Uncle Carlo, who was sitting up with me in the living room along with Mom, gave the computer a measured look. “Daniel, I applaud your bravery, but what good is just the computer base?”
Daniel took a deep breath, knowing he needed to make sure he was being respectful without being condescending. Carlo was what some liked to call 'computer illiterate'. “I can plug everything else I need into it and use it just fine. To be honest, all I really need is the hard drive inside.”
“I must be getting too old," my mom interjected. "Just do what you need to do, Daniel.”
“If we could get everything set up, I can do it right outside Adriana's room while she tries to get some sleep.”
“Sleep? What the hell do you mean, sleep?” I asked, slightly outraged. “Do you really think that after that call, I'm even thinking of going in to class tomorrow?”
“Well, you would be safer here, but at the same time, we don't want to let him run your life," I responded.
“I can stay here, work on my painting, and still get plenty of things done." I stopped and took a deep breath. “Sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that. I just want to know and be involved in what's going on.”
“No apology necessary, Ade. I know you want him caught.”
I quickly wiped away the smile that came with Daniel's words and looked at Mom. “Well, Mom, think you can get him set up?”
As a matter of fact, we did have a desktop computer, an older one that Mom used to have for her personal usage. She still had it taking up a corner of her room, and with my help, the two of us dragged it down to the hallway in front of my room. “Forgot how heavy all this stuff is,” Mom griped as she lugged the monitor and keyboard. “Would you believe that they used to be bigger?”
“Mom, I do happen to remember the old style computer monitors, you know,” I said with a laugh. “The ones that were about the size of a microwave?”
“Even bigger,” she said. We reached Daniel's table, and Mom set down the flat panel monitor, looking at the tiny card table. “Sure this will be big enough?”
“He'll make it work,” I replied.
I watched for a few minutes as Daniel took apart Adam's computer, removing the hard drive.
Mom watched in concern, then shook her head in acceptance. “I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I'm going to go back to bed. Good night.”
“See you in the morning, Mom,” I said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks.”
“It's nothing, honey. Sleep well.”
Once she left, I checked up and down the hallway, and seeing that we were alone, leaned over and kissed Daniel's cheek.
I smiled and ran my hand through his hair, relishing the feeling. “I enjoy that you care so much and that you know me so well. Think you can finish your work in time for a little bit of time with me?”
“We shouldn't,” Daniel whispered back, clearly reluctant. “It's already after midnight, and I can't expect Carlo or your mother to not wake up and check on us. Also, I'm a bit worried about that cook, Kathy. She suspects something. I'm sure of it. It's just too risky. I'm sorry.”
“You're probably right,” I said. “Tomorrow night then. It'll be Friday, and a lot of the staff have the next day off so they go out or sleep late, and we can make love over and over . . .”
“Shh,” Daniel said, reaching up and taking my hand in his. He brought my fingers to his lips and kissed them, then let go. “You keep talking like that, and I'm going to be sitting out here with an erection all night.”
“Now that would be noticeable,” I chuckled, pleased. “All right, I'll try and get some sleep. Good night.”
“Good night, Adriana.”
It wasn't what I wanted, but it was enough to know he was nearby, and I slept through the night without any bad dreams. The next morning, I found Daniel still hard at work, typing away at Mom's computer. “Good morning,” I greeted him, resisting the urge to kiss him on the cheek again. “Still working?”
“Trying to process all the information now,” Daniel said, giving me a little smile. “You slept well.”
“No dreams,” I replied, “so I'll take that as a good thing. Tell me what's going on.”
“Adam had just gotten an information dump, so I don't think he'd even begun to do his own analysis. I'll turn a copy of this over to your uncle. What's on your agenda today?”
“IHOP, actually,” I said with a chuckle. “Think you can handle some pancakes?”
“Of course. But we'll need to hurry if you're going to make the first class.”
“Give me ten minutes. Think you can be ready by then?”
Daniel sniffed at his armpits and looked at his shirt. “What the hell, I'm supposed to be copying a college student. Might as well do the two-day dress job too. Give me five and I'll be good.”
