They digested that differently—Michael with a flicker of fear, and Alessio with a swig of whiskey, all arrogance.
“That’s a little overboard. He’s pissed, but he won’t kill off his leadership.”
“Uncle Nico has lost his marbles. The moment Anthony went missing, he’s been making stupid decisions. Bribing half the police force. Getting involved in the biker wars.” I stared at Michael, whose brow pinched. “We’ll die trying to save his son, and if we don’t…we’re all fucked.”
Alessio massaged his temples, frowning. “What you want to do is suicide. It’ll blow up in our faces.”
“Set your feelings aside and use your head. He’s already undermining me. If he doesn't give a damn about the fallout, neither should we.”
“No,” Alessio snapped. “Killing the boss will invite a free-for-all. Nico has a lot of friends, V. What’s your plan when they turn on you?”
“I’ll take them out, one by one.”
“You don’t have enough support,” Alessio reminded me. “You won’t be able to live in Boston after this, so I hope you’re happy with a lifetime of running. Good luck doing that with a baby on the way.”
“My sister will stay here.”
I wheeled at Michael, blood pounding in my ears. “She goes where I go.”
Michael rose to his feet, plunging his fists into his slacks. “Are we done here?”
“One day, you’ll leave Nico’s mansion and get shot in the driveway,” I said as he swigged more of his drink. “If I’m at risk, so are you.”
“I’d rather face one enemy than the dozens I’ll gain by offing Nico.” Alessio dragged his arm across his shining forehead. “Do whatever you want. But if you attack a boss, I’m taking off. I can’t have my family anywhere near this catastrophe.”
With that parting shot, Alessio stood and left. Michael followed wordlessly, the door swinging behind their backs.
Message received.
I’m on my own.
Assassinating the boss would be a pain in the ass. It would involve hiring the Bratva. Street bosses would probably come after me. Killing Nico could be the catalyst for inevitable disaster.
The front door opened and slammed. I lunged out of the recliner, my heart hammering, but it was only a pale-faced Liana weighed with shopping bags. I still wasn’t used to someone coming and going in my house. The seashell necklace bouncing on her chest dug at my veins. Rage gushed out, swallowing me.
She loved someone else.
A frat boy, no doubt, like that asshole who kept smirking with that patented I’ve-tapped-that look. James. I pictured his stupid face and shook my head. She didn’t give a shit about James.
Who was the other man?
I’d combed through her emails and texts, finding no evidence of another man. It drove me nuts because she was growing on me. Literally. She took over my shit with impunity. I chewed her out every time I stepped on a wet towel in the bathroom, but Liana was committed to being a slob. Her latest baking disaster charred scones to a cookie sheet, which she’d dumped in the sink. I picked at it for a good twenty minutes before tossing it.
Her annoying 80’s ballads blasted into every room. Once, I caught her slow dancing to “Time after Time.” I endured it for a few seconds before hijacking the Wi-Fi to play The Police, which was a way better choice than Cyndi-fucking-Lauper.
Despite her abysmal taste in music, my stomach turned at the idea of her leaving. I liked coming home to her. She made the place feel lived-in. She was so tiny, but her warmth was big, and it filled the apartment.
My head pounded as I paced the living room, sweating. Liana had complained about the cold, so I’d dialed up the thermostat to sixty-seven. It was hot as balls, and I couldn’t concentrate on the things that mattered—like the ongoing crisis with the biker wars, the fuck-heads undermining me, and Nico.
Stuffing pillows under her shirt wouldn’t work forever.
Goddamn it.
Giving up, I shoved my phone into my pocket and blazed into my bedroom. Boxes were stacked everywhere. Liana had refused to unpack for days, but I wouldn’t let her move into a guest room. Her bras and panties covered my bed. She’d emptied my drawers, and the disorder shot fire down my spine.
