Sugar, Mine (Mine Series Book 3)

by Kay Maree

The odor of nitroglycerin, sawdust, and graphite swirls in the air and bullet shells drop to the floor with a metallic ping.

  The two men in the front room drop to the floor. Dead. I swing around and point my gun toward the other man who has swung towards us. It's fucking Bruno J. His hand moves to the back waistband of his pants but before he can reach for a gun, Antonio explodes through the back door and pushes his gun to Bruno J's head.

  "Nice and easy." Antonio's tone is menacing.

  Bruno J moves his hand slowly and drops his gun to the floor. Antonio kicks it away.

  I cross the floor and get up in the asshole's face. "Where the fuck is she?"

  "Fuck you," he spits.

  I aim my gun to his leg and shoot out his kneecap. He drops to the floor screaming in pain.

  "Where is she?"

  "Fucken piece of shit, I own her not you!"

  This asshole has a death wish. I aim my gun at his other knee but before I can shoot he gets to his feet and raises his arm. Antonio grabs it and shoots him through the palm. He falls back to the floor screaming in pain and I watch as blood pools around him.

  "One more time you piece of shit, where the fuck is she?"

  "Downstairs!" he screams when Antonio jams his foot on the hand which was shot.

  I take off at a dead run and take the stairs two at a time until I reach the bottom. I notice what looks like cellar doors and wonder why everything down here has been sound proofed. I dash to the only closed door, flip all the locks and slam the door open.

  Pride wells within me when I see her in a fighting stance, ready to take me on. The woman in the picture with Bruno J is lying on the floor, blood surrounds her. I do a double take, fuck, is that a high heel shoe sticking out of her eye? I shake my head and move into the room slowly, giving Sugar time to see it's me.

  "Sugar, baby," I whisper.

  I watch as her face crumples and she runs straight into my open arms.

  "You came," she sobs into my neck.

  "Always, Tesoro mio." I wrap my arms tight around her and feel her flinch. I pull back and when I look, I see fresh bruises appearing over her stomach. Fucken piece of shit.

  "I'm so sorry, Sugar."

  "I'm fine now you're here." She leans in and kisses me.

  "Come on, let's get you home."

  She wraps her arms around me and holds on as I carry her back upstairs. When we enter the kitchen, I see Antonio and Dominic have tied Bruno J to a chair. Dominic is standing in front of him with a knife. Kirsty wriggles against me and when I look into her eyes, she's pleading with me.

  "What is it, Sugar?"

  "There's something I need to do."

  I slide her down my body until her feet touch the floor and remember she is in a ripped shirt with only her bra and panties on. I slip my shirt off, remove the torn one from her and replace it with mine. Slowly she turns and takes a few steps towards Bruno J.

  "Little pie," he gasps.

  The nickname grates down my spine. "What the fuck you call her?" Dominic pushes the knife to his throat.

  "You don't fucking speak to her!" Antonio grabs a handful of hair and rips his head back.

  Kirsty crosses to the drawers and is rummaging in them. I wondering what she's doing until she turns with something shiny in her hands. She pushes back her shoulders and steps in front of Bruno J, I watch as his eyes widen and when I glance at her hands, I see the ice pick she is holding.

  She leans forward and I growl when she speaks to him. She is too fucking close to the piece of shit. I look at Antonio when he chuckles and then hear Bruno J scream out like a little bitch.

  Kirsty stabs the asshole in the balls with the ice pick and it has us all wincing. She lifts her arm and repeatedly stabs at his sac, he screams in agony. She spits in his face, drops the ice pick and turns back to me. I open my arms and she moves into them.

  I knew she needed to do what she did, but fuck I hated my woman being so close to him.

  "Sergio, take Kirsty to the car while we finish him off."

  "Si, Boss."

  I lift Kirsty into my arms and as I turn to leave, I stiffen at Bruno J's words.

  "Paulie is still com…," he coughs. "….coming for you."

  The words hang in the air as Dominic slices his throat.

  "We need to get back, I found something Theo is going to want to know," Dominic says.

  "What fucking now?" Antonio asks.