Daniel got up and stretched, then gave a huge yawn. “Okay, I'll meet you in the foyer in ten minutes.”
I showered quickly. Daniel wasn't the only one who was willing to do the college slum-bum act for a day, and we left after saying goodbye to Mom, who'd gotten up early and looked impeccable in her business suit. She even gave us a little wistful smile as we left. “Think she knows there's something going on between us?” Daniel whispered as we approached his car.
“She's got good intuition,” I replied. “But I think she's fine with it.”
We ate a relaxed breakfast, Daniel still scanning the restaurant the entire time. “You know, this is the third time we've been out to eat together,” he said with a chuckle in between bites of bacon maple pancakes. “When can we just admit that we're going on dates?”
“I'd say this is our second,” I replied, licking whipped cream off my spoon. I'd indulged and gotten the whipped cream and chocolate sauce. “The burger joint was our first, and I'd say I did a halfway decent job of bullshitting Uncle Carlo and Mom about it.”
“Hmm, if you say so,” Daniel replied with a smirk. “Didn't fool me though. Not that I didn't enjoy it. In fact, if we can ever get out of the shadows with this, I'm planning on doing that again.”
I chuckled and sat back. “Tell me, Daniel, what sort of dates did you go on with other women?”
“Dates?” he asked incredulously. “I didn't go on dates. I haven't been on a real 'date' since I was a high school junior. Until you.”
“Then what'd you do?” I asked, curious.
“I think you're smart enough that I don't need to spell it out for you. I like to think it was easy because of my looks, but I think who I work for helps.”
I reached over and took his hand, squeezing it. “We're both totally screwed up in the head, you know that?”
“I do,” he replied, before seeing his watch. “We need to get going. Thanks for the idea. I enjoyed this.”
That night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, I got out of bed, not willing to wait anymore. I needed him, even if people suspected. I crept to my door and quietly opened it, seeing him looking at his laptop. “Daniel.”
He heard the desire and need in my voice and closed his computer without even looking back, standing up quietly to come into my room. As soon as the door was closed, I was in his arms, pulling him toward the bed. “This is so dangerous,” Daniel whispered, his hands still coming up to start unbuttoning my pajama top. “We're going to get caught.”
“I need you,” I said, shrugging off my top. I turned him around and pushed him to sit on the bed, reaching for his pants. “I need this.”
Freeing his cock, I knelt, looking him in the eyes. “Another new thing for me,” I teased, leaning forward and licking the silky-soft head. It was delicious and wonderful, and I was even more aroused by the look on his face as I sucked the head of his cock into my mouth, my tongue running around the ridges and tracing the blunt arrowhead. Fueled by another fantasy of mine, I lifted my boobs, wrapping them around his cock and massaging them back and forth.
Daniel opened his mouth to say something when the door to my room burst open and two people came storming in. One was Juli
us Forze, and the other was Pietro Marconi, Uncle Carlo's second in command. I turned around, the question out of my mouth even as I knew the answer. “What the fuck?”
“Don't move, Daniel,” Pietro said, temporarily ignoring me. “Adriana, cover yourself.”
I barely had time to get my top on before Uncle Carlo came into the room, his face a mix of rage and sadness. “Adriana . . . my Bella . . . why?”
“Uncle . . .” I said, before finding my strength. I stood and crossed the room to look him in the eyes. “I'm twenty-three, and I can choose who I fall in love with. I'm not one of your men. You can't command me.”
Carlo's eyes flared, and he lifted his hand to slap me, but I didn't move and didn't flinch away. His hand froze, and I stared him in the eyes, daring him to do it. If his men hadn't been there, I would have said something too. But I still loved my uncle, even if I was pissed at him and outraged that he would violate my privacy. I didn't need to return the humiliation.
Carlo's hand trembled, and he lowered it slowly. “Because you are my blood, I will forgive that disrespect,” he hissed. “And because you supposedly love him, I won't kill him. Now leave and go to your mother's room. I will speak with you both later.”
