[Made Men 6] The Root of All Evil

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “What in God’s name is going on?” Bella asked her as Caprice joined them.

  “I don’t know what is going on. It’s a mess, though. I mean I should probably just head home,” Giada said, and both Caprice and Bella shook their heads and crossed their arms in front of their chests.

  “You’ve been denying your true feelings for Dominick, Andreas, and Giuseppe for too long now. It’s stupid, plain and simple,” Caprice stated very seriously.

  She looked at them. “I don’t want to go through this. I can’t deal with the violence, the fear of something happening to them. I can’t.” She shook her head.

  “Honey, do you realize that the Coglonie men are pretty powerful men but also work the sidelines. They’re not in the center of danger per se like our men are. They’re like the negotiators. The ice men that cool down the situations so no one gets hurt or causes trouble,” Caprice added.

  “I don’t get it. I don’t want to know. Calvarro scared me tonight, and all I was doing was showing up for two clients interested in business. That somehow tuned into more.”

  “They want you. Want to own you, manipulate you, and make you theirs?” Bella said to her.

  “I thought so, but it seems that Calvarro wants that, too.”

  “What?” Caprice asked.

  “Oh shit,” Bella said.

  “See. I don’t even know what that means. Who Calvarro is or what he’s involved in,” Giada said to them.

  Bella touched her arm and gave her a sympathetic look. “Honey, you need to get your head out of your ass and follow your heart. The Coglonies, and our men, the families, will protect you, but they can only do that if you let them and stop pushing all of us away.”

  “Some things are just meant to be. Before it’s too late and you wind up in over your head or hurt, you need to let the men protect you,” Caprice said to her.

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  “Make it simple. Whose arms do you prefer to be in? The Coglonies’ or Alajandro’s and Toro’s?” Caprice asked.

  “What?”

  “It’s simple. You were held by all of them, kissed by them. Hell, they each had shown possession of you with a hand on your ass. You had to feel the difference. Which did you prefer? Which ones did it for you? Which ones could you not stop thinking and fantasizing about?” Bella asked.

  She looked at herself in the mirror and fixed her eyes. Bella and Caprice smiled.

  “We know exactly how you feel. It’s a shocker, but there’s no use in fighting it. It’s meant to be,” Caprice said to her.

  * * * *

  “Where is she now?” Dominick asked Turbo once they got back downstairs to the club. They were all meeting upstairs, and he, Andreas, and Giuseppe hadn’t stuck around the match long enough to see Giada leave with those other men. They were confirming that the deliveries made their way to the warehouse and were being wrapped up and shipped to the right locations. The other men were concerned for Giada’s well-being but not as concerned as Dominick, Andreas, and Giuseppe.

  Then Dominick found out that Giada had asked Bella for a ride. Had those men threatened her? Scared her? If so, he wanted to know.

  “What is your plan of action?” Morano asked him. Mateus was there, too, and Fedarro, plus some of their main security guys.

  “Things have to change, Dominick. Your brother and cousin need to protect Giada, whether she accepts that protection or not. Calvarro knows she is important to you, to us, as our woman’s friend,” Morano told him.

  “We know that, and we’ll deal with it head-on. She has no choice because we aren’t giving her one,” Dominick stated.

  * * * *

  Giada was talking to Caprice, Bella, Major, and Vito when a strong solid arm wrapped around her waist from behind. Initially she gasped, fearing who it might be, but then quickly inhaled the cologne and sensed the familiar feel of Giuseppe’s arms.

  “We need to talk,” Giuseppe whispered into her ear.

  She locked gazes with Bella, who nodded, and then Caprice, who smiled.

  “Come on with me,” he told her.

  “Excuse us,” she said to everyone standing there, and they nodded.

  The men all looked serious. As Giuseppe led her through the crowds of people, he brought her to the hallway and then the elevator. He was taking her upstairs. Was it to one of the private rooms that overlooked the dance floor and club? Was it to his office? She didn’t know, but it didn’t really matter. Once the elevator doors closed, he caged her in against the wall. Her ass hit the mirrored wall behind her, and he loomed over her. He was the calm one out of the three Coglonies she knew.

