mother.

  His hot as hell, crazy sister. I wonder how the little kitten and her rack are doing.

  “Riggs?”

  I shook my head, clearing my mind of motor-boating my little kitten’s tits and looked at Jack.

  “We good?”

  Like I had a fucking choice.

  “Yeah, Prez, we’re good.”

  Anthony opened a boxing gym in his quest to become a legit, law-abiding citizen. What a crock of shit that was. The man had more ammo than I had underwear. I was a firm believer that underwear was overrated, just a nuisance really. Anyway, he spent most of his days at the gym trying to get it off the ground, so on my first official day reporting as Anthony Bianci’s shadow, I parked my bike outside of Xonerated.

  My eyes worked the gym, taking in the abundance of women working out in tight gym pants. A lot of ass to be had here. Maybe this gig wouldn’t be so bad.

  “Can I help you?” I dragged my eyes from the girl pummeling a heavy bag and focused on the blonde receptionist.

  Why, hello there…the name tag plastered to her chest showed her name was Brittany.

  I flashed her my smile and watched her eyes widen.

  Yep, absolutely had its perks. Brittany would be riding my dick in the locker room by the end of the day. I was sure of it.

  I winked at her, leaning over the counter.

  “Hiya beautiful,” I crooned.

  “Riggs,” a voice warned.

  Fucking Bianci.

  Add cock blocker to Mr. Legit’s extracurricular activities.

  “Lay off my employees,” he growled, pulling me by the back of my vest like I was a little kid. I blew a kiss to Brittany and mouthed “later” to her.

  I reached behind me, peeled his fingers from my vest and stood tall.

  “Why the hell did you do that for? That was an easy score man!”

  “Look, you and I are stuck with one another for a while which means we need to set some rules in place,” he said, crossing his arms against his broad chest.

  “Rules?” I scoffed. Neither of us did well with rules. This was a joke.

  “Rule number one, keep your dick in your pants around my staff and my clients,” he said.

  I covered my mouth with my hand and tried not to laugh in the guy’s face.

  “I’m serious, Riggs,” he grunted.

  “I’ll stay away from employees but clients are fair game,” I said, eyeing the tight ass walking out of the locker room. “No negotiating,” I declared as she bent over to tie her shoelace.

  Goddamn!

  “Jack says you’re a loose cannon, that you fly off the handle,” he started.

  “I am not,” I defended. “I don’t take shit from people is all,” I stated.

  He smirked.

  “What?”

  He shook his head, his smirk firmly in place.

  “Don’t go there, bro,” I said. “Your mother is the exception, that bitch is certifiable.”

  “That’s my mother you’re talking about,” he said, his smirk faltering.

  “Well if it’s any consolation your sister is hot as fuck,” I offered. “Makes up for your mom being a crackerjack.”

  His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened as he advanced toward me making it obvious that Anthony had a soft spot where my kitten was concerned.

  “Only gonna say it once,” he said gravely. “Rule number two, the only one you better pray you follow,” he added, backing me up against a wall. “Stay the fuck away from my sister,” he growled.

  Whoa. I held up my hands in mock defeat.

  “Relax, bro, she lives in the sticks for crying out loud,” I argued.

  “She’s visiting,” he ground out.

  My eyebrows raised and my cock perked up. Kitten was in town? Wonder if I can get the little kitten to purr.

  “Stay. The. Fuck. Away. From. Lauren,” he warned.

  “Or what?” I taunted. “You’ll sic your mommy on me?”

  A vein bulged at his temple.

  Okay enough poking the beast.

  He’s going to blow.

  “Don’t worry, she’s not my type, and to be honest she’s got the crazy streak you Bianci’s all seem to have. Thanks but I’ve had enough crazy to last a lifetime,” I patted his shoulder reassuringly. “Now, step aside big boy,” I clasped my hands together and rubbed them excitedly. “Time to help hot pants over there with her work-out.”

  An hour later, two sets of digits and only one slap across the face, I was loving my new job. And Brittany? Well, she was dumb as a doorknob but she played drop the pencil a few times with me. I was about to drop it again, prepared for her to bend over and pick it up but I was distracted by the front door opening.

  The pencil remained poised in the air as I locked eyes with Lauren.

  The girl next door not the naughty school girl.

  My kitten, not every man’s pussycat.

  I dropped the pencil for Brittany to fetch and rose to my feet, walking around the counter before leaning my back casually against it and shoving my hands in my pocket.

  “Well look who dropped in for a visit, “nurse feel good,”” I quipped.

  Her eyes widened, and she slapped my chest.