Liana had changed into a pink camisole and pajama shorts. She dug into an opened box, cramming her clothes into the drawer. It was surreal to witness. I’d never had anyone take over my life. She grabbed a frame from my closet—my boot camp graduation photo—and stared at it.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.” Liana jumped and thrust the picture onto the shelf. “God. Stop that.”
“You don’t need to go through my stuff.”
“I’m not trying to snoop, but you have a lot crammed away, and I have to make room.”
Liana was as harmful as a butterfly, but I didn’t like her digging through my shit. My annoyance faded as she straightened, pushing out her tits. Her nipples peaked the sheer cotton, the dark circles stiffening my cock.
Blood coursed through me like an awakened river. My mouth went dry as she flopped onto the bed.
“Sorry about the mess,” she murmured, thumbing her phone. “I’ll clean it up soon. I’m just taking a break.”
I didn’t understand why she and her entire generation had their heads buried in their phones. I sat on the only clear space on the mattress.
She ripped off her socks and threw them on the floor. “So, what are you going to do about Nico?”
My hands twitched. “What?”
“I overheard you guys. I came in early while you weren’t paying attention, and then I doubled back and walked through the door.”
Fuck.
I kept forgetting I had a goddamned roommate. I raked my hair, my skin tingling from her stare. “You shouldn’t have heard that.”
“Vinn, what’s your plan?”
“Don’t worry about it, honey.”
“But I might be able to help.”
The room echoed with my chuckle. “Stick to what you’re good at, Liana, school and charring kitchenware.”
Her eyes narrowed. She swung her legs off the bed and charged toward me, hands on her hips. “I’m sick of you being an asshole.”
“Pointing out that you ruin my shit is being an asshole?”
“You underestimate me. You think I’m useless!”
It amused me how similar she was to Michael. Like him, she was prone to be offended over the dumbest things.
“You’re a college student. You have a lot of life to live before telling me what to do, honey.”
“I can help with Killian!”
“You have nothing to offer him but your body.” I lurched upright as Liana crossed her arms, her cheeks blossoming with pink. “I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. This isn’t one of your classes, Li. You can’t debate him.”
I brushed the skin over her knitting brows.
She flinched, stepping aside. “What about Anthony? If he came home, this would go away. Right?”
I wished it were that simple.
“He’s unreachable.”
“So what do we do? I can’t just sit tight while you’re dealing with all this.” A faint thread of hysteria wove in her voice. “Tell me how I can help.”
I’d never hold a meeting at my house again.
“Take a breath, sweetheart.” I took her shoulders, massaging her delicate frame. “Breathe. There you go. Everything will be fine—”
She launched into my chest.
I closed my eyes and drifted on a cloud. Something in her manner soothed me. Liana expected me to be her anchor, and it’d unleashed a fever inside me.
I craved this.
Whatever it was, I needed it like oxygen.
My heart jolted and my pulse pounded. I fought the wave of discomfort as I pulled her close, focusing on her tits squashing against me. I spread my hand over her back. The thin satin glowed with her warmth, and I slipped underneath.
A wicked heat stroked my cock. It throbbed as Liana jamm
ed her head under my chin, totally oblivious to my growing hard-on. She tipped her face, beaming with a sweet smile.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. We have brunch with my friends today.”
Not happening. “I’m not hanging with your college buddies.”
“Why not?”
“I like you, but I draw the line at social functions with idiot kids.”
“They’re my friends.” Her arms dropped from my sides. “You’re part of my life now, or pretending to be. So you’re coming.”
“I’d rather swim through shark-infested waters. The answer is no.”
“If you keep acting like a dictator, I’ll run to Michael.”
“I’ll run to Michael,” I mocked as her nostrils flared. “Yeah, Good luck with that.”
She shoved my chest and stepped around me, speeding toward the door. She paused at the threshold, scowling.
“Asshole.”
I blew her a kiss before she ran out.
Seventeen
Liana
I wasn’t a damsel.