  “Did they hurt you, touch you in any way?” he asked her.

  She swallowed hard. “No,” she whispered.

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t lie to me. Never lie to any of us—ever.”

  She knew he was dead serious. This man was older, experienced, and a man of power and influence. Tears filled her eyes. How would she tell them that Calvarro had threatened her, hinted about wanting to see her again, and her being called upon?

  He cupped her cheek as the doors opened. “This is a serious situation. It has the potential for real danger, for you to get hurt, and that just isn’t fucking acceptable.”

  She thought he might kiss her, scold her some more, but instead, he took her hand and began to lead her from the elevator. Brew was standing there, on guard and waiting. She glanced at him, and he nodded but held a firm expression. Were they all concerned?

  Giuseppe opened the door. His wavy dark-brown hair and tan complexion accentuated the bright blue tie he wore against the crisp white dress shirt. His jacket was undone, and he looked a bit frazzled. As she entered the room, all eyes fell upon her. Dominick and Andreas were there talking to Royce, Logic, and Train. They all looked her over, and Giuseppe released her hand.

  “Everyone out,” Dominick ordered, and she heard the tightness in his tone, the seriousness of his command, and his men walked out of the room. When the door closed, Dominick stood in front of her.

  “Do you want to be with them? With Alajandro and Toro? Do you have feelings for them, an attraction?”

  She had not expected that. “No.” She shook her head.

  His hands were on his hips, the gun and the holster in plain sight. Two buttons of his shirt were undone. He was so angry.

  “Be honest. Remember what I said about lies,” Giuseppe stated to her from behind her.

  She looked at him. “I’m not lying. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

  Andreas snorted as though he didn’t believe her. She wondered why and looked to the right.

  “I haven’t lied.”

  “You’re attracted to us. You feel it, and you claimed you didn’t,” he said, challenging her.

  She had to decide what she wanted to do and whether taking a chance on these men was worth it. “I’m not ready to risk another broken heart.”

  “Give me a break,” Giuseppe said, and she swallowed hard.

  “Someone hurt you? An ex-lover? A boyfriend? We’re not him. Cut the bullshit, Giada. Everyone has had relationships that fail, but you push us away and deny this strong attraction. Why?” Andreas pushed.

  “There’s more to it than that. I don’t want the danger, the fear of knowing something could happen to someone I care so much for. I can’t live like that. Go through that kind of sadness and pain again. I can’t.”

  They stared at her, and tears filled her eyes.

  “So hanging out with fucking Cuban mob bosses who have slit throats for minor insults is less dangerous than being with fucking us?” Dominick raised his voice.

  “I didn’t know he was a Cuban mob boss.”

  Dominick stepped closer, and she didn’t move. Couldn’t move. He towered over her, and through his blue dress shirt, she could see his bulging muscles. He, too, wore his gun and holster and no longer had the jacket on covering it. His hands were on his hips.

  “Calvarro Torres is a very, very bad man, Gi
ada—the kind of man who will own you without you even realizing it, and when and if you do realize he owns you, it’s too late.”

  She swallowed hard, could see how pissed off he was. She shivered. “He doesn’t own me,” she whispered, and her voice cracked.

  “He wants you,” Giuseppe said, pressing up against her back.

  Her lips parted as he held on to her shoulders, and Dominick gripped her hips. He lowered to look her in the eyes.

  “He can’t have you,” Dominick said through clenched teeth.

  She stared up into his dark brown eyes, looked at his firm lips, that distinguished nose, and serious expression. “I don’t even know what happened. I don’t,” she whispered as tears filled her eyes.

  “You’ll explain it to us so we understand. We’ll protect you.” He eased his hand to her cheek and used his thumb to stroke her lower lip.