  I don't hear anymore as I cradle my girl close to my chest and head for the car.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Kirsty

  I wrap my arms around Sergio and hold on tight, not wanting to let go. I breathe in his scent as he carries me to the car and plant a light kiss to his neck, I feel his pulse point jump at the contact.

  "Sugar, I need to take care of you right now." He leans down and kisses my forehead. I feel so precious when he does things like that.

  "I love you." A lump forms in my throat when I think about how I never thought I would get the chance to tell him again.

  Sergio stops when we reach the car and he gazes down into my eyes. They are so full of deep heat mixed with love that my body begins to hum.

  "I love you too, Sugar." He blows out a breath, leans his forehead against mine and places his hand against my cheek. "I was so fucking scared when I found you were gone. I haven't felt that way for a long time."

  I run my fingers over the five o'clock shadow on his jaw and wonder why he was scared before. This man doesn't strike me as someone who scares easily, we all have pasts I guess.

  "Will you tell me one day?" I realize he may not know what I mean. "About your past." I squeeze his hand which has Marcella tattooed on it, hoping he gets my meaning.

  "Si, Sugar, I will tell you but not right now."

  "Okay, Nocche."

  He sucks in a deep breath when I call him knuckles in Italian. I'd asked Theo this morning about it. I gasp when visions of Theo being shot and Mickey being tortured enter my mind. I didn't know Mickey very well but he was trying to protect me and it tears me apart knowing he paid for it with his life.

  "What's wrong, Sugar?" I hadn't realized I was crying until Sergio wipes the tears from me eyes.

  "How's Theo, is he alive? I'm so sorry about Mickey."

  "Doc says Theo will be okay and Mickey….. He was like a brother to me and it hurts like fuck that he's dead but, knowing he gave his life trying to protect you means he will always have a special place in my heart.

  I can see Sergio's eyes are glassy with tears and I hug him tighter. He rests the top of his head on mine. After a moment, he opens the car door and climbs in while still holding me.

  When I glance through the window, I see Dominic and Antonio heading our way. Dom is holding a bag and I wonder what he has in it.

  They cross the road but when they reach the car, they don't get inside. Instead, they go to the boot and within minutes, they head back across the road. I notice a tin can in Antonio's hand and wonder what they're doing.

  Sergio rubs my back while I peer out the window. I turn find he's watching too and a smile curls his lips. When I turn back to the window, the men are headed back to us. Behind them, I see smoke rising from what was my own private Hell. The fire catches hold and I feel lighter knowing no-one will ever have to set foot in the place again.

  Antonio climbs into the driver's seat and starts the engine while Dom slides in beside him. As we drive away, I take one last look at the house. Flames are shooting up and black smoke hangs in the air. I turn back and snuggle deeper into Sergio's hold.

  Dom turns to look at us from the front seat. "We'll head to my place. Theo is there and I know Brooklyn will want to see Kirsty is okay."

  "Are you okay with that, Sugar?" Sergio whispers in my ear and it vibrates to my core.

  I would love to have a shower but I have a feeling Dominic needs Sergio so I nod. I'm okay as long as I'm not alone right now.

  "Si, Boss." Sergio answers as he wraps his arms around me a little tighter. />
  A phone rings and Antonio answers. "Si, Kitten, we have her……okay, see you soon." He pauses and chuckles. "Okay, love you too."

  "Kat is meeting us at your place, Boss," he tells Dom.

  "Bene. What was so funny?"

  "She said to tell you it's lucky we found Kirsty or she would have kicked our asses."

  I smile when I feel Sergio's deep chuckle.

  "Fuck, when did our women start thinking they were in charge?" Dom growls but it's obvious he's not angry. It's more like he's confused about how the tables have turned.

  "Boss, the minute we laid eyes on them." Antonio laughs.

  Sergio kisses the top of my head and I giggle, he's in the same boat.

  "See, we are all fucking pussy whipped." Dominic's statement causes everyone in the car to burst into laughter.

  God it feels good to fucking laugh. My man's arms feel so good around me, I can't wait to be alone with him again. You would think, after everything that's happened that I would want to keep everyone at arm's length. Push them away. But, this man has done so much to help me. He's made me feel again. He's given me hope that my life can be normal and most of all, he showed me I can be strong and stand up for myself.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Sergio

  Antonio eases the car into Dominic's long driveway and I pull my girl closer into my chest as I watch the high gates swing open. I love how her body melts into mine. I look up when I hear Dominic cursing and scan the area.

