Then his knee urging her legs apart, his mouth on her sex, his lips, his tongue, his fingers on her, in her, slipping in her wetness, making her scream and pant, and call his name, and beg him to take her, to fuck her.
And finally she remembered him sinking into her, making her open wide, his hips slapping against hers, harder and faster and deeper, until she came again.
But the thing she remembered most was the tender look in his eyes when he withdrew from her, when he rolled over and pulled her on top of him, when he brushed the hair out of her eyes and kissed her. When he said, “I believe it can happen again.”
She almost believed it too.
Sunlight slanted golden and low across the bedroom as Kate slipped out of bed, not wanting to wake Enrico. Wincing at the soreness in her thighs and lower back, she smiled at the memory, almost a fever dream, of their sex. She corrected herself: their lovemaking. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. She’d never lost herself entirely to sensation, to the moment. To the man. To the way he made her feel, inside and out. She felt cared for, wanted, protected, needed. Maybe even… loved. He’d implied it, there at the end. I believe it can happen again.
She stumbled into the shower, grateful for the warmth as the water ran over her hair, her arms, her back. This was all happening so fast. Too fast. It had to stop. She had to stop. But her mind kept racing down the one track she didn’t want it to pursue.
Soaping up, she allowed herself to daydream for a moment. If she wanted to be with Enrico, how could that happen? Vince wasn’t about to give her a divorce. The only way he intended to let her go was in a coffin.
Enrico opened the door to the shower and stepped inside. “Mmm,” he murmured, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her close. His cock rubbed against her buttocks. He was hard again.
“Already?” Her voice came out sharp. Couldn’t he leave her alone for one minute?
He stopped rubbing against her. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything.” She sighed. “We can’t possibly be together.” How raw her voice sounded. How could she care so much already?
“Kate, we will get through this.” As he spoke, his lips moved against her neck. “We will. I promise you.”
She turned around in his arms. “What about Vince? What about Carlo? How the hell can this possibly work?”
He regarded her somberly, his face beaded with water, his thick lashes heavy with it. “Let me worry about the Andrettis.”
She pressed her hands flat against his broad chest. He wasn’t seeing reality. “If you say so.”
He hugged her tighter. “Trust me. If I did not think there was hope for us, I would not try for it.” His voice went soft. “I do not want to get hurt either.”
Her heart contracted. How did he know that was troubling her when she hadn’t even known it? He stared at her, his eyes locked on hers, but he remained silent.
She took a deep breath. “Just remember I’m not making any promises.” It was the best she could do.
“Good enough.” He lowered his mouth to hers. His hips twitched, and she was again aware of his hard cock pressing into her belly. She slid her arms around his neck. Maybe they couldn’t have forever, but they might as well have right now.
They were drying off from a second shower when she noticed the tattoo on his right bicep again. She’d been so caught up before, she hadn’t taken more than a glance. It was all black, a small circle of roses with a design inside. She held his arm still to peer at the tattoo, conscious of his eyes locked on her face. The design turned out to be words done in a fancy swirling script. “Quattro in tre,” she said aloud. “Four in three. What does it mean?”
“I do not want to talk about it.”
“Why?”
His face darkened. “It has to do with the accident.”
“When your mother and brothers were killed?” He nodded. “I still don’t understand the reference.”
“May we not talk about this now?”
His face was turned half away from hers, but his sorrow was still apparent. “All right,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.” Only a bitch would continue to press. And besides, the more she knew about him, the harder it would be to leave.
CHAPTER 12
Vince met with Franco Trucco in the public gardens of the Villa Carlotta. They spoke little until they turned off on a side path that led to a viewpoint for the lake. It was a good meeting place; they were far enough away from the crowds to speak freely, and the gravel on the path would warn them if someone approached.
Vince sized up Trucco. He was in his early sixties like Carlo, but Trucco seemed sick, as if he had a fever; his gray hair looked greasy and dark circles ringed his eyes. “What can you give me on Lucchesi?” Vince asked.
