Bullet just shrugs and raises an eyebrow, and I turn my attention back to the car, watching as one of Vanni’s henchmen opens the front passenger door and Vanni climbs out, all arrogance and attitude. And while I respect the guy, don’t get me wrong, I do. He gets shit done, and his club, like I said, it saved me. But he’s still a fucked up son-of-a-bitch.
He nudges his dark glasses down over his eyes and opens the back passenger door, and I feel my stomach take a nosedive as she climbs out of the car and slides her hand into his. She’s dressed in tiny denim cut-offs, a white tank-top so tight I can’t help but focus on her rock-hard nipples, and just-over-the-knee boots that are screaming to be worn with nothing else. Her dark-blonde hair’s all loose around her bare, tanned shoulders, her blue eyes hidden behind aviator shades, and I’m a fucking mess inside. Just like that. I came home vowing never to even think about her again, and it was hard. But it was working. Until now. And the attraction, man, it’s purely physical. I want to fuck her, that’s it, that’s all, I mean, come on. Vanni put her on show, made me look at what I can’t have, which only makes me want her more, that’s the way this shit works, right? I want to fuck her, but that’s only ever gonna happen in my messed-up dreams ‘cause my cock goes anywhere near her, and I lose it. Vanni’d personally see to that himself.
“Must be planning on staying a while, if he’s brought his old lady,” Bullet murmurs, but I’m still watching Piper – the way Vanni slides a proprietorial arm around her shoulders; the way she leans into him as he kisses her in a way that none of us need to see, and I still can’t work out if she genuinely does love the guy, or if she just needs him. When I talked to her, back in Nevada, I kinda got a vibe, I dunno. Something didn’t feel right, but none of that was my business, so I forgot about it. ‘Cause I needed to forget about her. And then this shit happens and… man, I need a drink.
“You listening to me, Logan?”
“What…? Jesus, Bullet, get the fuck off my case, OK?”
“You get laid, by any chance? While you were hanging around in Nevada?”
“No.”
“Get laid. And lose the shitty attitude, y’hear me? Don’t know what the fuck’s wrong with you lately. You’ve been a pain in the ass ever since Vanni’s wedding…”
“Everything all right here, boys?”
We both glance up as Vanni approaches, his arm still draped across Piper’s shoulders, and I want to look at her, I mean, the urge is like a pull I can’t fucking control, but I manage it. Just.
“Bullet, a word. Inside.”
Vanni’s eyes fall on me, narrowing slightly, and for a second I wonder if the crazy fucker can read my mind. But then his expression changes and his face breaks into a grin as he lets go of Piper and takes a step toward me, slapping me on the back of the shoulder.
“Logan, my man! You did a great job of making sure my girl here was looked after a couple of weeks back. Made sure all those horny fuckers stayed well away from her, huh?”
Bullet throws me a look and I shake my head slightly, what the fuck does he think I am? Like I was really gonna take advantage of that situation, right?
“Just doing what I was asked to do, Vanni.”
I want to look at her again, but I don’t. I resist that temptation ‘cause there are way too many eyes on us here.
“Anyway, we got shit to sort out. So let’s get to it.”
He goes back over to Piper, pulls her into his arms and kisses her, his hand fanning out over her perfect ass, man, I want inside of that. I want to feel how tight I know it’s gonna be.
“Go back to the house, baby girl. Gunner and Ace are gonna go with you, everything’s gonna be fine, OK? You just relax, get that red-hot body of yours into the smallest bikini you got and catch some sun, all right? I’ll be back as soon as I’m done here.”
I watch closely as her body language suddenly changes. She stiffens slightly, and her fingers seem to tighten around his, I can’t see her eyes ‘cause she’s still got the aviators pulled down over them, but she seems nervous, about leaving Vanni’s side.