My brother Michael used to tell me, don’t wake up planning to be mediocre. That attitude had served me well in life. It got me into a great university, and it made me smash the girls’ high school swim meet records. My accomplishments might’ve been small compared to Vinn’s, but I wasn’t as helpless as the idiot believed.
After our argument, I’d fled to the laundry room. My chest burning, I’d yanked open the dryer. A bundle of clothes had tumbled into the basket. I’d separated the green apron from a shirt, and a business card fluttered out. The name printed on top had sucked in my breath.
Killian
Call me. Anytime.
My heart pounded with a reckless impulse. I wanted to dial the number right there, but I needed time to think it through. Once Vinn left the house, I researched for hours and came up with a plan.
Then I arranged a meeting.
I sat in a booth far from the windows and tempting sunshine. The dive was in my old neighborhood, close to the café where Killian had almost abducted me, and packed with college students.
Before long, a guttural roar shook the floor. Killian arrived in a flash of chrome. He descended from the bike and lifted the helmet from his head, easily the most exotic thing in this bar with the leather, his golden beard, and wild hair. Girls turned their heads as he strolled inside. He bantered with the bartender before taking his drink. Then he joined me, sliding over the vinyl.
I forced a grin. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” Killian stirred his cocktail. “Couldn’t resist when I heard your voice.”
Here we go.
My smile flickered. “This isn’t a date.”
He gave me a black look. “So you’ve mentioned.”
“Let’s be very clear. I’m not here to cheat on Vinn or do anything he’d consider a betrayal.”
“Like ditch the bodyguards to meet me in secret?” Killian’s blue gaze twinkled as he revolved his straw. “You’re in denial, babe.”
I gritted my teeth.
During the phone call, I was firm. I was not interested in Killian, but his demeanor made it obvious those words had gone in one ear and out the other.
He touched my elbow. “You’re that desperate to leave him?”
I pulled out of reach. “This isn’t about my relationship with Vinn. This isn’t even about me. I want to negotiate Anthony’s safe return.”
The only thing that’d make all of this disappear was Anthony. If he returned, Nico would stop endangering Vinn’s life, and we could go our separate ways. We wouldn’t have to keep up a charade that was slowly killing me.
“I see.” He plucked the cherry from his drink, squeezing the bright red flesh. “You think all your problems will go away once he’s back. Right?”
Yup.
I clenched the table. “Will you do it?”
“Sure. Break up with Vinn.”
“I’m not doing that.”
“Why? Because he’s so warm and fuzzy?” Killian snapped his fingers at the black-haired waitress in cutoff jeans and pointed at my empty glass.
“Why are you so stuck on me?”
“Because I’ve watched you for a long time.”
You mean stalked.
I waved at the ladies sitting at the bar. “Take a look around. Plenty of college girls to choose from.”
“What do they have to offer me besides a mountain of student loan debt?” He snorted as the waitress slid another vodka tonic over the table. “You’re worth five million of them. You’re leverage, the start of a new alliance, and pretty decent arm candy.”
I supposed that was a compliment.
He seized my cup and sipped.
I glared at him, resenting how he took without asking. “What if I did something for you?”
His gaze dipped to my cleavage. “Like?”
“There’s a warrant out for your arrest on a felony arson charge. You missed your arraignment on the twenty-third. You also have a court date for next week for a pesky armed robbery.”
He smiled. “That case is built on probable cause. I’ll get it thrown out.”
“I’m not sure you will. Judge Gilstrap is a friend of ours. You know what he hates? Violence against women.”
He raised a brow. “I haven’t done anything to you.”
Yet, his tone implied.
“You kidnapped me in front of witnesses. You dragged me to your bike, took off, and I barely escaped with my life.”
“That isn’t what happened.”