In the hallway, I saw Kathy, who I'd seen going by my room frequently over the past few days. She had a smug look on her face, and I knew who’d sold us out. Saying nothing, knowing my time would come, I left, sparing a look back at Daniel. He was still on the bed, his pants pulled up. His face was filled with shame, concern, and pain. I turned to go back and he shook his head slowly, pointing with his nose. I understood and left the room, hating myself every step of the way.
Chapter 16
Daniel
I was grateful to Mr. Bertoli for at least letting me pull my pants up before he had Julius and Pietro lead me from Adriana's bedroom. He looked to see if I was going to fight, but when I stood without argument, he turned his attention to Pietro. “Take him to the garage. I'll speak with Margaret and my niece first.”
“Yes, Godfather,” Pietro said. A long time Bertoli man, Pietro Marconi was a second-generation member of the Bertoli crime family and was as tough as nails. Another man I'd looked up to when I was growing up, he'd also moved from an enforcer role to something else, but I knew his skills were still sharp. There was no way I could get the drop on him, even if I wanted to.
Carlo looked at me for a moment. The anger he'd kept under control while Adriana was in the room broke free as he crossed the room, and his fist caught me straight in the nose. My head rocked back and blood flowed, but I could tell it wasn't broken. Carlo is great at what he does, but he's not a fighter. “You betraying piece of shit,” he literally spat into my face. “I loved you like one of my own sons.”
Carlo whirled and left the room, leaving me with Julius and Pietro, both of them still holding their guns trained on me. The room was suddenly quiet, and Pietro took the time to finally say something. “Are you going to come easily, Daniel?”
“I won't fight you,” I said simply, my heart breaking. I knew I'd betrayed Carlo's trust even as I opened my heart to Adriana. In the Mafia, there is room for only one true love, and I had let someone else take the place of my Godfather. “Can I ask a favor though, even though I don't deserve it?”
“You can ask,” Pietro said. “Doesn't mean I am going do anything about it.”
“Can you have someone just pack my backpack and have the keys by the door? If Don Bertoli is going to let me live, I'd like to leave without the shame of rooting for my fucking keys.”
“If you still have that BMW afterward,” Pietro said. “Come on.”
Julius led the way out, with me in the middle while Pietro pulled up the rear. In the hallway, I saw Kathy leaning against the wall with a triumphant smirk on her face. “Guess you won't be fucking Firecrotch anymore.”
“Fuck you, Kathy,” I replied evenly. “She's a better class of woman than you will ever be, you miserable bitch.”
“Come on,” Pietro said, poking me in the back with his pistol before Kathy could say anything back. We went to the garage, where Pietro tied my hands together. He tossed the other end of the rope over an overhanging beam and started to pull it tight.
I thought back to the image of Adam. “Not overhead.”
Pietro nodded and pulled the rope down. Instead, he tied the rope to the support column, then stepped back. “Just to let you know,” he said as he assumed his position by the door, “Kathy is gone, as of the morning. Nobody talks about the Bertoli family like that.”
I nodded in gratitude and stood quietly, waiting for Carlo. Even though the weather was still warm, a hint of chill was in the night air, and I shivered. Julius, who wasn't as disciplined as Pietro, looked me over, even stepping closer to talk. “Why, Daniel?”
I stood straight and tall and looked Julius in the eye. “We've always been attracted to each other. Being with her so much, we were destined to fail. She said we were in love, and maybe we were, but it was too soon to know for sure.”
Julius looked at me with newfound respect, and even Pietro's stance softened. Julius stepped back, and we waited in silence until Carlo came in with two more of his men, thick-muscled moose whom I knew more for their brawn than their brains.
He didn't even greet me, and gone was the cultured, slightly affable middle-aged man who charmed as much as he analyzed. Instead, I was facing Cutthroat Carlo Bertoli, the man who'd started as one of the most cold-blooded men in the entire Bertoli family. “You motherfucker,” he nearly screamed, storming across the floor of the garage and backhanding me. One of the moose, a thickly muscled guy named Lorenzo, noticed that I wasn't trussed up overhead and opened his mouth, but he closed it when Pietro gave him a look. He knew that Pietro was nearly as merciless as Carlo was. “You seducing son of a bitch!”