“Is there a death Carlo would like to distance himself from? I can testify I heard Enrico planning it.” Trucco’s words tumbled out, excited, unsteady.
“Carlo already tried to use one of Lucchesi’s guys to tie him to the Judge Dinelli hit. But Grantini disappeared. We got to assume Lucchesi found him out. Grantini was the key. Without his testimony, we got nothing.” He looked hard at Trucco. “You think you’re smart enough not to end up like Grantini?”
Trucco swallowed. “I can prove tax evasion. That’s why Dinelli was after Enrico and Carlo. And I could say I heard Enrico plan Dinelli’s murder.”
“Prison time ain’t enough. Carlo wants him dead.” Vince gazed across the lake, his hands crossed behind his back. “We want to know where we can get to him, either security-wise or family-wise.”
“I might be able to locate Rinaldo.”
Vince smiled. Now he was getting somewhere. “That’s a start. Anything else?”
The accountant thought for a moment. “There is something I have always been curious about.”
“What?”
Trucco shook his head. “I am not sure yet what it is. But he has gone to great pains to keep it concealed.”
Vince didn’t hide his interest. “Find out what it is, and bring it to us.”
After his meeting with Trucco, Vince hadn’t expected to be able to move on Lucchesi for a while, even though he was dying to whack the guy. But sometimes everything you needed just hopped in your lap and made itself at home. He walked away from his second clandestine meeting of the day, a big grin on his face. He never in a million years would’ve expected to hear from someone else in Lucchesi’s organization, especially not a guy so close to Lucchesi. A guy who knew everything necessary for a single man to take Lucchesi out.
Vince didn’t doubt the truth of what he’d heard, once the man explained his reasons, once he made clear what kind of future he had in mind for himself. Yeah, it was a wrinkle to his plans, but no biggie. There’d be more than enough to go around after Lucchesi was on ice.
Now that he had what he needed, Vince was going to be a hero after all. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Carlo’s face when he pulled it off. Yeah, the old man would be pissed for a while. But he’d be happy in the end. And they’d both have their revenge.
Vince circled the perimeter of the Lucchesi estate, keeping to the shadows even though it was the middle of the night. The moon was three-quarters full, the sky clear. If he wasn’t fucking careful, he’d be spotted.
No one had ever broken into Lucchesi’s home. The damn place was like a fortress—security alarms, armed guards, even dogs at night. Lucchesi had hired an expert to design a custom alarm system and kept him on the payroll to keep the man’s mouth shut. If it had been an off-the-rack system, it could have been hacked. But no one had the specs for it. Which made breaking into the house undetected almost impossible.
But not if you knew the alarm codes. Not if you knew the guards’ schedules. Not if you knew about the gate hidden in the hedges along the northern edge of the estate.
If you had all that, the job was a candy snatch from a baby. Except he intended to do far worse. Before the night was through, the bitch and that scum Lucchesi would be de
ad. And if all went as planned, he would take over a good part of the Lucchesi family’s holdings in the aftermath. Vince grinned. He was going to enjoy this.
After a little fumbling, he found the gate in the hedge. He’d just entered the code and slipped through, twigs tearing at his clothes and hair, when he heard the low, rumbling growl of a Rottweiler padding toward him on his left. He’d come prepared. Reaching in his pocket, he withdrew the paper-wrapped lump of ground meat he’d laced with sedatives and tossed it to the dog. The Rottweiler stopped and sniffed the meat, eying him cautiously before bolting the treat. Vince didn’t move, his heart doing a fucking workout routine in his chest. He’d never admitted it to anyone, especially not Carlo, but big dogs scared the fuck out of him. He took a few breaths to calm himself as he watched the dog, careful not to stare at it too directly in case he pissed the fucker off.
After a few moments, the dog blinked heavily and whined, shaking its head, drool running from its powerful jowls. Vince tried to step past the dog, but it snapped at him, the whine turning back into a growl, and his whole body went subzero. Don’t fuck it up, asshole. He looked around, wondering where the other one was. There were supposed to be two.
Peering into the darkness, he kept the big slobbering fuck in his peripheral vision. It wiped its face against the grass, then it finally flopped down with a heavy sigh.
