Beautiful Carnage: A Dark Mafia Bully Romance (The Boys of Sinners Bay Book 1)

by Caroline Peckham

  She gasped in surprise then dove her left hand into the bag of flour and threw a handful of it straight into my face.

  Frankie and Enzo burst into laughter behind us but I kept my gaze fixed on Sloan, scowling as I swiped my arm over my face to get rid of the worst of it.

  “Is that how you want to play, bella?” I asked her in a dangerous growl.

  I expected her to shrink back down or shake her head. I didn’t expect her to grab another handful of flour and throw it at my chest. My heart beat faster at the game and the wild glint in her brown eyes.

  I growled at her as I reached out and caught the edge of the packet, tossing half of it over her head in one go.

  She tried to run but I jerked her back towards me using the cuffs and a cloud of flour engulfed her as she squealed again.

  A deep laugh escaped me as I spun her in my arms and she was forced to face me.

  “Oh fuck this!” Frankie exclaimed and the two of them hurried out of the room before our food fight descended any further.

  “Do you surrender?” I teased, gripping Sloan’s hip and pushing her back so her ass hit the counter.

  “Never.” Her left hand whipped up between us and she slammed an egg straight against my bare chest, cracking it and spilling the yolk all over me.

  My lips parted in surprise as she laughed, the sound of it pure and genuine and catching me completely off guard. The second egg was crushed against the side of my head and I felt it sliding right down to the roots of my hair.

  “You asked for it now,” I warned her and she shrieked as she tried to escape me again.

  I grabbed the box of eggs, snatching two into my grip before breaking them on the top her head, pinning her back against the worktop as she tried to escape.

  I laughed in victory as she wriggled against me, trying to break away. The friction between our bodies only made my smile grow and it didn’t seem like she was trying all that hard to shove me off either.

  She lurched to the side, dragging me against her more firmly as she grabbed the pint of milk.

  “Don’t you da-”

  Stone cold milk spilled straight over the top of my head in a torrent. It ran over my shoulders, down my back and chest, mixing with the egg and flour to form a paste against my skin. I shook my hair to clear it of the milk and lunged at her, driving her back against the worktop as I dumped the whole bag of flour over her head.

  A huge cloud of it rose up all around us, covering me as much as her and we started coughing and laughing all at once.

  Sloan’s free hand landed on my bicep and she held me just tightly enough to discourage any further attacks without actually restraining me.

  The cloud slowly dispersed around us and I found myself holding her close as my heart beat to an unusual rhythm.

  “I think that was a draw,” she murmured, her eyes bright.

  I snorted a laugh. “I think you might have won that one, bella,” I disagreed as I dripped milk all over the kitchen tiles. “And I have to say, I don’t think much of your baking skills either.”

  She rolled her eyes at me but it was almost playful. “Well you haven’t actually tasted it, so…”

  I leaned forward quickly and ran my tongue straight up the length of her neck. Her grip on my arm tightened, but she didn’t try to push me away and I had to fight the urge to linger with my mouth on her flesh. A mixture of flour, milk and raw egg coated my tongue and I pulled a face as I leaned back just enough to meet her eye.

  “It’s fucking awful,” I informed her seriously.

  “It’ll taste better when it’s cooked,” she replied lightly. “So why don’t you just stick your head in the oven…”

  I barked a laugh and reached out to push her eggy hair back over her shoulders. “I think I’d prefer a shower, wouldn’t you?”

  “I dunno, I kinda like your new look,” she countered and my smile widened.

  “Well as much as I’m enjoying being covered in this shit, I don’t think it will go so well with the upholstery in the living room.” I turned away from her and moved to the kitchen island to find the handcuff keys, but they weren’t where I’d left them.

  I shoved some things about, dragged Sloan to the coffee machine and frowned around at the huge kitchen in confusion.

  “Did you see where I left-”

  “Lost something, fratello?” Enzo asked casually as he pushed the door open.

  I frowned, striding forward with my hand outstretched.