  "Who the fuck is that?" Dominic opens the car door and leaps out before the car comes to a stop.

  "Sergio, take Kirsty to the guest house." Antonio shouts before switching off the car. He jumps out and I see his gun is drawn as he chases after the Boss who is now at one side of the front door with his gun also drawn.

  When I look closely, I see what has Dominic so wired. Theo and Kat's cars are in the driveway but, behind Kat's is a black SUV with blacked out windows. Brooklyn and Evie will be in the house and Nico should be too. Fuck, something's wrong.

  I don't want to take a risk and endanger Kirsty so I place my fingers on her lips, asking her to stay quiet and quickly get out of the car. With her in my arms, I race for the guest house. I push the door open and stand off to one side, doing a quick sweep of what I can see. I can't see or hear anyone so I lower Kirsty to her feet. Reaching down, I pull a small hand gun from under the leg of my jeans and hand it to her. She grips it hard, holding it close to her chest.

  Quietly I lead her inside to the sofa in the living room and turn her to face the doorway. "Stay here, Sugar. I need to check out the rest of the house. If anyone comes near you, point and shoot. The gun is loaded and ready." I do a quick sweep of the guest house and when satisfied, I head back to Kirsty. "No-one's here, I'm going over to the house to see what's going on. Lock the door after me and don't come out."

  She reaches out and her fingertips brush over my still naked chest, I look into her eyes and see she doesn't want me to leave her. "I have to make sure they're okay." She nods. I don't want to leave her but I have to. I lean over and brush her lips with mine.

  "Be careful, Sergio."

  I nod and head through the door, I hear the lock click as I move away. I'll be worried as fuck until I get back to her but I have to make sure no-one in the house is in danger. I creep up to the glass doors at the back of the house and peek in from the side, taking stock of the situation before me.

  A man is holding Brooklyn with a knife at her pregnant belly, Katherine is on the ground and isn't moving. Fuck! Dominic, Antonio, Nico and Theo all have their guns aimed at the man. I can see by the way the muscles in Dom's neck are corded that it's taking every ounce of control to stay where he is. I push on the door and it opens slightly, I can now hear what is being said.

  "Release the woman," Dominic demands.

  I do a quick sweep and see there are five men. Easy enough to take down if the women weren't in the house.

  "I won't fucking say it again, release the woman."

  I hear groaning and Antonio calls out. "Katherine, open your eyes, baby."

  Fuck. If I storm in and start shooting, shit could get ugly real fast. I need to think. I need a way for us to get out of this safely. When I hear his voice, I freeze. Paulie DeMarko!

  "You have such good taste, Mr. Grasso, such pretty women. It would be a shame if something was to happen to her." He runs his hand down her face.

  "Don't fucking touch me," Brooklyn shouts.

  "Touch her again and I will personally pull out every one of your teeth before I slit your throat." Dominic is becoming impatient with the situation.

  Paulie laughs and images of Marcella crash into my mind. Beaten, bloodied, Paulie standing over her with a gun aimed at her head. She was my sister and I couldn't protect her but I won't fail Kristy, he'll be dead before he gets the chance to lay a fucking hand on her.

  I look down at my chest, the scars a reminder of the last time we crossed paths, when I tried to rescue my sister from him. I was younger then, smaller, not as strong as I am now. Dominic had found me lying in a pool of blood, took me back to his place and had me stitched up. He saved my life and I have been by his side ever since, I will not fail him now. I step through the door and raise my gun in line with his head.

  "Don't. Fucking. Touch. Her. Asshole!"

  He swings around to face me and laughs like the lunatic he is. "Let me tell you how it's going to be. You have something of mine and I think I have someone who may mean something to one of you." He glares at us but it's Theo who speaks in a whisper.

  "Trixie."

  Paulie faces Theo and clucks his tongue. "You're a smart one. You give me my little pie and I will give you Trixie. If you don't, I'll kill Trixie and have her body dumped on your doorstep."

  A trade, he wants a fucking trade! I glance at Theo wondering if he's tempted but he shakes his head.