He cups her cheek, stroking it lightly with his thumb in a surprisingly tender manner for a crazy motherfucker like him. It’s almost weird to watch, and all it does is make me realize I’m right. There’s more to that relationship than either of them are letting on. But that’s not for me or anyone else to question, and I’ve gotta forget about it. Forget about her. And I can’t make out what he whispers to her next, what he says, I don’t think it’s meant for anyone but her, but whatever he’s telling her, it seems to relax her a little. And she smiles at him, and he kisses her again before pulling away, turning his attention back to the rest of us. We’re being summoned. Like he said, we got shit to sort out. And I don’t feel much like creating any more…
Piper
I wanted him to look at me, but his eyes never fell on mine once, which makes him the smart one. And the last thing I should be doing right now is inviting complications into an already fucked up situation it’s just that, coming here, and seeing him again…
There’d been a time, in Nevada, when we’d been talking; I’d almost felt a connection between us. Maybe he’d felt it, too, I don’t know, but the sensible thing had been to pull back from whatever it might have been; ignore it, act like we didn’t give a shit. Maybe he didn’t. Doesn’t. And I shouldn’t even be thinking like this, I have Vanni. I love Vanni. I married Vanni, this is my life now, this is who I am – Mrs. Vanni Colletti.
I found my soldier, and I can’t afford to lose him. Because I can’t fight this shit alone.
Logan
“So you see where I am with this? We’re managing to keep the smaller chapters under control ‘cause their brothers are too chicken-shit to face our men down. While here, in what’s supposed to be the most respected, the most feared chapter after my own, I got you all being pussy-whipped by a bunch of freakin’ new boys!”
“That ain’t fair, Vanni. We’ve been trying, they just ain’t afraid to push…”
“You heard yourself, Bullet? You’re standing there, in front of me, making fucking excuses? We lost a shit-load of money and a month’s worth of supplies, so excuses? I’m not listening to that shit, I didn’t come here for excuses. I’m here to make sure our territory remains just that – ours. So, we hit back, we go in twice as hard, we put men everywhere they are, we show them we’re not taking their crap. We retaliate. Tonight. We hit their clubhouse, ‘cause that’s all they got that’s worth anything to them, do you see what it is we’re actually dealing with here? They haven’t been around long enough to own warehouses full of weapons, have labs up and running turning out the kinda crystal that makes big money. And you know why they don’t have all that shit yet? ‘Cause they think they can just come on in and takes ours, and so far, they’re fucking winning!”
He slams his fist down on the table so hard the whole thing vibrates, and I quickly glance over at Bullet, who’s running a hand nervously along the back of his neck. There’s no denying we kind of messed up here, but that’s not all Bullet’s fault. We just weren’t expecting those fuckers to be quite so intent on starting an all-out war, ‘cause Vanni’s mood – man, that’s what they’re gonna get.
“Retaliation. Tonight. I already got men watching them, but we’re gonna go in big. They’re gonna get the fucking message, this time… Logan. Over here.”
He beckons me over, and I have no idea what he wants with me, but I’m not gonna argue.
“I got another job for you.”
I frown, digging my hands into my pockets as I lean back against the table. “Oh yeah?”
He hands me a piece of paper and I look down at it.
“That’s the address of my condo, in Marina del Rey. I want you to go there, send Ace and Gunner back here. And then I want you to stay there.”
“Stay there?”
“I need you to keep an eye on Piper.”
“Come on, Vanni, not this bullshit again. Can’t you get someone else to…”<
br />
He takes a step toward me and his eyes, Jesus, they’re dark. He’s pissed.
“That ‘bullshit’ you’re talking about there, son, that’s my wife’s safety.”
I frown again. “She in trouble?” I knew I was right. I knew she was hiding something.
Vanni suddenly turns to face the others in the room. “I’ll meet you all out in the bar, I just need a quick word with Logan first.” He waits ‘til they’re gone before he turns back to me. “You heard of the Cabbetto family? New Jersey mafia, real dangerous fuckers.”
I shake my head ‘cause, no. I haven’t heard of them.
“My old lady, Logan – she’s one of ‘em.”
“Huh?” I’m just fucking confused now.