  “Give me the keys,” I demanded and he widened his eyes innocently.

  “Didn’t you hear? They fell down the toilet.”

  “That had better be some kind of joke,” I growled.

  He grinned tauntingly and I knew in my gut that he wasn’t bluffing. He was trying to win this fucking bet. And he thought locking us together would make it happen.

  I snarled at him and lurched forward with my fist clenched, but he darted away with a laugh and I stumbled as I almost yanked Sloan off of her feet trying to catch him.

  “Does that mean we’re stuck like this?” she asked me, not even trying to disguise her horror at the idea.

  I clenched my jaw, the amusement I’d felt just moments ago fleeing like it had never existed at all.

  “Yeah, principessa. It looks like we are.”

  The moment of madness where Rocco and I had laughed together was thoroughly gone. His smile had been replaced with a cold, hard fury. He dragged me into the living room after his brother, Enzo, his muscles tensing as he moved.

  “Tell me where it is!” he roared and Frankie sniggered, looking to Enzo who was stretched out on the couch.

  “I told you, fratello. I flushed it,” Enzo said with a shrug.

  Rocco bulldozed toward him and I stumbled after him as he snatched Enzo’s collar in his fist. “This isn’t funny.”

  Enzo grinned broadly, looking to me. “You’ll just have to get used to each other, I guess.”

  Rocco shoved him away and I was forced to hurry after him as he stalked out of the room, crossing the hall to the front door. He unbolted a bunch of locks then pulled it wide and freezing air washed over me.

  “Where are we going?” I demanded as he dragged me out onto the porch.

  He didn’t answer me, jogging down the steps, his shoulders rigid. My bare feet stung as they sank into the snow and I cursed as I had to half run to keep up with his furious pace.

  I spotted a wood shed on the border of the forest and was soon hauled inside it. Rocco flicked the light on and my stomach churned as I took in the rows of tools hanging around the place. There was a red Cadillac gathering dust and a large work bench beside it. He snatched a wood-chopping axe off of the wall and my heart lurched into my throat.

  “Wait, you’re not actually going to try and cut through this are you?”

  He continued to ignore me, forcing me over to the workbench and standing on the opposite side of it to me. He slammed his arm down on it so mine was dragged down too.

  “Are you crazy!?” I yelled, my pulse thundering in my ears as he lifted the axe high with his free hand.

  “Hold still,” he growled, his brows pinching in concentration.

  Fear splintered through my chest. “Stop!” I screamed as he slashed the axe through the air.

  I jerked my hand away in terror and the axe slammed into the wood half a centimetre from Rocco’s little finger. I’d yanked his arm forward when I’d moved and the look he gave me for it was a death sentence. Fear slithered into my chest and took root in my soul.

  He left the axe in the wood, practically snarling as he ripped his arm backwards so I was dragged onto the workbench. He flipped me over so I lay beneath him on my back and a tremor racked through my bones.

  “Idiota!” he spat and I winced as he wrenched the axe from the wood beside me. My hair tumbled everywhere as I struggled to get up, my breathing ragged. He pressed his hand to my shoulder to keep me down and I lifted my hand to shield myself from his fury. The low light of the bulb glinted
off of the sharpened edge of the axe and for a second I didn’t know what he’d do.

  He stared down at me, the milky mixture covering his head and shoulders doing nothing to take away from the terrifying look in his eyes. I had no idea how we’d shared such a carefree moment just minutes ago; I couldn’t imagine this man ever cracking another smile. Not unless it was at the sight of my butchered body beneath that blade.

  He tossed the axe down and the clatter it made as it hit the floor made me flinch. He scooped me off of the workbench, crushing me into his chest as he headed out of the shed and kicked the door closed with an echoing bang.

  Rocco was a livewire, his temper as potent as my father’s. I hated the idea of leaning into him, but I knew one tactic that usually worked to ease Papa’s rages. I didn’t want to try it with this mad man but if it worked, it might save me from whatever punishment he had in mind for me almost causing the loss of his finger.