Carlo's next strike was a kick to my nuts, which I didn't have to fake being doubled over by. Pain radiated sickly up my body from my offended testicles, and I had to force myself to keep my eyes open as he started kicking me over and over. I curled into a ball, silent. My silence seemed to infuriate him more. “Why? Why won't you scream and cry?”
He paused, shaking out his aching leg. I used the opportunity to get back to my knees, but nothing more. Instead, I kept my silence as Carlo crossed the room, rooting around in a closet that I knew contained gardening equipment before finding what he wanted, coming out with a gardening shovel. “Lorenzo, make sure he feels it, but no edges, and nothing to the head,” Carlo said, handing the moose the shovel. “And make sure he can walk.”
You don't really know pain until you get beaten with the flat head of a garden shovel, I learned, as Lorenzo started tooling off on me. The first shot was to my chest, right in the middle between my pectoral muscles. I was barely able to jerk my head to the side in time to avoid catching the handle in the mouth. The second shot was to my back, driving me back down to the floor. As he began systematically beating me, Carlo yelled.
“Daniel, I raised you! I gave you a home, a family, and a life! I didn't ask too much, just that you be an honorable man, and I don't have too many rules, do I? No. But you had to go and break the one that was closest to my heart. Stealing from me, lying to me, those I can understand, and maybe even forgive, can't I, Pietro?”
“Yes, Don Bertoli,” Pietro said immediately, his gun now put away and his hands clasped in front of him like he was having a prayer in church or something. “Very forgiving, sir.”
“Damn right,” Carlo said, turning back to me. “So why did this piece of trash have to go and break the one rule I hold sacrosanct? You're lucky that I love my niece, Daniel. I promised her upstairs that you'd live and that you'd walk out of here tonight. It was a moment of weakness on my part, because I love her so much. But I swear this to you. If you ever, and I mean ever, set foot in Seattle again, I'm going to make sure your cock is fed to Pietro's dogs while it's still attached to your body.”
He knelt and spit in my face, then got up and turned away. �
��Tune him up some more, Lorenzo. But remember what I said—he walks out tonight.”
Carlo left the garage, and I turned my face to look at Lorenzo, who set the shovel aside with a grin. “Don Bertoli said you have to walk out,” he growled, cracking the ham hocks he called knuckles. “He didn't say anything about you having to look good doing it.”
I don't know how long the beating went on, as Lorenzo's second hit rocked my head pretty hard and things went kind of swimmy for a while. I do know that the entire time, I didn't say a word, except for the times his knee caught me in the stomach and I grunted as the air was forced from my lungs. In the end, I was bleeding from quite a few places, and while I had all my teeth, I was pretty sure my nose was broken.
“Lorenzo,” Pietro, who'd stayed behind the whole time to watch the beating, said after I coughed up some blood onto the floor, “that's enough.”
Lorenzo, who'd worked up a pretty good sweat in the course of kicking my ass, stepped back, panting slightly. “Okay, Mr. Marconi. I think I need a drink of water anyway.”
He left, and it was just me and Pietro in the garage. I struggled back to my knees and tried to get to my feet, but failed, losing my balance. Before I could hit the concrete again, Pietro was there, holding me and helping me up. “That took a lot of balls, kid,” he said in a low voice as he cut the now bloodstained ropes that held my hands together. “Why'd you not say anything?”
“I deserved it,” I mumbled, my lips swollen but still understandable. “I betrayed the man who was like a father to me.”
He nodded, then slung my arm around his shoulder. “All right. I had Julius put your bag on the front steps. There's no way you're walking through the house right now. I'll get you outside, then you get the hell out of here. You're lucky. I hope you realize that.”
“I know,” I whispered, feeling something pull in my ribs. “Can you give me an hour to get some shit from my apartment before the boys come to make sure I followed orders?”
Inked: A Bad Boy Next Door Romance Page 29