Vince walked past the animal. He hadn’t gotten far when he heard panting and paws rapidly striking the earth. It took everything he had not to jackrabbit. He already had the lump of meat in his hand. He chucked it at the noise, hoping to distract the dog. It wasn’t long until he heard the clap of its jaws, the quick work it was making of the meat.
Fucking goddamn dogs. All they did was shed. And stink. And shit. He hoped the stupid fucks died from the sedatives. It was what they deserved. They hadn’t even barked. And they’d gobbled down food from a stranger. So fucking dumb.
The second dog went down as quickly as the first, and Vince stepped around it, slinking through the shadows along the hedge, making his way toward the house.
He paused about a hundred feet from the back terrace and checked his watch. Two-fifteen. The guards would be less alert by now. Lucchesi and the whore would be fast asleep.
He settled against a tree to wait. A guard would pass by in a few minutes, then he could sneak up and punch the code into the panel next to the French doors.
He’d been so stupid about Kate. He’d married her too soon, had never bothered to look past her nice-girl face to make sure he knew the woman under it. His next wife would be a simple girl, probably a distant cousin of his. Someone beautiful and sweet, someone who knew about the family business. Someone who would only want to give him kids, who wouldn’t need a career, who wouldn’t ask questions. Or look at other guys. Yeah, his next wife would be his. And she wouldn’t make a fool of him.
A guard walked by on schedule, light gleaming dully on the mini Uzi he carried. Vince waited until the guard stepped around the corner, then he sprinted across the open stretch of lawn up to the house. He flipped open the alarm panel, keyed in the code to disarm it, then picked the lock on the doors. Fucking child’s play. He was inside in a few moments. Lucchesi was a lazy fucker. Vince shook his head, smiling. Everyone said Lucchesi was smart. What the fuck did they know?
He eased the door shut behind him, then crossed the foyer and started climbing the staircase on the left. Lucchesi’s room was at the end of the north wing. He’d probably find the whore there as well. His gut twisted. Katie.
Maybe she wasn’t a fucking slut. Maybe he’d gotten it wrong. Maybe there was hope.
His heart revved again as he crept up the stairs, quiet as a cat after a mouse.
Even if she wasn’t with him, Lucchesi was going to suffer for taking his woman. And she’d learn her lesson too.
This was going to be fun. For him, anyway.
CHAPTER 13
Enrico didn’t know what awakened him, but his hand was already halfway to the Glock in his nightstand drawer when he felt a sharp blow to his temple. He tried to shout a warning to Kate but managed only a stuttering gasp before everything went black.
When he came to, he was lying on his side. Someone had bound him hand and foot. The lights were on, and Vincenzo Andretti was straddling Kate’s naked body on the floor.
Enrico’s heart was a machine gun on full automatic. Andretti had a Beretta in his hand, and he was stroking the weapon down her body. He’d tied her hands together over her head. Kate whimpered low in her throat, her eyes glued to the gun, as Andretti spoke to her. “I hoped it wasn’t true, but here you are, naked. You fucking whore. You jumped from my bed to his just like that.”
“You tried to kill me!”
“I was just gonna rough you up a bit, keep you in line. But now that I seen this, I am gonna kill you.”
Rage whipped through Enrico’s body; his head buzzed, and his face grew hot. When he spoke, his voice sounded guttural, foreign to his ears. “Get the fuck off her. Now.”
Andretti looked up at him, his lips twisted into an evil grin. “Welcome to the party.”
“Get off her!” He wanted to strangle Andretti, but he could barely move his arms.
Andretti pointed the gun at him. “Lay back and watch with your mouth shut. I already told her I’d kill you if she screamed for help. The same applies to you, only I’ll stick this gun up her cunt when I pull the trigger.”
Enrico’s stomach cramped. He should have had a panic button added to his room when Strasser suggested it. “How did you get in here?” He pitched his voice low so Andretti wouldn’t try anything.
Andretti laughed. “There’s a snake in your family.”
Dom was right; there was a traitor. “Who?”