  He stared at her, and the feel of Dominick’s finger stroking her lip, the intense look in his eyes, made her think of Bella’s and Caprice’s words to her, about how it felt when the men touched her and who she was attracted to.

  “You need protecting, baby. You’re a beautiful, tiny young thing. My God, I don’t want to think about it.”

  He stared at her lips, gripped her jaw, and then lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.

  Giuseppe released her shoulders, and Dominick wrapped her up in his arms. She felt lost in his embrace. She kissed him back, allowed him full access to her mouth, but when his palm slid along her ass, the size large enough to cover most of her ass cheek, his larger size intimidated her. She tightened up, and he eased his mouth from hers.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head.

  He gave her a little shake and tilted his head at her. “Honesty, no lies.”

  She swallowed. “You’re so big and filled with muscles. I’m lost in your embrace. It’s intimidating.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her and looked over her breasts then to her lips as he wrapped her up tight. “You’re protected in this embrace. Cared for and cherished. Now give your men some loving. They’ve been more than patient these last few months, never mind having to watch other men touch you, kiss you, knowing that those men want you in their beds when you’re our woman.” He slowly released her to Giuseppe.

  Giuseppe reached for her hips but didn’t pull her close. He stared down at her lips and let his palm slid along her hip and lower back. He waited for her to initiate the kiss. How couldn’t she? The man was gorgeous. She stepped closer to him and stood up on tiptoes in her heels. His arm tightened around her waist, and Giuseppe’s palm grazed her ass as he lowered his mouth to meet hers. When their lips touched, sparks flew, that connection intensified, and she was lost in the man’s control and embrace. Giuseppe plunged his tongue in deeply then ran his palm along her ass and one up to cup her breast. She pulled back.

  “Giuseppe,” she whispered and lowered her eyes. She stepped back, only for him to pull her close by her ass and thrust against her.

  He squinted at her. “You’re going to be our woman. No other men but the three of us,” he said to her so seriously.

  These men were experienced. Just the way they held her, touched her, showed that experience. He tapped her ass.

  “Andreas’s turn to feel this sexy body and taste those delicious lips.”

  She turned toward Andreas. His expression was hard. He was the quietest, the most serious and lethal. The man she felt and assumed did all the rough stuff. He was retired military, Special Forces. She gulped as tears stung her eyes. Could she let down her guard, forget about the past and about Jimmy to let Andreas in, too?

  He took her hand and looked down at it. He placed it into his and stared at the difference in size. Then he slid his other hand up her wrist to her shoulder and then under her hair. He gripped the locks possessively and tilted her head up toward him. Her lips parted as she held his gaze, feeling a mix of concern and desire for more.

  “This is it, Giada. We’re taking a chance on you, too, on this.”

  He then lowered down, she thought to kiss her mouth, but instead, he inhaled against her neck and trailed his lips softly against the skin as his grip on her tightened.

  She anticipated his lips touching hers, and she wanted him to kiss her, wanted to feel his lips possess hers as Dominick’s and Giuseppe’s had only moments ago. It was crazy, wild, and then he trailed his mouth along her jaw to the corner of her mouth and kissed her. Andreas took his time, kissed her tenderly then more fully. When his hand started to slide up under her dress as she moaned into his mouth, she knew she needed to slow things down. She gripped his shoulder and pressed her hand against the hand trying to move under her dress.

  His fingers were over her ass, the tips sliding in the crack. She felt her pussy react, and she gripped him tight.

  “Andreas, I need slow. There are things to explain so you understand.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re still holding back. You’re unsure. Why, when this is so damn powerful?”

  “It’s what holds me back. What gives me the fear to not open my heart, to not date or get close to a man, to any man.”

  “Who was this guy, and what the hell did he do?” Dominick asked, sounding angry again.

  She pulled back from Andreas, instantly feeling the loss of his hands on her body. She wiped her eyes before a tear fell. “His name was Jimmy. He was Special Forces. We dated for three years, were going to get married and start a family, but he died in combat.”

  “Damn, Giada,” Giuseppe whispered.