  I reached up with my unchained hand, cupping his jaw and raking my nails up into his hair. He glanced down at me, his brow creasing in confusion, but I continued because confusion was better than anger.

  “I’m sorry,” I breathed. “I was afraid.”

  He grunted, his eyes lifting and I could have sworn a bit of tension left his body.

  Keep going.

  “Do you even know how frightening you are sometimes? I’m half your size, Rocco.”

  His jaw ticked, but he remained silent as he marched up the porch steps and muscled his way into the house. He didn’t stop, stomping straight through the living room and up the stairs toward his bedroom. My breathing increased as I wondered what the hell he was thinking.

  The second he shut the door, he dropped me onto my feet and I waited for an explanation.

  He reached into his pocket, flipping out his switch blade and my throat constricted. “What are you going to do?”

  “Shower. I’m not staying like this and neither are you. One of my useless brothers will drive to town and fetch us some bolt cutters.”

  He dragged me toward the bathroom and I caught the edge of the doorframe, refusing to go in there.

  He turned to me, his muscular chest drawing my attention for half a second as my nails bit into the wood. His eyes softened and he reached forward to brush his fingers across my cheek in the same way I’d done to him. “Don’t you think I would have fucked you in my bed if I was going to do it at all, principessa?” His words were like hot butter sliding off his tongue. He didn’t blink as if proving he wasn’t lying and for some reason unknown to mankind, I released my grip on the doorframe.

  He kept his eyes locked with mine as he guided me toward the shower, turning me around and using the knife to cut my shirt off along with my bra. I clutched the scraps of material to my chest and Rocco flipped me around again. He’d kicked off his pants and boxers, leaving him completely naked before me. His body was divine, thick muscles and firm lines built atop his broad frame. I’d already stolen a glance at his lower half this morning and I fought the urge to do so again.

  “Either you drop those clothes and unbutton your jeans yourself or I’ll do it for you.” He waited and my pulse drilled into my skull. Letting a Romero look at my naked flesh was a sin in itself. I was meant to uphold the sanctity of my skin, but that had been a decision made for me. Not for myself. And I’d ignored it before...

  The dare in Rocco’s eyes was making me want to be reckless. The second I let go of the clothes, it felt like stepping off the plane in Italy times a thousand, breathing in free air.

  Rocco’s lips twitched, but no hint of amusement crossed his features. His eyes said desire, pure and simple.

  A blush ignited in my cheeks as I opened the button of my jeans and pulled them down, unable to help pulling Rocco’s hand with me. His fingers skimmed my thigh, my calf then lingered on my ankle as I stepped out of them, everywhere he touched bursting with fire.

  I left my panties in place, standing upright then moving straight past him into the shower. He shut the door as he entered the narrow unit behind me and I turned the water on a second before his dick grazed my ass and showed me how hard he was.

  Despite the warm water, goosebumps rushed up my spine and a deep burn built in the pit of my stomach.

  He pressed closer, reaching past me for the shampoo as I kept my back to him and I felt every inch of him digging into me.

  I used the shower gel but when he didn’t put the shampoo back, I glanced over my shoulder, finding he’d put it on the floor behind him.

  “Shampoo,” I demanded.

  “By my feet,” he answered with a smirk.

  My gaze dipped down to the water streaming over his broad shoulders, the muscles that rippled and flexed everywhere I looked. We were so close and I could feel his gaze devouring me as keenly as I was him.

  “Pass it to me,” I ordered, holding out my hand.

  “Sure,” he said, too easily. He reached down with the hand which was chained to mine and I gasped as I was forced to turn and my face was dragged into his shoulder.

  He stood up and suddenly I was too close, my breasts pressing against his firm chest and my nipples giving away how much his body was turning me on. He wasn’t smirking anymore; his eyes penetrated my soul as I stared up at him, his hard length throbbing against my stomach.

  He’s my freaking kidnapper. I have to stop this!