“That’s your side of the story.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m glad you’ve caught on,” I sneered, yanking my drink. “Isn’t
Massachusetts a three-strikes state? It’d suck if I filed a police report. Who knows what Judge Gilstrap will make of that information? He’ll probably deny you bail, which means you’ll be stuck in jail until your trial. There’s a pretty big backlog these days, so it’ll get pushed back. Considering your extensive rap sheet, the judge might feel compelled to give you the maximum sentence.”
Killian’s mouth curled into a devious smirk as he tapped the table. “You’re a crazy cunt.”
“Not as crazy as I’ll be if you don’t do what I want. I could make your life difficult, or I could put in a word for you with the judge.”
His stare drilled into me. “I’ll kill Gilstrap, and then I’ll come after you.”
“No, you won’t.”
“You won’t. Doing this puts you in the crosshairs of every biker in Boston.” He chewed a chunk of ice, his voice hardening. “We’re done here.”
He inclined his sleek head and kissed the air between us.
I grabbed his wrist. “I’ll do it.”
He glanced at my hand. Then he wrenched my arm and yanked. I collided with him, close enough to smell his leather cut.
“Negotiating is one thing, but threatening me? You’re playing a dangerous game.”
Beads of sweat formed on my lip. “I can help you.”
“You can get on your knees.”
I tore from his grasp, stumbling from the booth.
He caught me to stop me from falling but didn’t pull me toward him. The words stuck in my throat as he released me. He winked before striding out.
I didn’t breathe until he’d climbed on his bike, and then my shoulders curled forward.
Fuck.
Now what?
I rubbed the marks he’d left on me. Going to Killian had been a risk. I’d hoped he’d take me seriously, but he didn’t think I’d follow through. I wouldn’t immediately run to the police. Retaliation was a big concern, but it wasn’t like Vinn had many moves remaining.
Lugging my bag from the booth, I nudged through the college crowd and burst into the sunshine. Then I twisted my hair into a knot, shoved a baseball cap over my head, and slid on my backpack. I bowed my head, strolling to the subway as rush-hour traffic breezed along.
A man in a suit slipped from
a car. He stepped onto the sidewalk and froze, his frame blocking the way.
I walked around him until a strong, jacketed arm circled my waist. My body recognized Vinn’s touch before a deep growl erupted from his chest. He dragged me, fingers biting into my flesh.
Flames blasted from Vinn, overwhelming the summer day’s heat. Veins popped from his forehead, his demeanor so threatening that passersby scattered.
“Fuck’s sake, Liana. You better have broken it off with him.” His terrible voice shot fire down my spine.
I gaped at him. “Who?”
Vinn clenched his teeth so hard that a muscle jumped in his jaw. “The man you met behind my fucking back.”
Wow.
“I wasn’t—”
“Get in the damned car.”
Stunned, I allowed him to pull me inside the parked Lexus. I sank into the backseat as Vinn slammed the partition.
“How did you find me?”
“You are not good at covering your tracks.” His tone rolled with cold contempt. “Plus, the bartender called me. I have eyes everywhere, especially when it concerns my fiancée.”
Great.
He seized my backpack and ripped out my phone. He thumbed through my texts, and when he found nothing, he swiped to Recent Calls.
Oh shit.
“A five-minute conversation right before you left the house,” Vinn taunted. “This is the guy.”
Fire shot up my throat.
“Who is he, some frat boy? He still in there?” He tapped the window, mouth curling. “I’ll drag you in there and make you point him out.”
“You don’t want me to do that.”
“Now I’m really curious.”
His thumb hovered over the screen.
“Vinn, don’t.”
“Afraid of what I’ll do? You should be.”
I’m scared for you. “Do not press that button.”
He stabbed the number.
I lunged for the cell, but Vinn lifted it out of reach. The call connected, and Killian’s purr filled the car.
“Ready to dump Costa? Or are you offering me a blowie?”
A bleak silence settled between us.
“Liana, you there?”
I cringed, hands on my ears, staring at the floor as though looking for a hole to swallow me.
Faked: A Dark Mafia Romance Page 13