  “A Special Forces soldier?” Andreas asked her, and she stared up at him and nodded.

  “I’ve been too scared to date any man.”

  “When did he pass?” Dominick asked.

  “Two years ago.”

  “You haven’t been with a man since him?” Giuseppe asked.

  “He was my only lover ever.”

  The expression on Andreas’s face was indescribable. She didn’t know what he would say or do, and when he shook his head and then reached out, grabbed a fistful of the material of her dress, and pulled her into his arms and hugging her tight, she was shocked. The tears fell, and she hugged him back.

  “You’re so damn special, Giada. Guys come back and they have no one, or they change so much that they’re not even the same person. I couldn’t imagine having to leave you to serve and then praying that you would be there for me when I returned. You’re a damn angel, Giada. Your Jimmy would want you to be happy, not lonely. A soldier wants those he cares about to be safe and to be happy. We can do that, Giada. You can do that for us, too.”

  * * * *

  Andreas took her hand and brought her over to the couch. He sat down, and she took the seat next to him, crossed her legs, and then looked at Dominick and Giuseppe. His cousins pulled over two chairs and placed them in front of the couch and Giada.

  “Let’s go through this situation so we know where things stand. Then we can go downstairs and enjoy the rest of the night with family and friends and celebrate Angelo’s win,” Dominick said to her.

  Andreas looked at Giada as she answered their questions. He’d felt protective of her from day one, and that protectiveness and desire had turned to a possessiveness that just seemed to get stronger. From the moment she’d been nearly abducted, he’d felt compelled to be her protector. Thank God he had been in the hospital room that day she was going to be discharged, or she wouldn’t be here right now. He squeezed her hand and put it on his thigh. She talked about her job, about the business she was doing with Alajandro and Toro, and about meeting up with their cousin Calvarro.

  Andreas knew Calvarro’s ways of handling things. He was dirty, he was gruesome, and he would surely go after Giada. Andreas saw how Calvarro looked at her, kept her close, whispered into her ear, and put that fear on her face.

  “You’re not to go see them again. No meetings with Calvarro. Doesn’t matter if he makes a demand. Your response is that he needs to make that a
ppointment through me,” Dominick stated firmly.

  Andreas clenched his teeth. This could get bad.

  “I don’t understand. How would that work?” she asked Dominick.

  He leaned closer, placed his hands on her knees, and squeezed. “He’ll know immediately that you’re our woman. That he can’t touch you, pursue you, or make a move.”

  “Unless he’s fucking stupid and ready to start a war,” Giuseppe stated very seriously.

  “I wouldn’t put it past the narcissistic bastard. He thinks who the fuck he is,” Andreas stated.

  Dominick stared at Giada. “I understand your fears and why you pushed us away. We do have dangerous jobs, and we are engaged in activities that you do not need to know about. But you need to be aware that we have enemies. However, in you avoiding this attraction, you inadvertently put yourself right next to a man, and men, that could destroy your life. You ran from us. Don’t make that same mistake again. Let us protect you, Giada. Let us see where this attraction leads us.”

  “I need slow, Dominick. I need to recondition my mind, my senses, to things.”

  “Understandable, but there’s no holding back. Talk to us about them, about your concerns and fears, and in private. When we walk out that door tonight and go down there to the club, you go as our woman. And we go as your men. Understood?” Dominick asked her firmly.

  She looked at him, licked her lower lip, and looked at Andreas and Giuseppe. “Yes, I understand.”

  Dominick stood, reached out his hands for her to take, and lifted her up and into his arms. He wrapped her up tight, as his cousin’s arms encased her as if she was precious. “Before we go down, one more kiss to hold me off until later tonight.” He then kissed her lips and ran his palm along her ass and her back before he released her. “You need to fix up?”

  She nodded, but then Andreas pulled her close and kissed her. He felt her curves and imagined what she looked like naked. Giuseppe cleared his throat, and then Andreas released her to him. He kissed her and then led her toward the table where her small purse was.