“Piper used to be a Cabbetto, a real-life mafia princess. Only daughter of Francesco ‘Frankie’ Cabbetto, an old-style gangster with an army of men at his disposal that even I haven’t seen before. But he loved his little girl, y’know? Until she overheard something she shouldn’t. Something so fucking bad that if it happens – if Frankie and his men carry out their plan…”
He leaves that sentence hanging, but I don’t push it, I don’t think I need those details. It’s probably best I stay ignorant on that score.
“She overheard that shit, Logan. And all of a sudden that love he had for his little girl, that was gone, replaced only with the need to keep her quiet. Now, I’m not gonna tell you how he did that, let’s just say his methods were so fucking twisted they caused that girl to run. And she came to me.”
“She know she was coming to you?” I already know the answer to that question, but I don’t think Vanni needs to know that me and Piper have already talked about this, to some extent.
“That don’t matter.”
“She’s really in trouble, huh?”
“They’re looking for her. And they’re gonna kill her, those bastards, they don’t make empty threats. Her daddy wants her dead, he wants to make sure she can’t shoot that pretty mouth of hers off. His princess, she’s nothing more than an irritation now; a risk he needs to eradicate. A problem he needs to get rid of.”
“Jesus, Vanni…”
“But he’s not touching my girl. No-one’s touching my girl, but I can’t be with her twenty-four-seven ‘cause I got this shit to clean up. You, on the other hand…” He places a hand on my shoulder, a slow smile spreading across his face, “I trust you, Logan. And I don’t know why ‘cause I don’t even know you all that well. There’s just something about you… And Piper, she trusts you, too.”
“She tell you that?”
“I need her to feel safe, Logan. I need her to feel comfortable, and I need her to feel safe, that keeps me happy. And keeping me happy right now, that’s important. Pissing me off really isn’t an option.”
“So, what’re we talking about here? You want me to be her bodyguard, is that it?”
“I want you to make sure she stays safe. That’s all.”
“And what about here, huh? It’s OK for me to play babysitter…”
He moves a little closer to me, and his eyes – shit! He could freeze hell over with the look he’s giving me.
“You’re not playing at anything, brother. You got that? And didn’t you hear me just now? Pissing me off really isn’t an option, but you are gonna make sure my wife stays safe. ‘Cause anything happens to her on your watch, and you’ll really understand why pissing me off isn’t a good idea.”
“Shouldn’t I know exactly what I’m dealing with here?”
He steps back from me and flips a joint between his teeth. “Ask Piper.”
“She gonna tell me everything?”
“Tell her I told her to.” He draws deep on the joint and offers it to me. I decline. I want a clear head. “So, we good here?”
He’s not giving me much of a choice. “Yeah. I guess.”
He shoots me a look – a warning look, but I get it. I gotta go keep Piper safe from her mafia daddy, all right, I accept my mission. I’ve had worse shit thrown at me.
“And what I’ve just told you? You keep it to yourself, you got that?”
I nod.
“This is just between you and me, for now. I need this shit sorted first before I let everyone else know what’s going on.”
“You’re gonna tell everyone else? Why? I mean…”
“We’re fighting them, Logan. The bastards who want my wife dead, we’re fighting them. ‘Cause she’s not going anywhere. I’m ending it.”
Jesus. He wants us to fight the freakin’ mafia?
“Go on, get outta here.”
He’s ending the conversation, and I know better than to ask any more questions right now.
I rake a hand back over my head and make to go.
“Hey! Logan! Wait up.”
I turn around to face him. “Yeah?”
“You make her feel comfortable, and that’s good. That’s all fine by me.” He takes a step toward me, his eyes once more dark and cold. “But you – you don’t get comfortable at all.”
Yeah. That’s one loaded message, right there. But he doesn’t scare me. Nothing scares me, not anymore.
He backs off, keeping his eyes on me until he’s out of the door. And now I’ve gotta go look after his girl. His mafia princess turned biker queen. And I’m still pissed.