  Then, I hear a loud bang from behind me and all hell breaks loose. Bullets start flying and I swing around to find my brave Sugar with the gun in her hand and an angry look on her face.

  Dominic yells for the girls to get down and they drop to the floor, except Kirsty. I back toward her and hold her behind me. There is no way Paulie is going to get his fucking hands on her.

  Bullets ricochet around the room, time passes in a blur of smoke before the shooting finally comes to an end. I swing around and pull Kirsty into my chest, thank fuck she's in one piece. I turn to make sure the others are okay.

  "Dominic, you need to find Evie," Brooklyn screams from where she is on the floor and he sprints away.

  Kat's eyes are open and she's sitting up, Antonio is checking her for injuries.

  "How the fuck did they get in here, the Boss said to make sure the place was fucking secured?" Antonio snarls at Theo.

  "It's not their fault, Antonio, they followed me through the gate before it had a chance to close," Kat explains.

  Nico bursts back inside, he had chased after one of the men. "He got away. The fucker got away."

  "Who?" I ask but I already know who it was.

  "The asshole who was in charge of these goons."

  "Paulie DeMarko." Kirsty stiffens in my arms when I say his name.

  "He's going to fucking die," Dominic yells as he comes toward us. He's carrying a crying, shaking, very frightened Evie in his arms. She holds her arms out to Brooklyn after Nico helps her to stand.

  Brooklyn moves closer and the little girl flings herself at her mother. "Mummy."

  Once Evie is in his fiancé's arms, Dominic surrounds them in his arms and hugs them to him before kissing Brooklyn's forehead. When he releases them, he begins to pace the floor like a caged lion.

  "He tied my daughter to her fucking bed!"

  "Fanculo."

  "Piece of shit."

  "That cazzo is fucking dead."

  The anger in all of us is palpable.

  "Angel pack a bag now," Dominic snaps.

  Brooklyn nods and repositions Evie in her arms but being heavi
ly pregnant she's struggling.

  Kat gets to her feet after reassuring Antonio she's fine and sweeps Evie into her arms. Kirsty wiggles in my arms and I let her go.

  We watch as the girls head upstairs to help Brooklyn do as Dominic said.

  Blood is pumping hard in my veins, I want….no, need to kill the motherfucker. My eyes look to the three of his men who now lie dead on the floor.

  "Nico, I want you at Sergio's to update security. Theo, you go too, set your shit up and find something on DeMarko and your girl. We'll talk more about your girl later."

  Nico and Theo nod and head for the door.

  Dominic continues firing off instructions. "Antonio call some of the men from Sydney and get them up here, we're going to need their help, we're about to face a fucking shit storm. Contact Frankie and find out if he's settled things with the Chinese, we need to start ticking this shit off." Dom runs fingers through his hair and I see the frustration on his face. "Sergio, call Demetri and let him know a war is coming, tell him to keep a close eye on Sophie as we still have that shit coming our way too. Destiny is closed for repairs so he has no reason to be apart from her right now. We'll all head to your place."

  I nod, pull the phone from my pocket and hit Demetri's number. Fuck, war is coming and we need to get shit locked down fast because if anything happens to any of our women, the son of a bitch who harms one hair on their heads is already dead.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Kirsty

  As Sergio makes his way upstairs, I snuggle closer in his arms. I told him I was fine to walk up on my own but he didn't listen. He just grunted and refused to put me down. What's the point in arguing, if it makes him happy then I'll go along with it? I'm fricken exhausted so it's easier to let him have his own way. Everyone is heading for the kitchen or the bedrooms which Sergio showed them when we first arrived. I really wanted to stay downstairs but I also want to shower, to wash away the filth of the day and the feel of Bruno J's hands.

  Sergio doesn't stop when we enter our bedroom, he takes me straight through to the bathroom and places me onto the bench with the double sinks, my back is against the mirror mounted onto the wall. He plants his hands on each side of my hips, drops his head and takes a deep breath. His muscles flex and I feel a cool drop hit my bare thigh. I reach out and lift his head with my palms. Tears stream from his eyes and my heart squeezes at the sight. I bring his head to my chest, his hands wrap around my waist and my nipples harden when his hot breath washes over me. I ignore my want and caress his back with my hands.