  “Shh!” she hissed, looking around the gym for her brother. Guess she was still busy living a lie after all these months.

  “Don’t worry, kitten, your secrets safe with me,” I promised, taking her hand in mine.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, pulling her hand
free and dropping her pocketbook onto the counter.

  “I work here,” I said proudly.

  “Of course you do,” she said sarcastically, huffing and blowing the fallen strands of hair from her eyes. I reached out and tucked the crazy hairs behind her ears.

  “Stop it,” she hissed.

  I traced my finger down the bridge of her nose before tapping the tip of it.

  “Cute as a button, you are,” I teased.

  She rolled her eyes and smacked my hand away. She was a feisty little feline.

  “Where’s my brother?”

  “Riggs, I found the pencil,” Brittany cheered behind me.

  I kept my eyes on Lauren, taking in her wide eyes as she looked over my shoulder at the dope holding a pencil.

  “That’s great sweetheart, but I dropped a pen this time,” I said.

  Go away, Brittany.

  Blue eyes framed by those sexy fucking glasses met mine again and I grinned at her. The thought she was about to speak lost its way on her tongue and she snapped her mouth closed.

  “How’s school treating you? Bang any hot doctors lately?”

  “You’re despicable,” she hissed, pulling her bag from the counter and throwing the strap over her shoulder.

  “Oh baby, I love it when you talk dirty,” I whispered against her ear.

  “Kiss my ass, Riggs!” My name sounded like a curse on her tongue as she turned and stalked toward her brother’s office.

  “Anytime, kitten, anytime,” I called out to her, eyes glued to her perfect ass and the way it jiggled in her jeans.

  Yeah, this gig wasn’t so bad.

  “There’s no pen under here,” Brittany said, disappointedly. “Oh, but your friend left her phone here,” she said, holding Lauren’s phone in her hand.

  I glanced over my shoulder at the phone and a mischievous grin worked its way across my mouth as I plucked the phone from Brittany’s fingers.

  “Stay the fuck away from my sister.” Anthony’s voice loomed in my ears.

  I pulled a pocket light from my key ring and shined the beam onto the screen, picking up her prints I typed her passcode into her phone and called my own.

  Easy as pie.

  I added my number to her contacts, grinning as I typed my name into the requested field before taking my phone and storing her as “Kitten.”

  I placed the phone carefully onto the counter where she left it and laughed to myself.

  Those Bianci’s were a pain in the ass but they sure were fun to fuck with.

  Chapter Four

  I knocked on the door to my brother’s office. Weird. I never thought Anthony would get out of the mob. I’m still not sure he is, but at least now he’s like every other big-time gangster, with a legit business to cover his ass.

  “Come in,” he called from behind the door.

  I opened the door and poked my head inside and instantly smiled. My brother was everything to me growing up. I knew he was a bad boy and although he scared all my boyfriends’ away with merely a look, he was my idol. My best friend. Some girls measured every guy in their life to their father—me, I measured them to Anthony.

  “Look at you, the boss man himself,” I said with a smile, closing the door behind me.

  He lifted his head from the papers on his desk and grinned at me.

  “Hey you,” he greeted, while standing and walking around his desk to peck me on the cheek. “What’re you doing here? I thought you and Adrianna were going shopping with ma,” he said, leaning against the desk as I took a seat.

  “Yeah, I skipped out on that,” I glanced at the security footage that covered every inch of Xonerated. “Everything looks great, Ant. I’m so proud of you,” I enthused.

  “Thanks,” he said, crossing his arms as he stared at me.

  Anthony had a gift at dissecting people with his eyes. I hated it and more so because I was lying to my entire family.

  “What’s going on?” he questioned.

  Shit.

  I turned my gaze to him and met his worried eyes.

  “Nothing,” I lied, as the pro I was at misleading the people in my life. After that first initial lie they seemed to drip from my mouth with no effort at all.

  “Lau, it’s me you’re talking to,” he coaxed, gently. “School getting to you?”

  “Well, since you brought it up,” I began, drawing out a deep breath. “We need to talk about Mom moving upstate,” I said.

  “What about it? She told me last night she loves it up there,” he said.

  “She’s driving me bananas!”

  “I know Mom can be difficult,” he started.

  “No you’re not getting it,” I interrupted. “She comes to the apartment when I’m not there. She’s walked in on Mia and the guy she’s dating. The other day she took my laundry with her and shrunk half my shit,” I explained. “It’s bad, Ant. She’s bored shitless and to be frank, I will never get my nursing degree with her up my ass,” I added.