  I stepped back, heat taking my body captive as it filled every space inside me. I rubbed the shampoo into my hair, forcing his hand up to join mine as I scrubbed the eggs and flour out. His fingers pushed into my hair and a lump rose in my throat as he helped me wash it out. A tingle ran down my spine and I tried not to think about how good his hands felt on me.

  When I finally had it clean, I helped him clean his too before I turned the water off, needing to get out of here and put a stop to the raging hormones invading me.

  Rocco stepped out, grabbing a couple of towels and tossing me one while my eyes fell to his perfectly sculpted ass. I mean Jesus Christ, did he squat daily or was that shit natural?

  I settled on staring at the wall as I wrapped a towel around me and hugged it tight to my body. Rocco secured his towel around his waist then led the way out of the bathroom and headed to the closet. He grabbed out a pair of boxers, dropping the towel and tugging them on one handed while I tried not to stare at how hard he still was.

  I was caught in a storm of thoughts, wondering what it might be like to have something that size inside me while trying to remember he was my goddamn kidnapper. Being with him would be like blasphemy against my entire family. Let alone my own self-worth.

  He turned to me with a large shirt in his hands. “You’ll have to pull it up your legs.”

  He knelt down, giving me no option about accepting his help and I leaned forward to rest one hand on his shoulder while the other was yanked down to assist him. I stepped into the neck of his shirt and he drew it up over my body, dragging it over my breasts slower than was necessary. His thumbs skimmed my sensitive flesh, drawing a gasp of surprise from my lips.

  I schooled my expression as he stood upright and I tucked my free arm into the sleeve, leaving the other one over the top of the shirt, avoiding his gaze. But he’d definitely heard that noise and it had been no innocent inhale; it had been pure pleasure and he knew it.

  “Your panties are wet,” he stated.

  “They are not,” I balked, a blush heating my cheeks at his words and the fact I was so hot for him. It was clearly written all over my face.

  “You showered in them, bella. But good to know you’re wet for me too.” He winked and my soul died. Like literally bashed its own head in with a rock. Dead. Gone. Poof.

  Congratulations, Sloan. You’re hot for the scariest Romero in the house. And now he knows it.

  I strode into my bedroom with Sloan trotting along a step behind me as she hurried to match my pace. A day of this shit hadn’t made it any funnier, despite the way my brothers seemed to feel about it. I didn’t appreciate being the b
utt of their jokes. And I definitely didn’t appreciate the fact that I’d spent the whole day tethered to Sloan while she wore that shirt which gave me such a perfect glimpse of her peaked nipples pressing through it. I’d pretty much been hard for her all day and I couldn’t even go and jerk off over it.

  My mind was full of that shower we’d shared this morning and the way her body had looked with water gliding over it. Not to mention how damn good it had felt each time her naked flesh had brushed mine.

  I was pretty sure I’d be begging to get into her panties if this went on much longer and that wasn’t the way this was going to play out.

  I blew out a breath as I walked towards my side of the bed and moved to climb into it.

  “We have to swap sides,” Sloan said, tugging on the cuffs just enough to draw my attention.

  “What?”

  “You can’t sleep on the right side of the bed tonight. The way we’re cuffed means we have to swap.”

  I clenched my jaw, my gaze flicking to the window where the snow was falling gently again. With the demons that lay in the recesses of my mind, I wasn’t likely to get any sleep if I couldn’t lose myself in that view, but she had a point.

  I huffed my irritation and dropped my sweatpants as I sat back on the bed.

  Sloan pulled my hand towards her as she unbuttoned her fly and my fingers brushed her inner thigh as she pushed her jeans down her legs.

  She sucked in a breath as I skimmed my fingers all the way down the inside of her leg to her ankle. She could have asked me to try harder not to touch her but she didn’t. I was starting to get the distinct impression my little hostage had a dark side of her own.

  She stepped out of her jeans and I flicked the lights off before shifting back on the bed, moving fast enough to yank her down after me so that she damn near fell in my lap.

  She cursed beneath her breath as her palm lay flat on my stomach and I smirked to myself as she failed to pull away as fast as she should have.