Seven
Piper
Vanni’s condo here on Marina del Rey, it isn’t what I expected. But then, neither was his estate in Nevada. I don’t know what I was expecting, what kind of home I expected someone like him to live in, how could I? His world is so very different to the one I grew up in. Or is it? Are they really that different? But to look at the places Vanni calls home, I just hadn’t expected them to be owned by an outlaw biker. They look more like something my own family would’ve – do – own. So, I should be used to this, then. This level of luxury, I should be used to it, right?
I slide open the French doors and step outside onto the terrace. The views across the beach and the ocean breathtaking as I stare out ahead of me, I really want to go down on that beach. I want to lie on the sand, feel it running between my fingers and toes; I want to swim in the ocean but that would mean leaving this condo, going out into the open, and I don’t want to do that, not without Vanni. Besides, he’s told me not to leave, not to go outside without him, under any circumstances, so I make do with this terrace and its stunning views, and I try not to think about anything else.
“Hey.”
I swing around at the sound of his voice, slightly startled by his appearance, even though Vanni told me he’d be sending someone over to stay with me, until he got back.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Where are Gunner and Ace?”
“Sent them back to the compound, as instructed by your husband.”
I don’t miss the way his eyes travel the length of my body from top to toe, and I walk back inside and reach for the T-shirt I’d thrown over the back of a nearby chair, quickly pulling it on over my white bikini.
He turns and follows me into the huge open-plan living room. “I’ve seen it all before, sweetheart.”
“Doesn’t grant you a license to see it again.”
He laughs quietly, sliding his hands into his pockets as he leans back against the wall. “So, I guess we’ve been here before, huh?”
“We wouldn’t be, if I didn’t need someone to be here.”
And I hate, that I need someone to be here, but I do. I can’t risk being alone, and if Vanni can’t be here I at least want someone I can talk to. Someone I feel mildly comfortable with. For some reason, I feel comfortable with Logan. And I still don’t know whether that’s a good thing or not, I’m trying not to dwell on it. In the grand scheme of things, I’ve got far more important things to worry about.
He smiles, and I cross my arms against myself in an almost defensive gesture.
“Vanni told me you’re in some kinda trouble.”
“Something like that, yeah.”
&n
bsp; “A mafia princess, huh?”
“Don’t call me that.”
He raises an eyebrow, which irritates me slightly. “Daddy wants you dead, right?”
“Is that what Vanni told you?”
He looks at me, and he gives me a small nod, his eyes not leaving mine.
“What else did he tell you?”
“You overheard something, something bad, Vanni didn’t go into any great detail on that one. But your daddy wants you dead, so, it gotta be something real bad, right?”
I don’t say anything to that. I don’t think it requires an answer.
“He needed to keep you quiet… How did he do that, huh? How did he make sure you kept your mouth shut?”
I sit down on the arm of the couch and drop my head, breaking the stare. I don’t want to talk about this, but it’s only fair he has some kind of an idea as to what he’s dealing with here. What I’m dealing with. “He assigned one of his henchmen as some kind of glorified babysitter.”
He stays silent, and so do I, I really don’t want to go into this.
“But you got away. You escaped.”
I slowly look up, meeting his gaze. “You’ve got nice eyes, has anyone told you that? How nice your eyes are?” They’re a pale blue, an almost calming color. They’re quite beautiful, his eyes.
“What happened to you, Piper?”
“They were going to kill me, whether I kept my mouth shut or not… I threatened to talk to the police, I mean, what did I have to lose? They were going to kill me anyway, no matter what my father said. That bastard just wanted to play with me first…” I trail off, because I really don’t want to talk about this now.
“Who? Your dad?”
I shake my head and drop my gaze, clasping my hands together in my lap. “The man he put in charge of my silence. Marco Vierra. Mad Dog. My father’s right-hand man.”
“What did he do to you?”
I look up again, my eyes once more meeting his. “That’s not really important.”
“Bad enough to make you break free, huh?”
Protection (Death Knights MC Series Book 1) Page 8