  I was going to hell for every lie I’ve told—that one right there, that’s the one that bumped my ass to the front of the line. No purgatory for this girl.

  “I’ll talk to her,” he conceded.

  I lifted my eyes to his.

  “Talk to her? Do we have the same mother?”

  “Okay, what do you suggest I do?” he asked with a hint of amusement laced in his voice.

  “I think she would be better off coming back here to live. Just think how much alone time you can get with your new bride if Mom was around to watch Luca,” I suggested, nudging him with my elbow. “Possibly even get cracking on giving me a niece or another nephew,” I hinted.

  His eyebrows drew together looking as if he was contemplating my words before finally responding.

  “Anything else you want to tell me?” he questioned.

  “Nope that’s it’s,” I confirmed cheerfully.

  “Lauren,” he said skeptically.

  “Okay, okay, fine,” I pouted, dropping back into my chair. “My car is fucked,” I blurted out.

  “What’s wrong with it?”

  “The thing starts when it wants, the tires are shot and the brakes squeak,” I rambled.

  “I’ll take care of it when you go back home and send a tow for it,” he promised. “You need anything else? Money? Books?”

  I shook my head. It was one thing for me to ask him for help with my car, a desperate plea on my behalf, but I wouldn’t take a cent from Anthony. After I quit the nursing program I had to give up the paid housing—a perk of having an all-expenses paid education. That’s how I became Mia’s roommate. I had to become an adult, and being an adult, well, it kind of sucked.

  There was a knock on the door, pulling me away from my thoughts and Anthony away from his worried stare down.

  “Come in,” he bellowed.

  The girl who was crawling around the floor in front of Riggs popped into my brother’s office, waving my phone in the air.

  “Sorry to interrupt Mr. Anthony,” she smiled. Oh, poor thing she obviously hasn’t met Mrs. Anthony yet. It might be worth extending my stay just to see Adrianna’s reaction to this girl. She turned her eyes to me.

  “How’d you get my phone?” I asked, stepping toward her and snatching my phone from her hand.

  “You left it at the front desk,” she bit her lip. “It keeps going off, someone named Tiger seems desperate to get in touch with you,” she added sweetly, before turning to my brother and flashing him a smile.

  I felt Anthony come up behind me and peer over my shoulder at my phone.

  “Who’s Tiger?”

  I had no idea who Tiger was, but that was for me to find out not my overprotective, sometimes overbearing, older brother. I shoved the phone into my pocket, turned on my heel and rose on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

  “Glad we had this talk,” I said hastily, before turning and heading out of the office. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Lauren,” he called out as I closed the door to the office and hurried throug
h the gym. I made it out the door without a hitch, meaning no unnecessary run-ins with a certain hot biker. I didn’t pull my phone out of my pocket until I was halfway down the block and sure my brother hadn’t followed me.

  My phone definitely was blowing up, eight unread text messages from...Tiger. I walked toward the train station as I opened the messages.

  Tiger: Guess who?

  Tiger: Do you need a hint?

  Tiger: I’m a tiger in the bedroom.

  Tiger: Not that you would know that. Yet. But you could imagine.

  Tiger: Tell me Kitten, do you imagine the things I could do to you?

  Tiger: I bet that’s why you aren’t answering me. Take your hand out of your pants Kitten, let Tiger do the job.

  Tiger: Shit. I’m just joking.

  Tiger: Sort of.

  My lips quirked in amusement. Hot and funny…my dream guy. My fingers worked the keyboard of my phone to reply.

  Me: How did you get my number and more importantly how did yours become saved in my phone?

  The little gray cloud appeared, signaling that he was typing his reply and for some reason, unknown to me, that made me smile again.

  Tiger: Wouldn’t you like to know. A man never tells his secrets. Where are you?

  Me: Maybe the right woman was never around to try.

  I hit send, looked up to see what street I was on before typing a text in reply to his second question.

  Me: 86th and 23rd Ave. Walking to the train.

  Tiger: Why no car?

  Me: It blew up.

  I wished it had, at least then I’d have an insurance check to buy another piece of crap car.

  I glanced up, looking both ways before I crossed the intersection and stopped in my tracks when I looked across the street and saw Riggs leaning against his bike with his phone in his hand and a devilish grin on his face. I’m pretty sure my ovaries exploded.

  My phone chimed, and I tore my eyes from that sinful grin of his and read the last text message he sent me.

  Tiger: Want a ride, Kitten?

  My teeth sank into my lower lip and I lifted my eyes to his, managing to ignore the cars passing that threatened to obscure my view of him.