“Don’t matter since you’ll be dead soon.”
Enrico struggled against the ropes. “Vaffanculo!”
Andretti raised his brows and shook his head. “Fuck you? No way. But the whore here”—he caressed Kate’s cheek with the gun—“I’ll certainly fuck her. You just get to watch.”
Kate struggled against Andretti. “Vince, stop it. You’re not a rapist. This isn’t you.”
“Ain’t it?” he asked. “I changed, you said it. And you made me this way.”
“You’re blaming me?”
“You act like a whore, you’re gonna get treated like one.”
As Andretti’s hand moved toward Kate’s breast, Enrico detected some give to the ropes binding his wrists. It wasn’t much, but maybe it was enough. He went to work. The look on Andretti’s face said he’d stop playing any minute. And then he and Kate would be dead.
Vince squeezed Kate’s breast hard, making her cry out in pain. He smiled, his eyes alight with cruelty. Adrenaline arced up her spine, and she couldn’t control her breathing. It was the same look he’d had at the office, the day he’d attacked her. He’d kill her, then he’d kill Enrico. And this time Enrico couldn’t help. She’d tried to leave some slack when Vince made her tie him up. Vince hadn’t noticed anything when he double-checked her work; maybe she’d still tied Enrico too tightly to make a difference.
Vince squeezed her breast a second time, his fingers clawing into her, and she gasped again. “You like that?”
“I hate you.”
“We got to work on your attitude.” He lowered his mouth to her breast and bit down hard. The pain sliced deep; she couldn’t stop the shriek that tore out of her. Vince clamped his hand over her mouth. When he raised his head, there was blood on his lips. Stomach acid raced up into her throat, and she had to suck in air through her nose to keep from vomiting. Oh God, oh God, oh God. What am I going to do?
His fist slammed into her head just above her ear. “Shut up!” He pointed his gun—the Beretta Storm, his favorite—in Enrico’s direction. “Need a reminder?” She shook her head, and he removed his hand from her mouth. Licking the blood off his lips, he leaned closer. “Enjoying yourself?” When she said nothing, he laughed. “That’s better, bitch.” He
raised himself up and pried her legs apart.
Hell no. Kate bucked wildly and clasped her tied hands together, bringing them down in a clenched fist on Vince’s cheek. His head snapped up, and he struck her twice across the face, hard blows that made her head swim. “Knock it off or Lucchesi bites it.”
Sobbing, Kate collapsed onto the rug. She couldn’t risk him shooting Enrico. Vince set the gun down and yanked her legs farther apart, then unbuckled his belt. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was happening. When his cock touched her entrance, her whole body shuddered in rebellion. This is not going to happen. Raking her nails across Vince’s face, she aimed for his eyes, her bitten breast throbbing. He needed to hurt.
“Christ!” Vince pressed a hand against the wound below his left eye and reared back. He raised his other hand to slap her, and Kate saw her death on his face. As soon as he was finished with her, the fatal blow would come. She had to stop him. But how?
A sound behind her attracted Vince’s attention, and she tilted her head to look over her shoulder. Enrico had freed his hands and had his gun pointed at Vince. Thank God. Vince grabbed the Beretta from where he’d placed it beside her and sat back, yanking her up against him, using her body as a shield. Fucking coward. Kate kept her eyes on Enrico. He swung his bound legs over the edge of the bed and took aim again.
Vince raised his arm, pointing his gun at Enrico. No! Kate threw herself hard to the left, knocking Vince off-balance and pulling him forward. Both men fired at the same time, and she heard a heavy thud behind her. Enrico! “Kate!” Enrico yelled, his voice thick with worry.
“I’m okay!” Vince fell on top of her, blood pouring from his right shoulder. Pushing and twisting, Kate scrabbled out from under Vince and elbowed him hard in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Though her tied hands were clumsy, she snatched the Beretta from his weakening hold. Scrambling to her feet, she pointed the gun down at him and flexed both hands around the Storm, trying to hold it steady. “Fuck you, Vince.” Her voice trembled as much as her hands.
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